Kawhi wants out of San Antonio

[Gman]

Again. That doesn’t directly match the prior statement. I didn’t say they’d play multiple. Just that there were more better teams in the West. Starting with Houston and gs

I thought we were talking in the context of San Antonio and whether or not they should be classified as "rebuilding" even if they add Kyrie?

I agree with flyer that they are, at best, a #4 seed in the West in such a scenario. Arguably they would therefore be lost in the vast "middle" of the NBA... not contenders at all and probably the worst place to be.

 

[flyerhawk]

The Hoop Collective had a pretty interesting scenario.

Celtics win the Kawhi sweepstakes. The Sixers get Lebron.

Talk about changing the narrative of the East almost overnight.

 

[DJ]

They can't trade Brown and picks though.

Boston's roster has 3 big money players and a bunch of guys on rookie deals. Either Kyrie, Hayward or Horford needs to be at the center of the deal to make the money work. That is, unless Boston is willing to come off of like all their young talent.

This.

 

[DJ]

Celtics have shown that building a team of small forwards is not a bad way to go.

Speaking from hypothetical dream land.... LeBron, Kawhi, PG13, & Ingram would be one hell of a team of small forwards.

James can play PF and in a small ball lineup, hypothetically, center.

 

[DJ]

He's a rental regardless of where he's traded.

According to Windhorst, he can't sign an extension until 6 mos after he's traded.

There'd have to be some type of verbal commitment from Leonard to whatever team he gets traded to....since it's a huge blockbuster type deal.

 

[The Q]

There'd have to be some type of verbal commitment from Leonard to whatever team he gets traded to....since it's a huge blockbuster type deal.

And then you’d lose 5 first round picks...

 

[flyerhawk]

And then you’d lose 5 first round picks...

Why?

 

[rmilia1]

@Heatles84

You are right, I was wrong.

Kawhi pretty much holds all the cards . No team is trading great assets for him of he won't sign long term . Pop could blow up his own team jus t to spite Kawhi for one year but how likely does that seem??

 

[flyerhawk]

There'd have to be some type of verbal commitment from Leonard to whatever team he gets traded to....since it's a huge blockbuster type deal.

The question would be how much could you trust verbal promise from Team Kawhi? Uncle Dennis could screw over the new team pretty easily.

 

[DJ]

I would take Lonzo/Ingram and Kuzma. Brown and picks is too much risk. Players will always be better than picks, no matter how many you throw. In the Laker deal you could have two potential AS’s. You have Brown and who knows

Ball and Kuzma, I'd like to keep Ingram if possible but I'd do Ball and Ingram if need be. Plus another contract since salaries would need to match up.

 

[DJ]

The question would be how much could you trust verbal promise from Team Kawhi? Uncle Dennis could screw over the new team pretty easily.

If it's the Lakers I'd trust it since he's from CA.

Any other team? I get your point.

 

[DJ]

If the lakers do manage to swing the deals they are talking about that will bring them Leonard, James and George, things will be very interesting in the West.

Even if they just get 2 of the 3 it will.

 

[The Q]

Why?

The bizarre saga of Joe Smith's illegal Minnesota Timberwolves contract

 

[DJ]

Woj tweeting it makes it a legit rumor

But none of it means anything until after he meets with Pop on the 21st.

My sources indicate Pop is bring a shrink with him to the meeting.

 

[DJ]

Celtics aren't getting Kawhi for Brown and picks. Probably gonna cost them Kyrie, Brown and picks.

These low ball offers are rather amusing. Salaries have to match up, unless the receiving team is under the cap.

 

[DJ]

It's blame on both sides. I posted on Twitter soon after the news broke that I was sad the Spurs treated him the way they did. Spurs fans want Parker's head for this, that's guaranteed. I haven't seen a single one who wants him back.

Manu took very subtle jabs and so did Pop. This entire franchise has been a wreck off the court the last two seasons. First Aldridge wants a trade and now Kawhi. Yeah he smoothed it out with LaMarcus but you now have two straight off-seasons of guys wanting out of the franchise. I love Pop and will forever declare him the GOAT, but this falls on his shoulders.

When I said I blame Kawhi's camp for this, I meant I blamed them for their handling of the situation as well. Uncle Dennis has been in Kawhi's ear all season and while it's true that it wouldn't have been as bad without the Spurs and their comments, Uncle Dennis just poured gas on the fire.

I am not looking forward to seeing where this ends up. There's the slightest sliver of hope that Kawhi and Pop and whoever else can sit down and work this out, since they did want the supermax, but in my mind, he's already out the door.

Perfect time for Pop to walk away and retire with all this and his wife passing.

 

[DJ]

It is not a two team race. And Boston defintely has the most trade assets to give up. But, you and a couple other Celtic fans don't seem willing to give up anything approaching fair value for the game's best 2 way player. If Ainge won't pay the price, other teams can outbid them.

While SA does not HAVE to trade Kawhi, they could haul some very nice prospects in return. They are not really in position to completely bottom out either, so losing Kawhi for nothing would be incredibly stupid.

As for the Lakers?

If they offer up Ball, Ingram and a pick that trumps anything Ainge or Philly will want to pay. Philly isn't trading Embiid or Simmons and without including those 2, they don't have the assets Boston or LA does.

While there might be a team that comes out of nowhere with a strong package, it is unlikely because Kawhi is just a 1 year rental for non contenders.

But, would the Spurs want to help build another mega team in the WC?

I'd love to acquire Leonard but there's always that question to answer.

 

[The Q]

Perfect time for Pop to walk away and retire with all this and his wife passing.

Don't get my hopes up.

 

[DJ]

Brian grant Odom Caron Butler and a late first?

The kg trade is probably the best example.

Kyrie is better than anything minny got for KG. Kyrie Plus clipper pick and 27 blows away anything anyone else got.

Odom was a key player on the Lakers and they won how many titles once they got Kobe some help in the form of Gasol?

 

[DJ]

The reason Stern stepped in wasn't because they wanted to keep the Lakers down. That would be incredibly stupid since the Lakers are the leagues glamour franchise.

The league stepped in for 2 reasons.

1. They owned the team and were trying to get top dollar for them in a sale. There was one star player involved in that trade and he would have been leaving which would drive down the value. They overstepped in doing so because they never should have been in that position. But from an "owner trying to make a sale" perspective, it was probably the right move.

2. Mark Cuban and Dan Gilbert cried like teenage girls over it because the trade would have also resulted in the Lakers lowering their luxury tax. For Gilbert, it meant his welfare check would have been less. For Cuban, he didn't want to see the Lakers back on top again.

Also, the league had nothing to do with PG not being traded to the Lakers. In fact, at the time, it looked like Indy had made a stupid trade and they were panned for it.

Then we saw what Oladipo and Sabonis, especially Oladipo, were able to do after getting out from under Westbrooks thumb. Now it look like they knew something no one else really did.

Or at least they can claim that they did now. lol

BOOM.

Cuban and Gilbert were acting like little bitches.