San Antonio sends Kawhi to Toronto in blockbuster trade for DeRozan
The drama surrounding two-time All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs is over.
The Spurs have reached an agreement with Toronto to send Leonard and Danny Green to the Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 protected first-round pick.
It’s standard procedure for teams to conduct physicals to determine a player’s health, and a trade can be voided if a player fails a physical.
The Raptors, like Oklahoma City last summer when it traded for Paul George, are taking a significant risk for a potential one-year rental. There’s also the question of Leonard’s health after he played just nine games last season with right quadriceps tendinopathy.
Leonard requested a trade from San Antonio more than a month ago, a result of the tension between he and the Spurs over the handling of his season-long quadriceps injury. His preferred destination was the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Spurs, facing an unprecedented situation for such a drama-free organization, were determined to land the best offer and took their time.
Leonard can become a free agent next summer and could’ve suppressed the market for himself without committing to a team long term.
Leonard originally was injured in the 2017 Western Conference Finals and missed the final four games of his team’s playoff run. During the recovery process, Leonard reportedly became disgruntled with the organization due to the way his rehabilitation was handled and his decision to get a second opinion on the injury.
Spurs guard Tony Parker later said that his own quadriceps injury was “a hundred times worse,” and a team meeting was held late in the season to address those issues with Leonard.
Despite the ongoing drama surrounding Leonard during the season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and the two-time All-Star met in San Diego in mid-June. The Spurs faithful hoped the meeting could secure Leonard’s future with the organization the same way a similar meeting between Popovich and forward LaMarcus Aldridge did last summer.
It didn’t happen, though, and the Spurs began to take calls on their disgruntled superstar just before the June 21 NBA draft. Still, the night following the draft, general manager R.C. Buford said the team’s No. 1 goal would be to mend the relationship with the 26-year-old Leonard, who would have become eligible for a five-year, $219 million extension if he resigned with the Spurs.
It didn’t happen. Instead, Leonard can now become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 if he does not sign an extension with the Raptors. That extension would be for $31 million less than the Spurs could have offered.
The Spurs had also received interest in Leonard from the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers.
In his seven seasons with the Spurs, Leonard had blossomed into a twotime All-Star, averaging 25.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the 2016-17 season. In 2014, Leonard was named the Finals MVP for the Spurs in their 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat, giving San Antonio it’s fifth NBA title.
DeRozan was told by Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri at Summer League that he wouldn’t be traded and was upset upon learning of the deal.
DeRozan, a four-time All-Star, blossomed for the Raptors as he led them to a franchise-record 59 wins this past season. He has three years and $83 million left on his contract with a player option for his final year.
DeRozan posted this story to his Instagram feed early Wednesday morning.
“Told one thing & the outcome another. Can’t trust em. Ain’t no loyalty in this game. Sell you out quick for a little bit of nothing . ... Soon you’ll understand ... don’t disturb.”
(USA Today/TNS)