Poll - Would you offer Leonard the $219m extension

[exstatic]

Darn, I just read this after posting. How come you never mentioned this before. Do you think he's gone? And if the Spurs do make him an offer, I assume you're thinking it will only be for the regular max?



I don't understand stuff like this. Why would Kawhi sit out and waste a whole season? He loves playing. If he wanted out, I doubt he would sit out a whole season and not tell them he wanted out beforehand. Although that is very strange that he did that camp in China and I didn't hear about any injury and then in training camp he's out for the whole preseason plus start of regular season.

I just heard it today.

I think Kawhi isn't making the decisions. Maybe they thought they could get strong on Pop, or scare them into making the SuperMax offer. I think this blows up in their faces. Pop was an intelligence officer, and is used to looking for the game within the game, even nested several more times. They can't throw anything at him that he's not ready for, but I think he may be able to surprise them. I think this whole thing was designed to make the Spurs make the move to break the bond, to be the 'bad guys', and I think Pop is ready to do that. He may actually already have a trade lined up.

[Maddog]

There is not enough information to make a call.
Primarily what is his injury and long term prognosis. Supermax contracts are very risky.

[exstatic]

Conditional on his health, yes.

It really depends on his health... which we really don't know. Elite talent he may have been, but we don't know if he will ever be that again, or probably what is worse, that you will have a guy in an albatross of a contract not available to play with a sore tendon. Then you will have multiple seasons hating some bench player that is only starting bc Kiwi's leg hurts.

If he can be 100% healthy and the Spurs are sure this thing won't recur once healed, yes. It's possible he could have played this season and not looked all that great and he didn't want to risk his supermax. I don't know. Without knowing his health situation, I really don't know.

His 'group' is stupid if they thought that holding him out wasn't itself risking the SuperMax.

[SAGirl]

I work in a building that houses one of the more reputable physical therapy/rehab outfits in town, and the Spurs utilize their services. Their employees say that Spurs players they talk to are getting no texts or calls returned by Kawhi. It's worse than anyone thought. Not sure what the thinking of his 'group' is, but PATFO won't be strong armed into anything. This will cost him $35M, the amount of the SuperMax. The Spurs aren't going to maroon him. They'll try to find a combination of assets and a relatively soft landing for him, but if he bolts after this year, he loses ANOTHER $40M, plus one year of contract duration. He will not be traded to the Lakers, because they don't want to reward that behavior, and frankly, their assets are second rate. Their picks are not great, and like always, their young players are over-hyped. I still think it's Boston, and it will happen on draft night so that Boston can pick for us if they flip #8 to use in the deal. PATFO will pull the trigger quickly and end this.

So, my answer is 'no'.

That's an interesting insight. I like the Boston assets and have believed they are off the table but I will take them in exchange for Kiwi.

In my eyes Kiwi has devalued himself so much based on how he's handled this, coupled with the real question about what is really going on with that leg. No one wants to have a guy in a massive, repeat massive deal that is going to sit out an entire season and then you have fans hating Kyle (or a similar bench player) who is on a 2 million deal, who soaked up minutes all year waiting for this dude to return at a moment's... errr no... at a "group's moment's" notice. That's not fair to anybody.

Something is going on but I don't know what it is. Kiwi's sister mentioning the business side definitely tells me the supermax is part of it.

[SAGirl]

His 'group' is stupid if they thought that holding him out wasn't itself risking the SuperMax.

I agree it's shady... which is why I have preferred to think his tendon is really that severely chronically crippled. That is still not worth the supermax...

[Ice009]

I just heard it today.

I think Kawhi isn't making the decisions. Maybe they thought they could get strong on Pop, or scare them into making the SuperMax offer. I think this blows up in their faces. Pop was an intelligence officer, and is used to looking for the game within the game, even nested several more times. They can't throw anything at him that he's not ready for, but I think he may be able to surprise them. I think this whole thing was designed to make the Spurs make the move to break the bond, to be the 'bad guys', and I think Pop is ready to do that. He may actually already have a trade lined up.

