Kawhi Leonard is headed to the Toronto Raptors, and here there are more than a few winners of the trade.
Kawhi Leonard wanted out of San Antonio, with a preference for playing him hometown of Los Angeles. The Toronto Raptors came virtually out of nowhere to surface as a front runner to get Leonard from the Spurs with the last 7-10 days, and that’s just what came to fruition early Wednesday morning.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs will sent Leonard and guard Danny Green to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, center Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick. The pick is protected 1-20, according to Wojnarowski, and it will become two second-round picks after one year.
Leonard and DeRozan are clearly the centerpieces of the deal, and it’s been reported neither player is thrilled about being on the move to their new team. Another piece had to be included from San Antonio’s end to make a deal involving DeRozan work, and Green became an easy choice on an expiring contract.
San Antonio has agreed to trade Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Trade call with league office is beginning momentarily. https://t.co/6DZNdAs8BM
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2018
Source: Toronto's first-round pick to San Antonio is protected 1-20. After one year, it becomes two second-round picks.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2018
Now it’s time to analyze the deal, and here are five winners of the Spurs-Raptors/Leonard-DeRozan trade.