Kawhi Leonard had other options. He chose history.
The Pistons, Timberwolves and other teams expressed interest in trading for Leonard and were prepared to offer him an extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on TSN, via Thomas L. Murray of the New York Post.
With only one year remaining on his contract, Leonard possessed enough leverage to narrow the field and determine where he wanted to continue his career.
“This is a legacy play for Kawhi Leonard,” Charania said.
The Raptors officially reacquired Leonard from the Clippers on Monday for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a first-round swap and two second-rounders.
Detroit and Minnesota may have offered clearer immediate paths to a championship. The Pistons won 60 games last season, while the Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga. Toronto, meanwhile, exited the playoffs in the opening round.
But the Raptors offered something those teams could not: another chapter in a story Leonard already helped make historic.
He led Toronto to its lone NBA championship in 2019 and won Finals MVP before leaving after one season. A second title wouldn’t merely add another ring.
It would turn an unforgettable cameo into the defining stop of Leonard’s NBA career.
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