For a team that's relatively new to the league, the Toronto Raptors sure have some history to them. This team has reached the highest of highs and the lowest of lows at some point during their tenure. Even before they were a “success story”, though, they've been a fairly interesting thing to follow.

Most of the Raptors' history can be traced by the many trades they have made. A lot of these major trades (which we'll define as any trade that involves a role player at worst) have changed the outlook of the team at the time. Some of them were terrible, shortsighted decisions, while others were home run deals.

Today, we'll take a look at the best trades that the Raptors have had over the last few years. These trades completely changed the outlook of the team, and in some cases directly led to the highest moment in Toronto's young history.

7-6. The Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol trades

These two trades are nearly interchangeable, and yet they mean so much for the Raptors' history. Ibaka was the first of the two centers to be a part of the Raptors organization. Masai Ujiri traded for the then-Orlando Magic center in exchange for Terrence Ross. Ross was a well-loved player, but the Raptors desperately needed someone to help man the frontlines with Jonas Valanciunas. In particular, they needed a strong defensive presence who can also be a solid player on offense.

Ibaka was exactly that player for the Raptors during his tenure there. His prime days as “Serge I-Blocka” were behind him, but he traded that singular focus on defense to become a two-way threat. He averaged 14.2 points and 1.2 blocks in Toronto, helping anchor what would be an elite defense. However, during their fateful 2019 run, it became clear that Toronto needed someone that can complement Ibaka's strengths.

This is where Marc Gasol comes in. In the midst of the 2018-2019 season, Toronto dealt Valanciunas, CJ Miles, and Delon Wright to the Grizzlies for the elder Gasol brother. Almost immediately, the effect was clearly seen. Gasol and Ibaka shared starting center duties, with both players contributing in different ways. Together, the two centers were critical to their 2019 championship, hence their placement in this ranking.

5 – Greivis Vasquez brings home OG Anunoby

At first glance, this trade seems innocuous at first glance. During the 2015 draft, the Raptors traded backup point guard Greivis Vasquez to the Milwaukee Bucks. In return, Toronto acquired the draft rights to Norman Powell.

Based off this information alone, this is already a huge win for the Raptors. Powell had his ups and downs, but he found consistency at the right time during the 2019 season. That was kind of an important year for Toronto, if you couldn't tell. His heroics throughout the playoffs (especially against the Bucks in the ECF) helped the team win the championship.

There's one key piece, though, that propels this trade to the upper echelon of transactions in Raptors history. In addition to Powell, the Raptors snagged a 2017 first-round pick from this trade. That trade eventually fell to 23, where Toronto picked… OG Anunoby, a star forward from Indiana.

Nowadays, Anunoby's reputation precedes him. OG Anunoby is considered to be one of the best defenders in the league. The Raptors forward can lock down opposing players while blowing up plays with his length and anticipation. Anunoby also happens to be a good scorer, with a decent three-point stroke and a bully-ball game. Essentially, Toronto got a key championship piece and a perennial All-Defense forward for their then-backup PG. That's a pretty good deal!

4. Offloading Andrea Bargnani

This has to be one of the most legendary trades in Raptors history.

The “Primo Pasta” era is one that Raptors fans would like to forget. The team drafted Andrea Bargnani with the first pick of the 2006 draft in hopes that he can turn their fortunes around. Instead, Bargnani would torment Toronto fans with his inconsistent play and apathy. Fans pleaded for the forward to be traded.

Seven years after the draft, the Raptors fanbase got their wish. Andrea Bargnani was traded to the New York Knicks for a 40-year old Marcus Camby, an injured Quentin Richardson, and Steve Novak. Novak would have a solid career in Toronto, but that's not what matters here.

No, what truly matters is the 2016 first-round pick that the Raptors somehow took from the Knicks. That pick would end up in the lottery, where they'd take Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl is a talented player, but there's a reason why he'll appear much later on the list.

3. Vince Carter to Toronto

This one should be a no-brainer.

Before the 2000 NBA draft, the Raptors decided to trade the draft rights for Antawn Jamison for a young phenom out of UNC. That phenom's name? Vince Carter.

At the time, the Raptors were a young expansion team with not a lot of fans. It was a struggle to get fans on seats, let alone care about the actual team. In just one year, though, Vince Carter transformed Canada to a basketball country. His highlight-reel worthy plays and mind-boggling dunks propelled Toronto to the top of the food chain. Essentially, Carter became the reason the Raptors became relevant.

No matter how you feel about Carter's messy exit, the star deserves a place in Raptors history. His talents brought Canada on the map as a basketball-hungry country like their neighbors.

2. Kyle Lowry to Raptors

During the 2012 season, the Raptors badly need a point guard to stabilize their team. DeMar DeRozan was blossoming into a near-star, but they needed a backcourt mate for the star. With few options left on the market, though, Toronto took a chance at a seemingly out-of-shape PG from Villanova: Kyle Lowry.

Lowry, then a member of the Houston Rockets was traded the Raptors for Gary Neal and a first-round pick. It seemed like a slight overpay from Toronto, and the first season seemingly proved that.

Fast forward today, though, and Kyle Lowry's name is all but immortalized in NBA circles. The star point guard, after being shunned by multiple teams, turned into a bona-fine All-Star with the Raptors. He currently holds multiple franchise records, and he was arguably the second most important piece of their 2019 run.

From unwanted scraps to the greatest player in franchise history, Kyle Lowry's story is incredible to read. There's only one trade in franchise history that completely changed a team's fortunes.

1. Kawhi Leonard to Raptors

Come on.

You already knew this was coming.

Let's take you back to the summer of 2018. The Raptors were a steaming hot mess. Toronto was the first seed the postseason prior, the favorites to win it all. ONce again, though, they were denied by LeBron James' Cavs in brutal fashion. Masai Ujiri knew that he had to do something, anything to shake this team up.

Feeling feisty, the Raptors traded for disgruntled star Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, shipping off DeRozan and Poeltl in the process. It wasn't an easy decision: DeRozan was the first home-grown star to want to star in Toronto. Meanwhile, there were legitimate concerns about Leonard's health, and no one knew how good he could be.

As it turns out, taking this risk is the best thing Masai Ujiri has ever done. Both Leonard and Green changed the culture of the Raptors. Their championship pedigree rubbed off on the Raptors, allowing them to be their best players. In the postseason, Leonard turned it up a notch. He put Toronto on his back and willed them to wins on multiple occasions. And, of course, there's “The Shot”.

This one isn't even up for debate. The Kawhi Leonard trade is the best trade in Raptors history, and it might be the best