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But it was Webster’s long-term relationship with Brian Wright, the young assistant general manager of the Spurs — the two of them had interned together with the Orlando Magic — that brought the deal along and made it possible.

Webster believes if it wasn’t for their friendship, the trade would not have been made.

“I could say things to him I probably couldn’t say to other front-office people,” said Webster. “He could say things to me he probably couldn’t say to others. So it worked for both sides, really.”

Their first conversation was at the NBA draft last June, although the initial talks didn’t go very far.

But when talks around the league didn’t progress the way they wanted for the Spurs, they turned back to the Raptors. By then, Ujiri was already talking with Spurs GM R.C. Buford. But the details — and so much of the due diligence — was on Webster’s plate. Ujiri was almost obsessed with the opportunity to get what the called — and stills calls — the best player in the NBA.

How often does a possibility like this ever come around?

Raptors people wondered what exactly happened last year in San Antonio. What was with Leonard? How healthy was he? How motivated was he? How willing would he be to play in Toronto?

Webster admits that all the long nights were worth it — the worrying, the over-thinking, the wondering what exactly they knew about Leonard and, just as important, what they didn’t know.

“You don’t know when to stop,” Webster said. “You’re up at night. You ask yourself, ‘Did we look under every stone? Are we thinking about this in every way possible?’ That is the difficult part.