San Antonio Spurs · Franchise era 6 of 7
The patient reset: the San Antonio Spurs story
Franchise era
2018–19—2022–23
The patient reset
San Antonio Spurs
The story in one sentence
San Antonio transitioned from veterans to draft development and eventually committed to a ground-up rebuild.
The playoff streak ends and the roster gets younger
DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the wembanyama era.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2018–19
What came before
Leonard led a 61-win contender before injury and distrust abruptly ended the planned succession.
July 18, 2018
Toronto's one-year Kawhi Leonard championship wager
The Raptors exchanged continuity and a beloved star for a player coming off a lost season with only one guaranteed contract year.
14One-year championship betJuly 18, 2018TOR⇄SASKawhi to TorontoToronto acquired Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green for franchise icon DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first.5 assets · 2 outcomes＋
The original receipt
Toronto Raptors received
- • Kawhi Leonard
- • Danny Green
San Antonio Spurs received
- • DeMar DeRozan
- • Jakob Poeltl
- • Protected 2019 Toronto first
Leonard delivered the 2019 championship before leaving in free agency. San Antonio received an All-Star scorer, a starting center and the pick that became Keldon Johnson.
Open full trade tree →2019
Western Conference First Round: San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets
After 2022–23
What came next
Wembanyama's unprecedented combination of size and skill gave the Spurs another potential franchise-defining big man.
The core