Someone needs to fill the shoes of Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio. But before Gregg Popovich figures that out, someone needed to fill his locker. That man is the recently acquired Dante Cunningham, according to Michael C. Wright.
This isn't Cunningham's first locker. The 31-year-old is joining his seventh team and is hoping to find a permanent home. He brings small forward depth after San Antonio saw major turnover at the position. Obviously, Leonard left a void at the position, but the Spurs also declined to match Kyle Anderson's offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Cunningham is taking Leonard's locker, but DeMar DeRozan is the player who will need to fill Kawhi's shoes. Danny Green and Jakob Poeltl were also involved in the deal, but DeRozan and Leonard were the obvious headliners.
DeRozan has a chip on his shoulder following the trade. By trading DeRozan for Leonard, the Raptors were conceding the fact that they never thought they would win with DeRozan. At least, they didn't think he could take them to an NBA Finals. That was enough for them to make the deal.
For the Spurs, they're embracing DeRozan in the wake of the trade. Leonard wanted no part of the Spurs. DeRozan and his new team are like castaways that are now stuck together. They have to make the best of an unwanted situation. No one can predict how they will respond, but if anyone can make the best out of a bad situation, it's Popovich.
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