Former Toronto Raptors superstar, Kawhi Leonard, has another request of the Los Angeles Clippers. It could be beneficial for the Toronto Raptors if the right terms are agreed to.
Last summer, after helping the Toronto Raptors win the 2019 NBA Championship, Kawhi Leonard made a significant request to determine where he’d sign in free agency. He is at it again, and this time the PG he is requesting of the Los Angeles Clippers is a point guard.
In 2019/20, the Los Angeles Clippers finished the COVID-19 shortened season 49-23, for second best in the NBA’s Western Conference. They failed to live up to expectations after signing Kawhi Leonard and trading for “PG-13” Paul George. It didn’t help that both players received load management and preferential treatment which, did not sit well with their teammates.
The team’s disharmony led to an unfocused group with several players in and out of the bubble restart to the NBA season in Florida. The Los Angeles Clippers wound up losing a second-round seven-game playoff series to the Denver Nuggets after leading three games to one.
Kawhi Leonard’s belief that the Los Angeles Clippers need a point guard could help the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors need to make a big decision in the free agency about Fred VanVleet, who stands to make up to 25 million a season.
With Kyle Lowry already scheduled to make 30 million in the upcoming season, this would mean spending 55 million on point guards alone. The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers could arrange a sign and trade deal. The basics of such a transaction would be point guard Kyle Lowry going to the Clippers with the Clippers signing and trading to the Raptors both Marcus Morris Sr. and Montrezl Harrell.
Here’s why this would benefit the Toronto Raptors.
Roster balance and team chemistry
A trade transaction between the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers would create a roster balance for the Toronto Raptors and better team chemistry for the Los Angeles Clippers. First, the Toronto Raptors would be committing too much money to the point guard position if they re-sign Fred VanVleet with Kyle Lowry already on the roster.
The Raptors do need to address adding a backup power forward and two centers to the roster. Serge Ibaka, who many expect to return to Toronto as the starting center, made over 23 million in 2020 and produced perhaps his best season in the NBA. It might mean he’s due a raise.
Marcus Morris Sr. could provide backup support for Pascal Siakam. he is a stretch forward who would fit into Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse’s offensive schemes well. In 2020, Morris shot the three-ball at 40.8 percent and is 36.7percent for his career. He averaged 16.7 points per game in 2020.
Montrezl Harrell could back up a returning Serge Ibaka at the center spot. Harrell averaged 18.6 points per game in 2020 would provide the Raptors with a consistent scorer around the basket as he made 58 percent of his field-goal attempts. The Raptors were only 21st in the NBA scoring points in the paint in 2020.
Kyle Lowry leaving would hurt the Raptors as he is the heart and soul of the team. However, to balance out their frontcourt needs, a deal of this framework would help. Kyle Lowry would provide them with a productive guard with a championship pedigree with all the chemistry problems amongst the Los Angeles Clippers roster.
Lowry also has a history of working well with Kawhi Leonard, as they were 2019 NBA champions in Toronto, and a reunion in Los Angeles between the two could work well.
Financial Flexibility
There are several major contractual decisions the Toronto Raptors need to resolve this off-season. There is the Fred VanVleet situation, free agents Serge Ibaka, and Marc Gasol. Before starting the new season, the Toronto Raptors will also need to decide whether to extend the rookie contract of OG Anunoby.
While Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka combined to make over 49 million in 2020, Marc Gasol is expected to return to Europe. The hope is that Serge Ibaka returns as Toronto’s starting center, but the concern is at what price.
If a deal of Kyle Lowry (30 million dollar salary) were worked out bringing back Marcus Morris and Montrezl Harrell combined for about 25-30 million (Morris made 15 million and Harrell six million in 2020), it is a deal that could save the Raptors a few million on the salary cap. Those savings could then be invested into either a contract for Fred VanVleet or Serge Ibaka.
It would be prudent if the Toronto Raptors backloaded a deal for VanVleet with him receiving a three-year deal worth about 66 million and receiving an annual salary in 2020/21, amounting to a cap hit of 15 million. A two-year deal for Serge Ibaka at 25 million annually would be an increase to his 2020 salary.
Including the proposed Kyle Lowry trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Raptors would spend 65 million to replace 88 million in expiring or traded contracts. A wild card in all of this is what the actual salary cap level will be in 2021.
In 2020, the NBA salary cap was at 109 million; however, 2020 has been a horrible year financially for sports leagues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Toronto Raptors will need to get creative to restock their roster for the coming season.
Youth movement
Kawhi Leonard’s request of the Los Angeles Clippers’ management for a point guard would help the Toronto Raptors youth movement. By trading Kyle Lowry, the Toronto Raptors’ management would be affirming the talents of Fred VanVleet. The undrafted point guard worked his way into the Toronto Raptors starting lineup in 2019/20 but as a shooting guard.
With a 33-year-old Kyle Lowry potentially leaving the club, Fred VanVleet would become the starting point guard, which is his natural position. This would also mean 26-year-old Norman Powell would move into the starting shooting guard spot, and Terence Davis would become the primary substitute at the guard position coming off of the Toronto Raptors bench at 22-years-old.
If Montrezl Harrell were involved in coming the Toronto Raptors way in any proposed deal with the Clippers, Montrezl Harrell, at age 26, is already considered a super substitute in the NBA and is the reigning sixth man of the year award winner in the NBA.
The Toronto Raptors have been developing young talent and have done so consistently since 2015 with their G-League affiliate the Raptors 905. Players such as Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and even Chris Boucher have played significant roles on the Raptors’ main roster after spending time in the G-League.
Their young core also includes players such as OG Anunoby as well as Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, Chris Boucher, and Pascal Siakam. While Kyle Lowry is a Toronto Raptors legend, he does not fit the Toronto Raptors plans long term. If Toronto fails to secure Fred VanVleet in free agency now, it becomes a burning question and problem of who the team’s future point guard will be.
A trade reuniting Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry in Los Angeles means the Toronto Raptors continue their agenda of finding and developing young players of which they already have a young core that’s achieved championship status in 2019