NBA: 5 takeaways from Kawhi Leonard-DeMar DeRozan trade

5. Kawhi Leonard get his wish … sort of

Leonard sustained a quadriceps injury in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. The Spurs led by as many as 21 points in that game, but once Leonard went down with the injury, the Warriors overcame that deficit and went on to win that contest, as well as the series in four games.

Unfortunately, this sequence would prove to be the beginning of the end. Throughout the course of the 2017-18 campaign, there was a difference of opinion between Leonard and the Spurs organization regarding the extent of his injury.

In fact, things got so bad between the two sides that Leonard was noticeably absent from the team’s bench during the postseason. Not only that, but Leonard wasn’t receptive to any attempts the team made to mend what had become a fractured relationship, including a one-on-one talk with Gregg Popovich.

In light of this recent news, Leonard is finally being granted his wish. It will be interesting to see how many games he’s able to play in Toronto and how well he will mesh with his new teammates, even if it will more than likely be for just one season.