Chapter 366: The Final Wave
While Gay’s training camp was buzzing with energy,
San Antonio was quietly brewing a blockbuster trade.
“Your offer isn’t sincere enough.”
Buford frowned as he spoke.
“We’re talking about Leonard here—the best two-way wing in the league. An All-NBA First Team, DPOY-level player. And this is all you’re offering me?”
Sitting across from him was Ujiri, who had flown in from Toronto.
“RC, no offense,” Ujiri said with a cold smile, “but everyone in the league knows Leonard wants a big-market team. If you truly believed there was any chance of re-signing him, you wouldn’t have put him on the trade block in the first place.”
He continued calmly.
“Let’s be honest—Toronto isn’t exactly that much better than San Antonio in terms of market size. I don’t have any confidence I can keep Leonard either. For one year of usage rights, the price I’m offering is already more than fair.”
Then, with a half-joking tone, Ujiri added,
“Of course, if you can get Leonard to promise me an extension, I’ll change my offer immediately.”
That sentence hit Buford right where it hurt.
What promise could he possibly give?
If Buford could get Leonard to commit to an extension, Ujiri wouldn’t even be sitting here.
“DeRozan plus a first-round pick. That’s already generous.”
Seeing Buford fall silent, Ujiri took a sip of coffee and pressed on.
“I know you don’t think DeRozan and Leonard are on the same level, but go ask around. Without an extension commitment, which team is willing to trade their franchise star for Leonard? Me. Only me.”
“That’s still not enough.”
Buford finally pushed back.
“You know DeRozan’s ceiling. One first-round pick, and it’s protected at that. That’s an obvious loss—how do you expect me to agree?”
After a brief pause, he added,
“Include your 2016 rookie—Poeltl. Add him, and I’ll sign.”
“What are you thinking? Using a quality young player as a throw-in?”
Ujiri chuckled and ignored him.
Poeltl might still have been averaging just 6 points and 5 rebounds with the Raptors, but he had already shown the makings of a solid blue-collar center.
In a league short on reliable pick-and-roll bigs, his trade value was steadily rising.
“I’m not asking for Poeltl for free,”
Buford said after a moment.
“I’ll include Wood.”
“Wood?”
Ujiri hesitated briefly, then shook his head.
“Too inconsistent. No.”
Ever since Duncan retired, Buford had been searching for someone who could once again anchor the Spurs’ interior.
The team’s two main centers—Looney and Wood—had both been acquired on Chen Yilun’s recommendation.
Buford liked them both, and both had exceeded their draft expectations, but in his eyes, neither was quite good enough.
Moving one to explore other options felt like the right call.
“I’m trading for Leonard because I’m going all-in for a championship this year,”
Ujiri finally said, laying his cards on the table after all the back-and-forth.
“I want players with real playoff experience.”
Then he looked up.
“Give me Danny Green.”
“Danny? No way.”
Buford shook his head instantly.
He had no hesitation about trading Wood, but losing Green genuinely hurt.
Even though Green’s form had declined in recent years, he had been a key contributor to championships, and his Spurs identity ran deep.
Even past his peak, Buford still didn’t want to let him go.
“You won’t give this, you won’t give that,”
Ujiri said lightly, twirling his pen.
“RC, I honestly don’t see much sincerity here.”
He leaned forward.
“I’ll be clear: Danny Green must be included. Otherwise, this deal goes nowhere.”
The two sides traded sharp words for hours, arguing all the way to dinnertime without reaching an agreement.
They broke off temporarily, agreeing to resume talks in the afternoon.
“Ah… getting old.”
Buford rubbed his lower back as he walked.
“Coach, what’s our next move?”
Wright asked quietly from behind.
“If Green really can’t be moved, where does that leave us later on?”
“Who said he can’t be moved?”
Buford glanced back at him with a smile, saying no more.
“But didn’t you say—”
Before Wright could finish, Buford interrupted him.
“Brian, you still have a lot to learn.”
He began explaining as they walked.
“Danny was actually planned as part of the trade from the very beginning.”
“Then why did you insist so hard just now that he was untouchable?”
“Simple.”
Buford adjusted his glasses.
“Brian, have you ever heard this story?”
“You’re in a room with a lot of people. It feels stuffy, so you want to open a window.”
“If you just say, ‘Let’s open a window,’ someone will object, and suddenly it becomes complicated.”
“But if you say, ‘How about we tear the roof off?’ everyone will immediately say, ‘Alright, alright—just open the window.’”
“You have to keep lowering their expectations. Only then does your final price actually carry weight.”
After a short break, both sides returned to the negotiating table.
“We’ve reconsidered,”
Ujiri spoke first.
“If Green is included, Poeltl can also be discussed.”
Hearing that, Buford turned to Lett with a look that said told you so, then put on a pained expression and hesitated for a long moment.
“Alright.”
Buford finally said.
“But I have one more condition.”
“With Green gone, we’ll have a hole at shooting guard. Give me Ben, and I’ll send you Wood.”
Ujiri and his team discussed briefly, then accepted the proposal.
The final deal was set.
The Spurs sent Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Christian Wood.
The Raptors sent DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Ben McLemore, and a first-round pick.
The wheels of history rolled forward.
The one-year-only King of the North—Leonard—was finally unleashed.
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