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Philadelphia 76ers fans shouldn’t be upset about not getting Kawhi Leonard

By Larry Mendte

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 20: Philadelphia 76ers fan brings in a "Trust the process" sign during the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 20, 2015 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pacers defeated the 76ers 106-95 NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 20: Philadelphia 76ers fan brings in a "Trust the process" sign during the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 20, 2015 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pacers defeated the 76ers 106-95 NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t get Kawhi Leonard and many fans are upset, but they shouldn’t be. The Sixers will now be good for a long time.

So the Toronto Raptors won the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes over the Philadelphia 76ers.

But did the Raptors really win?  The Las Vegas oddsmakers aren’t so sure.  Even though their odds to play in the 2019 NBA Finals improved, the Boston Celtics are still the clear favorites, and the Sixers are second. The Raptors are third.

The real winner in the Kawhi trade was his former team. The San Antonio Spurs clearly wanted to make a trade that will keep them relevant in the Western Conference. Legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has no interest in rebuilding. He wanted a star, or at least a potential star in return for one of the top-five players in the league.

The Raptors traded All-Star DeMar Derozan, along with promising young center Jakob Poeltl and a first round pick. Had the 76ers included former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz in the trade, with the reported combo of Dario Saric, Robert Covington and one of two first round picks, Leonard might have been playing in a 76ers uniform next year.

Many Philadelphia 76ers’ fans are upset that an offseason that started with the hopes of getting LeBron James or Kawhi, ended up with Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala.

It’s a clear sign that 76ers fans, who have been nothing but patient with “The Process,” now want a payoff.  But Sixers fans need to chill.  Trading the team’s future for some instant-gratification wouldn’t have completed The Process; it would have killed it.

No one knows if Kawhi is completely healed from a quad injury that forced him to miss most of last season and the playoffs, and Kawhi isn’t saying. Or as one Eastern conference general manager told Ric Bucher from Bleacher Report:

"“It seems like every other player is putting out a video on social media of them working out. If Kawhi did one, he’d instantly get 35,000 hits, and half of them would be from NBA GMs. How can you make a deal or even and offer with our knowing if he can play? He’s got to be seen. If he came out and played in preseason and looked good, you’d definitely see teams trying harder to go get him.”"

Kawhi Leonard knows that many NBA executives are reluctant to give top too much for him without some medical insurance. That’s why the report that Leonard was “seriously considering” participating the workout for the USA Basketball team in Las Vegas next week is questionable. Sounds more like Kawhi’s agent wanting NBA GMs, especially from Toronto, to know he is ready to play. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Also, Kawhi has made it clear he wants to play in Los Angeles, near his hometown. He has one year left on his contract. He is a free agent next year and is probably already packed for the west coast.

The Raptors with Kawhi, if he is injury-free, may indeed go to the NBA championship series next year. The year after that, they will be in ruins.

The 76ers, on the other hand, will still have a strong lineup, a boatload of draft picks for the next few years, and enough cash to pick up one of the top free agents after the 2019 offseason.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

“The Process” has always been about the long-term; about building a team that will compete for several NBA titles, not just one.