Last summer the move by the OKC Thunder (a year prior) to trade for Paul George was deemed a resounding success. Especially when General Manager Sam Presti got the star to re-sign. George didn’t even give the Lakers a meeting citing unfinished business and his desire to play with Russell Westbrook and win in Oklahoma City.
Likewise, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri emulated Presti in perhaps an even chancier move, swinging for the fences by trading for Kawhi Leonard (who played in just nine games in 2017-18) on a potential one-year rental. In Ujiri’s case, his risky move plus subsequent trades paid immediate dividends when the Raptors became the 2019 champions.