3. Kawhi Leonard, F, Toronto Raptors/LA Clippers
Without question Kawhi Leonard ruled the summer of 2019 in the NBA. Joining the Toronto Raptors via trade, this season was always expected to be a short-term arrangement.
Even so Leonard was exceptional, the key defensive player in the Eastern Conference Finals and the key offensive one in series before and after, winning Finals MVP for the Raptors’ 4-2 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
This summer he continued to dominate the league narrative. Multiple teams cleared cap space in an attempt to lure him, but few expected him to pluck Paul George from Oklahoma City to pair with him in Los Angeles — on the Clippers, no less. On the same night as an earthquake rocked southern California and Nevada, Leonard rocked the entire league himself.
Even as the Clippers look like early title contenders this season, Leonard has to be docked slightly for his regular season availability. Leonard has appeared in just 51 games, playing 32.6 minutes per game when he does play. Among this list he ranks no better than sixth in any per-game metric and his defense has fallen off with his chronic injury.
Kawhi Leonard is one of the few players in a league capable of being the best player on a championship team — he has done it at least once and likely twice (2014 with the San Antonio Spurs). This year he has won the narrative title, but he did not win MVP in 2018-19 and will likely not win it in 2019-20.
His production when it matters most is elite, but the year in context leaves him just outside the top-two.