Did Spurs Win Kawhi Leonard Trade Thanks to Victor Wembanyama?
Tuesday marked an anniversary that San Antonio Spurs fans would certainly like to forget, as it's officially been five years since the team agreed to trade franchise cornerstone Kawhi Leonard and all-time Spurs sharpshooter Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors.
It was a deal that left fans in shock despite the months of internal turmoil that was brewing between Leonard and the Spurs. Many thought that things would certainly get resolved and a team that was known to have hardly any controversy would get back to its winning ways.
Instead, the trade sent the Spurs to the NBA cellar as a result, a place they hadn't been for over 20 years after 22 straight postseason appearances.
But was it for the best?
The Spurs haven't made the playoffs since 2018-19, posting four straight losing seasons during their current playoff drought. But it was their 22-60 record this past season - the third-most single-season losses in franchise history - that helped them win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, who they drafted No. 1 overall in June.
At just 19, Wembanyama remains a project for the Spurs, as he still has tons to prove before San Antonio can get close to contending for a sixth championship banner.
But his unprecedented potential and value he brings both on and off the court certainly begs the question of who won the Kawhi trade based on how things have transpired for Leonard and the Spurs since then.
Sure, it's hard to argue that the Raptors lost the trade since it instantly resulted in their first-ever championship that season. Leonard cemented himself as one of the best players in the league and a true superstar of his era.
But that's where the argument can get confusing. The debate is not whether or not Toronto won the trade, but if the Spurs truly lost it.
Having won it all, the Raptors got maximum value out of Leonard in the one year they had him. Of course they won the trade. And after winning his second ring, Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers that offseason, joining forces with fellow superstar Paul George to instantly create another title contender.
However, the Clippers haven't been as fortunate as the Raptors were during their time with the superstar.
Since signing with the Clippers, Leonard has played in just 161 of 328 possible regular season games. Low-lighted by a torn ACL that kept him out for the entire 2021-22 season, he's been plagued with injuries and is likely exiting his prime as a 32-year-old.
Despite their championship expectations, the Clippers haven't made it to the NBA Finals since acquiring Leonard, and are in an odd spot with his injury issues again after the superstar missed the final three games of L.A.'s first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, which ended 4-1 to send the Clippers home early.
If Leonard had stayed with the Spurs, would they be having to deal with more of the frustrations his injuries have brought the Clippers? No one knows of course. But you can bet that the Spurs would continue trying to contend if Leonard remained on the roster, which would have ended their chances at getting Wembanyama since they'd likely be teetering on postseason contention rather than accumulating the necessary amount of losses it took to land the No. 1 pick.
As of now, it's unknown if the Spurs truly won the Kawhi trade with Wembanyama's addition. Who knows? The Frenchmen could become a colossal bust and Leonard could overcome his injury problems to lead the Clippers to their first-ever title.
But if Wembanyama gets anywhere close to the kind of player he's expected to be and Leonard fails to reach his prior form, then trading him back in 2018 would proven to have been worth it in the long run.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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