Kawhi Leonard has yet to address the celebrated move that saw him land in Toronto. While most see it as a temporary stopover, Raptors president Masai Ujiri seems to think otherwise.
Since being traded away by the San Antonio Spurs along with Danny Green in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 first-round draft pick, the 27-year-old has yet to speak on the blockbuster deal. There are also questions surrounding his health although Ujiri gives an update on the all-star forward.
"He is determined and seems in the right frame of mind," Ujiri said via NBA.com. "You will be hearing from him shortly. I think there is a fire inside of him and we are all excited about that."
For critics, this could be considered a barrier to spare Leonard from distractions that are expected to hound him this 2018-19 NBA season. Most still believe that the first-round selection of the 2011 NBA Draft will be hotly pursued by other teams next summer.
However, that landscape could change depending on how the Raptors perform this season. Toronto will sport a different look with Nick Nurse calling the shots following the dismissal of Dwane Casey who is now with the Detroit Pistons. There are huge expectations for Leonard who will be joining forces with Kyle Lowry.
Lowry is another person on the radar considering he was pretty tight with DeRozan. Ujiri expressed confidence that the star point guard will get over the NBA trade and uphold his professionalism, Clutch Points said. Like Kawhi, a lot falls on the shoulders of the 32-year-old cager.
With all these in mind, the coming NBA season is expected to be a turbulent one for the Raptors. Tasked to hold the team together and improve their previous performances will be Nurse, the ninth head coach of the Raptors.
Spending six years on the bench, Ujiri is pinning his hopes on the former Birmingham Bullets coach. He brands the 51-year-old tactician as someone “everything you want in a candidate.” He adds that he is someone who thinks the game differently, adding a bit more pressure on the guy who will be making his NBA head coaching debut this season.
Nurse and Lowry will factor in heavily, not only for the Raptors but on Leonard’s tenure. The air could clear a bit once he addresses his situation, something that may have to wait until the NBA season officially opens. But once he does talk, expect pundits to repeatedly ask him about his future plans – scratching only the surface in what is expected to be a long season for the all-star forward and his new ballclub.
