After the end of the Eastern and Western Conference finals, the NBA league temporarily fell into silence. The eliminated fans began to take a vacation, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors who entered the finals also began to rest and make final preparations for the upcoming finals.
However, at such a moment, something happened in the league that shocked many fans.
Kawhi Leonard, who was previously criticized by many Spurs fans for refusing to come back, was finally traded by the Spurs this time.
The transaction was quiet, with almost no gossip coming to light before.
The Spurs have officially reached a deal with the Raptors, who just finished the Eastern Conference Finals. In this deal, the Spurs sent Leonard and Danny Green to the Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Poeltl and the 2019 first-round picks No. 1 to 20. .
As soon as this incident came out, what really surprised the fans was not that Leonard was sent away, but that the Raptors sent away their core DeRozan!
The previous conflicts between Leonard's team and the Spurs were almost obvious. Trading him may be sudden but not surprising to many Spurs fans.
But DeRozan is different. Since being selected by the Raptors with the 9th overall pick in the first round of 2009, he has played in Toronto for 9 seasons. Not only himself, but also the fans in this city have long regarded him as one of their own.
Many people think he will play here until he retires!
DeRozan himself thinks so.
But now, in order to win a championship, the Raptors did not hesitate to replace their star player at a critical moment, even if this person has paid a lot for the Raptors.
While many Raptors fans felt incredible, DeRozan also came forward to be interviewed publicly. Under the lens of the media, DeRozan looked frustrated and helpless, as if he had aged several years.
"I really didn't expect it to be like this... I thought I could play until I retire in Toronto. It seems like it was just wishful thinking on my part..."
"I once hoped to achieve the beautiful state of 'one person, one city', but now it seems that it is impossible! Maybe this is just business! Loyalty is only one-sided..."
"No matter what, I'm grateful to the fans in Toronto!"
In a moment of helplessness, DeRozan expressed his attitude, and then immediately packed his bags and left Toronto.
When he left, his former teammates were also helpless, especially Kyle Lowry, who played with him for 6 seasons.
Lowry did not accept public interviews with the media, but he still posted a message on his personal social media, "Go to the special code, this is outrageous! DeMar, thank you for everything you have done for this city. , we will all remember you..."
While most fans are sad to see DeRozan leave, many Toronto fans are beginning to look forward to next season.
Objectively speaking, although such a transaction is unscrupulous and unethical, from a profit perspective, it is indeed good for the Raptors.
Although Leonard only has one year left on his contract, which means the Raptors only have one year of usage rights, Leonard is a superstar in the league, and his joining will definitely be helpful to the Raptors.
After the Raptors were swept 0-4, many fans realized that they had to make changes, otherwise the results might be the same next season.
The Raptors lack a superstar who can make the final decision at critical moments, and now it seems that Leonard is one of their few options.
He didn't have much playing time this season as he was sidelined for almost half of the season due to injuries.
Referring to his performance last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, he averaged 27.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
Combined with his overall performance, he looks like he has a good chance to help the Raptors break through in the East. Of course, that's assuming his recovery from injury goes well enough.
However, judging from his 27-year-old age and recent injury reports, his injury should not be a major problem.
Therefore, many fans are already welcoming Leonard's arrival.
"Kawhi! Come to Toronto quickly! We are waiting for your arrival."
"Of course it's a pity that DeMar is leaving! But Kawhi's arrival is even more exciting! What we lack is a superstar like him!"
"If Kawhi can integrate into the team smoothly, I think we will definitely be able to defeat the Cavaliers and reach the finals next season..."
While outside public opinion was abuzz, the Cavaliers were also a little surprised by the news. Of course, it mainly comes from the Cavaliers management, who are naturally the most sensitive to the threat posed by the Raptors opponent.
But as the star of the Cavaliers, LeBron James didn't seem too nervous after learning the news.
The general manager of the Cavaliers, Kobe Altman, also mentioned next season to LeBron in his spare time. However, judging from LeBron's casual answer, it seems that he has not considered next season! This can't help but make the Cavaliers feel the pressure.
Zhao Feiyang, who saw all this, just remained silent.
Today's Cavaliers no longer have the strength to win the championship after consuming so many resources.
First of all, the team is unable to produce high-quality fresh blood; secondly, the team's salary space has been greatly limited, and it is almost impossible to make a larger deal under this situation. If the current lineup continues to be maintained, The Cavaliers' record next season may be difficult to improve, and maintaining the current lineup seems impossible.
Thinking of LeBron's previous choices, from his perspective, today's Cavaliers obviously have little value.
If you continue to stay here, you may not be able to compete for the championship. In addition, the Cavaliers are a small-market team, and their commercial value is also very limited. Their exposure rate is far less than that of big cities such as Los Angeles and New York. In this way, Leaving is probably the best choice.
"If LeBron chooses to leave, where do I go from here?"
This left Zhao Feiyang in a dilemma.
There's no question that staying in Cleveland is unrealistic. The team in this small market does not have many resources to support the championship it wants, and this is also LeBron's city. Even if he leaves, people will still only remember him.
In this case, choosing to go to a team that can compete for the championship is undoubtedly the most suitable choice!
Previously, for Zhao Feiyang, the Timberwolves were the team he hoped to play until he retired, but now that the Timberwolves have changed owners, such a team is no longer worthy of his nostalgia.
So, where else can you achieve your goal of chasing a championship?
