Toronto Raptors · Franchise era 6 of 7
The championship bet: the Toronto Raptors story
Franchise era
2018–19—2019–20
The championship bet
Toronto Raptors
The story in one sentence
Toronto traded a beloved star for Leonard and was rewarded with the 2019 championship, then defended the title proudly after his departure.
One fearless trade delivers the title
Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the barnes rebuild.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2018–19
What came before
Toronto won five straight 48-plus-win seasons and reached the 2016 conference finals, even as LeBron repeatedly ended its postseason.
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
Eastern Conference Finals: Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks
2019
NBA Finals: Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors
2020
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics
After 2019–20
What came next
The Tampa season disrupted the old core, and Barnes's arrival eventually became the foundation for a younger, more flexible roster.
The core