Over the years, the LA Clippers have paid Kawhi Leonard a hefty salary several times. Did it work out? The brutally honest answer is no. LA expected Leonard to stay healthy, deliver regular-season success, and, most importantly, lead the team to a deep playoff run, but he failed to check off most of those boxes. All he gave the Clippers since he signed in 2019 is four All-Star appearances and some nice memories to look back on.
After the trade, the Toronto Raptors hoped Leonard would meet the same expectations the Clippers had, so they extended him to a two-year, $115 million contract with a player option. This was a trap LA fell into, and now the Raptors have joined them; however, theirs is worse, as the two-time champion is 35 and nearing the end of his career.
At least when he was on the Clippers, Leonard was in his prime.
Historically speaking, the Raptors will be left disappointed with what they receive from Kawhi Leonard
If everything works out and Kawhi Leonard stays healthy, dominates in the regular season, and then elevates his game in the playoffs toward another ring for the Toronto Raptors, the decision to pay him won’t be seen as a mistake.
Instead, the perception will be that the Raptors made a smart decision, since they got exactly what they wanted out of Leonard.
In all honesty, though, speaking from his time with the LA Clippers, chances are likelier than not that he will disappoint the Raptors.
Over his last four seasons, since recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in the second round of the 2021 playoffs, Leonard has played 222 games. That averages out to 55.5 per season.
This number is definitely not worth the $57.5 million average annual salary the Raptors handed him right away.
To make matters worse, Leonard and the Clippers made the playoffs in three consecutive years, from 2023 to 2025, yet he was fully healthy in only one. This is part of the reason why LA was repeatedly sent home in the first round.
So, based on history, the Raptors will be left disappointed. They’re stuck paying a guy who cannot stay healthy and is aging by the day, a ridiculous amount of money, which is the worst of both worlds.
They put themselves in this position the moment they agreed with the Clippers on a trade, as it was clear Leonard wanted an extension right as he switched teams.
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