Kawhi Leonard (Merged Threads)

[Moranis]

I think the Bucks or Raptors should go all in and acquire Leonard (for different reasons).  The East is now more open and both of those teams have an incentive to try and capitalize on the present.  For the Raptors it gives them one last hurrah.  Add Leonard to DeRozan and you have a dynamite wing combo.  Not sure if something like this works for the Spurs, but Powell, Poeltl, and Anunoby I believe gets them enough salary.  It would strip the Raptors young guys, but would give them an incredible starting 5 in Lowry, DeRozan, Leonard, Ibaka, and Valanciunas.  Maybe you can convince Leonard to stay with that sort of team going forward, especially if they make the finals.

The Bucks on the other hand could use a deep run and a vet to help guide Giannis' ascension.  And who knows maybe the thought of playing next to Giannis for the next decade sounds appealing to Leonard.  A trade centered around Middleton with maybe Brogdon and/or Maker may be appealing to the Spurs.  The Bucks also have enough salary that they can swap contracts so like Henson and Mills or Gasol can be added (Spurs shave a year). 

Both Milwaukee and Toronto could use a Finals run to really energize their fan bases and Leonard is clearly available and with no one giving up primo assets, it might be the time for the Bucks or Raptors to engage discussions.

I can see the point of Mil or Tor wanting to add Kawhi.  I don't think either of those packages comes close though.

The thing is neither Boston nor Philly has offered a really prime asset and the Lakers are only offering 1 in Ingram (I think the Bucks beats Ingram, not sure about the Raptors, but Toronto is not LA which is a big selling point to the Spurs).  At this point, there aren't better offers out there and they may not come for the Spurs.  That is why I think, those teams should be working the phones. 

[footey]

I think the Bucks or Raptors should go all in and acquire Leonard (for different reasons).  The East is now more open and both of those teams have an incentive to try and capitalize on the present.  For the Raptors it gives them one last hurrah.  Add Leonard to DeRozan and you have a dynamite wing combo.  Not sure if something like this works for the Spurs, but Powell, Poeltl, and Anunoby I believe gets them enough salary.  It would strip the Raptors young guys, but would give them an incredible starting 5 in Lowry, DeRozan, Leonard, Ibaka, and Valanciunas.  Maybe you can convince Leonard to stay with that sort of team going forward, especially if they make the finals.

The Bucks on the other hand could use a deep run and a vet to help guide Giannis' ascension.  And who knows maybe the thought of playing next to Giannis for the next decade sounds appealing to Leonard.  A trade centered around Middleton with maybe Brogdon and/or Maker may be appealing to the Spurs.  The Bucks also have enough salary that they can swap contracts so like Henson and Mills or Gasol can be added (Spurs shave a year). 

Both Milwaukee and Toronto could use a Finals run to really energize their fan bases and Leonard is clearly available and with no one giving up primo assets, it might be the time for the Bucks or Raptors to engage discussions.

Buck package far more appealing to SA than Raptor package you outlined above.

[footey]

Does the Boogie GSW signing change Danny's thoughts on offer for KL?  Seems the gap between us and GSW just widened.  Do we take the risk that KL will love it here?

I don't think Boogie changes anything about the Celtics outlook since Boogie is only going to be there one year.

If anything it makes the all-in potential of a Kawhi deal with no assurances giving up picks and/or Brown less attractive. Why go all in for a guy who's very likely to leave when the GSW have even more talent for that one year rental window.

I don't think he stays there one year.  I could see him wanting to stay there a while, especially if they keep winning championships. $$ is a factor, but after 2 years wouldn't they get his Bird rights?

[RJ87]

Does the Boogie GSW signing change Danny's thoughts on offer for KL?  Seems the gap between us and GSW just widened.  Do we take the risk that KL will love it here?

I don't think Boogie changes anything about the Celtics outlook since Boogie is only going to be there one year.

If anything it makes the all-in potential of a Kawhi deal with no assurances giving up picks and/or Brown less attractive. Why go all in for a guy who's very likely to leave when the GSW have even more talent for that one year rental window.

I don't think he stays there one year.  I could see him wanting to stay there a while, especially if they keep winning championships. $$ is a factor, but after 2 years wouldn't they get his Bird rights?

