The 2026 NBA offseason featured several blockbuster moves, including 4-time MVP LeBron James signing as a free agent with Philadelphia and 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded from Milwaukee to Miami. The most intriguing move might play out north of the border, after the Clippers traded Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, the city where he was named Finals MVP after leading the Raptors to their only NBA title in 2019. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Raptors radio play-by-play man Eric Smith about Kawhi’s prolific past in Toronto and what we can expect this time around.
Kawhi played 2 years at San Diego State, and then was selected 15th overall by Indiana in the 2011 Draft before being traded to San Antonio that night: was it just a situation where the Pacers did not realize at the time how great he could become? The best answer I can give you is “I do not know”, but pro sports teams will often identify a certain asset based on who they like. For example, Coach Pat Riley preferred the proven asset of a player who was already in the league rather than the unproven asset of a draft pick, which is why he traded away several of his picks in the past. Sometimes there might be a “wink wink” deal where a team drafts a guy and then flips him to another team right away. If we could rewind 15 years, I assume Indiana would go back and change things.
He is nicknamed “The Claw” due to his 7’3″ wingspan/11” hands, was named to the All-Defensive Team 7 times, and is a 2-time DPOY: how much of an advantage does his athleticism give him on defense? Massive. There is no denying that the hands/wingspan are huge pluses, but when you add it to the mindset/instinct/God-given talent, it becomes an amazing arsenal. What impressed me is that there are few players who can do it on both ends of the court/field (especially in basketball). To have someone equally potent is special: he can take the big shot on offense AND make the big play on defense. Deflections/steals/blocked shots: the whole shebang. We are not talking about a 6’2” guy: he has the height/speed/intelligence and is the total package. Giannis Antetokounmpo is also a current example…but Kawhi was the 1 who broke the mold.
In the summer of 2018 he was traded to Toronto: how big a deal was it at the time, and was there any concern about his health and/or the fact that he could become a free agent the following year? It was a major surprise to the media/fans, and it caused ripple effect around the league. To this day, it was a big deal when DeMar DeRozan left town because he and Kyle Lowry were the 1-2 punch that helped the team keep making postseason runs (before running into LeBron James, as many other teams did). An opportunity presented itself to Toronto to acquire 1 of the premier players in the game in Kawhi. He might have been available due to his health/history, but the usual way for teams to acquire a top-10 player is to draft him or sign him as a free agent. It was a roll of the dice, but they figured IF their medical team could get him back to playing shape and manage it for the course of a season, then there would be something special in the making. “Load management” has become a household term in sports, but it started that season when Kawhi played 60 games and sat out 22 during the regular season. I think that load management enabled him to suit up for every single game in the postseason, which is when it matters the most!
Take me through the magical 2019 playoffs:
In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he scored 41 PTS including a buzzer-beater from the corner that bounced on the rim 4 times before falling in to beat Philadelphia (www.nba.com/watch/video/tdih-kawhi-leonard-game-winning-buzzer-beater-vs-phi-in-game-7-2019): where does the 1st-ever Game 7 buzzer beater in NBA history rank among the biggest shots in his career/Raptors history/NBA history? I have not had a chance to ask him, but I assume it is among the top 2 or 3 on his list (if not #1). I moonlighted as the team’s TV sideline reporter in the past and was in the corner about 15-20 feet away from his shot during the broadcast: you can see the top of my head in photographs! You could hear a pin drop during those 4 bounces…and then I never heard the arena louder than when the ball went in. I was interviewing Lowry after the game but looked over at Kawhi (who was getting interviewed by TNT) bleeding down his arm due to a cut: it was literally a case of blood/sweat/tears. It is hard to not give some love to guys like Lowry/Fred Van Vleet, who made a lot of big shots in the Finals against the Warriors, as well as RJ Barrett last spring in Game 6 as a Canadian kid on the same end of the floor as Kawhi (www.reddit.com/r/torontoraptors/comments/1t1dosc/a_courtside_look_at_rj_barretts_goahead_3pointer)…but I still think Kawhi’s shot still has to be #1. It was such a dramatic moment but was not in the Finals like Michael Jordan over Bryon Russell in Game 6 to clinch the 1998 Finals.
