Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors has arguably been the most dramatic move of the offseason. However, after the NBA concluded its investigation in the Aspiration saga, Leonard was eventually traded by the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange of Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and five draft picks.

And now, his former teammate in the form of Fred VanVleet has dropped his take on the move, per HoopsHype.

“I mean listen, they didn’t get worse,” he said. “They didn’t get worse, I am excited for the city. I am excited for the organization. It’s good to see Kawhi back and they will be a damn good team especially in the East, they gonna be a tough outing.”

“They didn’t get worse” 🤣. Fred VanVleet on his 2019 championship teammate with the Raptors Kawhi Leonard, going back to the organization. #raptors #kawhileonard @HardRockBet pic.twitter.com/Uzn3Y22y8K

— Hoop There It Is (@HoopThereItIs__) September 19, 2026

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VanVleet was an integral part of the 2019 Raptors roster that won the championship. Leonard not only led Toronto to their first title in franchise history, he also won his second Finals MVP after averaging 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game through the playoffs.

During this time, VanVleet was an up-and-coming star at Toronto, averaging just 11 points, 4.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. In that sense, he had a first-hand view of exactly what Leonard brings to the table.

Kawhi is not only seen as one of the best two-way players in the history of the league, he has also continued to play at an elite level even in his late 30s, something the Raptors will be counting on next season.

While there was consistent drama off the court, Leonard played out a successful campaign last season, participating in 65 regular season games for the Clippers, through which he produced 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Toronto now not only has a young, talented core, they also have the veteran presence to push to the next level after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of playoffs last campaign.