Kawhi Leonard Throws Shade at Clippers During Raptors Media Day

This offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers traded Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for multiple draft picks, Gradey Dick and Brandon Ingram. Leonard now reunites with the Raptors, the franchise he won a championship with in the lone season he was with them. 

Toronto is coming off a season in which they made the playoffs and took the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the first round.

The team has been led by Scottie Barnes for several seasons now, and with the rise of other young talent and a successful regular season, this team felt like they needed to make a win-now move and trade for the All-NBA forward. 

During the Raptors' media day, Kawhi Leonard talked about the difference between being a part of the Clippers and the Raptors, and what motivates him to be the best version of himself ahead of next season. 

"We weren't too competitive last year," Leonard said. "I need pressure. I want to be in a winning situation."

Last season, the Clippers were the NBA's oldest team heading into the season, but the team struggled to find their footing early in the regular season and looked like one of the worst teams in the league. 

Kawhi missed some time early nursing lower-body injuries, but once he returned, the Clippers went on a big run and hit their stride towards the back half of the season. This was a team that eventually made the Play-In Tournament, but were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors. 

Los Angeles is a team that has gotten younger, and they have pieces that can come in and be productive for them. Darius Garland and Rui Hachimura still have a lot to offer the Clippers, and with the additions of Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, they could find themselves in the mix for a playoff spot.  

Throughout Kawhi's Clippers tenure, the closest the team came to a Finals appearance was the 2021 Western Conference Finals, a series Kawhi had to miss because of a partially torn ACL. 

They eventually lost that series to the Phoenix Suns in six games and never made it that far again. The Clippers tried to add big names around Kawhi, such as Paul George, James Harden and Russel Westbrook, but it wasn't enough to get over the hump. 

Kawhi now hopes that his partnership with Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is good enough to take that next step and make a deep playoff run in 2026-2027.