In Game 6 of the Finals, he scored 22 PTS in a 4-PT win over Golden State to clinch the series: how big a deal was it for Toronto to win the title? I was back on the radio for play-by-play in that 1. I almost felt it was more special to win it on the road because the focus was on the players. Raptors fans travel a lot: I think there were about 2000-3000 of them in Oakland. As the 1st team outside the US to win the title, it was massive. I wrote a book last year about different eras of Raptors’ history viewed through the eyes of role players. I started finding that it was easy to break it down by era: pre-Vince Carter, post-Vince Carter, then a 7–8-year drought before reaching the championship era. I recall LeBron in Toronto 1 time saying that he has never been a part of something like this in his career even though the Raptors LOST the game (www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqPQgokbG8I). 1/3 of the league has still never won a title but even if they never win another 1 again, they are in the 2/3 that has won 1.
In the summer of 2019 he signed as a free agent with the Clippers: what was the reaction like in Canada? There was disappointment, but the possibility was discussed a lot during the season. The Raptors knew they might only have him for 1 year, and the Southern California kid decided to head home to sign with the Clippers. They knew it was a gamble, but a gamble worth taking. He was not a malcontent who caused problems: he was a pro’s pro. The only 2 destinations mentioned were Toronto/Los Angeles, so it was not a huge surprise, but there were barely 2 weeks to relish the win before poof: he was gone. It was a bit of a kick in the teeth while trying to bask in the glow of a title, but what lessened the blow to some extent is that the Raptors were still right there with as good a chance as anyone of winning a title in 2020. They were neck-and-neck with Milwaukee until COVID hit: they were still a damn good team until losing to Boston in the bubble in Game 7.
He is a 2-time NBA champion and 1 of 3 players to be named Finals MVP for multiple teams (along with (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/LeBron): how is he able to play his best when it matters the most? It is such a small list: everyone tries to rise to the occasion but not everyone can. Steph Curry was the best player on the Warriors who scored the most points…but Andre Iguodala was still able to win a Finals MVP award in 2015 because of what he did on both ends of the court. Kawhi has the ability when healthy to be 1 of the few players in the history of the game who is equally dangerous on both ends of the court, which he proved again in the 2019 Finals. He will be a menace on defense and get his team out on the run: that is why he is a future Hall of Famer.
This summer the Clippers traded him to Toronto for 2 players/5 draft picks: how is the 2nd time around going so far? From a fan base perspective, people are very excited. Nothing has really happened yet, but training camp opens next week with Media Day on Monday so the best answer I can give you is “we shall see”. Kawhi is clearly motivated to be here due to his familiarity with the organization/city/medical staff. Even at age 35 he remains 1 of the best and is coming off 1 of the best seasons of his career. No disrespect to Brandon Ingram, because he was a good teammate/person who had an outstanding All-Star season…but you must give something to get something. When the dust settles, I just ask if you are a better team now than you were before the trade. You have a core that is still in place from a 45-win season that took Cleveland to a Game 7 (Scotties Barnes/RJ Barrett/Immanuel Quickley), so I think they are a better team now than in May, and there is every reason to be optimistic, especially after Kawhi signed an extension the other day.
In 2021 he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He already is 1 of the greatest players ever by virtue of being on that list and is a no-doubt future Hall of Famer: the awards/accolades speak for themselves. 2-way players are usually starters/fan-favorites, but it is rare for them to be the best player on the floor, much less among the best in the history of the game on both ends of the floor. Even if we ignored all his offensive stats, I think you could make the case that he is a top-75 player based on his defense and defensive awards/accolades alone. Then when you add the offense, it is an absolute no-brainer and what makes him a “unicorn”.
