Kawhi Leonard Articles - Page 71

Two of the biggest would-be NBA free agents of 2019 have reportedly have no interest in playing alongside LeBron James and the revamped Los Angeles Lakers, further reducing the team’s chances at getting a premier defensive player to pair up with the aging King. “There are whispers around the league that neither Jimmy Butler nor […]

As each passing day inches us closer to the greatest spectacle in basketball, the excitement just continues to build towards the NBA season opener. For fans and wannabe GM’s that also means that the excitement of fantasy basketball season will be upon us. Before fantasy teams go head-to-head and get locked-and-loaded in their leagues, let us […]

The NBA season is literally less than a week away but the Los Angeles Clippers have their fair share of questions to answer still. After some of the most turnover in recent offseason history, here are five questions headed into the Clippers season. Does anyone care about the Clippers? If you’re a Lakers fan or one of […]

Toronto Raptors shooting guard Danny Green says star small forward Kawhi Leonard may be coming out of his shell. Green, who was acquired by the Raptors from the San Antonio Spurs in the blockbuster Leonard trade, claims the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is more vocal than he has ever been with his new […]

Toronto Raptors fans are eager to finally watch Kawhi Leonard take the court in their building. The mercurial superstar has yet to play in Scotiabank Arena as a member of the Raptors. Unfortunately, fans must wait for the Raptors’ season opener against Cleveland on Oct. 17. Kawhi will not be making his home debut tonight […]

Kawhi Leonard’s home debut with the Toronto Raptors will be must-watch TV. Leonard spent the first seven seasons of his career with the San Antonio Spurs before their shocking divorce resulted in Leonard relocating to a different country. Everyone is waiting to see how Kawhi jells with Kyle Lowry and the Raptors. Toronto fans will […]

Kawhi Leonard was understandably shaking off some rust in the Toronto Raptors first preseason game. But Nick Nurse believes that his superstar player has successfully shaken off the rust from his preseason debut. Leonard tallied 17 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes on Tuesday against the Utah Jazz. Preseason stats are irrelevant. More importantly, […]

Toronto Raptors star small forward Kawhi Leonard doesn’t feel pressure from fans because he sets expectations for himself that are far greater than the ones people have. Leonard only played in nine games last season with the San Antonio Spurs due to a lingering quadriceps injury, so there’s a lot of hype and anticipation surrounding […]

General Managers from all around the NBA recently took some time to predict which players will win some of the league’s annual awards. Amid their polling, the GM’s selected Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard and Jazz center Rudy Gobert as their favorites to earn several defensive awards in the 2018-19 season. For overall best defensive player […]

In a superstar-driven league, you are either one of two players: a superstar or not. There comes a time in a player’s career that would be considered a tipping point of how things will finally take course. On one end, you become a bust or a failure, on the other hand, you prove all the […]

Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard is known as a quiet sort of guy. In fact, he doesn’t speak that much at all. So when fans heard his laugh during this year’s Media Day gathering in Toronto, they couldn’t get enough. And now, thanks to a new website, Leonard’s laugh is just a click away. “What would […]

Toronto Raptors star small forward Kawhi Leonard says he’s feeling good and has no pain after playing in his first basketball game since January. Leonard only played in nine games last season with the San Antonio Spurs due to a lingering quadriceps injury. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year scored 12 points in 19 […]

Kawhi Leonard was completely unaware that his awkward laugh during Toronto Raptors media day had become an internet sensation, now a viral meme used by NBA fans across the world. When told that, Leonard’s reaction was to be expected, a rather mum one — something that Toronto-based media will have to get used to even […]

The blockbuster trade between the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs this offseason will definitely be one for the books. Even though the dust has finally settled between the two teams, the All-Stars involved in Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan might be forever intertwined in their careers. Mired by controversy and rumors, the All-Star […]

Someone needs to fill the shoes of Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio. But before Gregg Popovich figures that out, someone needed to fill his locker. That man is the recently acquired Dante Cunningham, according to Michael C. Wright. This isn’t Cunningham’s first locker. The 31-year-old is joining his seventh team and is hoping to find a […]

The video of Kawhi Leonard laughing will never go away. On Saturday night, Rudy Gobert used the video of Kawhi to get a laugh out of Donovan Mitchell and the scrum of reporters surrounding him: Rudy Gobert pulled this video up on his phone at full volume right in the middle of Donovan Mitchell’s scrum […]

Following a controversial summer that eventually saw him unceremoniously parting ways with the San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard recently made his highly-anticipated debut for the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. The Raptors were up against the Portland Trail Blazers, and while Leonard did start the game for his team, there were some obvious signs that he […]

Kawhi Leonard made his Toronto Raptors debut Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, and it didn’t take long for the superstar small forward to get in the scoring column. After missing his first shot of the game, which was a long 3-pointer that came at the end of the shot clock, Leonard scored his […]

The biggest questions for the Toronto Raptors surround Kawhi Leonard. Will he stay their long-term? Is he happy to be in Toronto? Will he be able to finally lead the Raptors to their first appearance in the NBA Finals? These are all valid questions but first, how will Leonard and Kyle Lowry fit together on […]

