Woj: Spurs "a long way" from offering Leonard the supermax

[BillMc]

Not trying to be sexist or anything and I respect Rachel's journalistic integrity but that should keep the Spurs out her mouth tbh

Rachel didn't bother me nearly as much as Amir immediately turning this into "the Spurs are trying to assassinate Kawhi's character again" shtick.

[Mugen]

Rachel didn't bother me nearly as much as Amir immediately turning this into "the Spurs are trying to assassinate Kawhi's character again" shtick.

I stopped watching immediately before Amin. Guy is an f'n tool.

In all seriousness, I like Nichols but she has a job to do and an agenda to push working for ESPN. A lot of the "facts" she spat out were extremely misleading to present the "rift" between Kawhi and the organization being larger than what it probably is tbh

[phxspurfan]

New article from Woj on the Kawhi Leonard saga. Among the highlights:

1. Pop won’t go into the meeting with Leonard and drop the supermax contract right off the bat without a significant healing of the relationship.
2. Spurs may choose not to offer the supermax, let Leonard play out the 2018-2019 season to establish his commitment to the franchise, and only then give him the offer.
3. Pop is not expected to coach the Spurs beyond 2020.
4. Celtics made a trade offer for Leonard in February, which the Spurs turned down.
5. Sixers and Lakers remain interested in trading for Leonard.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23770525/what-next-kawhi-leonard-san-antonio-spurs-nba-free-agency-trades

Thank ing God someone in the FO isn't as blindly homeristic as all of the memoryless fools on this site. Kawhi on this whole organization in a major way all of last year. For us to even think about offering this quitter 200M will take some serious healing. It is definitely in the show-me state, both because of the injury and because of the at ude and lack of leadership/communication skills from him and His Camp. He's in no position to say he will be leading us anywhere but into the ground.


Also, this may be Pop's way of saying he's done with Kawhi.

As a standard, Westbrook got the Supermax after averaging a triple double and single handedly leading his team through a couple rounds in the playoffs, basically on his own.

[TD 21]

The more we hear about this, the more convinced I am that after the initial rift, this whole thing amounts to posturing. I don't think Leonard ever wanted out. I think his camp leaked that to a certain segment of the media in an attempt to 1) strong arm the Spurs into giving him the super max, in case they were having pause and 2) win the PR battle, as they attempt to build his "brand".

What they came to find out was, 1 wasn't the way to go about this. Now, on the heels of the meeting, all of a sudden there's conveniently been a rash of positive reports recently. That's them changing tactics.

I also think a lot of the Wojnarowski reporting on this has been bogus, too. Not that he made it up, just that the Spurs didn't like the tact Leonard's camp was taking and decided they'd give them a taste of their own medicine through the most credible name in the business. They also probably want to put his feet to the fire and make him sweat it out.

Ultimately, long term health was and is probably the only thing that was ever going to prevent an offer. I don't see how he could convince them of his commitment out of season. He'll likely feed them cliché answers that they want to hear and they'll likely pretend to be satisfied.

[DPG21920]

Agree. But we don't need Woj saying that Pop wouldn't coach after 2020 to know he'll retire in two years. He's 70 years old now, no one expects he'll continue coaching at 73-75...

That's why it would be hard to sell to the Spurs' owners, these type of contracts after 2019. Without Pop, they could have in mind some rebuilding time where a max deal Kawhi's on the books woudnt make sense.

His camp knows it, Jabari Young always talked about the Spurs giving an extension this year or trading him. Playing one year to be in the same situation next summer isn't an option for his camp.

He wouldn’t be in the same situation if he PLAYS. If he plays, he gets the deal next off season assuming he qualifies. Huge difference. If Kawhi is willing to play for 180M somewhere else he should have no issues playing under his current contract next season for the chance at 219M when the downside is he will still get the 180M from SA if he fails to meet the criteria.

[look_at_g_shred]

The more we hear about this, the more convinced I am that after the initial rift, this whole thing amounts to posturing. I don't think Leonard ever wanted out. I think his camp leaked that to a certain segment of the media in an attempt to 1) strong arm the Spurs into giving him the super max, in case they were having pause and 2) win the PR battle, as they attempt to build his "brand".

What they came to find out was, 1 wasn't the way to go about this. Now, on the heels of the meeting, all of a sudden there's conveniently been a rash of positive reports recently. That's them changing tactics.

I also think a lot of the Wojnarowski reporting on this has been bogus, too. Not that he made it up, just that the Spurs didn't like the tact Leonard's camp was taking and decided they'd give them a taste of their own medicine through the most credible name in the business. They also probably want to put his feet to the fire and make him sweat it out.

Ultimately, long term health was and is probably the only thing that was ever going to prevent an offer. I don't see how he could convince them of his commitment out of season. He'll likely feed them cliché answers that they want to hear and they'll likely pretend to be satisfied.

I'm with you on the WOJ thing..like who tf does he think he is reporting on Pop not being here after 2020. If i'm pop, i'd be ing pissed the off.

[look_at_g_shred]

Kemba is a great target and much more realistic than LeBron coming.

How do you know that he's even on the spurs' radar?

[Chinook]

Not sure if thats even possible ... Too many what if's ....

The link shows it's possible. It's not likely to go down like that, but the basic idea should remain the same.

