Does Kawhi Leonard make the Raptors contenders in the East?
Does Kawhi Leonard make the Raptors contenders in the East?Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor reacts to the blockbuster deal that sends the former All-Star back to his former team and why he is precisely what Toronto needed to make a run in the Eastern Conference. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.3:23Now PlayingPaused
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Does Kawhi Leonard make the Raptors contenders in the East?
Kevin O'ConnorNBA Senior AnalystTue, June 30, 2026 at 8:44 PM UTCYahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor reacts to the blockbuster deal that sends the former All-Star back to his former team and why he is precisely what Toronto needed to make a run in the Eastern Conference. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Welcome back to the Kevin O'Connor Show.
Kawhi Leonard has been traded back to the Toronto Raptors, the reunion I don't think anybody could have anticipated when the off-season began.
Who saw this coming?
Kawhi Leonard traded to the Toronto Raptors?
Are you kidding me?
We actually got Kawhi going to Toronto?
Look, I, I think there are a lot of things we could've anticipated this off-season.
LeBron James possibly going to the Warriors, we could've seen that coming.
Giannis going to the Miami Heat, not the biggest surprise in the world, but Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, I, I can't believe it actually happened.
AdvertisementAdvertisementWe got going to the La- going to the Clippers, Brandon Ingram, Grady Dick, two first-rounders, one pick swap, two second-round picks, and Kawhi Leonard going back to Toronto Raptors a- seven years after hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy after his lone season there in Toronto.
Man, like I, I, I couldn't have seen this coming.
I, I'm just blown away.
I think for Toronto and for the Clippers, at least in my opinion, this is a mutually beneficial deal.
That's my first thought here, and let's start on the Toronto Raptors side of things.
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AdvertisementAdvertisementOn the Raptors side of things here, this just feels like a no-brainer to me.
I know it's a lot to give.
You're giving some draft capital, you're giving Ingram, who's, you know, not perfect.
He's overpaid, but he's solid.
And Grady Dick, I mean, he's terrible so far in his career.
I still hope he pans out.
But it's a lot of draft capital for a 35-year-old guy who's had a lot of durability and injury issues in his entire career.
A guy you do have to really conform to and do things the way he wants to when he's in your organization, as the Raptors knew about during that 18/19 historic championship season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAll that said, he's Kawhi Leonard, and he fills the precise thing the Raptors needed in order to get through in the playoffs this year.
Go-to scoring.
A bucket getter.
A guy who's elite efficiency from the mid-range, from the three-point range, who can get to the basket, and he can do all of those things without sacrificing your defensive identity.
The DNA of the Raptors, this team that was so fun and made you feel so optimistic this year, was about defense.
It was Scottie Barnes and Colin Murray-Boyles and Jamal's shed causing eight-second violations.
It was Jacoby Walter being a three and D guy showing progress and development, still young in his career.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd you add Kawhi Leonard to this mix, I don't think it changes anything about the DNA of this Raptors team.
I don't think a thing changes about them.
And ultimately for Toronto, now at this point, they're a team where I think they're gonna con- they're gonna potentially be a contender.
That's what I'm expecting here for the Toronto Raptors.
I think they might actually be a contender.
Now, are they gonna be better than the Knicks?
Are they gonna be better than the Celtics if they keep Jaylen Brown?
Are they gonna be better than the Cavs after whatever they're gonna do this off-season?
We'll see.
We'll find out what's gonna happen there.
AdvertisementAdvertisementIt's hard to know exactly what's gonna happen with those other teams.
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They haven't made their moves yet.
But adding Kawhi Leonard to one of the best defenses in basketball, still with possible moves to make for Toronto
- Does Kawhi Leonard make the Raptors contenders in the East?Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor reacts to the blockbuster deal that sends the former All-Star back to his former team and why he is precisely what Toronto needed to make a run in the Eastern Conference. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.3:23Now PlayingPaused
- Kawhi Leonard is returning to Toronto - where he never should've left1:42Now PlayingPaused
- Why a Raptors-Kawhi Leonard reunion would be 'sensational'2:05Now PlayingPaused
- Clippers should 'jump at the chance' to trade Kawhi to Toronto3:27Now PlayingPaused
- Warriors are still seeking Kawhi deal, should the Clippers deal him?3:15Now PlayingPaused
- The big reason why Kawhi Leonard won't be traded yet2:31Now PlayingPaused
- Is the real answer to stopping Wemby trading for Giannis?3:38Now PlayingPaused
- Haynes: Heat, Thunder are teams to watch in offseason2:54Now PlayingPaused
- Why Giannis has a ‘ton of power' in picking his next destination1:52Now PlayingPaused
- Should the Pistons pursue Kawhi Leonard if the Clippers make him available?1:42Now PlayingPaused
