Kawhi Leonard has made it clear that he’s prepared to take a secondary role behind Scottie Barnes if that’s what it takes to help Toronto win, while also revealing the personal reasons that brought him back to the franchise.
During an episode of the Raptors’ Open Gym series, Leonard told head coach Darko Rajakovic that he was impressed by what he saw from Toronto last season.
“You guys were very aggressive last year, playing against you guys and watching,” Leonard said, according to BasketNews. “It was fun.
“I’m not here to take over anything. I want to help your vision. Help Scottie, whatever. I just want to win. If it’s Scottie’s team, it’s his team. I just want to do whatever it takes to help you guys win.”
The 35-year-old also explained that his return wasn’t about finding the easiest path to another championship.
Instead, Toronto’s connection to Leonard and his family played a major role in bringing him back to the city where he won his second championship and Finals MVP award.
“You know, I’m not really championship chasing, trying to find the best team I could win,” Leonard said. “You know, I didn’t want to put on a thousand jerseys.
“And, you know, the city took a liking to my family. I took a liking to the city. Really enjoyed it. My son was born here and, you know, he’s been asking me forever when he’s going to come back. So, you know, he’s back and, you know, he’s able to see it rather than me tell him the great stories that happened.”
Leonard spent just one season with Toronto during his first stint, averaging 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists before leading the Raptors to their first championship in 2019.
He now returns following a career-high 27.9 points per game with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2025-26.
This time, though, Leonard isn’t asking Toronto to become his team.
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