Kawhi Leonard Speculation: Will Ex-Spurs Superstar Decide Not to Play for the Raptors This Season?

Kawhi Leonard getting traded to the Toronto Raptors blindsided many NBA fans who were keeping track of where the small forward was heading next. Previous reports strongly suggested that the ex-San Antonio Spurs superstar was interested in playing for either the L.A. Clippers or the L.A. Lakers.

However, the Spurs decided to chuck Kawhi Leonard up to the far north, with some fans jokingly saying that he’s been sent to the Wall, an allusion to the fantasy series “Game of Thrones.” So now the question is: Will Kawhi Leonard play his heart out in this new chapter of his NBA career?

That is an uncertainty at this point, unfortunately. What’s certain, however, is that Kawhi Leonard will undoubtedly be playing for Toronto Raptors as opposed to the rumors that he will sit the season out, similar to what he did when he was with the Spurs last season, as pointed out by David Jacoby.

The reason for this is that if Kawhi Leonard decided not to play this season, he would be giving up his free agency next year. That means his option to transfer to other teams – if he does want to transfer – will be off the table.

This trade is also a bad look for the Toronto Raptors since they decided to trade their most skilled and loyal player, DeMar DeRozan, for Kawhi Leonard. Both NBA fans and NBA stars came to the defense of DeRozan after the trade announcement, citing disloyalty of the franchise to its most beloved player.

Speculations are now rising that the trade may have severely damaged the Toronto Raptors' reputation regarding how they treat their players, especially someone who had essentially been the face of the franchise for nearly a decade. As for Kawhi Leonard, it’s still unclear what he feels about the whole situation as the small forward remains taciturn about the whole situation, which is such a Kawhi Leonard thing to do.