Should the Spurs just suspend Kawhi next year?

[phxspurfan]

If he vetoes trades to anywhere but LA they're not going to get quality players in return. That's my whole point of suspending him, to make him choose between another wasted season, signing an extension elsewhere with a team that might make a better offer, or forcing his desired destination to make moves to acquire assets useful to the Spurs if they don't want him sitting on his ass for another year. That's how it helps the Spurs, it lets them gain back a little leverage. And I'd rather get nothing in return than get crap. Suspending him keeps him away from the team so he's not a huge distraction.

We won't get crap. We will get randle if it's the Lakers and Lou will if it's the clips

[SpursforSix]

So his injury is so bad he can't sit for a few hours with his teammates during the playoffs?

His brain is so ed up that he won't do that.

And now it's too late. If he showed up on the bench, it'd be awkward as and probably get more coverage than the actual game.

[baseline bum]

We won't get crap. We will get randle if it's the Lakers and Lou will if it's the clips

That's total crap.

[boutons_deux]

what kind of health caveat on the player's insurance for the team receiving KL?

He's really damaged goods, has been for years, with that bum leg.

[SAGirl]

his leg has bothered him for years. I bet that chronic problem will continue. The NY docs can't work magic on a chronically injured leg. It will be back. a tragedy.

I tend to think this is true unfortunately.

All this blame to the Spurs doctors, but he has been seen and cared for by his personal medical group since January and he's not better, not well enough to play. It is a tragedy.

[cd98]

Spurs need Kawhi to sign the max and have a great year next year. If Kawhi ultimately wants out, that is the only way to get fair value.

[phxspurfan]

I tend to think this is true unfortunately.

All this blame to the Spurs doctors, but he has been seen and cared for by his personal medical group since January and he's not better, not well enough to play. It is a tragedy.

Exactly. People have recovered from Ebola faster than this dude from his thigh bruise

[hater]

The poor bas will not even fly back to SA for his exit interview tbqh

He will probably do his exit interview via skype

“Kawhi do you have any comments suggestion on your season?”

“No”

“Ok thanks.”

[lmbebo]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2505250/

[rasuo214]

We know this is headed to a Paul George situation since Leonard wants out and only has one year on his contract, giving him an effective veto power over any trade. So that's going to severely limit his value on the trade market if his uncle wants him in LA the same way George wanted. I don't see the point in just giving him away for scraps another team doesn't want like Indiana did with the Thunder. I say sit him and suspend him and force him to either broaden his range of teams he'll extend with or force the team his uncle wants him on to go and make moves to land the Spurs worthwhile assets for rebuilding with if they want a Leonard who hasn't been inactive for two years. He can spend all of next season rehabbing in New York again if he sabotages the trade value the Spurs could get for him.

The scraps Indiana ended up getting has paid off for them, Oladipo had a better season than Paul George. Obviously the Spurs should still try to leverage the best deal they can get within reason (suspending him to get a better offer is not reasonable). This of course is assuming things can't be smoothed over, like it did with LMA.

And we're not even factoring in the ramifications that suspending him would have on the franchise, the Spurs already have a tough enough time attracting players via FA.

[tholdren]

Suspend

[Ice009]

I have been told that Boston is seriously interested. From what I understood the Spurs will consider Boston's proposed deal.

Does it appear certain that the Spurs want to trade him, or do you think the relationship can be mended?

[baseline bum]

The scraps Indiana ended up getting has paid off for them, Oladipo had a better season than Paul George. Obviously the Spurs should still try to leverage the best deal they can get within reason (suspending him to get a better offer is not reasonable). This of course is assuming things can't be smoothed over, like it did with LMA.

And we're not even factoring in the ramifications that suspending him would have on the franchise, the Spurs already have a tough enough time attracting players via FA.

Indiana got incredibly lucky. Oladipo wasn't a very good player at the time and OKC loved getting out of that contract.

Why is suspending him unreasonable though if the best offer they get is Julius Randle on a near max contract?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I tend to think this is true unfortunately.

All this blame to the Spurs doctors, but he has been seen and cared for by his personal medical group since January and he's not better, not well enough to play. It is a tragedy.

This actually could work to the Spurs benefit. If Kawhi sees that his own hired guns can't help him perhaps he'll realize the Spurs had his best interest at heart the whole time. Then it becomes a pain management situation. Kawhi could still be a good player for a few years if he can play through pain. David did it for more than half of his career and so did Tim. Neither guy played at the 100% level, yet both were still really effective. If Kawhi is truly not about the money, as some have stated, then he'd see after next season he's not worth a max deal with his injury and do the Tim Duncan thing, taking less to surround himself with better talent.






A guy can dream...can't he?

[SAGirl]

The poor bas will not even fly back to SA for his exit interview tbqh

He will probably do his exit interview via skype

“Kawhi do you have any comments suggestion on your season?”

“No”

“Ok thanks.”

