Former Raptors Star Believes Team Could Have Won NBA Title Without Kawhi Leonard

Former Toronto Raptors All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan made headlines on Wednesday morning.

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DeRozan appeared on ESPN's First Take and was asked by analyst Stephen A. Smith if the Raptors would have won a championship if they hadn't traded him for Kawhi Leonard prior to the 2018-19 season.

DeRozan didn't mince any words and said he truly believed the outcome would have been the same.

"For sure, I definitely feel like that," said DeRozan. "The only person we couldn't beat is LeBron [James]; that's just what it was. I felt like off the year we had before; we just needed one more piece to push us over the top. The piece came to be LeBron going to the West. I didn't get an opportunity to see what would happen. The utmost confidence within myself, I have no doubt in my mind the same outcome would have happened."

That was not the case. Year after year of shortcomings, the Raptors and their front office decided to pull the trigger and trade for superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. Leonard made his way to Canada and brought home the team's first NBA title in their franchise history.

It was a big gamble, as Leonard was set to be a free agent the following summer. He ended up being only a rental after Leonard left Toronto for the Los Angeles Clippers, but still, he left a championship to the city and country.

DeRozan was traded, along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick, to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Leonard and Danny Green. He spent the next three seasons in Texas, where he averaged 21.6 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from three over 206 games.

DeRozan failed to make an All-Star team but took the Spurs to the playoffs once, as a seventh seed in the Western Conference. The 35-year-old spent nine seasons in Canada and was a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA Second Team, and one-time All-NBA Third Team.

He is also the Raptors' leader in games played, minutes played, field goals, free throws, points, and fourth in assists.

DeRozan left a legacy in Toronto, and although it's been seven seasons since he was traded, he still keeps Toronto close to his heart. The veteran NBA guard is now entering his 16th NBA season and his first with the Sacramento Kings.

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