The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired two-time NBA All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard and guard Danny Green from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for guard DeMar DeRozan, centre Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick. Leonard is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016) and twice was named First Team All-NBA (2016, 2017).
Leonard joins the Raptors after spending his entire seven-year NBA career with San Antonio and helped the Spurs win the 2014 NBA Championship. He holds career averages of 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and a .386 three-point shooting percentage (529-1370) in 407 career games. The Los Angeles native averaged a career-best 25.5 points in 74 games during the 2016-17 season and was third in NBA Most Valuable Player voting. In 87 career playoff games, Leonard averaged 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and is shooting .427 from beyond the arc (125-293). He was named the MVP of the 2014 NBA Finals after averaging 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and shot .579 (11-for-19) in five games against Miami.
Green spent the last eight seasons with San Antonio, averaging 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. In 520 games with the Spurs, Green posted a .396 (959-2421) average from three-point range and was a key contributor to the team’s 2014 NBA Championship title. A native of New York, Green played 70 games (60 starts) for the Spurs last season averaging 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25.6 minutes. He was named to the NBA All Defensive Second Team during the 2016-17 campaign.
DeRozan was drafted ninth overall by Toronto in 2009 and spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Raptors. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in points (13,296), field goals made (4,716), free throws made (3,539) and games played (675). He represented Toronto at the NBA All-Star games four times (2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018) and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2018 and Third Team in 2017.
Poeltl was selected by the Raptors ninth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft and appeared in 136 games the last two seasons. He averaged career highs for points (6.9), rebounds (4.8) and blocks (1.2) last season.