Once upon a time, in his 14-year career, Kawhi Leonard played for the Toronto Raptors. It was a memorable season for the Raptors, as Leonard brought them their only championship in franchise history.
What people might not remember is that Leonard only played one season in Toronto. In the summer of 2018, the San Antonio Spurs traded him to the Raptors. At the time, it wasn’t an ideal situation for Kawhi. His former teammate, Fred VanVleet, recently revealed how Leonard felt about the trade and what he told his newfound teammates at the time.
Kawhi Leonard Wanted Out of Toronto
After playing seven seasons with the Spurs, Leonard demanded a trade. This was due to the poor treatment he received from the organization when he was dealing with a quadriceps injury.
Unfortunately for Kawhi, while it was he who wanted out, San Antonio didn’t exactly send him to a team he wanted to play for. Leonard ultimately landed in Toronto, but apparently had no intentions of staying for long.
In a recent episode of the “Hello and Welcome” podcast, VanVleet shared the story of when Leonard made his feelings clear about playing in Toronto. He revealed that Kawhi was blunt about leaving immediately after the 2018-19 season.
Funnily enough, the Raptors successfully capitalized on Leonard’s short stint with the team, as his only season with the team translated into their first championship in franchise history. It was the second time the veteran was named NBA Finals MVP.
While VanVleet felt bad that Leonard was in a rush to leave Toronto, he also expressed his gratitude for putting the team and his other teammates at the time on the NBA’s radar.
“He said it from day one, ‘I’m not staying here,’” VanVleet said. “From day one, ‘I don’t know why they traded for me. I don’t want to be here. I’m not staying here.’ Now, Toronto put their best bid in him, man.”
“But his mind was made up, man,” VanVleet continued. “Kawhi is Kawhi. I thank him eternally for helping us win a championship and carrying us to a moment where I could be solidified and go on to make a ton of money. We’re forever indebted to him for that. … I’m just thankful we got the job done. He changed a lot of people’s lives.”
Fred VanVleet revealed that on Kawhi’s first day in Toronto, he said he had no plans of staying
“I don’t know why they traded for me. I don’t want to be here. I’m not staying here.” 😅
(🎥 @hellowelcomepod )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 15, 2025
After the Raptors won the championship in 2019, Leonard proceeded with free agency that summer and signed a three-year contract worth about $103 million, including a player option after the second season, with the Los Angeles Clippers to form a duo with Paul George.
He later extended his contract, signing a four-year deal in 2021, reportedly worth around $176 million, followed by a three-year extension in 2024, valued at roughly $150–152 million.
Since then, Kawhi hasn’t looked back and is still actively playing with the Clippers. This time around, his dynamic duo is James Harden.
