ESPN's Tim Bontemps criticized the Toronto Raptors for letting go of some of their star players like Kawhi Leonard for nothing.
The Toronto Raptors went on a stunning run to the NBA Finals in 2019 where they would get the better of the Golden State Warriors to win the first title in the history of the franchise. They had finally reached the top of the mountain after years of disappointment but they wouldn't stay at the top for long.
Kawhi Leonard would leave the team in the following offseason as a free agent and in the years to come, the Raptors let go of much of that title-winning core. They didn't get a whole lot in return for those players either and ESPN's Tim Bontemps believes that is the reason why the franchise is struggling right now.
(starts at 44:14 mark):
"Here’s the other thing you have to factor in with the Raptors too. Over the past few years — obviously they won a title with Kawhi. Obviously that’s one of the great trades in the history of the league with the way that worked out — but, Kawhi Leonard leaves for nothing. Marc Gasol leaves for nothing. Serge Ibaka leaves for nothing. Kyle Lowry leaves for ultimately what became Precious Achiuwa. Those four guys have become Precious Achiuwa. That’s part of the reason why the Raptors are in the spot they’re in right now... I don’t think they can afford to have guys walk out the door for free again based off of the amount of talent drain they’ve had."
You can't really blame them in the Kawhi situation as that was just a one-year rental basically. Everyone knew Leonard was going to leave and they gambled that they could win a title with him and it paid off. Maybe they could have tried to trade Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka instead of losing them for nothing but it's doubtful they would have got a whole lot in return for either of them considering they were getting up there in age. We saw that with Kyle Lowry, as they got a pretty measly haul for him in that sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat.
Raptors Likely To Move Fred VanVleet Or Gary Trent Jr.
Whether the reason for their struggles has anything to do with what Bontemps said or not, it is clear that changes need to be made. The franchise isn't really going anywhere at the moment and they are likely to move either Fred VanVleet or Gary Trent Jr. as per reports.
There was talk prior to this about certain players on the team being unhappy and a fresh start might just help all parties. The Raptors are eyeing up some big men in return, as they look to address one of the big issues on their team in recent years.
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