In one of the more shocking NBA offseason moves, the Toronto Raptors traded for their former star, Kawhi Leonard. His return is years in the making and could turn the Raptors into contenders once again.
Of course, it cost them a pretty penny with them having to give up an All-Star in Brandon Ingram, a former lottery pick in Gradey Dick, and two unprotected first-round picks. Nevertheless, that may be worth it to the Raptors.
Although Leonard is still a fairly polarizing player, he is also one of the best in the NBA. In fact, last season, at the age of 35, he had, arguably, the best season of his career. Still, there are injury concerns with him only playing 68 games last season.
Despite that, the Raptors desperately needed a big move to enter title contention, and one statistic confirms that Leonard is the player to help get them there.
Kawhi Leonard reality is an absolute game-changer for the Raptors
There was a lot of scrutiny over the amount of assets the Raptors gave up for Leonard, and rightfully so. They gave up a haul for a 35-year-old who routinely misses 30 games a season.
However, the gap between Ingram and Leonard can't be understated. Leonard is a vast upgrade over Ingram, and the numbers only confirm that.
According to Cleaning The Glass...
— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) June 30, 2026
Kawhi Leonard's on/off court rating was +14.4, 3rd *best* in the league (behind only Jokic & Wemby).
Brandon Ingram's was -9.0, 3rd *worst* in the league.
Just an unreal contrast in productivity. pic.twitter.com/rF6NX2iJJf
Considering that the Raptors won 46 games last season and made the playoffs, they could be meaningfully better with Leonard in the fold.
The East is still up for grabs, despite the New York Knicks being the reigning champions. Making a big push could make Toronto the dark horse candidate to make the Eastern Conference Finals next season.
The Raptors are still Scottie Barnes' team even with Kawhi
Kawhi may be their superstar once again, but Barnes is still their future. Therefore, he should be their centerpiece. Having Kawhi as his 1A co-star is certainly better than what they had last season.
Improving the caliber of players around him will only up his game, with him making big strides offensively and being an elite defensive player. Kawhi is sort of a bridge, helping a youngish team contend now while setting Barnes and company up for the long term.
With the East still up for grabs, the best-case scenario is that Barnes gains plenty of playoff experience and ups his game to match Kawhi's. If that happens, then this already massive gamble by the Raptors becomes a no-brainer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google