Pop is going to have to do his sit down with Kiwi in NYC

[SAGirl]

This actually could work to the Spurs benefit. If Kawhi sees that his own hired guns can't help him perhaps he'll realize the Spurs had his best interest at heart the whole time. Then it becomes a pain management situation. Kawhi could still be a good player for a few years if he can play through pain. David did it for more than half of his career and so did Tim. Neither guy played at the 100% level, yet both were still really effective. If Kawhi is truly not about the money, as some have stated, then he'd see after next season he's not worth a max deal with his injury and do the Tim Duncan thing, taking less to surround himself with better talent.






A guy can dream...can't he?

yup we can dream. It's better than cliff diving.

But the way I understand his condition though, the pain is no joke and leaves you looking like he did going up those stairs in that plane back in November. It affects daily activities and if he plays through it, it will take him out eventually. Frankly, he's a risky player to supermax with this injury history. He also appears to not be made from the stuff that David and Timmy were made of in terms of playing through discomfort. And he's a wing... to a degree him playing at an MVP level is tied to his explosiveness and his defense requires his lateral quickness. Even a hobbled Kiwi is the best wing player in the team, but a hobbled Kiwi is not a supermax player, specially with injury management on the horizon being required. Tough situation for the Spurs bc I think it is precisely the injury itself and disagreements over the supermax which have created this rift.

I hope he gets healthy at this point and we will see what happens.

[dbreiden83080]

I don’t believe the Spurs are going to be bullied into some ty deal this summer. They are too smart of an organization. I think odds are they will hang onto him and make him play next year. I would.. Why give him up for scraps?

[dbreiden83080]

The poor bas will not even fly back to SA for his exit interview tbqh

He will probably do his exit interview via skype

“Kawhi do you have any comments suggestion on your season?”

.

“No”

“Ok thanks.”

He can be as quiet as he wants. He can be as quietly mad as he wants. The bottom line he does not have any leverage with the Spurs about next season. He needs to play ball. This man is going to be a free agent after next year, if he wants to get paid he has to play ball. There are consequences for blowing off an entire season for no good reason

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

Him being AWOL from the team speaks louder than any quote.

[dbreiden83080]

Him being AWOL from the team speaks louder than any quote.

Which basically shows just how gutless he is.. They had this team meeting where they basically told him to man up. His response was to stick his tail straight into his ass and run away. I don’t think anybody on the team has even seen him since that day.

[E20]

Who says he wants out? Did a new article come out or something? Did he speak to the media? Or lemme guess... More assumptions?

Hey dude why don't you shut the up and take Kawhis out of your mouth. We get it you're defending him cuz you like getting your wife cucked by him while you watch in a corner and cry just please keep your Kawhi gay man love to yourself tho

[JFK]

If he vetoes trades to anywhere but LA they're not going to get quality players in return. That's my whole point of suspending him, to make him choose between another wasted season, signing an extension elsewhere with a team that might make a better offer, or forcing his desired destination to make moves to acquire assets useful to the Spurs if they don't want him sitting on his ass for another year. That's how it helps the Spurs, it lets them gain back a little leverage. And I'd rather get nothing in return than get crap. Suspending him keeps him away from the team so he's not as huge a distraction.

I agree with this. First off, the Spurs and I'm sure Pop won't want to be doing this next year again.

I think out of pure principle the Spurs won't let it get to that and might do just this. I would not blame them any if they did suspend his ass and make him sit all year. In fact, I hope they do that just so he doesn't get his way and screw them over, which he already has.

This is the situation you hear about "burning the village down to save it".

[loveforthegame]

I’m sure they could suspend him but the whole season? Wouldn’t the players union/league step in?

[lmbebo]

This actually could work to the Spurs benefit. If Kawhi sees that his own hired guns can't help him perhaps he'll realize the Spurs had his best interest at heart the whole time. Then it becomes a pain management situation. Kawhi could still be a good player for a few years if he can play through pain. David did it for more than half of his career and so did Tim. Neither guy played at the 100% level, yet both were still really effective. If Kawhi is truly not about the money, as some have stated, then he'd see after next season he's not worth a max deal with his injury and do the Tim Duncan thing, taking less to surround himself with better talent.






A guy can dream...can't he?

Kwahi is completely about the money. He may not be a big spender, but he wants his money.

[spurs1990]

If he vetoes trades to anywhere but LA they're not going to get quality players in return. That's my whole point of suspending him, to make him choose between another wasted season, signing an extension elsewhere with a team that might make a better offer, or forcing his desired destination to make moves to acquire assets useful to the Spurs if they don't want him sitting on his ass for another year. That's how it helps the Spurs, it lets them gain back a little leverage. And I'd rather get nothing in return than get crap. Suspending him keeps him away from the team so he's not as huge a distraction.

This is very interesting. Assuming the FO is willing or even capable of playing hardball on this level, the ultimate result will be Leonard being probably the first player to ever be re-soundly jeered by San Antonio fans whenever his new team visits.

And San Antonio has to have some of the nicest low key fans there is. Incredible that Leonard of all people will be the guy who gets the loudest negative reaction.