Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich says “it’s time” to move on after blockbuster trade.

After the blockbuster trade between the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors, head coach Gregg Popovich opened up about the recent move.

The trade moved forward Kawhi Leonard and guard Danny Green to Toronto Raptors in exchange for guard DeMar DeRozan, forward Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick.

Popovich silenced some of the speculation as he spoke to reporters about the trade on Wednesday; the head coach went as far as praising Leonard with his time as a Spur and noted the hard work the two-time Defensive Player of the Year put in to become the player he is today.

“Kawhi conducted himself wonderfully while he was here,” Popovich said. “He helped us win a fifth championship and was a hard worker all the time. We wish him well, but at this point, it’s time to move on. I’m concerned about Jacob and DeMar and our basketball team and putting that together.”

When asked about the trade, the five-time NBA Champion said he “couldn’t be happier” about San Antonio acquiring DeRozan. Another long-time Spur, Green, was praised by Popovich for the work he did on and off the court. Green said thank you to the city of San Antonio via Twitter.

SAN ANTONIO….Can't express the LOVE I have for you, the city, the fans & the organization. I want to thank you all for allowing me to be a part of something AMAZING for so many years. I… https://t.co/NO8ZixmjJJ

— Danny Green (@DGreen_14) July 18, 2018

Popovich also explained how he and Leonard talked over the summer about the star’s future with the franchise, but came to the conclusion that it was best for him to move on.

“We talked often over the summer about a lot of different things, both on and off the court,” Popovich said. “Attempts were made to see what would be best and in the end this trade appeared and we felt that this was the way to go.”

Video Courtesy: ESPN