The Toronto Raptors are bent on keeping Kawhi Leonard beyond this season and they even added a person closely connected to him to their staff, per ESPN's Ian Begley.
The Raptors hired former San Antonio Spurs staffer Jeremy Castleberry to be a part of the team's coaching staff. Castleberry is known as a close friend of Leonard as the two played together in high school and at San Diego State. Signing Castleberry means getting someone who Leonard can trust and can communicate with the often aloof player.
Even though the Raptors could face losing the Leonard to free agency next year, they still traded for him this summer, sending longtime Raptor DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round pick to San Antonio.
Toronto can give the best deal for the ‘The Klaw' next year with a five-year, $190 million contract extension. Other teams can only offer a four-year, $141 million deal. The teams linked with prying Leonard away from Toronto are the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers.
Leonard will be on a mission this year. He has drawn a lot of flak for not playing for the Spurs despite getting medical clearance. Last season, he averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game and was limited to only nine contests due to injuries. It will also be a crucial comeback for Kawhi Leonard as he needs to prove he deserves that massive payday next summer. On the other hand, the Raptors are hoping the gamble to trade for him will be worth it.
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