Kawhi Leonard Says He Wants to Play for Raptors, Calls It a 'Day-to-Day Process'

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard spoke to the media during a press conference Monday and affirmed he wanted to be a part of the organization.

"I want to play here; as long as I have on the jersey, I want to do great things," he said, per Sam Holako of Raptors Republic.

He also spoke on whether he wants to remain in Toronto for the long-term, given his pending free agency next summer, per Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report:

The generally stoic Leonard even cracked a smile and laughed during the presser:

He also noted his focus was on winning.

"Winning ... is how you get star-caliber players to want to come and play," he said, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

Leonard, 27, was traded to the Raptors this summer alongside Danny Green in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a top-20-protected 2019 first-round draft pick. The deal came after a falling out between Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs, largely over how to best handle his right quadriceps tendinopathy.

He appeared in just nine games last season as one of the more bizarre and unexpected NBA sagas in recent memory simmered.

A fully healthy Leonard, however, is one of the elite players in the NBA and the game's best two-way wing. The two-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year was superb in his last full season in 2016-17, averaging 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

His addition to the Raptors made the team a title contender and one of the best squads in the Eastern Conference, alongside the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. And it's possible more help could be on the way, as Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News reported Sunday the Raptors had interest in wantaway Minnesota Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler.

Pairing Leonard with Butler on the wing would be frightening for opponents. But for now, a happy Leonard is more than enough for Toronto.