Raptors at Spurs on 1/3
The split between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs was messy. Leonard distanced himself from the team while rehabbing from a quad injury, prompting San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich and Spurs players to criticize Leonard in the media. The 2014 Finals MVP decided he had enough this offseason and requested a trade to the Lakers.
Spurs brass was unwilling to trade him to a Western Conference team, so Leonard ended up in Toronto after a “star for star” swap involving Demar DeRozan. The move is a risk for the Raptors, who only have Leonard under contract for one year. Toronto also may have burned some bridges with how it handled the trade. DeRozan, who remained loyal to the franchise when he opted to sign a five-year max contract in 2016, says Raptors President Masai Ujiri left him in the dark during trade negotiations.The four-time All-Star spent nine years in Toronto. The Spurs trip to Canada on February 22nd will also be a matchup to watch.
