Now that the Kawhi Leonard-to-Toronto Raptors trade is official, the Boston Celtics have another obstacle standing in their way of greatness next season.
A lot of eyes are going to be on the New York Knicks (reigning champions), Philadelphia 76ers (added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, beat Boston in the first round of the playoffs last season), Cleveland Cavaliers (made the conference finals), and Indiana Pacers (last time we saw a healthy Tyrese Haliburton, they were one win away from an NBA championship), but Toronto shouldn't be ignored.
The Raptors were 46-36 last season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22. They have progressively gotten better in each of the last three seasons and were already a defensive juggernaut before this trade (for some context, their 113 DRTG was fifth-best in the NBA).
Scottie Barnes is turning into a great player because of his ability to make a high impact in every area of the game, but Toronto could only go so far with him as its leader at this point (and while I like Brandon Ingram more than the average fan does, he wasn't going to raise the team's ceiling much). Giving him Leonard (who is fresh off maybe his best season in the NBA at 34 years old) is going to make his and the rest of the team's life so much easier, and they should scare the rest of the teams in the East... including the Celtics.
The Raptors can be a legitimate threat to the Celtics
Toronto has Leonard, Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles, who are all defensive monsters who can guard anybody and everybody, especially wings and guards. That could be a problem for the Celtics, given that their best and most important players are Jayson Tatum, Paul George, and Derrick White.
(For similar reasons, that is why the Knicks have given Boston some fits over the last couple of seasons. With Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart, it was tough for the Celtics to beat them because of their defensive versatility.)
The Raptors were already going to be a team to keep an eye on next season because of their current trajectory, but acquiring Leonard (who, by the way, has a 100% championship success rate with this team) drastically improves their outlook and bumps them up another level.
This team has a lot going for it now, and it's going to be tough for any team to beat them in a seven-game series. The Celtics shouldn't be counted out, even after the Brown trade, but their crown as the Eastern Conference's best team has already been taken from them, and with Leonard back in Toronto, it's going to be tougher for them to get it back.
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