The Toronto Raptors made headlines for all the wrong reasons after essentially trading shooting guard DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for small forward Kawhi Leonard. Former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, now with the Detroit Pistons, had a rather interesting take on the whole ordeal.
Many have criticized the Raptors for trading their franchise player away for an uncertain future involving Leonard. Casey said during an appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan that while he sympathizes with DeRozan, he does not necessarily blame them for acquiring a superstar:
“For DeMar DeRozan, that's a hard pill to swallow,” Casey said. “Like him or love him, if you have any passion for the Toronto Raptors, it's almost like losing the Vince Carter—from a fan standpoint. From a pure basketball standpoint, it's hard to say you wouldn't want Kawhi Leonard on your team.”