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Nothing like saying he wants to play in LA then shipping him to another country.
The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the year and 2014 NBA finals MVP has caused the weirdest drama in recent NBA memory.
He went down last year in the playoffs with a sprained left ankle. It obviously hurts everyone to see a superstar of Kawhi's stature get hurt, but what really hurt and confused fans and executives alike was the recovery duration.
Kawhi simply did not feel like he should play throughout the season. He received pressure from his teammates and the Spurs organization to play, and was even called out by former Spur Tony Parker (still so weird to say).
Eventually, Kawhi made it clear he did not want to play in San Antonio. He expressed desire to play in Los Angeles and made it clear he wanted to play for either the Lakers or Clippers.
Almost instantly did Magic and Pelinka of the Lakers engage in trade talks with the Spurs. According to multiple sources, the Lakers were not willing to trade Kuzma along with Ingram, because they believed the Spurs had no leverage since Kawhi will be a free agent in 2019. Shortly after, other trading partners emerged with the Celtics and the 76ers. Both teams eventually left the trade talks as no agreement would take place for a very likely rental player.
Cue entry of Raptors in trade talks
After the very disappointing playoff run from the Eastern Conference Champions, the Raptors said that everyone on the roster was available for trade. They recently emerged onto the Vegas scene, as the number one likely destination to trade for Kawhi which surprised many people.
The day has finally come.
The San Antonio Spurs have traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a 2019 protected first round pick. Not a single party involved in the trade is a clear winner.
From the Spurs end
They got rid of a disgruntled player, which may be seen as a plus but their return seems too little for a top-five NBA player. DeMar DeRozan is an incredible player, arguably a top-five shooting guard in the league, but he is nowhere near the level of Kawhi Leonard and is also two years older.
The rest of the trade is not much to celebrate about. Jakob Poeltl plays a very similar style to Jonas Valanciunas, and he is not a modern big who can shoot the three. At best, he projects to be a solid bench player who can give rest to a starting centre, but other than that it isn't a huge gain for the Spurs.
2019 first is heavily protected, it will only go to the Spurs if the pick is outside the top 20, if not then it becomes two second-round picks in 2020.
Draft steals are there in every draft, but typically finding talent in the late 20s or in the second round is difficult. Overall the Spurs received an All-Star shooting guard, a solid bench player, and a pick that may not amount to anything.
From the Raptors end
This move just screams desperation from the Raptors perspective. Many of the teams that were engaged in Kawhi talks left because they had no guarantee he would play more than one season.
Lebron James has left the East, which means the Raptors finally have a shot of going to the finals, so they upgrade talent with Kawhi. I'm from Toronto, I'm a die-hard Raptors fan, and I'm telling all of you that Kawhi resigning with Toronto is about as likely as the Warriors never winning a championship again.
It will be incredibly difficult, and right now it seems like he will go to Los Angeles. People can argue that Paul George went through the same thing, but that is one example. Canada has never been a top destination for NBA free agents, so the Raptors likely won't be able to resign Kawhi.
The Raptors can be happy they did not have to give up OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam, but in a year it may seem like we traded DeRozan away for nothing. If Kawhi stays in Toronto, then the Raptors are major winners, but again it is so unlikely to happen.
From Kawhi's end
The Spurs had no obligation to trade Kawhi to Los Angeles. He's under contract for another year, and he has created this whole drama that took a major hit on the Spurs organization.
However, I don't know where Toronto ranked on Kawhi's list of choices, but it is very likely that he was not happy to be traded there.
He's unhappy these days, and will likely leave for Los Angeles next summer, which makes this year a waste for him and he will have little motivation to help the Raptors push for the NBA finals.
From DeMar's end
DeRozan is angry. He was told he would not be traded and yet he was. His Instagram story shows exactly the rollercoaster ride of feelings that he went through.
He isn't happy that he was lied to, especially after he had signed the big extension with the Raptors a few years ago.
DeRozan has given up a lot of the city, in fact, he turned down the opportunity to play for the Lakers to stay in Toronto, and it seems like the franchise did not treat him with the respect and communication he deserved.
Overall, the trade will increase ticket sales for the Raptors and the Spurs will be able to still compete in the playoffs.
However, this whole drama has been a whirlwind of emotions for everyone involved and finally, it has ended.
Kawhi's dreams of playing in Los Angeles have not changed as of today, so all Raptors fans can hope is that he resigns like PG-13 did with the Thunder. For the Spurs, they got rid of a locker room problem and acquired an All-NBA level of talent, but the West is so tough these days that it may be difficult to get past the first few rounds.
What do you think about this trade? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
