There’s a lot of pressure on the Toronto Raptors to succeed this season. Last summer, the organization sent beloved wing DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio for superstar Kawhi Leonard, but the move was questioned by the majority of NBA fans. Kawhi had previously made it known he had no plans signing anywhere but LA in this offseason. The forward would only be a rental for Toronto.
Toronto’s motives have been very clear: make Kawhi Leonard as comfortable as possible and convince him to re-sign. The Raptors have pampered Leonard so far, giving him more than enough rest. But after all of their efforts, the question still remains. What do the Raptors need to do to convince Kawhi Leonard to re-sign?
Game Plan
Simply put, the Raptors need to win. Kawhi is in the midst of his prime, and winning will be one of his number one priorities when making his decision. Toronto has had great regular season success, but history shows that means nothing. Last year, the Raptors finished first in the East only to be swept in the second round by LeBron James and the Cavs.
Albeit, this Toronto team looks dramatically different than last season. They now have two former champions in Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, as well as an elite center in Marc Gasol. This may be the best roster Toronto has ever boasted, but they still have a lot to prove. Toronto needs to make a deep playoff run to have any chance of re-signing Leonard. In my opinion, anything short of Eastern Conference Champions will ship Kawhi off to California.
The second thing the Raptors need to do is continue to develop Pascal Siakam. The Cameroonian forward is quickly emerging as a star in the North and is a front-runner for MIP this year. With Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka at the end of their primes, Siakam is Toronto’s future. Leonard has seen Pascal’s rapid improvement first hand, and a frontcourt involving the two forwards could dominate for years to come. It’s crucial that Toronto sells Kawhi on the idea of a dynamic duo.
Conclusion
Nobody knows if Kawhi Leonard will re-sign with Toronto this offseason. To be honest, Kawhi himself may not know. So far, he’s seemed content with the current situation (although he’s mentioned he doesn’t like the snow). As for the Raptors, they’ll need to continue to pamper the superstar and try their best to make the city his home. Only time will tell if Kawhi falls in love with Toronto (as all of Canada has with him), or if he decides to take his talents to Hollywood.
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