The Toronto Raptors recently completed their trade for Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard after the NBA's punishment against the Clippers was handed down. Now, the team has made a big commitment to secure Leonard as the future of their franchise moving forward.
“Just in: Toronto Raptors All-NBA star Kawhi Leonard has agreed on a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the franchise, plus a player option for the 2028-29 season, his agent Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports tells ESPN,” reported ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania on X, formerly Twitter.
Leonard previously won a championship with the Raptors back in 2019 against the Golden State Warriors, and now rejoins the team after departing that offseason to join the Clippers, which ended up wrecking that franchise in the long-term.
Article Continues Below“Both sides maintained consistent dialogue on Leonard’s long-term Raptors future since July after the reunion via trade — and the two-time Finals MVP expects to finish his career in Toronto. Leonard, 35, now has a total of three years and $165 million on his Raptors deal,” reported Charania.
The Raptors are expected to take a step forward this year after losing in the first round to the Cleveland Cavaliers this past season, although it will be interesting to see how they fare, considering that several other teams around them in the Eastern Conference also made splashy moves over the summer.
If Leonard can perform at a level even close to his 2019 version with the Raptors, Toronto should definitely be a force to be reckoned with over the next three years.