The Toronto Raptors may have made one of the most important moves of their offseason without fully realizing what it could mean for one of their most exciting young players.

Bringing Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto naturally creates enormous expectations. The former Raptors superstar is returning to the franchise where he delivered the greatest season in its history, and much of the attention will understandably be focused on what his arrival means for Toronto’s championship ambitions.

But there could be another, less obvious winner from the move.

Collin Murray-Boyles could be the player who benefits most.

At first glance, Leonard’s arrival appears to make life more difficult for Murray-Boyles. The young forward was beginning to establish himself as an important piece of Toronto’s rotation, and Leonard’s presence could make it harder for him to claim a permanent starting role at power forward.

However, that could actually be exactly what Murray-Boyles needs.

Instead of being asked to carry a huge defensive burden, the former lottery pick could now have more freedom to concentrate on developing the offensive side of his game.

That possibility should have Raptors supporters extremely excited.

Murray-Boyles already showed he can impact games

Murray-Boyles entered the league with plenty of questions surrounding his offensive game, but there was never much doubt about his defensive potential.

During his rookie campaign, he quickly demonstrated that he could contribute in multiple ways without needing the ball constantly in his hands.

His rebounding, physicality, screening and defensive versatility immediately made him useful.

As the season progressed, however, there were increasingly encouraging flashes on offense.

Those flashes became particularly difficult to ignore during Toronto’s playoff battle with Cleveland.

Against a Cavaliers frontcourt featuring Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Murray-Boyles repeatedly showed that his physical tools were capable of translating against elite NBA competition.

Across the seven-game series, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists while producing 2.4 combined steals and blocks per game. Even more impressive, he shot 65.6 percent from the field.

Those numbers suggested that there may be considerably more offensive potential hiding underneath his defensive reputation.

Kawhi could take the pressure off

This is where Leonard’s return becomes particularly interesting.

Murray-Boyles has spent much of his basketball development being viewed as someone who needs to help anchor a defense.

That was true at South Carolina and remained true throughout his introduction to the NBA.

Toronto has now added another elite defensive presence.

Leonard’s ability to defend multiple positions means Murray-Boyles should not have to spend quite as much energy trying to cover every defensive problem himself.

That could give him something incredibly valuable: energy.

Instead of constantly being asked to dominate defensively, Murray-Boyles could have more opportunities to attack mismatches, develop his perimeter shooting and create offense.

The Raptors don’t need him to suddenly become a 20-point-per-game superstar.

They simply need him to become more confident and consistent offensively.

And Leonard’s presence could provide the perfect environment for that development.

The next step could be huge

There is a particularly intriguing element to Murray-Boyles’ offensive development.

He has already shown that he can score efficiently around the basket, punish smaller defenders and contribute as a passer.

The next challenge is expanding those abilities.

If he can become a reliable three-point shooter, improve his ability to attack closeouts and become a more consistent playmaking threat, his value could rise dramatically.

A player who can defend at a high level while also functioning as an offensive connector is extremely difficult to find.

Toronto may already have the foundations of that player.

Leonard’s arrival could simply give Murray-Boyles the room to develop into him.

There is no guarantee that everything suddenly clicks. Young players still need time, repetition and confidence. Murray-Boyles will have to prove that he can take advantage of the opportunities presented to him.

But the circumstances are suddenly far more favorable.

Toronto may have accidentally created a perfect development path

The Raptors originally acquired Leonard because they believe his presence can elevate the team.

Yet the secondary consequences of the move could prove just as important.

Toronto now has another elite defender capable of taking difficult assignments, which could allow Barnes and Murray-Boyles to distribute their defensive responsibilities differently.

For Murray-Boyles, that could mean fewer possessions spent simply trying to survive defensively and more opportunities to become a genuine offensive weapon.

His rookie season already provided plenty of evidence that something special could be developing.

Now he has another season to build on it — with Leonard potentially giving him the freedom to unlock an entirely different side of his game.

The Raptors may therefore have acquired much more than a championship-caliber veteran.

They may have created the conditions for one of their most promising young players to take the biggest offensive leap of his career.

And if Murray-Boyles puts everything together, Toronto’s decision to bring Leonard home could eventually be remembered as the move that helped unlock him.