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Kawhi Leonard had not played in the first two preseason games for the Toronto Raptors thus far, but he made his debut in the team’s third preseason game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. As of publication, the Raptors held close to a 40 point lead against the Knicks, with Leonard showing glimpses of the player Raptors fans remember when he led the franchise to its only NBA championship.
At the half of the Raptors’ preseason game against the Knicks, Kawhi Leonard had a team-high 21 points in 17 minutes of play. He also had five rebounds and two steals while shooting 6-of-12 from the field, 4-of-8 from the 3-point line and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line.
The Raptors re-acquired Leonard this offseason in a trade with the LA Clippers, the team the two-time Finals MVP originally left them for via free agency in 2019. He was the subject of a recent NBA investigation regarding cap circumvention, alongside the Clippers organization, and was fined $70,000 for his role in the entire ordeal. Once the investigation was completed and punishment handed down, the trade was finalized.
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The No. 15 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Leonard is entering his 15th season in the league. He only played one previous season with the Raptors after they traded for him in 2018. This past year, he appeared in 65 games with the Clippers, at a little over 32 minutes per game. He averaged a career-best 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals with splits of 50.5 percent shooting from the field, 38.7 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 89.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
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