Remember that time last season when reports suddenly popped up about the 76ers attempting to strike a deal for Kawhi Leonard? Well, that never really had a follow-through from the team this summer, and that decision is aging like fine wine. After all, the entire situation around the superstar has taken a pretty messy turn, and all of a sudden, it might just be Philly which ends up as the biggest winner amid all the ruckus by not doing anything with their previous interest.
As reported by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Raptors –– who had initially agreed to a trade for Leonard with the Clippers –– are now refusing to complete the deal due to their unwillingness to assume the risk of potential NBA penalties that could be imposed in relation to the league's investigation into the superstar's contract with LA.
The 76ers not trading for Kawhi Leonard might just be their greatest escape job
Now, there is indeed a chance that the Leonard trade ends up getting voided, which carries with it a slew of huge headaches on Toronto's part. Of course, the Raptors front office had already operated under the belief and design that the two-time Finals MVP would be on board. But with this development, their offseason moves just lost the foundation that gave them life in the first place.
Fortunately, the 76ers did not double down on their prior interest in trading for Leonard. No longer being handled by Daryl Morey up top helps a lot. As a result, the team found itself in a much better situation by getting a much safer option in Jaylen Brown instead and winning the LeBron James bidding war. Those jackpots would not have occurred had Philly traded for Kawhi.
At the time, while Philly's rumored trade pursuit for Kawhi seemed far-fetched. It was actually more sensible than people would like to admit. Leonard was having his greatest carry job yet, as he dragged the Clippers into nearly making the playoffs despite starting their season with a measly 6-21 record, and LA was starting to cozy up to the idea of ending the Kawhi era. The stars were starting to align.
But as the kismet forces would have it, the 76ers never really got a real chance to do something about their previous desire for Leonard. In the end, they got to build an even more formidable core for next season instead of being the ones to deal with the hot mess surrounding his situation.
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