Kawhi Leonard was warmly welcomed by fans during his return to the Toronto Raptors lineup in a pre-season game against the New York Knicks. This marked Leonard’s first game back with the Raptors after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers in the off-season.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic emphasized the importance of integrating Leonard back into the team despite his limited playing time for the game. The coach highlighted the significance of Leonard’s return happening in front of the Toronto fans.
Previously, Leonard had led the Raptors to an NBA championship in the 2018-19 season before joining the Clippers and later being traded back to Toronto after an NBA investigation into salary cap circumvention.
The trade deal involved sending multiple players and draft picks to the Clippers in exchange for Leonard’s return. Leonard’s return to the Raptors was a highly anticipated event for both the player and the team.
In the game, Leonard’s main goal was to enjoy himself on the court, as emphasized by Coach Rajakovic. The Raptors were gearing up for their home opener against the Chicago Bulls following the pre-season matchup with the Knicks at Scotiabank Arena.
The New York Knicks, the defending NBA champions, had faced losses in their pre-season games leading up to the match against Toronto. On the other hand, the Raptors had a mixed pre-season record with more games lined up before their home opener.