After weeks of waiting as the NBA finalized its investigation into salary cap circumvention, the Golden State Warriors can breathe a little easier knowing Kawhi Leonard is now out of the Western Conference and a member of the Toronto Raptors.
As reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, the trade between the Raptors and L.A. Clippers was made official on Monday, giving the Warriors one less nightmare in the West amid a woeful recent record against Leonard and his now former team.
Warriors have one less nightmare after Kawhi Leonard trade
Golden State did prevail over their pacific rival in a thrilling comeback victory in the first Play-In Tournament game in April, putting an end to their season in what ultimately proved Leonard's final game with the Clippers.
However, it's worth remembering that prior to that game, the Warriors have had nothing short of a disastrous and flat out awful time against the Clippers in recent years. L.A. have won 12 of the past 15 regular season games, including 10 of the past 11 dating back to December 2023.
Whether it's the timing of when the two teams battle, Ty Lue's coaching, or just the specific matchup, Golden State have simply struggled to get the better of the Clippers over the past three or four years even though both teams have shared reasonably similar overall records during this timeframe.
Of course, Leonard has played a big role in the Clippers' success over the Warriors, having been a major rival dating back to the start of his career at the San Antonio Spurs, and most notably in his previously lone year with the Raptors who beat an injury-hit Golden State in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Kawhi Leonard has dominated Warriors in recent years
Across his past 15 games against the Warriors, Leonard has averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals, shooting an incredible 54.8% from the floor and 45.1% from 3-point range.
Perhaps it was this close up look at Leonard's dominance that made him such a strong trade target for Golden State prior to February's mid-season deadline. The Warriors reportedly believed they had a deal in place for the two-time Finals MVP, only for the Clippers to pull out and now trade him to the Raptors this offseason.
As much as seeing Leonard back in a Raptors uniform might uncover some old wounds for the Warriors from 2019, they will be buoyed by the fact his departure should give them a far greater chance of turning around their recent poor record against the Clippers.
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