Via The Ringer
Key Players: Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valančiūnas
The Toronto Raptors traded its career leader in games played, minutes played, points, shots made, shots attempted, free throws made, and free throws attempted. Following a second-round playoff sweep to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri decided to move on from a seemingly tapped roster, trading DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.
Ujiri explained the logic behind trading statistically the greatest player in franchise history by explaining, "When you have a chance to get a top-five player, which doesn't come very often, I think you have to jump on it."
That top-five player, Kawhi Leonard, has a one-year contractual obligation to play in a Raptors uniform, making the 2018-2019 year the ultimate courting season the Toronto Raptors.
The other notable addition for Toronto was a one-year signing of bigman Greg Monroe. Monroe averaged 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in 19 minutes of playing time a night.
Toronto's Best Case Scenario
Via ClutchPoints
The Toronto Raptors were the Toronto Raptors last season--incredible in the regular season only to crumble in the postseason. This cycle of regular season hope followed by playoff disappointment has been a constant half-decade headache for the Raptors fanbase.
Rest easy, Toronto. Kawhi is here. The badman, LeBron, is gone.
Via Basketball Reference
Unlike past Raptors' stars, Kawhi Leonard consistently delivers in the games that matter most; his yearly statistical improvement and 2014 Finals MVP proves just that. When healthy, Leonard is, as Masai Ujiri advertised, a top-five player in the NBA. In the last healthy season of his career, Leonard carried the 61-win San Antonio team on both sides of the ball, matching a career-high usage rate (31.1%) with career-highs in scoring (25.5 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg), while finishing third in the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year voting.
That top-five productivity is being matched with one of the NBA's deepest rosters. From OG Anunoby to Fred Van Vleet the Raptors have a roster ready to be molded into championship contenders. Despite firing 2017-2018 Coach of the Year Dwane Casey, the NBA's best bench last season(league-leading 3.6 plus/minus) is expected to compete for that crown again under new head coach Nick Nurse.
If Nurse can do what Dwane Casey failed to do and coach Toronto through the Eastern Conference into the Finals, it will be hard for Kawhi Leonard to say no to returning.
Toronto's Worst Case Scenario
Via Sportsnaut
Last offseason the Oklahoma City Thunder traded what would go on to be the NBA's Most Improved Player for a one-year guarantee of Paul George's on-court services. OKC, believing heavily in their organization's impression being strong enough to convince Paul George to re-sign, bet on themselves and won; however, that bet would've never cashed in if it wasn't for star point guard Russell Westbrook. In his post-deal press conference Paul George stated one of his reasons for returning was, "to get better with Russ."
The idea of creating something special with another star in their prime is hard for any athlete to walk away from. Despite having one of the well-rounded rosters in the NBA, the Raptors closest thing to a star not named Kawhi Leonard is in its white dwarf stage.
In his 11th year in the league, Kyle Lowry seemed to exit his peak; his scoring averages and field goal efficeincy took a noticeable dip, from 22.4 and 46 percent to 16.2 and 42 percent. Entering this season at 32-years-old, it's safe to assume Toronto has seen the best of the former all-star, leaving the Raptors with no co-star to lead next offseason's recruitment of Kawhi Leonard.
What Toronto lacks in co-stars it could make up for in system basketball.
New Raptors head coach, Nick Nurse, had to create a D-League team in order to start his coaching career. 12 years after the creation of the Iowa Energy, Nurse will be pacing the sidelines as the lead shot-caller in Toronto. Raptors players and executives credit Nurse with last season's offensive transformation from iso-ball to a more flowing ball movement offense set on taking outside shots. That offense finished jammed between two of the best offenses in NBA history--the Houston Rockets(1st) and Golden State Warriors(3rd).
However, there is a reason Leonard thrived in a San Antonio's mid-range system.
While Kawhi Leonard is more than capable of draining outside shots(career 38 3p%), his game is similar to DeRozan's in terms of preferring to attack from the mid-range. In last year's modernizing of the offense, DeRozan's scoring dropped from 27.3ppg to 23ppg. Perhaps sensing the struggling dynamic between DeRozan and the offense of the future, Toronto decided to move on. If Leonard goes through the season feeling that same dynamic, it'll be him making the decision to play elsewhere.
Record Prediction: 60-22, The Raptors become legitimate contenders out East.