Raptors HC Nick Nurse Says 'You Can't Blame' Kawhi Leonard for Joining Clippers
The city of Toronto is still reeling from Kawhi Leonard's decision to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason, leaving the Raptors after just one season and a championship.
But his former head coach, Nick Nurse, said he understood Leonard's decision.
"I think you can't blame a guy for wanting to go home," he told reporters Saturday at the Las Vegas Summer League, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. "That's what he texted me today. 'I'm going home.' And I just said, 'You've changed a lot of lives, man, by what you've accomplished in Toronto. Mine especially.' And thanked him for what he did, and we'll look to the future, and we'll look to [win a title] again."
Nurse added that he nonetheless was sorry to see Leonard leave:
"It's certainly disappointing. I think, first of all, he's a great person. He was unbelievably fun to coach, just locked in and loaded and ready to go. People would ask me, 'What was it like coaching him?' And I always said the best thing was I got to stand there on the courtside and watch this guy go to work. That was something that I'll never forget. Now we got to go kick his ass."
Leonard pulled off the ultimate power move this offseason, not only signing with the Clippers but convincing star Paul George to push for a trade out of Oklahoma City to join him. Paul obliged, and the Clippers sent a huge trade package to the Thunder to pair him with Leonard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, four future unprotected first-round picks, one future protected first-rounder and two pick swaps.
It was an offer too good for the Thunder to refuse, even if it meant the end of the George era in OKC after just two years and the end of the Leonard era in Toronto after just one.
For Toronto, the question remains whether they'll run it back with their current team or blow up the current roster and begin a rebuild around Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby.
As currently constructed, the Raptors could make a playoff push in the East, led by that young talent and proven veterans like Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. The Raptors wouldn't be title contenders, but they would likely be good enough to earn a lower playoff seed, keeping their group together for a victory lap around the NBA.
With Lowry, Gasol and Ibaka all on expiring deals anyway, the rebuild is coming soon.
Or the Raptors could get a head start on that rebuild, seeking to pick up assets for moving off of that veteran trio. The Raptors will never have to completely bottom out, given the young talents they already have in place, and cashing out on their veterans could result in a faster retooling of the roster. All three of Lowry, Gasol and Ibaka would surely have some value to contending teams.
Regardless of which direction the Raptors choose, Nurse is aware the loss of Leonard won't be easy to overcome.
"I mean we got a tremendous challenge ahead of us, but I always say that the challenge is our fuel and the tank is certainly full," Nurse said. "So we got a change for some guys to expand their roles maybe that wouldn't have had expanded roles in the situation, and I think we got some guys capable of doing that. So I look forward to the challenge as I said, and let's go get after it."
