Raptors Reportedly Felt Gradually Convinced Kawhi Leonard Wasn't Determined to Re-Sign

As NBA free agency progressed, no one seemed to know exactly what Kawhi Leonard was going to do. Is he going to re-sign in Toronto? Which Los Angeles team would he rather join, the Lakers or Clippers? These questions were asked over and over again, and no NBA pundit had a clear answer.

But now, Kawhi is in LA with Paul George, and the two are primed to make the Clippers one of the teams to beat in the NBA next season. Although none of us truly knew what Kawhi was going to do until the very moment he did it, the Toronto Raptors began to realize he wasn't serious about coming back after the time he spent in the city this past week.

It shouldn't come to anyone's surprise that Kawhi didn't want to return to Toronto. Yes, he brought them their first championship and gave the city more joy than they could've ever imagined, but this isn't the first time a superstar has left Canada for a more alluring opportunity.

According to Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star, Kawhi's meetings with the Raptors brass never had the team feeling like the Finals MVP truly and sincerely wanted to come back for 2019-20.

It's hard to blame him given that both LA teams were clamoring for him to come home to SoCal and could offer such favorable situations.

The fans in Toronto will never forget what Kawhi brought to their team, but superstars rarely stay put for too long in the NBA anymore. And while Kawhi isn't your average superstar, the writing was on the wall for Toronto, and they knew it.