When the Toronto Raptors decided to trade a franchise cornerstone in DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard in the offseason, they were accepting some risk. Kawhi is, of course, a free agent this summer, and the Raptors’ season doubles as an extended free agency pitch.
In a situation like that, it’s certainly fair to wonder about the level of buy-in that Kawhi arrives in Toronto with, but as the Raptors have proven over the course of the season with their play, it has certainly been no issue so far.
Appearing on The Woj Pod with Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday, Raptors coach Nick Nurse revealed that in their first-ever meeting together in the offseason, Kawhi was inquisitive about the state of the team, and that their conversation even ended up running long as they talked ball together. It was, as Nurse says, an enjoyable first meeting.
There are a great number of factors involved in whether or not Kawhi decides to stay, but there may be some peace of mind in knowing that there was an earnest effort from the start.
That provides a contrast to the Raptors’ practice of resting Kawhi for games due to ‘load management,’ which has been scrutinized by some fans. However, the Raptors have been open about wanting to preserve Kawhi’s long-term health, and it’s even a part of their pitch to the star.
h/t The Woj Pod