This is a move geared towards rebuilding his value, right? Assuming he exceeds expectations this year, the most they can resign him to next offseason would be $6.3m. Why would he take another discount of that nature? He missed time due to Achilles tendinitis his last year and a half in Sacramento and he had been dealing with Achilles tendinitis before he ruptured last season. So if I'm him and I perform well enough in the playoffs (because let's be real, he's not going to do much in the regular season) to secure a multi-year, 8-figure offer from another team, I'm taking it.

[saltlover]

Does the Boogie GSW signing change Danny's thoughts on offer for KL?  Seems the gap between us and GSW just widened.  Do we take the risk that KL will love it here?

I don't think Boogie changes anything about the Celtics outlook since Boogie is only going to be there one year.

If anything it makes the all-in potential of a Kawhi deal with no assurances giving up picks and/or Brown less attractive. Why go all in for a guy who's very likely to leave when the GSW have even more talent for that one year rental window.

I don't think he stays there one year.  I could see him wanting to stay there a while, especially if they keep winning championships. $$ is a factor, but after 2 years wouldn't they get his Bird rights?

It’s three years for full Bird rights.  Next season he could sign a 1-year deal for $6.4 million to get to Early Bird rights, or a 2-year deal for $13.1 million, to get him to full Bird rights.  If he signs a one-year deal next year, he could then sign a 2-year $22 million deal (this is a very rough estimate because that number won’t be calculated for two more years), or another one-year deal for $7.7 million to get full Bird rights.  By the time he finished that 3-4 year process he’d be 31 or 32.

Unless there’s truly no market for him next summer, I cannot imagine that he pursues the above strategy.

[Fafnir]

Does the Boogie GSW signing change Danny's thoughts on offer for KL?  Seems the gap between us and GSW just widened.  Do we take the risk that KL will love it here?

I don't think Boogie changes anything about the Celtics outlook since Boogie is only going to be there one year.

If anything it makes the all-in potential of a Kawhi deal with no assurances giving up picks and/or Brown less attractive. Why go all in for a guy who's very likely to leave when the GSW have even more talent for that one year rental window.

I don't think he stays there one year.  I could see him wanting to stay there a while, especially if they keep winning championships. $$ is a factor, but after 2 years wouldn't they get his Bird rights?

He'd need to play on basically taxpayer MLE deal for 3 full years before they got bird rights. No way he's going to wait that long to get paid after a serious injury.

[Fafnir]

Unless there’s truly no market for him next summer, I cannot imagine that he pursues the above strategy.

Given the shear amount of cap space next year even if he doesn't have a huge market someone will out bid the taxpayer MLE I'd imagine and give him a bigger role.

[saltlover]

Unless there’s truly no market for him next summer, I cannot imagine that he pursues the above strategy.

Given the shear amount of cap space next year even if he doesn't have a huge market someone will out bid the taxpayer MLE I'd imagine and give him a bigger role.

It’s a little bit more than the taxpayer MLE, since it would be combinations of non-Bird rights or early Bird rights, but yes, the only way he can’t find anything is if he doesn’t suit up or is blamed for causing the Warriors to implode.

[Moranis]

Unless there’s truly no market for him next summer, I cannot imagine that he pursues the above strategy.

Given the shear amount of cap space next year even if he doesn't have a huge market someone will out bid the taxpayer MLE I'd imagine and give him a bigger role.

It’s a little bit more than the taxpayer MLE, since it would be combinations of non-Bird rights or early Bird rights, but yes, the only way he can’t find anything is if he doesn’t suit up or is blamed for causing the Warriors to implode.

frankly even then some sad sack franchise might take a 1 year flyer to try and sell some tickets.  Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, Brooklyn, New York, etc.

[celticsclay]

Unless there’s truly no market for him next summer, I cannot imagine that he pursues the above strategy.

Given the shear amount of cap space next year even if he doesn't have a huge market someone will out bid the taxpayer MLE I'd imagine and give him a bigger role.

It’s a little bit more than the taxpayer MLE, since it would be combinations of non-Bird rights or early Bird rights, but yes, the only way he can’t find anything is if he doesn’t suit up or is blamed for causing the Warriors to implode.

frankly even then some sad sack franchise might take a 1 year flyer to try and sell some tickets.  Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, Brooklyn, New York, etc.

Why didn't New York add Cousins and trade for Leonard.

[Fafnir]

Why didn't New York add Cousins and trade for Leonard.

They have no cap space to sign Cousins.

They also don't have any ready made players that seem to fit with what the Spurs are asking for, they could give up a Nets style package of all their picks going forward I guess...

