5 winners of the Kawhi Leonard trade

1. San Antonio Spurs

Yep, I’m saying both teams come out as winners in the Leonard deal. Leonard wanted out of San Antonio, with an unlikely threat to sit out next season on the idea the Spurs would keep him. It was becoming an untenable situation, with a back-and-forth between the two sides through media speculation and words from Gregg Popovich about Leonard’s “camp.”

Long regarded as one of the top organizations in sports, it’s rare (if not unprecedented) for the Spurs to have a bad or at least soured relationship with any player, let alone one of Leonard’s talent and stature. Getting rid of the ongoing trade speculation, and a potential headache next season if Leonard remains unhappy or isn’t healthy, might be worth it in the long run.

In any trade involving Leonard, the Spurs surely wanted to get some sort of proven talent in return as Popovich likely moves toward the last few years of his time as coach. Even with his flaws, DeRozan is at least that as a proven commodity. A promising young big man in Poeltl and an extra first-round pick next year or two second-round picks in 2020, as either potential trade fodder or to foster an influx of young talent (regarding the draft picks), is icing on that cake.

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The Spurs won’t be a legit title contender next year. But they can be booked for somewhere around 50 wins and a playoff spot. Compared to the Raptors, San Antonio has a smaller range of outcomes for next season and that gives them the edge on this list.