A homecoming worth $115 million! Kawhi commits his future to Toronto
Seven years ago, Kawhi Leonard left Toronto right after delivering a championship. This time, he is not going anywhere.
Details: According to Polymarket Sports, citing Shams Charania, Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the Raptors. The deal secures the future of the All-NBA star in Toronto just weeks before the new NBA season.
The story reads like a redemption arc for both sides. Leonard led the Raptors to their only NBA title in 2019, then stunned the city by leaving for the Clippers in free agency. Toronto finally brought him home in a blockbuster trade this June, making the move only after receiving assurances that the 35-year-old was willing to extend. That promise has now been fulfilled, and at an average of $57.5 million per year, the Raptors are betting that the two-time Finals MVP still has elite basketball left in him. The saga around Leonard has been anything but quiet: the Clippers were just hammered by the NBA, stripped of five first-round picks, fined $30 million and saw owner Steve Ballmer suspended for a year over salary cap circumvention tied to Leonard's infamous endorsement arrangement. Freed from that chaos, the forward can now focus entirely on basketball in a city that never stopped loving him. With training camp around the corner, Toronto suddenly looks like one of the most intriguing teams in the East.
It's worth noting that Leonard's 2019 playoff run with Toronto, capped by the iconic Game 7 buzzer-beater against Philadelphia, is still considered one of the greatest single postseason performances in NBA history.
Reminder: NBA drops the hammer! Clippers lose five first-round picks in Kawhi Leonard scandal
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
