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He Stay!
For the third consecutive off-season, the Raptors had the most sought-after free agent in the NBA. In 2019, Kawhi Leonard chose to go home and play for Los Angeles. In 2020, Fred VanVleet chose to re-sign with Toronto. This year, Kyle Lowry elected to take his talents to South Beach.
Above all these signings, the Raptors may have just secured the most important — Masai Ujiri. Losing integral pieces of the championship roster is a tough pill to swallow but securing the architect is a win, no matter how you look at it.
For this week’s episode, we delve into the huge decisions made by two of the most important figures in Raptors history.
In This Episode:
3:11 — That’s A Rap Olympians
We buried the lede a bit on this episode because Team Canada’s rousing success at the Summer Olympics — namely the heart-pounding, gold-medal-winning performance in Women’s Soccer — had us thinking about Olympic sports that each of us could participate in.
9:37 — #HeStay
The “He Stay” battle cry was supposed to be used for Kawhi Leonard. It didn’t have quite the same effect with Fred. It wasn’t meant to be for Kyle. But for Masai, “He Stay” rings louder and truer with all Raptors fans. As has been the case throughout his tenure, Masai stayed true to his word, re-signed with the team, and promised to win in Toronto. His re-signing alone make this off-season a huge success!
24:20 — G.R.O.A.T. to South Beach
It will be rough to see Lowry taking charges for any team other than the Raptors. It won’t be pleasant watching him mentor Tyler Herro. It will grind my gears to hear about how “Heat Culture” and Lowry were meant to be. But the greatest Raptor of all-time deserves everything he asks for — money, championship contention, and a good situation for his family — and Miami is better suited to grant those wishes. It just won’t be easy watching on this side of the fence/border.
42:42 — Free Agent Friendzy
Westbrook is one of the younger Lakers? Where is the defence in Chicago? The Knicks built up all this cap space to use on... Celtics retreads? Is the clock ticking on Zion Williamson’s time in New Orleans? All of these questions and so much more arose as each transaction was announced. Who are your winners and losers from free agency?