I really don't want Kawhi gone. Darn. I hope he really was injured and didn't try and do what you're saying his camp might have to either get the Supermax or to force his way out if they don't offer it.

[boutons_deux]

"why I have erred in thinking his tendon is really that severely chronically crippled"

you haven't erred. K has a chronic condition that may never be well enough for him to play at his best.

what was "his group" to have done differently?

If K can't pass the physical, and I'm sure it will be concentrating on that leg, he won't be signed to any contarct.

[K...]

Related question, would you hate the Spurs if they didn't offer the super Max to Lenard?

I wouldn't. It's a hard world to succeed in a small market.

[SAGirl]

"why I have erred in thinking his tendon is really that severely chronically crippled"

you haven't erred. K has a chronic condition that may never be well enough for him to play at his best.

what was "his group" to have done differently?

If K can't pass the physical, and I'm sure it will be concentrating on that leg, he won't be signed to any contarct.

fixed it in my original post... my sentence was weirdly constructed and didn't really convey what I wanted to say.

[exstatic]

That's an interesting insight. I like the Boston assets and have believed they are off the table but I will take them in exchange for Kiwi.

In my eyes Kiwi has devalued himself so much based on how he's handled this, coupled with the real question about what is really going on with that leg. No one wants to have a guy in a massive, repeat massive deal that is going to sit out an entire season and then you have fans hating Kyle (or a similar bench player) who is on a 2 million deal, who soaked up minutes all year waiting for this dude to return at a moment's... errr no... at a "group's moment's" notice. That's not fair to anybody.

Something is going on but I don't know what it is. Kiwi's sister mentioning the business side definitely tells me the supermax is part of it.

He'll have to play next year, if he's traded. It's his contract year, and none of this fake injury and personal doctors are going to fly. He's not injured, and is a top asset. As a front office, you have to decide what kind of relationship you will have with his 'group'. That will determine what you will flip in return. His position will not be very strong. He will be in a strange environment, and trying to earn a new contract, just having pissed away $35M

[duncan2k5]

Ppl saying Aldridge handled it better last year are stupid... Ppl are criticizing Kawhi based on speculation...

We KNOW last year Aldridge didn't say ANYTHING to anyone until he couldn't get traded... No one wanted him, so he HAD to patch up and have the talk with Pop... So let's not act like he was being 100 from the beginning...

Right now ppl are just speculating Kawhi has issues, even though he, his uncle, pop, and the players here say otherwise

[exstatic]

"why I have erred in thinking his tendon is really that severely chronically crippled"

you haven't erred. K has a chronic condition that may never be well enough for him to play at his best.

what was "his group" to have done differently?

If K can't pass the physical, and I'm sure it will be concentrating on that leg, he won't be signed to any contarct.

He'll pass any physical. There is nothing that shows on even an MRI. THAT'S why the Spurs cleared him. Everything else is just bull and games.

[boutons_deux]

He'll pass any physical. There is nothing that shows on even an MRI. THAT'S why the Spurs cleared him. Everything else is just bull and games.

Spurs docs then agreed with the NY docs.

The ultimate Decider, Decision is between K and his leg.

All the he-man bull about playing through (leg, ankle) pain is just 3rd party bull .

Along with the pain is often muscle weakness, and of course, inability to forget the pain totally and play "manly". this ain't the ing drug-poluted, sadistic/masochistic NFL

[DPG21920]

Yes. I would offer it and hope he takes it. Getting Kawhi under contract for more years is the best outcome regardless of if SA wants to keep him or not.

If he wants to stay that is great. But if not, sign him and now you have a TON more leverage since teams trading for him would know he’s locked in for 5 years.

[SAGirl]

Related question, would you hate the Spurs if they didn't offer the super Max to Lenard?

I wouldn't. It's a hard world to succeed in a small market.

No I wouldn't.

Last season and coming into this season when he was expected to be an MVP favorite, it was unquestionable he was worth it in my mind.

