Toronto are in the Finals. If Kawhi leaves this summer, was the trade worth it?

[ozgod]

Give credit to Masai Ujiri. Made a deal that he probably would have been crucified for if it didn't work out. His reward is Toronto's first championship and a place in history.

[bopna]

Whether KL leaves or not its already called a magnificent success.

No one in their right mind would have thought the Raptors would win it all.
This was one ballsy move that will forever etch the career of Kawhi... Specially if he leaves because if he does, then he will become the one and only player in history to lead his team to a championship in his one and only season with the team.... If he stays then that legacy won't be in the books since he will be entering his second and perhaps more seasons with the Raptors.

[slamtheking]

kudos to Kawhi for getting a championship for Toronto.  hope he stays there for the good of the team and the league.  would have been sweeter if they had beaten a fully healthy GSW team but they were a legit championship team. 

makes the C's dysfunctional season that much more depressing knowing that if they had gotten their act together for the playoffs, they had the talent to win this year particularly with the injuries to GSW.

[tazzmaniac]

kudos to Kawhi for getting a championship for Toronto.  hope he stays there for the good of the team and the league.  would have been sweeter if they had beaten a fully healthy GSW team but they were a legit championship team. 

makes the C's dysfunctional season that much more depressing knowing that if they had gotten their act together for the playoffs, they had the talent to win this year particularly with the injuries to GSW.

I hope he leaves for the Clips and relegates the Lakers to be the "other" NBA team in LA. 

[RLewis35]

Whether KL leaves or not its already called a magnificent success.

No one in their right mind would have thought the Raptors would win it all.
This was one ballsy move that will forever etch the career of Kawhi... Specially if he leaves because if he does, then he will become the one and only player in history to lead his team to a championship in his one and only season with the team.... If he stays then that legacy won't be in the books since he will be entering his second and perhaps more seasons with the Raptors.

+1000

Great gutsy move and it paid off no matter what happens. Even if they lost in finals I think it would have been worth it. I bet he stays on a 1+1 deal.

[Bobshot]

Of course the trade was worth it.

Championships are hard to get. And even this one took some key injuries to Durant and Thompson to grease the wheels for Toronto. You have to be lucky, too. That's why it's so hard.

Look at the Red Sox. Unbeatable last year. Ordinary this year. Of course, it took some overmanagement to create that situation. Especially not replacing 41 saves.  10 blown saves equals 10 losses that should have been wins. Dombrowski needs a course in arithmetic. Bullpens are like 3 pointers. You live by them, you die by them.

Henry figures I win one of these every 5 years. So why waste millions over the luxury tax  to repeat? Especially with the blank check Yankees desperate to win.  It's just too difficult to repeat. You have to walk on water.

Ainge hasn't won a championship in 10 years. He may have a weak heart. He's going all out this year. It's time again.

[Donoghus]

Unequivocally, yes.

They accomplished exactly what they were trying to do; win a title.

[SHAQATTACK]

It was big risk

I mean for a while , the word was Kawhi might just sit out or not even show up .

They had a new unproven coach , a player that did not want t be there , only one year to make it work .

The trade for gasol and Pascal emerged big at the right time .

Ibaka played well .   

I remeber Kyle and Deroz were mad about being broken up

The FO and coach handled everything 100% perfect , kept the goal for everybody focused and got Kawhi to buy in .
 Beautiful ....bit of GM work
all the stars aligned for them

Glade they won if Celtics couldn't

[footey]

The risk was worth it for Toronto, because they never won a championship.

For Boston, as someone who has personally experienced our team winning championships in 68, 69, 74, 76, 81, 84, 86 and 08, trading the farm just to win one championship and then start from scratch just doesn't scratch my itch.

We are the Boston Celtics.

[fairweatherfan]

Unequivocally, yes.

They accomplished exactly what they were trying to do; win a title.

At this point if Kawhi leaves he'll still get a standing ovation and a tribute video first time back in Toronto. He's a made man there.

[Donoghus]

The risk was worth it for Toronto, because they never won a championship.

For Boston, as someone who has personally experienced our team winning championships in 68, 69, 74, 76, 81, 84, 86 and 08, trading the farm just to win one championship and then start from scratch just doesn't scratch my itch.

We are the Boston Celtics.

It's been 11 years & counting now......  Putting all your eggs in one basket isn't necessarily a bad thing at this point, IMO.   

It's not like Celtics fans have exactly been spoiled lately.

[Fafnir]

C's thought they were already a contending team with Kyrie/Hayward, and they were wrong.

I can't blame them, I also thought that.

[ETNCeltics]

Gutting your roster for a guy for one year is foolish. Toronto didn't do that. The best young player on their roster wasn't on the table. They traded an overpaid scorer who had proven he couldn't get them over the hump, one late 1st rounder, and a scrub. And the guy they traded is already on the block with his next team.

If the Celtics made a comparable deal, everyone would be ecstatic. That's not what the Celtics are doing. They're p---ing away the heart and soul of their team, and their best young prospect in 20 years, for a guy whose agent and father have been telling the Celtics they're wasting their time and assets in doing so. 

What Toronto did isn't remotely comparable to our situation. The Celtics are acting like poor people who cash their check to buy lottery tickets. Which is an appropriate analogy, given that's where we'll be fishing 2 years from now.

[ozgod]

Gutting your roster for a guy for one year is foolish. Toronto didn't do that. The best young player on their roster wasn't on the table. They traded an overpaid scorer who had proven he couldn't get them over the hump, one late 1st rounder, and a scrub. And the guy they traded is already on the block with his next team.

If the Celtics made a comparable deal, everyone would be ecstatic. That's not what the Celtics are doing. They're p---ing away the heart and soul of their team, and their best young prospect in 20 years, for a guy whose agent and father have been telling the Celtics they're wasting their time and assets in doing so. 

What Toronto did isn't remotely comparable to our situation. The Celtics are acting like poor people who cash their check to buy lottery tickets. Which is an appropriate analogy, given that's where we'll be fishing 2 years from now.

Yes this is the big difference. Toronto shipped out basically a like for like player with DeMar/Kawhi and got a vet in Danny Green for a young player in Poetl.

Probably a comparable trade would be Hayward for AD. If we did that I don't think too many people would be complaining even if he turned out to be a rental.