Rental deal for Leonard could work for Raptors
Nothing creates a buzz these days like wild, baseless speculation, so here is one corner’s thoughts on the Kawhi Leonard-to-the-Raptors “rumours.”
First of all, Toronto being the new betting favourite to land Leonard, one of the NBA’s top players and likely its best twoway talent, doesn’t mean there is momentum toward such a move. All it illustrates is that Vegas thinks it can get good action from the idea.
Though Raptors boss Masai Ujiri and San Antonio counterpart R.C. Buford have an excellent relationship, there has been no sourced information the two have actually held substantive talks. More likely, Leonard’s camp is trying to speed up the divorce from the only franchise Leonard has ever known, one that coincidentally is one of the best in all of sports.
Would pursuing Leonard make sense for the Raptors?
It depends. If Leonard and his people tell Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster that, against all odds, the Californian who has long been connected to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers has decided relocating to the north and signing a long-term extension is what he wants, by all means, the Raptors should push every chip in to get him. Leonard would be the best player the franchise has ever had, by a significant margin over a primetime Vince Carter, who couldn’t lock down opponents the way a healthy Leonard has.
But that’s not happening. So, if Leonard is merely a rental for a year, would acquiring him make sense for Toronto at this stage?
Again, it depends on the cost. Kyle Lowry had strong interest in joining the Spurs as a free agent, but it wasn’t a mutual fit. If that’s still the case, any Raptors package would start with DeMar DeRozan. The All-NBA third team member has been the most loyal of all Raptors and a tremendous player for the club, but Leonard is a vastly superior player, both more efficient offensively and in a completely different realm at the other end of the floor.
San Antonio was high on Jonas Valanciunas in the past. Perhaps there would be a way to work him into a deal, with Toronto taking back undesirable contracts.
The Spurs would most likely ask for OG Anunoby, Toronto’s best asset, and likely a firstround pick or two, and one or two of Delon Wright, Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl. For this corner, Anunoby is a non-starter for any Leonard rental.
He should only be in play should Leonard commit to Toronto long-term.
Failing that, parting with Siakam or even Wright would be tough, but adding Leonard to Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and Valanciunas would give the Raptors a legitimate shot at the NBA Finals.
With Boston and Philadelphia set to pull away from the Raptors within a year or two, this could be Toronto’s last shot to make serious noise for some time.
Take Anunoby out of the equation, and it’s likely a deal worth doing.