[Moranis]

Unless there’s truly no market for him next summer, I cannot imagine that he pursues the above strategy.

Given the shear amount of cap space next year even if he doesn't have a huge market someone will out bid the taxpayer MLE I'd imagine and give him a bigger role.

It’s a little bit more than the taxpayer MLE, since it would be combinations of non-Bird rights or early Bird rights, but yes, the only way he can’t find anything is if he doesn’t suit up or is blamed for causing the Warriors to implode.

frankly even then some sad sack franchise might take a 1 year flyer to try and sell some tickets.  Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, Brooklyn, New York, etc.

Why didn't New York add Cousins and trade for Leonard.

they don't have the assets to trade for Leonard.  That should be apparent.  As for Cousins, I have no idea, but maybe Cousins just didn't want to go there for a year at 8.8 million.  Maybe the Knicks aren't ready to acquire a personality like that.  Maybe they figured they had 1 injured big man and would rather not have 2 of them.

[keevsnick]

The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have been in touch on a Kawhi Leonard trade two times on Sunday and may talk again this evening.

"San Antonio is asking for the house," said Stephen A. Smith. "Kyle Kuzma is off limits. They're not willing to surrender three picks. Their mentality is that Kawhi Leonard wants to be a Laker (now or in 2019)."

Smith also reports that Leonard could even sit out the 18-19 season if he's not traded to the Lakers. Smith clarified that he's heard this from other executives and not directly from Leonard on that report.

The Lakers are prepared to walk away from trade talks with the Spurs if a deal isn't done by Monday.

I in some ways understand the Lakers reluctance, if you think you have him next year why trade assets? Its just that this isnt a normal circumstance. You have the best player in the world for 3 years, and he's 33. If you don't pair him with another star you just aren't very good this year, not with the non-shooters and junk they've surrounded him with this free agency and not in the west. What are they, like a 45-48 win team? SO they are gonna waste a prime year of Lebron? I just don't see it.

But okay, maybe they don't care about that. But what if kawhi changes his mind. We just say Paul George do it, and they are different people but thats at least proof of concept. Right now what Kawhi knows is he doesn't wnat to be in San Antonio, and thats all he knows for sure. he doesn't know what Boston, Phili, ect are like so it makes sense he'd wnat to go home to LA. If he gets traded Boston, Phili, makes a finals run, plays in front of crazy screaming adoring fans every night in a much bigger basketball market AND can get paid more is he really going to leave? I mean Paul George likes OKLAHOMA CITY enough to stay. LA has an advantage right now in that they KNOW he wants to be there, and he doesn't know any better. Letting that pass is a risk.


But fine, maybe they don't care about that either. The last thing to consider is what Kawhi wants. Right now he is telling LA through leaks, press reports ect that he wants to go there. If LA just backs off, says "na, we're good for now," doesn't that run the risk of alienating the guy. In his mind he's a top 5 player (he is correct), and those guys choose where they play and the team makes it happen. So now he is already possibly turning down the super max to play for LA and in return they wont even pony up and make a trade? I could see a case where that makes a star payer angry.


So ya, to me theres a lot of risks here. Sure, you can wait to get to free agency and sign him. But thats a maybe, not a certainty. And if you miss out maybe you can get someone else but for competing with the GSW's Kawhi is the perfect guy. And has anybody else actually looked at the free agency list.

Irving-Not playing with Lebron
Durant- If he leaves likely wants his own team
Love-Already tried that
Kemba-Not an all star in the west
Thompson-Rumblings he will reisgn in GS
Horford (PO)-Can't see him leaving for LA
Butler- 30 years old, with the legs of a 50 year old.
Marc Gasol-Old
Kris Middleton-Best option? Thats sad.

Maybe i'm missing somebody but you get the point, no truly elite guys really available after Kawhi. So ya, if you don't get Kawhi you are out of luck really. Now as the Celtics I wouldn''t do a Kawhi trade, too much risk. BUt as LA what else are you gonn do? You got 1 mvp level player, go get another while you have a chnace.

[liam]

If San Antonio want Dario Saric and Robert Covington and three draft picks from The Sixers, why isn't this a done deal?

[Fafnir]

If San Antonio want Dario Saric and Robert Covington and three draft picks from The Sixers, why isn't this a done deal?

I don't think they have too much interest in that package right now. Its pretty clear they want a:

blue chip prospect
good draft picks
salary relief

The above package only has draft picks, only one of which has much chance of being that good.