- Here's a list of the biggest Toronto Raptors trades in franchise history.
- Kawhi Leonard leads the list of players Toronto received through trade.
- Other notable players the Raptors acquired were Kyle Lowry, Vince Carter, and Serge Ibaka.
The Toronto Raptors are a relatively new team in the NBA, joining the league in 1995 as one of the expansion teams along with the Vancouver Grizzlies (now Memphis Grizzlies). Despite being a young franchise, they defied the basketball odds in 2019 by beating the Golden State Warriors super team in the NBA Finals in six games to capture their first NBA title.
Due to the Cinderella run that season, they were able to separate themselves from the list of NBA teams that have never won a championship. A big part of this success from the Canadian team is from the trade market, bringing in star players and superstars through deals with other teams.
Below is a list of the top-four biggest trades in Toronto Raptors team history.
Kawhi Leonard
Leading the players that Toronto received via trade is Kawhi Leonard. The 15th overall pick was sent by the San Antonio Spurs to the Raptors with Danny Green in exchange for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl in 2018. It was a big risk for Toronto, as they were uncertain about Leonard’s health because of his quad injury. But that gamble paid off big time.
Leonard became the main star for Toronto and helped lead the Raptors to their title run in 2019. He racked up 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists during the regular season. “The Klaw’s” averages even went up during the postseason, producing 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He also bagged his second NBA Finals MVP award and was selected to the All-Star Game as a Raptor.
YOUR 2019 @NBA CHAMPS! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/3mNvchZqzT
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) June 14, 2019
Kyle Lowry
In 2012, Toronto acquired point guard Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets for Gary Forbes and a future first-round pick. The 6-foot guard out of Villanova became the steady playmaker for the team, averaging double figures throughout his entire run with the team. Lowry was also a key player in the Raptors’ postseason campaigns from 2014 to 2020.
In 601 games across nine seasons in Toronto, Lowry averaged 17.5 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds. He also became the franchise leader in three-point field goals (1,518), assists (4,277), steals (873), and triple-doubles (16) to become one of the greatest Toronto Raptors players of all time. Furthermore, Lowry represented the Raptors in six NBA All-Star games.
Kyle Lowry goes for 26 PTS, 10 AST, 7 REB, helping the @Raptors win Game 6 and become 2019 NBA Champions! #SAPStatLineOfTheNight pic.twitter.com/e3kXRvweGv
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) June 14, 2019
Vince Carter
Vince Carter was the first legitimate superstar for the Toronto Raptors franchise, and he was acquired by the team via trade on draft night in 1998. Golden State drafted Carter as their fifth-overall pick, but he was immediately swapped with the Raptors’ fourth-overall pick Antawn Jamison, who was his college teammate in North Carolina.
The 6-foot-6 super athletic guard put the team on the NBA map with his electrifying dunks. Carter was important in Toronto’s first three playoff appearances from 2000 to 2002. In 403 games, he averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists across six-and-a-half seasons. Carter also became a five-time All-Star for Toronto.
Serge Ibaka
In 2017, Toronto added a defensive-minded player in Serge Ibaka to the team. Ibaka was part of the Raptors’ deal with the Orlando Magic, sending guard Terrence Ross and a first-round pick for the former 24th pick in the 2008 draft. Since then, the 7-foot power forward has become a steady presence in the frontcourt.
Ibaka played in 228 Raptors games, tallying an average of 14.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks for three-and-a-half seasons. He was also an integral part of the team’s championship run in 2019, where he brought his veteran smarts and experience to help the franchise lift its first-ever Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
4 Biggest Toronto Raptors Trades
| Year | Player Acquired | Trade Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Kawhi Leonard | Raptors received: Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green / Spurs received: DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl |
| 2012 | Kyle Lowry | Raptors received: Kyle Lowry / Rockets received: Gary Forbes and a first-round pick |
| 1998 | Vince Carter | Raptors received: Vince Carter / Warriors received: Antawn Jamison |
| 2017 | Serge Ibaka | Raptors received: Serge Ibaka / Magic received: Terrence Ross and a first-round pick |
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