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A look back at the Spurs/Raptors blockbuster 2018 trade

Three Spurs players, a journeyman, and an entitled star go into a bubble . . .

San Antonio Spurs v Toronto Raptors Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

I saw an interesting tweet by a journalist whose work I admire.

Spurs Zone writer Ty Jager made the argument that the Spurs “won” in the Kawhi Leonard/Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan/Jakob Poeltl/(draft pick that became) Keldon Johnson trade with the Toronto Raptors because (a) Jakob signed on for three more years, (b) DeRozan accepted his player option, (c) Danny Green is now on his third team since leaving San Antonio, and (d) Kawhi Leonard is the Clippers locker room virus.

I would add (e) Keldon Johnson is awesome.

Jager also accepts that Toronto’s championship clearly gives them the advantage on the trade, but the Spurs have gotten more in the long term.

Now that DeMar has expressed an interest in staying, Jakob has inked a three-year deal, and there is still a chance to make Keldon a “for-life” Spurs player, has your perception of the 2018 blockbuster trade changed with hindsight being — I have to say it — 20/20?


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