Zigmund.Palffy

Raptors were the only Toronto based team I ever liked and they got rid of two of the biggest reasons why I liked the team this summer (Casey and now deRozan).  Used to like the fact that they were the 'anti-NBA' team with the lack of egos and that all the players had embraced the country.  Used to like the fact that Ujiri was trying to build the team through a draft/develop model like the Jets/Canucks are doing. 

All of that good stuff thrown down the sewer in one summer just because they couldn't get past LeBron. 

Why trade for a guy who's openly expressed zero interest in playing north of the border and isn't likely to sign an extension?

I don't consider myself much of an expert when it comes to NBA but that trade is freakin awful. They traded the heart of the team.

Not a fan of the trade as I believe DeMar's version of the story about him being brazenly lied to. But here's one potential spin:

• It will be hard to beat the Warriors.
• The contract of all of the Raptors' core players are expiring in 2 years.
• If by the trade deadline Kawhi is still saying that he won't be re-signing and that he prefers the Lakers, trade him to the Lakers and take Brandon Ingram and maybe Kuzma (or a pick). That will not be a bad way of restarting the Raptors' rebuild.
• Hopefully by 2021, the Warriors are no longer unbeatable.