Toronto has completed a trade to acquire Kawhi Leonard from San Antonio in a trade that will send DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The trade will also send Danny Green to Toronto and Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first round pick to San Antonio. The trade will be called into the league offices later today. The Raptors and Spurs have been working on a deal for a while but after weeks of talking have finalized a deal.
There have been reports that both main players in the trade aren’t happy with the deal. DeRozan was reportedly promised that he wouldn’t be traded while at the Las Vegas Summer League according to ESPN.
This trade is the end of a long saga for Leonard in the Spurs that stemmed from Leonard not trusting the Spurs’ doctors in his return from injury. Leonard played in just nine games last season after injuring his right quad. The rift began when Leonard wouldn’t trust the Spurs when they told him he was ready to return from his injury. Leonard preferred the opinion of his personal doctor.
His distrust of team doctors and his reluctance to be around the Spurs led to the Spurs players and management to take shots at him in the media, furthering the two sides from each other.
With Leonard being an impending free agent, Toronto is taking an incredible risk in making this trade. DeRozan is under contract for two more seasons with a player option for a third. When the trade is finalized, they will have to convince Leonard that Toronto is the place to be.
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