The forthcoming trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves featuring All-Star power forward Kevin Love and 2014 first overall pick Andrew Wiggins could reportedly set the stage for the Toronto Raptors to get the Canadian rookie earlier than everybody expected.
Sportsnet Canada basketball writer Michael Grange stated in his latest article that the soon-to-be-finalized blockbuster trade could be a blessing in disguise for Toronto to snatch Wiggins at the right time.
Grange believed the Raptors can acquire Wiggins, the first basketball prodigy coming from north of the border, from the T-Wolves than trying to get him from the clutches of LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
The analyst called it a blessing in disguise for a team that is steadily emerging as force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference after losing former franchise player Chris Bosh in 2010.
"It was fun and all, but as attention shifted from the giddiness of a first-round playoff appearance to the realities of the NBA draft, it looked like they'd fumbled the kind of chance-drafting a neighbourhood superstar-that might never come around again.
But these are your new Toronto Raptors, the ones that turn obstacles to opportunities. They are luckier than a colony of ants finding an open bottle of maple syrup.
Far from an opportunity missed, suddenly things couldn't be lining up more perfectly for their dreams of landing Canadian basketball's first prodigy."
While it would be a tough blow for Wiggins to see his chances of playing alongside the best player in the world in James and the promise of an NBA title in his first year fades away, the opportunity in Twin city could be much bigger for his career.
"With LeBron, Wiggins would defer too much," said one source who has known Wiggins well in an interview with Sportsnet. "When he's the main man, he's a completely different player. He can show that in Minnesota."
With the Wolves, Wiggin can have lots of opportunities to show off his skills and develop his game without dealing the pressure of winning a championship for a team that has never been mentioned as a contender ever since Kevin Garnett left for Boston in 2007.
And when he finally grows into a full-fledged star, Grange believed Wiggins can simply force his way out of Minnesota as a restricted free agent in 2017 and do his own homecoming to Canada, inspiring another generation of homegrown ballers to stay home.
Still, Raptors' bid in getting Wiggins will all depend on the shoulders of MLSE president Tim Leiweke, Masai Ujiri and consultant Drake, who must do a lot of sales pitching to make Toronto an attractive destination for Wiggins.
"Now the Raptors get the best of all worlds. Ujiri/Drake/Leiweke can go about the business of building a winning basketball team while Wiggins goes through his growing pains in a cold place far from home before finally making a triumphant return-not as a saviour, but as the final ingredient in a championship contending maple syrup-flavoured pie."
For now, all Canada can do is to watch Wiggins develop into an elite player - just ripe for the picking.
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