[HobbyOGParticipant]

 Reports that Demarr had a meeting with the Raptors last week and they told him he wouldn’t be traded and a week later he’s traded. Will agents and players blackball the Raptors in the future for this move? NBA players are pretty tight off the court, he really wanted to be there and let’s be honest, NBA free agents aren’t knocking down the door to play for the Raptors..My question, will this trade affect the Raptors reputation for years to come? 

[joe2324Participant]

In todays world, people are more aware due to social media and I firmly believe this will hurt Toronto in the long run. Players talk and believe me this is probably not being taken lightly amongst players in the league. Yes, it is a business, but when this kind of thing happens, lying to a player, it won’t go over well in todays NBA. This was an extremely dumb move by the raptors that will have major consequences. Kawhi either won’t play for them or won’t play as hard or even worse they end up trading him for nothing. Basically, they lied to their top star and traded him away for free. Stupid, stupid stupid move by the raptors.  

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 I think the spurs look worse in how they have handled Kawhi. I dont get how you can blame the Raptors. They traded borderline allstar for a top 3 player and finals MVP. Kawhi is about to find out how easy life is in the east. Who knows. I think the Raptors are a perfect fit for his personality.

[Evan_MilbergParticipant]

I think it’s too soon to say. Keep in mind just last year, Boston burned Isaiah Thomas after performing miraculously in the playoffs for them, and his reaction was basically about how Boston had no loyalty. However, back in March, when someone asked him if he’d consider returning to the Celtics in free agency, he said he was open to the possbility. 

Point is, a lot can happen in a short amount of time, and for the right price players can have a short memory. If the story about DeRozan is true, it stings in terms of PR in the short term, but ultimately if future marquee free agents don’t want to play in Toronto, this isn’t going to be the driving factor. It’ll be beacuse 1) Toronto isn’t a major sports market and 2) the franchise has been historically mediocre and it’s low on the list of places you go to pursue a championship. As you said, it’s not like free agents were knocking down the door to play there before. 

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 It’s not that uncommon. It also goes both ways. There are several incidents where a player pledges loyalty then dips for a bigger offer. Like it or not this is big business, and that’s only loyalty to the dollar.

[MopgrassParticipant]

 De’Andre Jordan. One year later, all is forgiven. 

[no skillsParticipant]

 i think it depends on the player, some will value it a lot more than others. some will also look at firing the coach of the year as bad but others might not care much. just depends on the player

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Ujiri and his staff are in big trouble. He did a pretty good job in Toronto but this is a guy that learned from Bryan Colengelo so his hot streak had to end sometime. Even if best case scenerio Kawhi resigns the Raptors reach the finals the next 3 years dominating the East this was a classless move. All they had to do was admit to Demar they were openly having conversations. I see why they didnt though, admitting that to Demar would crush his psyche but you gotta do things the right way and the hard way. 

[BeastMode716Participant]

 but the Raptors were truly stuck in a situation where they were not going any higher – even w/ Lebron gone – b/c Phila & Boston are going to lap them in the coming years (Boston this year & Phila in 2 years) 

The contracts for Lowry & Derozan are terrible 

Toronto – like the Vast majority of NBa cities have a Zero %%% chance to attract big time free agent s

But cities in that category like Phila have demonstrated that the CBA is set up to benefit teams that Draft high & well

Toronto could Never get a player the caliber of Kawhi any other way than draft & develop or trade 

Will they lose Kawhi – almost def. But why not take the risk. If he stays, the Raptors are Set & can build around a Real Super Star in his prime 

If Kawhi leaves, they only have Lowry for one more year after this & they can do a true Rebuild & shoot for a Young star 

I know people will say 59 wins is better than a Rebuilkd & on the surface it is – but high seeds that can’t advance have a short shelf life – fans lose interest fast b/c what Motivates a local fan base is HOPE. Fams Luv to support Young players b/c we ALL operate on What Could Be – once that bubble is burst, it’s diminishing returns & a downward spiral can ensue 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Andv1 WaitingParticipant]

 The other side to the trade:

Lets say Derozen didn’t get traded his play could have cratered due to mental health issues-as his feelings may have been hurt at thought of being traded leading to depression flaring up and effecting his level of play…

This is why they may not have been fully honest with him last week.

Was it classless trading him straight after they resigned him to a 4 year deal yeah sort of, especially since he loved it there and showed he was loyal. But the problem may have been they reliazed that a team lead by Demar and Lowry has probably hit its ceiling..So they probably cashed in while he still had some value before he lost it.

The positive is this though at least Demar will get to be coached by a A grade coach and A grade training staff…So he may get the better end to the deal when all is said and done.

As for have the Raptors Blackballed themselves…This is a depends on how you look it move as other teams have done this move and players have signed on so that may not always be true-See P.G for Oladipo and Sabonis trade,Blake for Avery who signed on with Clippers.

Lets say Kawhi stays on(major if at this point if he isn’t sold on L.A) who knows other big time players may come also..As being honest I don’t think Raptors were exactly getting big names in the door otherwise even if they had kept Derozen..Maybe some lower tier players but big time ones I’m not sure…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MopgrassParticipant]

 Brilliant move by the Spurs. I can’t believe they pulled this off. Leonard absolutely tanked his value. He would refuse to play for them? And he wouldn’t resign unless he went to an LA team. 

I’m sure the Spurs didn’t get an offer even close to the Raptors. Yes, they lost a top 3 player for a top 12 player, but I thought they’d only get a top 100 player. 

Would you rather have a top 3 player for 1 year or a top 12 player for 3 years? I take the 2nd option. 

I really question the Raptors here. Are they winning a championship with Leonard? No. Will he walk away at the end of the year? Probably. So, they lose DeRozan for no reason? I hope they hold onto Leonard otherwise they lost DeRozan for nothing. 

 

 

 

[celtics1982Participant]

 Frankly I think they told the truth, Spurs turned down the trade. They told him, Spurs changed their minds. It happens all the time.

 

 

[mowestenParticipant]

 I don’t mean to say this in a condescening way — but aren’t the Toronto Raptors already being blackballed? I mean most of the league isn’t really even being considered by most top free agents, Toronto included.

They have mostly been built through the draft and by trade and I would assume that would remain true regardless of what did or didn’t happen with Derozan.

I get that what the Raptors did to Derozan isn’t good, but in today’s society, you can get away with pretty much anything if you just claim, "it was business." It’s a disgusting truth of society, but one that is almost universally agreed upon. So the reality is, all will be forgotten in due time.

 

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 Any player who is eligible to be traded unless they have a NTA can effectively be moved. Look how Boston rebuilt their team last summer, Jimmy Butler and Blake Griffin were both traded without requesting one. D-Wade had opted in on the assumption Butler would be there so it happens to all players.

The ideal scenario for both teams is that DeRozan and Kawhi play with real fire next season as both are pissed off. DeRozan because he didn’t want to be traded and Kawhi as he didn’t want to be sent north of the border. Kawhi is also in contract year and after a none season last year needs to re-establish his standing as a top table player. He’ll be 28 when he becomes a FA so it may be his mega contract chance especially as he’s had injury issues over the years.

 

[ChoppyParticipant]

 If Kawhi plays well, there’s a chance he could be traded to a preferred destination by the deadline. This would be beneficial for both parties. 

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