Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
When I saw that Kawhi Leonard got traded to the Raptors, I was jumping up and down for 10 minutes straight. Like a five-year-old kid who just got a new toy.
As a Raptors fan, I saw this as a fantastic trade (if you want to read more about me, click here). But even from an unbiased point of view, both teams got what they wanted out of this trade.
So let’s break it down.
The Raptors just took the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made the Conference Finals, to seven games in the first round. The one thing they were missing was the ultimate scorer who can close games. Brandon Ingram wasn’t that, and for as great as Scottie Barnes is, that’s just not his game. Now, with Kawhi Leonard, they finally have that player who they can look to whenever they need a bucket, especially down the stretch.
Not only does he provide that scoring punch that was much needed, but he also brings amazing wing defense to a team that was already a top five defensive team in the league. Now with him and Scottie Barnes as the point-of-attack defenders, it’s going to be very difficult for opposing teams to get the shots they want.
In addition, the picks aren’t as big of a deal as it some are making it out to be. The Raptors gave up a 2027 pick swap, two unprotected picks in 2031 and 2033, and a couple of second-rounders. That pick swap for next year practically means nothing since the Raptors will competing at the top of the East. And those two second-round picks are a best-case scenario for the Clippers to turn into a couple of rotation players.
Now, lets compare this to what the Lakers just gave up for Walker Kessler. Kessler went for two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps. That’s control of four first-round picks. Don’t get me wrong, Walker Kessler is a great player and is definitely going to raise the Lakers’ ceiling. But he’s never made an All-Star team and he only played five games last year due to a shoulder injury. Leonard, on the other hand, is a top-30 all-time player with two Finals MVPs under his belt.
Of course, the concern with Leonard is his injury history. I’m not going to lie and say that because he had a healthy season last year, he’s going to continue to stay healthy for his last few years in Toronto. It’s definitely a concern for Toronto, but then again, it’s the same risk they took in 2018. At the end of the day, if you’re always playing it safe, you’re never going to beat the teams that take risks and have them turn out in their favour.
On the Clippers’ side, they just turned an injury-prone 35-year-old who’s currently being investigated by the NBA into an All-Star Brandon Ingram and young Gradey Dick. Not to mention control of three first-round picks and two second-round picks.
They went from a team that had no future to a team that has a core of young stars who will lead the team for years to come. Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler, Ben Mathurin, and Brandon Ingram are certainly not the most talented in the league. However, with the offensive ability each of them possesses, they’re definitely going to be a team that will cause teams trouble.
The Clippers just went from basketball hell to basketball mediocrity. Normally, being a mediocre team is the worst place to be in, you’re not good enough to compete for a championship but you’re also not bad enough to get a top draft pick. But with the new lottery odds the NBA just put in place, this actually isn’t a horrible place to be.
Both teams won this trade and got exactly what they needed. It’s one of the rare, true win-win NBA trades that have happened during this crazy offseason.
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