Raptors Kawhi Leonard reunion sends NBA title odds soaring after blockbuster Clippers trade
The Raptors are going for it. Toronto brought back franchise hero Kawhi Leonard on Tuesday, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2 first-round picks, 1 pick swap and 2 second-rounders to the Clippers in a yet another blockbuster deal ahead of NBA free agency. The move vaults the Raptors, who quietly went 46-36 before falling to the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, into championship contention in the eyes of oddsmakers.Less than a week ago, Toronto was 100/1 to win the 2027 title and 30/1 to come out on top in the Eastern Conference at DraftKings Sportsbook. Now, with Leonard in town, the Raptors are +2500 to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which is tied with the Warriors for the seventh-best odds for next season, and +900 to win the East.They trail only the Celtics (+250), Knicks (+290) and Heat (+700) in the conference. Leonard, who scored 27.9 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting across 65 games last season en route to second-team All-NBA honors, joins a feisty young roster alongside Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Collin Murray-Boyles. The two-time NBA Finals MVP famously led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA title before jumping ship for the Clippers that summer. Leonard, who turned 35 on Monday, spent seven seasons in Los Angeles in a tenure that was defined by injuries and playoff failures, having made it past the second round of the playoffs just once in a Clippers uniform. The move marks the latest jolt in what has already been a busy offseason for Eastern Conference teams.The Heat also saw their title odds climb earlier this month after landing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have been linked to LeBron James, who will not return to the Lakers and reportedly has Cleveland on his list of potential destinations.And the Celtics — somewhat surprisingly still listed as the conference favorite over the defending champion Knicks — have their own uncertainty to sort through with Jaylen Brown, who ...