​Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto after spending seven seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. He returns to the team he helped win its first NBA championship in 2019. However, the move comes after a period of his career defined by strong scoring and limited availability. Leonard remained one of the league’s top players when healthy, but he regularly missed games during his time in Los Angeles.Stephen A. Smith Takes Aim at Kawhi LeonardStephen A. Smith strongly criticized Leonard’s availability while discussing his return to the Raptors. He said, “Kawhi Leonard, the man who can give lessons on getting paid without showing up to work half the time.”“Kawhi Leonard, the man who can give lessons on getting paid without showing up to work half the time.” @stephenasmith sounds off on Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Raptors pic.twitter.com/hGfiZ01kmG— First Take (@FirstTake) September 24, 2026The “half the time” comment was not a literal measure of Leonard’s attendance. Still, his record with the Clippers helps explain why his availability became part of the conversation. Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesLeonard played 331 of 554 possible regular-season games during his seven seasons in Los Angeles. That equals 59.7 percent of the schedule, meaning he missed more than two out of every five games.Leonard also missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL during the 2021 playoffs. That injury played a major role in the concerns about how often he could stay on the court.However, Leonard’s most recent season makes Smith’s criticism more complicated. He played 65 games during the 2025-26 season and averaged a career-high 27.9 points. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists.That production earned Leonard seventh place in MVP voting. He also made the All-NBA Second Team and earned another All-Star selection. Those honors show that he remained one of the NBA’s most valuable forwards when healthy.The debate is therefore not just about whether Leonard can still perform at a high level. His latest season proved that he can, but the more critical concern is whether he can remain healthy enough to sustain that high production over a demanding full schedule.Kawhi Leonard Gives Raptors a Big but Complicated BetToronto appears to believe Leonard’s production is worth the risk. The Raptors traded Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-round picks to bring him back to Canada. That package shows how much Toronto was willing to give up for another chance with Leonard.Dec 11, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shakes hands with Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY SportsThe trade also came with a longer commitment. Leonard signed a new multi-ye