Mar 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dribbles the ball Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

'I Thought He Was Going to Stay' – Former Toronto Raptors Center Drops Truth Bomb on Kawhi Leonard’s Sudden Departure in 2019

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 2:45 PM ET

Kawhi Leonard raised eyebrows when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2019, fresh from helping the Toronto Raptors win their first NBA championship in franchise history.

Jun 13, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) celebrates after defeating the Golden State Warriors for the NBA Championship in game six of the 2019 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking on the Hello and Welcome podcast, former Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka detailed his initial reaction to the bombshell news about his former teammate back then.

“I didn’t actually try to recruit him because I didn’t believe it. I thought he was going to stay. Yeah, he won. I didn’t believe he was gonna leave, you know? I was like — I didn’t think he was going to leave, actually. We just won the championship. We had a great team. He could take as many off-games as he wanted — the team was still going to win without him,” Ibaka said.

“So he got a lot of pressure, you know? Whenever we needed him in a game, he’d be there. And if he had an off-night, he had guys to help him. So I didn’t really think like, ‘Ah, Kawhi is going to leave.’ I was calm. I was relaxed. I was like, ‘We just won. Who does that?'” he added.

Toronto Raptors determined to end their rebuilding phase, per insider

The Toronto Raptors haven’t been the same since Kawhi Leonard left in the summer of 2019. Since then, the team has only qualified for the playoffs twice, and their front office, under the leadership of newly installed permanent head of basketball operations Bobby Webster, plans to end their drought.

Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster speaks to reporters during a media availability session.Credit: Getty Images

“Someone I consult with who is involved in (executive) search firm stuff was taken aback by the fact that was even put out publicly,” Fischer said on the Insider Notebook. “He was taking it — and the league was taking it — as a foregone conclusion that Bobby Webster would be running the show.”

“The Raptors have definitely been given some type of formal pressure, some type of direction from their new leadership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to end this sort of rebuild era they’ve been in,” he added.