Like most of the basketball-loving world, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry knows that his teammate, Kawhi Leonard, is up for free agency this summer. Whether or not Leonard will choose to re-sign with Toronto remains to be seen, but Lowry and the fans at Monday's championship parade are making it clear that they want him back.
Crowd to Kawhi: ONE MORE YEAR
Kyle Lowry to crowd: FIVE MORE YEARS pic.twitter.com/rYImiYzVTv
— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) June 17, 2019
Leonard was sidelined for much of the 2017-18 season due to a right quadriceps injury. In fact, the former San Diego State standout missed the first 27 games of that season due to the ailment. He was eventually cleared to play by the Spurs' medical staff, but after seeking a second opinion, he chose to sit out. All in all, he played a total of nine games.
Prior to the 2018-19 campaign, Leonard and Danny Green were traded to the Raptors. It wasn't clear how Leonard would perform at that time, as he had been out of commission for quite a while. In the end, though, the gamble paid off for Toronto, as they went on to claim their first championship in franchise history.
Leonard played a huge role in Toronto's run through the playoffs. After all, it was his buzzer-beating shot over Sixers big man Joel Embiid that lifted the Raptors into the NBA Finals.
Leonard's contributions went far beyond a single shot, however. In his 24 playoff appearances this season (all starts), he racked up averages of 30.5 points on 49.0 percent shooting from the field (37.9 percent from beyond the arc), 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 39.1 minutes per outing. And for his outstanding play in the Finals, he earned the 2019 NBA Finals MVP Award.
At this point, it's not clear if the Raptors will be able to bring Leonard back next season, but it's clear Lowry is open to the idea.
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