The Toronto Raptors actually pulled it off. Seven years after Kawhi Leonard led the franchise to its first NBA championship in 2019, Toronto has brought him back.
It wasn’t cheap. Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a pick swap and two second-round picks are heading to the Los Angeles Clippers. That’s a massive price to pay, but it also sends a clear message: the Raptors believe their championship window is open.
Teams don’t trade that kind of package for a 35-year-old superstar unless they think they can win now. Leonard is coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career, averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game while posting the highest usage rate he’s ever had. He earned a spot on the All-NBA second team and finished seventh in MVP voting.
Don’t get me wrong, the health concerns aren’t going away, but when Leonard is on the floor, he’s still one of the league’s elite two-way players. Toronto didn’t make this move to be bounced in the first round of the playoffs again. They made it because they believe another title is within reach.
The work, however, isn’t finished. If the Raptors want to maximize this opportunity, there are still a few moves they need to make.
1. Lock Leonard up with an extension
Before thinking about any other roster move, the Raptors need to make sure Leonard isn’t going anywhere.
Leonard is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension. Everything we’ve heard suggests Toronto and Leonard weren’t interested in making this trade unless it involved a contract extension. Leonard has also spoken in the past about wanting to finish his career in Toronto.
For the organization, getting an extension done quickly removes any uncertainty. For the fans, it also avoids another season of wondering whether Kawhi is staying or leaving. One summer of that was enough. It seems as though he is going to be receiving a two-year deal, which would be the maximum amount of money. His contract would be in the range of $60 M per year.
2. Find another frontcourt piece who can shoot
One of the biggest reasons Toronto won the championship in 2019 was its versatility in the frontcourt. Head coach Nick Nurse at the time could rotate between Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka or even play both together depending on the matchup. That flexibility made life much easier for Leonard. There’s a reason they traded for Gasol that year.
The Raptors need something similar again. Sandro Mamukelashvili appears likely to price himself out of Toronto after a breakout season. Latest reports have him packing his bag for the Los Angeles Lakers. He should command well over $10 million annually, making it difficult for the Raptors to keep him.
There is not a lot of money to work with, and most of the stretch fives are already off the board in free-agency so Toronto will most likely need to get creative in the trade department to make this work. Maybe they call the Clippers again and check in on Brook Lopez.
Jakob Poeltl had a dip in production last season. He dealt with injurt and last season proved he can’t be relied on all the time to pull through when you need him most. Getting depth at the center is a must. Andre Drummond is a free agent, and he started shooting corner triples last season. The free agency pool is thin at center, so the Raptors will likely have to hit on a marginal move here.
3. Add another scoring point guard
The Raptors have Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead, but another offensive-minded guard would make this roster much deeper.
Quickley can catch fire, but his production has been inconsistent. Shead has already established himself as an excellent defender and is coming off a great season, though creating offence isn’t yet his biggest strength.
Toronto’s 2019 championship team succeeded because it had multiple guards capable of creating shots. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet handled the bulk of the workload, while Jeremy Lin gave the team another experienced option later in the season.
The current roster could use another player who can consistently generate offence. One name worth watching is Anfernee Simons.
Simons split last season between Chicago and Boston, averaging 14.3 points while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range across 61 games. He’s the type of player who can come off the bench or start when needed, and his shooting would create more space for Leonard, Scottie Barnes and the rest of Toronto’s offence.
The pressure is on
Trading for Kawhi Leonard was the hard part. Now comes building a roster capable of winning another championship.
The Raptors have made it clear they’re pushing their chips to the middle of the table. If they can add another reliable big man, another scoring guard and get Leonard signed to an extension, they’ll have a legitimate chance to compete with the NBA’s best.
The reunion has everyone excited. Now it’s time to make sure this version of the Raptors has everything it needs to chase another title.