[Chinook]

Thanks. If I understand the scenario in your link, the Spurs waive LMA's last year. (I guess they have a team option? I thought it was a player option). So your model would be 2 more years of LMA, then kick him to the curb and hope Murray has emerged as the third part of a Big 3 with Kawhi and LeBron.

I would suspect that LMA's game will age well, but even shedding him, 2 years of LeBron's late prime would be worth it, especially if we assume (big assumption here) that DJ has become an All-Star level player.

They don't have to waive Aldridge. It's more that by then they'll be able to choose between him and Murray. And LMA's last year is not any kind of option. It's partially guaranteed.

[lmbebo]

The link shows it's possible. It's not likely to go down like that, but the basic idea should remain the same.

Numbers wise its possible... But it takes a lot of assumptions.

[DPG21920]

Lol that Rachel Nichols video and those clowns.

Just because a player is eligible for DPE does not mean that’s all or nothing. Its a stupid contract and caused issues and them acting like Kawhi playing for LA for 180M is different than SA for 180M is fine just because SA CAN (not has to) offer the DPE is ridiculous

[Chinook]

Numbers wise its possible... But it takes a lot of assumptions.

So does every extremely specific scenario. The general idea only takes one.

[Mugen]

How do you know that he's even on the spurs' radar?

I don't. Just offseason baseless speculation. But I do think he'd be a good fit on the team and I don't think it'd be that difficult to acquire him, though it would likely involve taking back Batum's terrible contract.

[tdunk21]

#FakeNews

[daslicer]

I stopped watching immediately before Amin. Guy is an f'n tool.

In all seriousness, I like Nichols but she has a job to do and an agenda to push working for ESPN. A lot of the "facts" she spat out were extremely misleading to present the "rift" between Kawhi and the organization being larger than what it probably is tbh

Amin is a tool and a certified Spurs hater. He's still bitter about the Spurs beating the Suns since he was working for the Suns during the Nash era. I remember last year this idiot said Kawhi deserved to get hurt by Zaza for all the bad things Bruce Bowen did.

[Budkin]

Woj doesnt know . Playing it off like he does.

This. Woj lost his mojo when he went to ESPN. He just makes up now.

[coachmac87]

I'm with you on the WOJ thing..like who tf does he think he is reporting on Pop not being here after 2020. If i'm pop, i'd be ing pissed the off.

I made a thread about 2020 being the Spurs window last offseason

It’s not a hard conclusion to come to tbh...

[exstatic]

I'm with you on the WOJ thing..like who tf does he think he is reporting on Pop not being here after 2020. If i'm pop, i'd be ing pissed the off.

He won't be. Just like many in this forum, ownership isn't thrilled with his politics, and he's been more or less muzzled with the threat of 7 figure fines.

[spurs1990]

Thank ing God someone in the FO isn't as blindly homeristic as all of the memoryless fools on this site. Kawhi on this whole organization in a major way all of last year. For us to even think about offering this quitter 200M will take some serious healing. It is definitely in the show-me state, both because of the injury and because of the at ude and lack of leadership/communication skills from him and His Camp. He's in no position to say he will be leading us anywhere but into the ground.


Also, this may be Pop's way of saying he's done with Kawhi.

As a standard, Westbrook got the Supermax after averaging a triple double and single handedly leading his team through a couple rounds in the playoffs, basically on his own.

I agree with all of this and of course I'm in the camp of being hugely let down by his antics this past season. At minimal he was just weird.

But more importantly the Spurs do have leverage. Leonard's team has to play ball or if he walks in 2019 he loses, what, around $40 million in earnings?
Now I know if he's traded by the deadline his new team can give him that $219m so I'm sure his team will angle for that... and that's when it will get really ugly.

[Mugen]

I agree with all of this and of course I'm in the camp of being hugely let down by his antics this past season. At minimal he was just weird.

But more importantly the Spurs do have leverage. Leonard's team has to play ball or if he walks in 2019 he loses, what, around $40 million in earnings?
Now I know if he's traded by the deadline his new team can give him that $219m so I'm sure his team will angle for that... and that's when it will get really ugly.

Only the Spurs can offer him the 219million

[baseline bum]

He won't be. Just like many in this forum, ownership isn't thrilled with his politics, and he's been more or less muzzled with the threat of 7 figure fines.

source?

[Mugen]

He won't be. Just like many in this forum, ownership isn't thrilled with his politics, and he's been more or less muzzled with the threat of 7 figure fines.

[noles1983]

He won't be. Just like many in this forum, ownership isn't thrilled with his politics, and he's been more or less muzzled with the threat of 7 figure fines.

Fake news

[TheDoctor]

I agree with WOJ this isn’t just an open/closed deal. The super max would give Kawhi 35% of the salary cap. That is franchise crippling if Kawhi is injured or stand offish with coaches or teammates or if he isn’t committed. Super max contracts are so new we don’t know how damaging they are if you gamble on that player and he doesn’t come through.

Spurs shouldn’t just throw around money. They should be reasonable and open minded but they should also be careful about this decision.

Stop being a cry baby tbh

[exstatic]

[/B]
Only the Spurs can offer him the 219million

Yup. It has to be the team that drafted you, OR a team, like Houston/Harden, that traded for you while you were still on your rookie contract. I'm not sure his 'team' understood this, and maybe thought they had that leverage. That's what you bet for hiring an agent that works out of his car, and has no NBA representation experience. Bird rights don't even convey any more on a S&T. The league has made a concerted effort to cut down on these leverage situations where teams were put in a bad spot.