The Toronto Raptors pulled off the biggest trade in the offseason by dealing DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first round pick for Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and cash. There are still concerns about whether or not the trade has benefits long-term, but so far it has paid off.
The truth is the Raptors were considered a treadmill team in the playoffs. The popular narrative was that LeBron James was the only thing standing in their way, but they struggled against other teams as well. Toronto was swept by the Wizards in 2015 and faced elimination twice in 2016 vs the Pacers and the Heat.