Toronto Raptors fans will be forgiven if they are in disbelief, as former NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who led the Raptors to their first championship in 2019, is back with the franchise.
Toronto relinquished Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round selections, a pick swap and two second-round picks.
Details of the surrendered draft equity has yet to be revealed.
Let’s break this down to see who currently has the edge.
The Toronto Raptors: Raising the roof?
This is nothing short of a huge slam dunk for the Raptors, who rid themselves of Ingram, who played about as poorly as possible in the postseason, while getting back a player who, when healthy, is considered a top 5-10 player in the league.
Leonard, who played 65 games this past season and was top 10 in MVP voting after one of his finest years, is one of the most efficient and effective two-way players in basketball, and he just significantly raised Toronto’s playoff ceiling. Leonard just turned 35, and some folks will never stop harping on the missed games. But when is Leonard is right, few can do everything better than him.
Whatever those picks end up becoming, the Raptors needed to do something, and this was definitely something. For Toronto, it was a risk worth taking.
Grade: A+
The Los Angeles Clippers: What’s the vision?
The Clippers now get Ingram, Dick, and a small war chest of draft picks. It’s a decent haul when you consider Leonard’s age and general availability, but you have to wonder what their vision is.
Ingram, paired with Darius Garland, is a solid foundation for wins in the regular season, but it’s not exactly a high-end playoff machine.
Granted, they have some tools at their disposal, and that’s not to be taken lightly, but Ingram, who historically is reluctant to take 3-point shots, is almost the opposite of a ceiling raiser. He lowers your floor when he’s at his worst, and that’s an issue the Clippers will have to navigate.
The franchise still hangs under the Aspiration cloud, and we are still waiting for a punishment to drop. Was any part of this deal inspired by that ongoing scandal? Only time will tell.
The real prizes here are the picks. And if they can pivot off Ingram, the better.
Grade: B-
