Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard had a message for his former team.
It is no secret that the Kawhi Leonard era in Los Angeles was a failed one. Joining the LA Clippers in 2019 as a free agent, coming off a historic playoff run where he led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship, Leonard brought those same expectations to a franchise also looking for its first title.
Instead, the Clippers won just three total playoff series with Leonard, one of which came in 2021 when he tore his ACL in the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz. Essentially costing the Clippers five first-round picks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the way in, having pressured them to trade for Paul George, Leonard also cost five first-round picks on the way out.
The Clippers were penalized by the NBA for violating the league's salary cap circumvention rules. In addition to the draft picks, there were suspensions handed out to Steve Ballmer, Gillian Zucker, and Lawrence Frank. Leonard's uncle, Dennis Robertson, was banned in the process.
All of this has made an already disappointing era even worse. Which has understandably created a lot of frustration and hard feelings from the fan base, and seemingly the Clippers organization as well, as they did not put out a thank-you post for Leonard despite having done so for many lesser players.
Leonard did not take that approach, as he did put out a thank-you post to Clippers fans, which has drawn mixed reactions. Some have stated they have no hard feelings, recognizing that the organization was at fault for what took place, and appreciating Leonard for the good moments. Others do blame Leonard and his uncle for forcing the Clippers' hand on the way in, costing them Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks, and then pressuring them to circumvent the salary cap while he was there, costing five more first-round picks and a list of other punishments.
However fans feel about Leonard, the damage caused during his time with the Clippers is undeniable and will take years to recover from. He now returns to Toronto, where he hopes to compete for another NBA title, and is expected to soon sign a long-term extension that could take him through the rest of his career.
The Clippers and Raptors will play a preseason game in Canada and then an early-season game in Inglewood at Intuit Dome. It will be interesting to see how fans receive Leonard in his return.
