Kawhi Leonard: Should I stay or should I go?
Credit to Author: MICHAEL ANGELO B. ASIS| Date: Sun, 02 Jun 2019 16:15:15 +0000
With their first ever Finals game win, it was expected that the rumblings about Kawhi Leonard staying with the Toronto Raptors would get louder.
At the start of the season, many were questioning the wisdom of the Toronto Raptors. It was a gamble they felt they had to make. They knew what to expect if they kept DeMar DeRozan instead. That squad, good as it was, had reached their ceiling, and it was not enough for them.
Kawhi just came off a bizarre season wherein he hardly played for his former team. There was also the big dispute on his injury, and he took shots at the San Antonio Spurs, which was being hailed as the best organization in professional sports. He and his camp placed his reputation on the line.
The Raptors in the past season also got swept by LeBron James. You can say that Kawhi and the Raptors were destined to end up together, since they both needed vindication. The Finals trip was definitely a great story to end the narrative. But the story may not be finished. If they were to dethrone the dynasty, that would be one for the books.
But would all that be enough to convince Kawhi Leonard to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors?
Silence is golden
With Kawhi Leonard, there aren’t many tea leaves to read. He has always been a mystery, an enigma to many. Not a lot of big name journalists would stake their reputations on making a prediction on his destination.
Until now. The latest report from the True Hoop writer David Thorpe was that they were “plugged in” with sources in the league that had Leonard staying in Toronto for a “short term deal.”
The True Hoops network used to be part of ESPN, but now, they have built their own network, but they have their own site, although some content, including the Thorpe piece, are limited to paying subscribers.
Other than that, any predictions on Kawhi are of the “grain of salt” variety. There are many talking heads that have speculated his destination to be the LA Clippers. Their basis? A home purchase in the California area, the fact that he hails from California and his supposed disdain for playing with LeBron James (crossing out the Lakers).
Indeed, Leonard is already a bona fide star on his own, and he does not have to be LeBron James’ running mate. The LA Clippers, on their part, have also taken the aggressive stance. Coach Doc Rivers already took a tampering fine, which became their own way of saying “We mean business.” The Clippers won’t take this sitting down, but that is all they can do at this point—sit down and hope their California neighbors beat the Raptors so badly that Leonard will see hope in a different place.
Dilemma
Leonard is hardly a prisoner of the narrative, and there is no way to box him on his choice. If he fails to win the Finals, he can say that he would want to leave because he needs a stronger team. But you can also argue that the Raptors came so close, it would be a waste to leave their “unfinished business.”
If the Raptors win the championship, the argument also goes both ways. You can say that he will stay because this is a champion team, but you can also argue that he has already given Toronto a championship—he doesn’t owe them anything.
This is why LeBron James was not hated by Cleveland the second time he left. He gave them a title, something they have never had before. He has fulfilled his promise.
Kawhi does not even have a promise, and he did not even choose Toronto. He has been a complete professional this season and he is talented enough to be the best player in the NBA. He has nothing more to prove.
The city of Toronto will have to live with that, and the other side of LA awaits. From a mere observer’s viewpoint, the Raptors should probably just strive to win the title now.
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