In the summer of 2018, all attention was on Kawhi Leonard, the star player for the San Antonio Spurs at the time. Selected as the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Leonard gradually rose to prominence with the Spurs. Despite securing an NBA Championship and earning numerous personal honors by that summer, Leonard was ready to part ways with San Antonio.
Although Leonard was ultimately traded to the Toronto Raptors on July 18, 2018, there were many rumors about him potentially joining the LA Lakers before the move. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith has frequently shared his thoughts on top players like Leonard. Even after the LA Clippers lost Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and discussed options regarding Leonard’s free agency, Smith remained vocal.
Regarding Leonard’s situation with the Spurs in 2018, Smith revealed that Leonard was so determined to leave that he was willing to sit out the entire 2018-19 season if necessary. Smith told ESPN that some executives believed Leonard might not play at all before returning to San Antonio, emphasizing how much Leonard wanted to stay in Los Angeles. When asked about whether Leonard’s approach could be seen as “toxic,” Smith described it as a highly professional and fair move from Leonard’s perspective.
In reality, Leonard did not sit out or push for a move to the Lakers. Instead, he and teammate Danny Green were traded to the Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and the 2019 first-round draft picks. Initially, many critics doubted the trade, but Leonard silenced them by averaging 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists during the regular season. He then led the Raptors to their first NBA championship, delivering his best performance in the playoffs.
Leonard was undeniably the top player on that Raptors team, who won the 2019 NBA Championship. After that historic season, Leonard left Toronto to join the LA Clippers, where he had already spent six seasons earlier in his career. Unfortunately, due to injuries, the Clippers have yet to see Leonard play at the same dominant level he showed during his year in Canada.
Fan Take: This story highlights Kawhi Leonard’s strong will and strategic mindset, demonstrating how star players can shape team dynamics and NBA history. For basketball fans, it underscores the unpredictability of player movements and how resilience and calculated decisions can lead to championship success.
