Shortly after the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors agreed to the trade which would send Kawhi Leonard to Toronto and DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio, it was reported that neither player was expressing enthusiasm for the deal. On the one hand, DeRozan felt betrayed by the Raptors organization, who had reportedly assured him during summer league in Las Vegas that he would not be traded.
On the other hand, it seemed that Leonard simply did not want to head north of the border. After the news of the blockbuster trade broke, ESPN's Chris Haynes reported that Leonard had "no desire to play in Toronto." Furthermore, Sean Deveney of Sporting News claimed the 27-year old All-Star forward could sit out the 2018-19 season as he prepares for free agency next summer, when he would be able to join his hometown Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent.
However, it appears Leonard is coming to terms with the deal and doesn't have any plans to sit out at all. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (H/T The Score), the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is reportedly warming up to the idea of playing for the Raptors next season. That said, it is believed Leonard still has his eyes set on Los Angeles once the 2018-19 season comes to a close.
Injuries limited Leonard to just nine games last season in San Antonio, but he averaged a career-high 25.5 points per game in the previous season, in addition to 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
