DeMar DeRozan Claims Raptors Could Have Clinched NBA Title Without Trading for Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard’s tenure with the Toronto Raptors may have been brief, lasting just one season, but during that time, he fulfilled every goal he set for himself.

However, the question remains: To what extent did Leonard’s presence contribute to the Raptors’ 2019 NBA Finals victory?

If you pose this question to DeMar DeRozan, he might suggest that Leonard was not the key factor in Toronto securing its first and only championship in the history of the franchise. DeRozan, who was traded to the San Antonio Spurs before the 2018-19 season, believes that had he remained with the team, and had the trade for Leonard not occurred, he could have led the Raptors to a championship victory.

In a discussion on First Take with host Stephen A. Smith, it was noted that LeBron James had previously been a significant obstacle for Toronto in the playoffs. Smith questioned DeRozan on whether he felt he could have won a championship with the Raptors after James moved from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Yeah, no disrespect to those guys—they earned it and deserve it. I was eventually able to be happy for them. But without a doubt, I truly believe that. The only barrier was LeBron, and that’s just how it was. Based on our performance the previous season, it felt like we were just one step away, and that step was LeBron moving to the Western Conference. Sadly, I never got the chance to see what could have been, but I have absolute confidence in myself that the outcome would have been the same,” DeRozan explained.

The Raptors had been ousted by LeBron’s Cavaliers in each of the three preceding postseasons, including once in the Eastern Conference Finals and twice in the semifinals. Despite it being a hypothetical scenario, DeRozan is convinced that the Raptors could have achieved similar success had he not been traded to the Spurs for Leonard.

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