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Afterward, Leonard said he felt good and “didn’t have any complaints” about another 36 minutes of action against a physical Thunder team.

He went on to elaborate on how his program has helped him and the importance of an alliance with the organization. It went unsaid but it’s well-known that a breakdown in trust between Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs about his injury and recovery led to his trade to Toronto.

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“We’ll see how it goes moving forward, but me missing games isn’t just to keep me fresh. It’s obviously making sure I don’t re-injure something that I was out for last year,” Leonard said.

“Like I said before, they’ve been doing a good job of reading images and making sure that I’m improving instead of declining on the health side.

“It feels a lot better than when I started the season. There was a little spell where it kind of plateaued but everybody brought their minds together and we figured out a way and now things are looking good and I’m feeling good.”

And that’s great news for the Raptors, who will need Leonard available, sometimes without much time between games, once the post-season ramps up.

What he said next boded well for the future too.

“It’s big. You have to be able to play for people that you trust and them being able to see what you feel and you just move from there and try to get better together,” Leonard said when asked about working in tandem with the medical staff and the organization.

All of this could be moot should Leonard head home to the Los Angeles Clippers, but it’s worth noting the inroads the Raptors have made with Leonard and his team and the partnership that has been formed.

Couple that with the fact that Toronto can offer Leonard, who already lost almost $30 million by leaving the Spurs, nearly $50 million more than the Clippers or any other suitor can offer this summer, and you can see why Leonard walking no longer seems like the foregone conclusion it felt like for so long.

There is work to be done yet, but the Raptors have to be thrilled with where things stand at the moment.