When you read this headline, you probably thought I was crazy. What kind of team trades a franchise player, then trades to get him back the next year? How about a team that got what they needed from the initial trade, and want to make a splash to contend for another title?
The San Antonio Spurs traded for wing DeMar DeRozan out of necessity, not because they necessarily wanted to. Two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard forced his way out and requested a trade after toying with the franchise that groomed him for a whole year as he nursed his degenerative quadricep injury.