The Kawhi Leonard trade saga has left the Toronto Raptors in limbo, with the proposed deal currently on hold as the NBA investigates the Los Angeles Clippers. Toronto and Los Angeles agreed to a deal that would send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap to the Clippers in exchange for Leonard, but the Raptors are waiting for the league to finish its investigation before moving forward.
That is a massive price to pay for any player, and especially for a 35-year-old Leonard. But if the investigation is resolved and this trade eventually goes through, the Raptors can’t afford to treat it as anything less than a championship-or-bust move. I believe that if you’re willing to give up that much to bring Leonard back to Toronto, you better be ready to go all in
The Raptors are NOT getting 2019 Kawhi back .
The biggest thing the Raptors need to understand is that this isn’t the same Kawhi Leonard who led them to a championship in 2019. That version of Leonard was 27 years old and in his prime, coming off a season in which he averaged 26.6 points per game before turning it up another level in the playoffs. Seven years later, Leonard is 35 and has considerably more mileage on his body. That doesn’t mean he isn’t still an elite player, he averaged 27.9 points per game last season and showed that he can still take over games, but you can not expect him to recreate what he did in 2019, that would be foolish. Toronto isn’t getting a time machine. It’s getting an older, still-great version of Kawhi, and that distinction matters when you’re giving up this much to acquire him. I think that despite his age, he can still make a massive impact on this team and compliments some of the younger talent. If Leonard is the player Toronto is betting on, the timeline suddenly becomes much more important. The Raptors can’t make this trade and then spend the next two or three seasons patiently waiting for their young players to develop. By then, Kawhi will be pushing 40. If the goal is another championship, the time to chase it is now.
The trade package means Toronto can’t settle for mediocrity
If you look at what Toronto is reportedly giving up for Leonard: Ingram, Dick, multiple future draft picks and a pick swap. That’s a significant chunk of the Raptors’ present and future, all for a player who could have a relatively short window left at the top of his game. If Toronto gives up that kind of package and ends up as nothing more than a solid team, what exactly was the point? The Raptors aren’t making this trade to raise their floor. They’re making it to raise their ceiling, and that ceiling has to be a championship or else I feel that they would be destroying their future. There is a huge difference between being a team that can compete and being a team that can win it all. After making this trade, Toronto can’t be satisfied with simply being competitive. If you’re willing to sacrifice this much of your future for Leonard, you better be willing to sacrifice even more to make sure the roster around him is good enough to win four playoff series.
If you’re going to make this trade, you have to continue building the roster
If the Raptors are going to make this trade, they can’t expect Kawhi Leonard to suddenly turn the existing roster into a championship team by himself. Toronto needs to look at the roster and be honest about what it still needs to compete with the best teams in the NBA. More shooting, reliable depth and players who can contribute in the playoffs should all be on the table. The Raptors have already shown they’re willing to sacrifice a significant part of their future to bring Leonard back. Now, they need to make sure the roster around him is good enough to justify that gamble.
This is where going “all-in” actually matters. If there is another move that can make this team better, Toronto shouldn’t be afraid to make it. If there’s a veteran who can help in the playoffs, go get him. If the roster needs more shooting, find it. The goal shouldn’t be to protect every remaining asset just because the Raptors have already given up so much. The whole point of making this trade is to win now, so build a team capable of doing exactly that.
As a Raptors fan, I’ll be honest: I’m pumped. I’ll always be grateful for what Kawhi Leonard did for this franchise in 2019, and the idea of seeing him back in Toronto is exciting. As a realist, though, the trade package concerns me. That’s a lot to give up for a 35-year-old, but at the same time, there aren’t many 35-year-olds in the league like Kawhi Leonard. That’s what makes this such a fascinating gamble. This isn’t the same Kawhi who brought the Raptors their first championship, but he’s still capable of being one of the best players on the floor when he’s healthy. That’s why, if the investigation clears the way and Kawhi officially becomes a Raptor again, Toronto can’t stop there. The trade package is too significant, and the window is too short. Build the roster, make the necessary moves and see just how far this team can go. For now, though, all Raptors fans can do is hope the investigation gets cleared up, Kawhi makes his way back to Toronto, and then see what happens.
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