Kawhi Leonard Praises Maturity of Young Toronto Raptors

The talk of the summer for the Toronto Raptors was the blockbuster acquisition of seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard. After just one season in Canada back in 2019, he was able to capture the Finals MVP in the franchise’s first and only NBA championship before departing for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency.

Now returning to Toronto after seven seasons in California, he joins a roster with a different outlook, but similar expectations. By the summer of 2018, the Raptors had been trying to contend for a championship for years, but couldn’t get over the hump named LeBron James. After trading away franchise legend DeMar DeRozan for the two-time DPOY, Leonard was able to raise the ceiling of an already elite team, which culminated in a championship.

Last season, the Raptors made their first playoff appearance since 2022, but the extremely young core has shown signs of taking massive leaps swiftly. Leonard will, again, be expected to carry the offensive load in 2027, and Toronto’s championship aspirations heavily rely on his experience on a team that simply hasn’t been through the fire enough. After working with his new teammates for about a week in training camp, the former No. 15 pick in the 2011 NBA draft was asked about something that he had learned about the team that he may not have known before.

“They carry themselves like an older team,” said Leonard. “Everybody’s pretty focused and locked in on everyday practices and focused on the assignment. [I] wasn’t surprised; last year they made the playoffs. They’re a good, mature young group.”

When looking back at the championship squad, there were several young, impactful pieces who would go on to be All-Stars. Guys like Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Norman Powell all had different roles in winning the NBA Finals, but there are similarities to this year’s team. Players like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, and even rookie first-round pick Allen Graves will all be able to contribute to the team’s ability to make a deep playoff run to some degree. 

Instead of an established veteran teammate like Kyle Lowry, Leonard is now paired with the 25-year-old superstar, Scottie Barnes. Having just earned his second All-Star appearance and first All-Defense selection, the former No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA draft is looking to take his game to the next level in 2027. He’ll have much higher on-court expectations than Lowry did, but still, the team can only go as far as Leonard takes them. Coming off a career-high 27.9 points per game last season, the Raptors will do everything they can to maintain his excellent durability from 2026, as opposed to the previous eight years, when he played at least 65 games only once.