Kawhi Leonard is excited for his second act with the Toronto Raptors.
After weeks of waiting, the blockbuster trade between the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers become official earlier this week following the completion of an extensive investigation regarding salary cap circumvention during Leonard’s seven-year run in Los Angeles.
Leonard, who was fined $700,000 for his role in the matter, returns to Toronto after guiding the Raptors to their first and only NBA championship in the 2018-19 season.
During an episode of Bell’s Open Gym released on Wednesday, Leonard visited the Raptors’ practice facility in Toronto where he met head coach Darko Rajaković and other members of the Raptors organization.
The 35-year-old Leonard hasn’t been officially re-introduced to the Raptors’ media yet, but discussed his return on Open Gym, saying he wasn’t “championship chasing” when he made his decision.
“I didn’t want to put on a thousand jerseys. The city took a liking to my family, I took a liking to the city. Really enjoyed it. My son was born here and he’s been asking me forever when he’s going to come back,” Leonard said. “So now’s he’s back and he’s able to see it rather than me telling him great stories that happened.”
Leonard had one of the best seasons of his career with the Raptors in 2018-19, averaging 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals alongside a 49.6 field goal percentage over 60 games.
Leonard was even better in the playoffs, averaging 30.5 points over 24 games as the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games in the NBA Finals.
The Los Angeles native won his second NBA Finals MVP, also accomplishing the feat as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2014.
Leonard’s time with the Clippers was largely disappointing due to injuries and mediocre teams, but put together a terrific campaign in 2025-26, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists over 65 games.
After missing the playoffs three years in a row, the Raptors produced a 46-36 record in 2025-26 and took the Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 7 in the opening round of the postseason.
During a conversation with Rajaković, Leonard said he liked what he saw from the Raptors last year and wants to help with the team’s vision going forward.
“I’m not here to take over anything,” he said. “I want to help your vision. Help Scottie [Barnes]. I just want to win. If it’s Scottie’s team, it’s his team. I just want to do whatever it takes to help you guys win.”
With Leonard’s addition, many NBA pundits believe the Raptors are legit contenders to come out of an improved Eastern Conference alongside the defending NBA champion New York Knicks and LeBron James-led Philadelphia 76ers, among others.
“You know, I’m competitive. I think we’ve got a great chance. This group played great last year. I watched them a lot,” Leonard explained.
“You’ve got Scottie Barnes, [he] showed his talents over the last two, three years. He’s become an All-Star. He’s going to be a problem this next coming year. I love the young guy [Collin Murray-Boyles]. He brings a lot of energy to the team, shows relentlessness on the court, not scared of nobody. [Jamal] Shead is good. [He’s] a Pitbull. He looks like he wants to win every game. I think we got a good chance and you never know what could happen.”
Leonard has one-year remaining on his three-year, $149.5 million contract, but is reportedly in discussions to sign an extension with the team in the near future.
Raptors’ training camp begins on Sept. 28 and will open their pre-season schedule on Oct. 3 with a matchup against the Miami Heat in Quebec City.
