The 2018–19 Toronto Raptors season was the 24th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During the off-season, the Raptors acquired small forward Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs after trading franchise star DeMar DeRozan. The season ended with the franchises first NBA Finals appearance and first NBA championship, ending the citys and the countrys 26-year Big Four championship struggle.Raptors victory celebration in Toronto on June 17, 2019On May 11, 2018, the Raptors fired Dwane Casey after the team was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second consecutive time in the postseason.On June 14, 2018, the Raptors promoted assistant coach Nick Nurse as their head coach. The Raptors played their home games at newly renamed Scotiabank Arena. For the first time since 2008–09, DeMar DeRozan (who spent his first nine seasons in the NBA with the Raptors) didnt play for the Raptors as he was traded, along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick, to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Later, on February 7, 2019, during the trade deadline, the Memphis Grizzliestraded Marc Gasol to the Raptors for Jonas Valančiūnas, Delon Wright and C. J. Miles. The Raptors later signed Jeremy Lin. Despite parting with DeRozan and head coach Dwane Casey, they finished the regular season with a 58–24 record, one less win than their franchise best last season, second best in the league for the second consecutive season, and second seed in the Eastern Conference.