Gregg Popovich gives a very Pop statement on Kawhi Leonard trade

SSAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 6: Gregg Popovich coaches Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2016 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2016 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has made his statement on the Kawhi Leonard trade.

Gregg Popovich wants to let the NBA world know that he has moved on from the Kawhi Leonard drama. We should all believe him.

In a press conference, Popovich, as usual, didn’t mince his words. He thanked Leonard for all of the hard work he has put in to become a Top 15 player in the league, and also gave praise to his staff for helping him get there.

With that, that was it on the Kawhi Era in San Antonio in Pop’s mind.

"We hope that this will be a good situation for everybody involved. Kawhi obviously worked very hard to become the player he is. Our staff worked very hard to help him get there...This trade is going to be good for both teams" — Pop talks Toronto-San Antonio trade

(via @spurs) pic.twitter.com/hCFVIxjHRB
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 18, 2018

Pop is right on all fronts.

It was his staff that encouraged the stoic Leonard to become the player that everyone knew he could be. Pop put Kawhi in the right spaces and gave him the proper opportunities to command the salary that he will surely get next offseason.

He’s also correct when he said the trade was good for both teams.

If Leonard can keep his disappointment about being in Toronto in check, he can make the Raptors a force to be reckoned with in the East. There is no mistaking that Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the league, and, possibly, could be one of the best all-time.

While DeMar DeRozan is certainly an All-Star caliber player, Leonard is a proven winner, and he could bring that championship swag to a Raptors team that was eager to blow things up this offseason.

Next: Who were the biggest winners of the Kawhi trade?

Having said that, the Spurs still likely got the better end of this trade.

DeRozan is signed long-term and is an All-Star in his own right. Though he is not on the same level as Leonard when it comes to defense, he is when it comes to putting points on the board, and he’ll be the perfect complement to LaMarcus Aldridge while keeping the Spurs in the mix for the foreseeable future.

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