The San Antonio Spurs made the biggest trade in franchise history six years ago, and it's clear that they emerged as winners from the deal.
In 2019, the San Antonio Spurs were at a crossroads. Kawhi Leonard clearly didn't want to play in Texas, and the Spurs were staring down the barrel of a rebuild. Of course, they would come out on the other side with Victor Wembanyama and a promising young core, but did they really win the trade?
On paper, the Spurs flipped Leonard and Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and Keldon Johnson. DeRozan only made the playoffs once in San Antonio, and most of his tenure is defined as the "dark days" between the Tim Duncan and Wembanyama eras.
Of course, the Spurs' hands were tied. Leonard had all but refused to play for the Spurs, forcing a trade. The Raptors, it seemed, offered the best package. After all, the Spurs were in no position to drive a hard bargain.
DeRozan would later be flipped to the Chicago Bulls for a 2025 draft pick, and Poeltl would be sent back to the Raptors for a 2024 selection. Johnson remains in San Antonio as a key role player off the bench.
With the dust settled, the Spurs ended up moving Leonard and Green for parts of De'Aaron Fox, Johnson, and two future picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not a bad haul.
Of course, the Raptors won their lone title, so even though Leonard's stay up north was cut short, it's easy to declare the deal a win-win.
Despite clearly resulting in an NBA championship, The Athletic (subscription required) ranks the deal as only the 13th most important of the 21st century.
"From the outside, it looked like a bold move," wrote Eric Koreen. "To the Raptors, there was nothing to lose. As it turns out, there was everything to win."
Toronto got its banner, and even as they conduct a rebuild of their own, it's easy to see them doing the trade again if given the chance. The Spurs, meanwhile, may not have even gotten out of the Western Conference had they kept Leonard, and the superstar was going to walk in free agency the next offseason, anyway.
While the Spurs didn't get immediate successs after the trade, it laid the blueprint for drafting Wembanyama, and assets from the trade have been used to insulate him with star talent.
The Spurs rarely make splashy moves, but the second time they did (don't forget signing LaMarcus Aldridge!) it paid off, mostly in the long term. Six years removed from the deal, and the Spurs still own two draft picks after flipping Rob Dillingham that are yet to even be conveyed. The Raptors, meanwhile, got their instant gratification.