Eight years ago, the Toronto Raptors were stuck as a strong regular-season team unable to break through in the playoffs. So they took a home run swing, trading their leading scorer ( DeMar DeRozan ), a recent lottery pick with middling production ( Jakob Poeltl ) and draft capital for Kawhi Leonard in the two-way star's final season before free agency.
Zach Kram is a national NBA writer for ESPN.com. He covers the league through an analytical lens, utilizing advanced metrics and statistical trends to evaluate player performance and analyze broader shifts within the NBA. Kram's work has been featured in various outlets including The Ringer and ABC7, and he brings a wealth of experience from nearly a decade in sports journalism, focusing on competitive sports and team dynamics.















