A new era is dawning for Kawhi Leonard in Toronto after the blockbuster trade. Although there are still some question marks behind the future of the claw, it also allows the Raptors to attack the title again.
The best regular season in franchise history with 59 wins and first place in the Eastern Conference cannot hide the fact that 2017/18 will go down as a setback in the history books of the Raptors. The main culprits were LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept Toronto out of the hall with a sweep in the second playoff round.
This debacle has led to some changes. First, Head Coach Dwane Casey had to take his hat off – ironically a few weeks before he won the Coach of the Year award. Team President Masai Ujiri installed the former assistant coach Nick Nurse as his successor.
Of course, Toronto did not make the headlines with this move, but the Canadians made up for it twice and three times in mid-July. In a blockbuster deal with the San Antonio Spurs, Ujiri directed Kawhi Leonard, who was kept there, to the far north.
In return, DeMar DeRozan had to leave Toronto and move to Texas despite promises to the contrary. Jakob Pöltl was also involved in the deal for Leonard, as was the Raptors 2019 first-round pick (Top 20 protected). Danny Green will also be running for Toronto in the future.
In view of this noise, the other new arrivals of the Raptors moved somewhat into the background. Greg Monroe, for example, signed a one-year contract worth $2.2 million, while Fred VanVleet extended it for two years and $18 million.
Toronto also signed Kay Felder (1 year/1.5 million), Lorenzo Brown (1 year/1.6 million) and Kyle Collinsworth (1 year/1.3 million), all of whom are not expected to play a major role in the G-League. Otherwise, the team from the previous season remained relatively intact.
The trade for Kawhi can be understood as a clear signal: The Raptors are going all-in! If Leonard is fit and puts his heart and soul into the task ahead of him in Toronto – which can be assumed at the moment – the Raptors have improved both defensively and offensively compared to 2017/18.
Even though a fan favourite had to be sacrificed in DeRozan to steer the claw to Tornto, Ujiri’s chances for the championship, or at least a trip to the finals, have increased significantly. And that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.
However, the Raptors’ plan could get a small scratch in about nine months at the latest, at least at first glance. Should Leonard not (or not be able to) deliver in Toronto for whatever reason, or be unhappy, or not be in the mood for cold after the hard Canadian winter, he could quickly leave the Raptors in the summer of 2019 thanks to a player option.
But even if this worst case should happen, the Raptors are relatively well prepared for the future. In the person of DeRozan, not only a fan favourite, but above all a three-year contract worth around 83.1 million dollars was shipped to San Antonio.
This means that only Powell and OG Anunoby (team option) are still under contract for 2020. Nothing would stand in the way of an early rebuild.
Especially many weak points are not to be found in the current Raptors squad. Last season Toronto finished third in the offensive rating (111.0) and fifth in the defensive rating (103.4). With a fit Kawhi – and Danny Green that you shouldn’t forget – the Raptors on paper are even better in both areas.
But the truth is known to lie on the square or, in this case, on the floor. How does the loss of DeRozan affect team chemistry? And how well can Leonard be integrated?
In San Antonio last season there were stubborn rumours that Kawhi had been upset by the ongoing drama of some of his teammates. How do Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Co. react to the newcomer? You certainly won’t have missed the Kawhi posse.
In addition: For a really big litter you normally need several top stars in the team, see Golden State, Houston or Boston. However, the Raptors have only one Leonard with many question marks, an aging Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, who has long since gone beyond his Prime.
No question, everything depends on Kawhi Leonard. He is to become the undisputed leader of the team, he is to carry the Raptors to the title. On the way there, however, the claw will be able to rely on helpful support from almost the entire squad.
With the young talents of Anunoby, VanVleet and Pascal Siakam alone, the Raptor bank is pretty well stocked. In addition to C.J Miles and Monroe, there are experienced veterans and of course Green, who perfected his role as Three-and-D specialist in San Antonio and can become another important factor for the Raptors.
But despite this impressive depth, Toronto is still dependent on Kawhi at the end of the day. If he’s completely fit, Leonard is undoubtedly one of the top five players in the Association – at least. His strength as a two-way player can take Canadians to an unprecedented level. This is exactly what Ujiri and the Raptors fans hope for.
A new era is dawning in Toronto after the blockbuster trade. Ujiri had two options after the disappointing end of the previous season: Either he gives another chance to the same team that failed to make the decisive step in the playoffs over several years, or he turns the franchise upside down.
Obviously, the Canadian front office opted for the second variant and that was just the right step to start another attack on the big goal next season. But the Raptors are also very well positioned in the long term.
Moreover, it is by no means impossible that Leonard will decide to stay in Canada. According to media reports, the first signals of the claw were quite positive. So Toronto has less than a year to convince Leonard. The Thunder showed Paul George how this could work.
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