NBA Trade 2018-19: Ranking the best moves of the trade window

#1 Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs made a blockbuster

trade

Toronto Raptors receive: Kawhi Leonard (F), Danny Green (G/F)

San Antonio Spurs receive: DeMar DeRozan (G), Jakub Poeltl (C), 2019 protected first round pick.

Toronto Raptors were always one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference with the back court duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan lifting the team to multiple conference titles and making them perennial contenders for the finals in the NBA. But they always faced a LeBron James sized hurdle in the playoffs and just like in 2017-18 playoffs, did not make it to the finals.

San Antonio Spurs were also a franchise that were looking like they needed fresher legs to make their team reach more playoffs and contend for the title. But with Kawhi Leonard's injury being such a big issue that he requested a trade away from the franchise, Pop and the Spurs needed to look for a solution.

Masai Ujiri finally decided that enough is enough and broke apart the backcourt duo, trading away DeRozan, Poeltl and their 2019 first round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. This was by far the biggest deal in this transfer window and led to a huge shift in the NBA as we know it.