Players across the NBA were stunned on Wednesday morning when the San Antonio Spurs agreed to a deal that will send Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, but few had as strong of an opinion about the trade as Enes Kanter.
Most would argue that Leonard is the best player in the trade when healthy, but Kanter disagrees. As far as the New York Knicks big man is concerned, the Raptors are giving DeRozan away for “nothing.”
Mad respect for @DeMar_DeRozan
a classy player who has given his heart to a franchise.
One of the most Loyal player I know.
Giving you away for nothing..@Raptors— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) July 18, 2018
Given that Leonard sat out almost all of last season with a mystery quad injury and reportedly has no desire to play for the Raptors, Kanter’s assessment may not be that far off. And if Kawhi is planning to go to the extreme measures in Toronto that have been reported, the trade is bound to seriously backfire.
DeRozan reportedly met with the Raptors in recent weeks and was assured he would not be traded, and that is probably one of the reasons Kanter and at least one other player have spoken out about Toronto’s decision.