Right now, there is a lot that is questionable... starting really with his health.
1. He may never play at that level again.
2. He may play at that level but in a very inconsistent fashion, not be able to sustain it, and then get injured again... He may give flashes of the Kiwi of old. Flashes are not worth a supermax deal. He has to be able to perform like that night after night.
3. The possibility he has chronic severe tendinopathy... or some degenerative condition... things that have ended careers.
4. I remember Pop saying this exact words: "It's just an unfortunate situation." No one wants these things to happen. Spurs would not have wanted their star player to get this thing on his leg, Pop might even feel sorry for him on a personal level bc they know the injury represents a huge loss of future income no matter what, but on a business level, they can't pay it if they know he won't be perfectly fine going forward and free of the chronic thing nagging him rest of his career.

I just can't assume he's missed an entire season and he will be just fine. That is a lot of time... Unless his group is strong arming Pop... In that case, I don't know how you fix that either.

[Mugen]

If he's healthy and you're confident he can return to form, you offer it no question tbh. It's the only path to contention/relevancy for the next 5 years.

Now I could see Pop being over his BS and trading him out of spite but that's pretty much admitting that you don't plan on contending anytime soon.

But yeah, if he's healthy and want to be a contending team you offer it no question.

[sammy]

No!!!!!! Unless our doctors see him and pronounce him healthy without this BS whining I'm hurting, the Spurs are not going to attach the entire franchise to this dude who can't even sit/offer support with his team during the playoffs! He doesn't deserve the max contract after all of this BS this season! He's nothing but a quitter!

[sananspursfan21]

My beef with Boston is that I feel like they won’t part with Brown and Tatum. Of the two, I’d prefer Brown because he’s the most similar to Kawhi I feel like. I love his emphatic putback dunks

[LkrFan]

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Without knowing exactly what is going on with his injury is hard to say YES. At this point I'd say NO but it's all up in the air right now

[baseline bum]

I work in a building that houses one of the more reputable physical therapy/rehab outfits in town, and the Spurs utilize their services. Their employees say that Spurs players they talk to are getting no texts or calls returned by Kawhi. It's worse than anyone thought. Not sure what the thinking of his 'group' is, but PATFO won't be strong armed into anything. This will cost him $35M, the amount of the SuperMax. The Spurs aren't going to maroon him. They'll try to find a combination of assets and a relatively soft landing for him, but if he bolts after this year, he loses ANOTHER $40M, plus one year of contract duration. He will not be traded to the Lakers, because they don't want to reward that behavior, and frankly, their assets are second rate. Their picks are not great, and like always, their young players are over-hyped. I still think it's Boston, and it will happen on draft night so that Boston can pick for us if they flip #8 to use in the deal. PATFO will pull the trigger quickly and end this.

So, my answer is 'no'.

the soft landing spot, I'd trade him to the Sinaloa Basketball League if I could. If he pulls the same act PG13 did by saying he won't sign an extension with anyone but the Lakers I'd just suspend him next season. I don't want the Lakers crap and I don't see the point of wasting any minutes for Leonard to audition for his new team while in a Spurs uniform next year. Let's see how long he'll be ok with having a second season away from the game. I think threatening and then carrying through with a season long suspension is the only way they're going to get any leverage to get a decent return in trade.

[Keepin' it real]

[Mugen]

Definitely understand if people hate KL and want to him over out of spite. But if you take all emotion out of it, getting him to accept a long term extension is BY FAR the ideal scenario for the Spurs tbh.

[baseline bum]

Definitely understand if people hate KL and want to him over out of spite. But if you take all emotion out of it, getting him to accept a long term extension is BY FAR the ideal scenario for the Spurs tbh.

It means he'll have to play a full season here auditioning for his new team and then he'll be making so much the Spurs will have to take a really bad contract in return in any trade. I'm not rewarding that er for quitting on the team and then taking another Gasol on the roster while also wasting another season with a Leonard completely out for self and his own numbers.

[duncan2k5]

Ppl saying he isn't worth much because he was out for an entire season are just silly... Is Ben Simmons worth now because he missed an entire year?