Kawhi Leonard gives his thoughts on major turnover of Raptors roster

The Toronto Raptors roster has gone through some significant turnover since their championship run in 2019.

With Pascal Siakam getting traded to the Indiana Pacers over a week ago, they now have just one player remaining from that 2019 team in Chris Boucher.

On Friday night, the Raptors welcomed Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers to town. The former Raptor, who served as their leader during that run, admitted it is strange to see how much the roster has changed in five years.

“Yeah, it is,” the 32-year-old said. “But, it’s a new NBA. Coaches and players don’t really stay with one organization, and you see it now.”

After winning the championship with the Raptors, Leonard chose to sign with the Clippers as a free agent. While some fanbases would react angrily, Raptors fans accepted it given that he brought the organization its first-ever NBA championship. Unsurprisingly, he received a warm ovation from those at Scotiabank Arena.

Great applause for former Raptor Kawhi Leonard during starting lineup introductions at Scotiabank Arena. pic.twitter.com/wacfRlResB

— Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) January 27, 2024

“Everybody knows what I’ve done here and how special that year was, and they’re thankful for it,” Leonard said after the Clippers’ 127-107 win. “Every time I come, I get good praise.”

After a slow start to the season, Leonard’s Clippers have picked things up as of late and currently sit third in the Western Conference with a 29-14 record. Meanwhile, the Raptors loss sees them fall to 16-29, which has them two wins shy of the Atlanta Hawks for a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors happen to play the Hawks tomorrow afternoon in a game scheduled for 6:00 pm ET. They will be looking to put an end to a four-game skid in the Sunday matchup.

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