Kawhi Leonard's Clippers exit validates blatant truth about his career

The Kawhi Leonard saga just got weirder. The Clippers are nearing a deal to send him to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, a pair of first-round picks, one pick swap, and two second-rounders. This will be his second stint in The North, putting a muzzle on rumors about a return to San Antonio. It's another chapter in one of the strangest careers in NBA history.

Things have been turbulent for Leonard over the last ten years. The Spurs dealt him to Toronto back in the summer of 2018. After one year in a Raptors jersey, he left as an unrestricted free agent to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Fast forward, and here we are again with yet another blockbuster trade to Toronto.

I'm not sure what this means for the Raptors. Are they contenders now in the East? Possibly, but it's hard to predict the success of any Kawhi Leonard-led team with his extensive injury history. As great as he is, he's one of the biggest wild cards in the NBA.

Understanding Kawhi's confusing career

For someone with a pair of championships and Finals MVPs, Kawhi is still a bit of a what-if story. How would things have looked if he had stayed in San Antonio? He was the NBA's premier two-way wing, playing under one of the greatest coaches ever, and health was the only thing hindering them from another deep playoff run in the West.

That question applies even more to his situation in Toronto. In one season, he led them to their first finals appearance in franchise history and gave the city its first Larry O'Brien trophy. He had the weapons to repeat that success in subsequent seasons but left for LA in the following summer.

His time in a Clippers jersey was plagued by injuries and a series of head-scratching controversies, one of which is still under investigation. And what did all of that lead to? Just one Western Conference Finals appearance in a series that he wasn't even available for. Leonard was just never able to rediscover that postseason success he once had in San Antonio.

Did the Spurs dodge dodge a bullet?

A Spurs reunion with Kawhi Leonard was interesting to fantasize about, but it's good that it didn't come to fruition. San Antonio is already in a great spot with their group, making a run to the NBA Finals in just the third year of the Victor Wembanyama project.

It wasn't worth disrupting the flow and development of their young players to bring in an All-Star who's been struggling with availability for a large chunk of his career. They have a program that they should stick to, and they only need to make additions on the margins.

Who knows, maybe Kawhi is the missing piece that takes the Raptors from decent to dominant in the Eastern Conference. They needed someone to push them into another gear offensively, so you can only hope they get the best out of this deal.

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