Kawhi shows his value in his first game as a Raptor. In a trade that surprised many, the great Kawhi Leonard and teammate Danny Green were traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors, in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 first-round draft pick.

After coming off of a season where he played only 9 games due to injury, Kawhi's future was undetermined. Through the pre-season his performance told me that he was back and capable of playing at a high level once again.

Giving up DeMar DeRozan was not an easy choice for the Raptors. He has been the star of the franchise for years. Any team would be happy to land him and San Antonio was fortunate enough to be that team. Based off of last season the trade is understandable and maybe it was for the best. However, giving up Kawhi Leonard, a future hall of famer, was a big decision to make. It was his market value that led to him being sent to Toronto.

Toronto 116 Cleveland 104

The Raptors defeated the Cavaliers in their home opener today, Kyle Lowry put up 27 points while dishing out 8 assists. Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. This was a great performance from Leonard to prove that he still has it.

As a team, the Raptors played great. They moved the ball well combining for 21 total assists and only turning the ball over 10 times. Still, this is an incomplete puzzle. This is not a team that can compete with the best, they are missing one major piece. With that said, trading for an ageing veteran might have not been the best trade to make.