With legitimate questions swirling about Kawhi Leonard’s health and his level of commitment to playing for any team other than the Los Angeles Lakers, many have wondered if the Toronto Raptors gained anything by sending DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio as part of a package to acquire Leonard. But as far as Las Vegas is concerned, one team clearly won the trade.
Before they dealt Leonard, the Spurs had 80-1 odds at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook to win next year’s NBA Finals. Even with DeRozan, they’re now considered an even longer shot at 200-1. The Raptors, on the other hand, saw their odds take a big shift in the other direction.
Raptors Odds Before/After Trade
Before After
To Win East 7-1 4-1
To Win NBA Title 60-1 20-1
(Source: Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)The Spurs are now 200-1 to win the title, they were 80-1 before the trade.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 18, 2018
Two years ago, no one would have considered making the argument that DeRozan is a more valuable player than Leonard. The problem is Leonard is coming off a season in which he played in just nine games due to a mystery quad injury that just wouldn’t seem to go away. Toronto must be confident that Leonard’s leg is healthy, but what about his mindset?
Several NBA reporters have already given us an idea of how Leonard feels about playing for the Raptors, and let’s just say Toronto fans would be right to worry. For now, Las Vegas oddsmakers are trying their best to ease those concerns.
