Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto after a stint with the LA Clippers that ended in disaster. It’s been seven years since he led the Raptors to their first and only chip. Last time he was here the Klaw was the man and the first option. However, things are different up North this time around.
Leonard spent just one season in Toronto. Yet his impact was historic to say the least, averaging 26.6 points during the 2018-19 regular season. But it was the Playoffs where took his game to another level. He led them to the Finals and eventually stopped the Golden State Warriors from threepeating. This was the Dubs team with Kevin Durant. Injuries or not, that feat is still the highlight of Leonard’s career.
Now, Kawhi Leonard is joining a younger Raptors roster built around Scottie Barnes. Toronto already made the playoffs last season, and the Klaw’s arrival gives the team another proven scorer and elite two-way player. Yet this reunion is not about recreating the old hierarchy for him.
Leonard has made that much clear. His return is about fitting into a team that already has an established young cornerstone. That could make his second stint in Toronto more intriguing than the first.
Kawhi Leonard reveals why he chose to return to Toronto
Leonard’s decision was not simply about finding the strongest roster available. In fact, he specifically pushed back against the idea that he was chasing another championship at all costs.
“I’m not really championship chasing,” Leonard said in an interview with the Raptors’ Open Gym. He explained that he enjoyed his previous experience in the city, felt that Toronto had embraced his family and wanted his son to experience the place where he was born.
(via @Raptors, h/t @PensareBBall)
That personal connection appears to have mattered considerably. Leonard also said he did not want to keep moving around the league, making his return feel less like a conventional basketball decision. The Raptors ultimately gave him a familiar environment while offering an intriguing basketball opportunity alongside Barnes and a developing young core.
There is still plenty for Leonard to prove on the court. He averaged 27.9 points per game during the 2025-26 season, the highest scoring average of his career. Simultaneously, he remained one of the league’s most accomplished two-way players. Toronto does not need him to recreate his 2019 heroics. However, they do need him to be what pushes this young but talented team over the edge into contention
Insider reveals only other team Kawhi Leonard wanted to join
The decision becomes even more interesting considering where Leonard reportedly stood before the trade became official.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported in June that, while Leonard’s preference was to remain with the Clippers, there were only two other teams he would consider signing an extension with: the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs. Both were previous stops in his NBA career.
That meant Toronto and San Antonio stood apart from the rest of Leonard’s potential suitors. A direct 2026 quote from Leonard confirming his preference for the Spurs has not surfaced, but he had previously made clear that he wanted to remain in San Antonio.
In May 2018, former teammate Danny Green said Leonard had verbally told him he wanted to stay with the Spurs. “I think he wants to be in San Antonio,” Green said. “He’s let me know that.”
However, now Leonard has ultimately returned to Toronto, the team he led to the 2019 championship, rather than heading back to San Antonio. Having made the NBA Finals earlier this year, it’s safe to say that the Raptors need the Klaw more than the Wemby-led Spurs. However, a potential teamup between Victor Wembanyama and Kawhi Leonard is enough to keep any Spurs fan up at night if only for a moment.
Kawhi Leonard Reveals Why He Returned to Raptors After Clippers Disaster