The Miami Heat tipped off a busy NBA offseason when they traded for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. They gave up Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a pick swap in 2030, and a 2033 second-round pick to get the superstar they had been chasing for so long. While this trade will make the Heat better (if Antetokounmpo stays healthy), they might need a few more transaction cycles to build out the roster and become legitimate contenders.
The Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard trade, on the other hand, changed the power dynamics in the Eastern Conference right away, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst outlined on NBA Today.
“I know that the Giannis Antetokounmpo move was a power move by the Heat, and I think that they’re going to have time over the next couple of years to really build around that,” Windhorst said about the Raptors’ trade. “But when you talk about something that’s actually changed the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, it’s this move.”
If Kawhi Leonard stays healthy, the Raptors have a direct pathway into the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Raptors retained enough of their depth to win right away
Trading for a superstar isn’t cheap. Sometimes, it costs so much depth that you can’t actually compete right away. That’s not the case for the Raptors. They gave up Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and a 2027 pick swap.
Ingram was a big part of the Raptors’ regular-season success, but Leonard is a clear upgrade over him with more postseason potential. Dick fell out of the rotation this season, so including him in the trade was no real loss. They would have tried to move him either way to free up the money needed to make any significant addition in free agency.
With RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jamal Shead, the Raptors still have their five most productive playoff contributors (after Ingram went down) plus Immanuel Quickley.
Kawhi Leonard could be the missing piece for that group. He can take over as the number-one scoring option—he did, after all, average almost 28 points per game last season—and contribute to an already strong defense, while Barnes can focus primarily on being a defensive menace and playmaker rather than trying to sustain the scoring force he showcased in the playoffs over an entire season.
The Pistons may lose Jalen Duren this offseason, and Jaylen Brown’s future in Boston is anything but certain. With Leonard in the mix and other teams still figuring out a ton of stuff, the Raptors are primed to climb from fifth place to a top-three finish and a real shot at winning the East.
However, other teams still have plenty of time to make significant moves
as well.
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