Quote:
Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under
The Raptors get their championship; Kawhi maximized his value and leverage; he created the perfect situation for him to go back home and bring an elite player with him; everyone (for the most park) is happy.
Sort of sucks to see Kawhi go but I think the story of him coming to Toronto for one year and winning a championship and leaving is awesome.
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The one thing that sucks about it as a fan is that we got only a few weeks to enjoy the championship before getting kicked in the teeth and thrust back into rebuild mode. I can't think of any championship-winning team in any sport that had less time to savour their championship.
But yeah, the blessing here is that with the league so wide-open this year, a lot of teams will be looking at this as a chance to do what the Raptors did last year... go all-in and try and get over the top. So Lowry, Gasol, and Ibaka should have solid value, whether now or closer to the deadline. With them on expirings, they're the perfect trade acquisitions for 'all-in' teams. That's going to suck to lose 5 rotation players from a championship-winning lineup over the course of a season, but it's the best way forward.
It should be a great season in the NBA with more parity than we've seen in a decade. Unfortunately, Raptors are probably in the middle third rather than the top third this year.