When Kawhi Leonard left, it changed the direction of the Toronto Raptors franchise. The team might not head towards a full-fledged rebuild; the franchise is still in a great position moving forward; however, true title contention is gone — for now.
After the departure of Leonard, Danny Green was next to go. With Toronto no longer a legitimate title contender, it made sense for both parties to move on. Green’s 32 years old and ready to help a top-tier playoff team. The Los Angeles Lakers — with a not so young, LeBron James at the helm — were ready to pay a price that didn’t make sense for the Raptors.