Whenever Kawhi Leonard laughs, it’s an event. So when the Toronto Raptors swingman let out an awkward cackle that proved he’s not a robot bereft of feeling any human emotions during Monday’s NBA media day, people on the internet went hog wild. But those who’ve been watching Leonard closely throughout his rise to basketball superstardom […]

The Toronto Raptors went through their first official practice of training camp on Tuesday morning that saw All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard take a significant step forward by partaking in the practice for the first time since eight months. Following his first session with the team, Leonard voiced to reporters that he felt good physically, according […]

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry had been dodging calls and texts from team officials, including president Masai Ujiri and new head coach Nick Nurse after the franchise traded his best friend, small forward DeMar DeRozan — according to a report from Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. The Raptors traded DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs […]

Following the arrival of Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri doesn’t want to hear how little pull the city has when it comes to attracting players to play there. “The narrative of not wanting to come to this city is gone. That’s old talk,” said Ujiri on Monday’s Media Day, according to Ryan Wolstat […]

Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry has recently exhibited how he is a true model professional. It was one of the busiest and ugliest summers in the history of the franchise, but the 32-year-old guard made it abundantly clear where his loyalty remains. When asked about what type of mindset he will have following a tumultuous […]

Newly acquired All-Star Kawhi Leonard sat down with members of the Toronto Raptors media on Monday for his first official appearance since joining the team. Leonard was asked to describe himself to the fans in Canada who might not know him that well. Keep in mind that Leonard is a quiet kind of guy. He […]

Kawhi Leonard spoke to the media for the first time since last season, claiming he doesn’t regret the saga that unfolded upon his quad injury, causing his trade from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors earlier this summer. “I have no regrets. Want to stay in the present, not look back,” said Leonard […]

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is not concerned about Kawhi Leonard’s health heading into training camp, noting that it’s “all systems go” heading into training camp, according to Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Leonard has looked good health-wise, but the Raptors are expected to closely monitor him throughout the season, according to Eric […]

There was once a time that height was might in the NBA, with franchises needing a talented big man to anchor a successful run in the league. Nowadays, the thought seems like ancient history with the modern space and pace game of the NBA. As the game leans toward being more positionless and guard-centric, the […]

The L.A. Clippers are emerging as a front-runner for Toronto Raptors small forward Kawhi Leonard if he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Leonard is widely expected to decline his 2019-20 player option with the Raptors and enter the open market. The two-time […]

Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Jimmy Butler is most determined to find a way to play for the L.A. Clippers, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. It’s been earlier reported that Butler has requested a trade from the Timberwolves. The appeal of partnering with a second star in Los Angeles is an intriguing […]

If history serves as precedent, Jimmy Butler’s trade list may not make much of a difference when it boils down to where the Minnesota Timberwolves may trade their All-Star wing, as noted by Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report. https://twitter.com/highkin/status/1042471802390274048 Butler just requested a trade away from Tom Thibodeau and the Timberwolves, joining Kyrie Irving and […]

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri knows what he bargained for and won’t create false expectation of his star addition Kawhi Leonard. The Klaw has been historically a quiet player who often doesn’t say more than what’s necessary, and at times he’s even painfully quiet when media inquires for further depth in a subject. “He’s a quiet […]

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri expressed confidence in star point guard Kyle Lowry getting past the heartbreak of seeing former backcourt mate DeMar DeRozan traded to the San Antonio Spurs. Ujiri said he wasn’t surprised by Lowry’s reaction to the trade, but “is confident he’ll be a pro and lead the team once camp opens, […]

Despite the short time between the trade that shook the NBA world this offseason, Kawhi Leonard is expected to return to Toronto and join the Raptors for training camp shortly, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN. President Masai Ujiri indicated that his star forward would be “ready to roll” by the start of camp, saying […]

The trade of then-San Antonio Spurs All-star wingman Kawhi Leonard for All-star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan was one the biggest things to impact the NBA landscape. The two-time All-star and former NBA champion is one of the best two-way players in the league when healthy. His addition immediately catapults them beyond contender status to one […]

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. thinks that the Toronto Raptors could convince Kawhi Leonard to buy into their organization long-term. The deal that sent Leonard to Toronto and DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs was the most surprising trade of the offseason. Many thought the Raptors got the short end of […]

Kawhi Leonard is going to be the biggest free agent on the market in the summer of 2019, and while many won’t like it, it’s going to be talked about for the entire 2018-19 season. Will he stay with the Toronto Raptors? Will he join LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers? Will he join […]

LeBron James is with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kawhi Leonard is with the Toronto Raptors. Anthony Davis and Julius Randle are a dynamic new front court. And in Boston, the Celtics return Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. The NBA landscape has drastically changed and with it, brand new possibilities arise. The Golden State Warriors unlocked […]

The Toronto Raptors took a major gamble by trading for Kawhi Leonard. The team had no assurances that Leonard would sign a long-term deal to remain in Toronto, but they pulled the trigger on the deal anyway. Well, the team could be rewarded for their gamble. According to Marc. J. Spears of The Undefeated: “The […]