Title: Kawhi Leonard deal arms Raptors with intriguing lineup versatility
Date: July 19, 2018
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I looked at the flexibility and versatility the Raptors added in the Kawhi Leonard trade, which open up a lot of interesting options
The Toronto Raptors added an MVP-calibre player in Kawhi Leonard on Wednesday. That alone, quite obviously, better positions them for the season ahead, making some assumptions about Leonard’s general health and ability to bounce back from a year mostly on the shelf.
Even at something less than the 2016-17 version of himself, adding Leonard is such a huge addition in isolation that the Raptors now project for 62 wins based on Jacob Goldstein’s model, with a 34 per cent chance of reaching the NBA Finals. The NBA title odds in Vegas shifted from 60-to-1 to 18-to-1 for Toronto, too. A million caveats apply so early in the offseason. Still, the jump is significant.
Underneath the simple Leonard addition is a major factor that should help the Raptors come playoff time: The addition of a lot of versatility to their roster.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 