Meyers Leonard behavior was so racist that a team in 74-percent white Oklahoma is cutting him
Well, we all had a feeling this day was coming. The Heat and likely the entire NBA are done with Meyers Leonard, at least for the time being.
Earlier this month, Leonard used an anti-Semitic slur while he was streaming a video game on Twitch, and was since fined $50,000 from the league and suspended by the team for a week.
Now, Leonard has been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Trevor Ariza and a 2027 second-round pick according to ESPN. It was also reported that the Thunder will likely part ways with Leonard once the trade goes through.
Leonard will be the most noteworthy name in the deal because of his recent actions and the implications surrounding his career, but there are some other notable statistics that this trade brings as well.
First, for the Thunder, this gives the organization 19 first-round picks or pick swaps and 16 second-round picks in the next seven drafts, according to StatMuse. Read that back again. Go ahead, I’ll wait. 35 picks/swaps over seven years. More than a full round. More than two full rosters. Yep.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander is a rising star in the league and the Thunder have always shown that they can draft exceptionally well. If they can continue to get Gilgeous-Alexander some young help OKC could be on the rise.
The other interesting factoid is that this trade makes Trevor Ariza the most-traded player in NBA history. Yes! The versatile wing defender and three-point shooter has now been traded 11 times over his 15-year career. It’s always interesting for players who get traded a lot. It means that a team definitely wanted or needed you, but it also means that a team wanted or needed to get rid of you.
I just hope Ariza has been stacking up his frequent flyer miles.
Nevertheless, Leonard will be fighting to get back into the league following this trade and Ariza will immediately be able to help a championship contender take the next step.