It has been almost a month since news broke that the Raptors agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2031 and 2033 first-round picks, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and a 2027 pick swap to the Clippers for their 2019 championship hero. It was an exciting day for Raptors fans, but the fun quickly got sucked out of it.
Leonard still isn’t officially a Raptor, as the trade was put on hold until there’s clarity on whether Leonard will have to face any repercussions regarding the Clippers’ alleged salary-cap circumvention. Waiting for so long already to see whether the trade will happen or not has been rough for Raptors fans who just want to know if they can expect their team to compete with the best next season or if it will be an uphill battle to get into the playoffs.
However, there is a silver lining. As CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn outlined on the July 28 episode of the Third Apron Podcast, there’s still a chance for the Raptors to rework the trade and get some of their assets back.
“The fact that the trade has not been completed and the fact that the Aspiration investigation might put the Clippers in sort of a compromised state, especially from a negotiating standpoint, means that I almost wonder if the Raptors are going to be able to squeeze a little bit more out of this trade,” Quinn said. “Say, Kawhi is suspended 25 games, could they talk the Clippers out of that 2027 swap, for instance? Or if it’s 40 games, could you get one of those picks changed to something a bit more favorable?”
He also noted that if anything comes from the investigation, the Clippers really wouldn’t be in a position to say no to any Raptors demands if the alternative were not trading Leonard.
The Raptors still lack point guard and center depth and quality, so any picks they could get back would be valuable assets for future moves.
How bad would a suspension be for the Raptors?
Trading for Leonard only for him to serve a sizable suspension would be less than ideal. The beginning of the regular season is an opportunity to build chemistry, tinker with lineups, and experiment before things get too serious. If Leonard has to miss, say, the first 25 games of the season, the Raptors would miss out on that.
On the other hand, Leonard is going to miss time anyway. Yes, spaced-out load management games or small injury absences are very different than a large chunk of games all at once, but it could still help the Raptors keep him healthy for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs when they would need him the most.
If he will be able to play at some point in the season and they can rework some of the draft assets it cost to get Leonard, a suspension shouldn’t deter the Raptors from going through with the trade. Of course, things would look different if he were suspended for the whole season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google