Another NBA offseason bomb hit early this morning when news broke that Kawhi Leonard had being traded to the Raptors for DeMar DeRozen. Neither player seems thrilled, with DeRozen taking to Instagram to blast his former team for lying to him, and Leonard already leaking that he doesn’t want to play in Toronto.
The first reaction by many was to blast Toronto for giving up an all-star to get a player on the last year of his contract, who is unlikely to re-sign when he hits free agency after next season. Colin disagrees and thinks Toronto is the clear winner of the deal.
Not only has Raptor GM Masai Ujiri gotten out of paying DeMar DeRozen – who was benched in the playoffs – $27 million through 2021, they also get the most coveted potential trade asset in the NBA in Leonard. He believes Magic and the Lakers should get aggressive and put together a trade package for Toronto, even if includes giving up Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma to secure LeBron’s wingman and eliminate any chance Jerry West recruits him to the Clippers in free agency.
Here’s Colin on why Toronto won the Kawhi deal:
“Magic should make a strong offer for Kawhi. If you get Kawhi and LeBron, you don’t need Kuzma and Ingram. I’d move a 1st-round pick, I’d give up one of those two forwards… That’s a 55-win team and No. 2 team in the NBA.” — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/zu8IkksYQH
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 18, 2018
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