NBA
OTD 2018: Spurs Traded Kawhi Leonard to Raptors
July 18, 2018: Kawhi Leonard was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors. Kawhi would become a Finals MVP that season
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Kawhi Leonard and Manny Machado had one important thing in common, they had both been marked as the future of their respective franchises. Kawhi Leonard took part in the final championship won by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker trio. He won the Finals MVP award that year for his impeccable defense on LeBron James. Leonard and Machado had another thing in common. Despite their success, they were both traded from the teams that landed them on draft day during the same exact day.
July 18, 2018: San Antonio #Spurs traded SF Kawhi Leonard and SG Danny Green to the Toronto #Raptors for SG DeMar Derozan, C Jakob Poeltl, and a 2019 1st Rd Pick (Keldon Johnson)
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 18, 2021
pic.twitter.com/zEjqWpbRXb
July 18, 2018: Baltimore #Orioles traded 3B/SS Manny Machado to the Los Angeles #Dodgers for a package of multiple prospects headlined by OF Yusniel Diaz
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 18, 2021
pic.twitter.com/ABcExmCPYq
SPURS TRADED KAWHI TO RAPTORS & ORIOLES TRADED MACHADO TO LAD
The Spurs traded both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a 2019 Draft pick. The trade was forced by Kawhi himself, who refused to play due to a lack of confidence in the Spurs and their medical staff after botching the leg injury he suffered in the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
The Manny Machado trade to the Dodgers was far less dramatic and was simply a business transaction, two teams trying to get better with LA focusing on contending that year as they won a second consecutive NL pennant and Baltimore looking to rebuild after a run of failed playoff runs. Leonard would go on to lead Toronto to their first championship in franchise history, and Machado left LA for the division-rival Padres in 2019 on a monster 10y/$300M contract.
July 18, 2018: San Antonio #Spurs traded SF Kawhi Leonard and SG Danny Green to the Toronto #Raptors for SG DeMar Derozan, C Jakob Poeltl, and a 2019 1st Rd Pick (Keldon Johnson)
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 18, 2021
pic.twitter.com/zEjqWpbRXb
July 18, 2018: Baltimore #Orioles traded 3B/SS Manny Machado to the Los Angeles #Dodgers for a package of multiple prospects headlined by OF Yusniel Diaz
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 18, 2021
pic.twitter.com/ABcExmCPYq
Kawhi Leonard became the 1st player to win Finals MVP in multiple conferences during 2019. LeBron James joined him in 2020 https://t.co/niTXTlf1jQ
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 30, 2021
Manny Machado’s defensive highlights are as exciting as any MLB 3rd Baseman pic.twitter.com/cT0w7OHQmC
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 7, 2021
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