Counterfactuals are a popular topic for hot takes on sports talk shows and social media debates, but sometimes they can be fun to ponder. For instance, what would have happened if the Toronto Raptors didn't trade DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard prior to the 2018-2019 season, when LeBron James finally went West? The Kawhi rental won the Raptors their first NBA title in franchise history, but could DeRozan have done the same thing? Stephen A. Smith seemed to agree on ESPN First Take, as he talked to the new Kings swingman about the idea.

Smith begins the conversation by asserting that DeMar DeRozan would have led the Raps to the NBA title had he stayed, because their only obstacle was LeBron. In the 2018 playoffs, Bron even earned the nickname “LeBronto” for nearly singlehandedly sweeping the Raptors despite a vastly inferior Cleveland Cavaliers squad.

“For sure, I definitely feel like that. The only person we couldn't beat was LeBron,” DeRozan admitted, via ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter. “That's just what it was, and I felt, off the year we had before, we just needed one more piece, to kind of push us over the top, and that piece came to be LeBron going to the West. You know, and I didn't get the opportunity to see what would have happened, but the utmost confidence within myself, I have no doubt in my mind, the same outcome would have happened.”

The 2019 Raptors playoff run

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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While it was true that LeBron James going to the Lakers opened up the East for the Raptors to take, they weren't like the 2001 Lakers squad or anything. Even with Kawhi Leonard, the team still faced adversity in their championship run.

For instance, the Philadelphia 76ers would have knocked them out in the second round if it weren't for Leonard's miraculous game-winner in Game 7, the ball bouncing around the rim before finally dropping and capping off a magnificent 41-point performance. In the Conference Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks also went up 2-0 thanks to an ascendant Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Their biggest obstacle was the Big Four Warriors, though four straight Finals were taking their toll on their stars. Still, some fans say that if Kevin Durant never tore his Achilles and Klay Thompson never tore his ACL in Game 5 and Game 6, respectively, the series would have gone in the opposite direction.

Was LeBron James' absence really the only thing keeping DeMar DeRozan from winning an NBA title with the Raptors? Or was it simply that Kawhi Leonard was a better two-way player and the last piece the team needed to get over the hump?