ESPN: Offering Kawhi the supermax a "tough sell" for Spurs ownership

[exstatic]

Spurs better be on their hands and knees for Kawhi cause if he don't sign we might never see another like him on this team again.

Its a superstars league now. Lebron changed the game and Kawhi and his team know this. They call the shots. Spurs are a franchise in so much disarray they should try everything they can to appease him. Pop is in such a vulnerable state he may just give up and let Kawhi have whatever he wants.

You don’t understand Pop,or this organization at all. Appeasement never works anyway. The demands just get worse, and you fight back eventually anyway.

[xtremesteven33]

You don’t understand Pop,or this organization at all. Appeasement never works anyway. The demands just get worse, and you fight back eventually anyway.

I'm sure his requests are reasonable and he has earned the cache to do so.

[baseline bum]

Or, it could be that Kawhi refused an exit interview, and they’re done. It could be anything.

I CANNOT see Pop ever leaving the organization in this kind of state.

I can't see Pop leaving with a year on his contract either, especially when he's committed to coaching Team USA in two years. But making an announcement on Leonard before we even know draft positions with potential trade partners wouldn't make much sense.

[baseline bum]

Spurs better be on their hands and knees for Kawhi cause if he don't sign we might never see another like him on this team again.

Its a superstars league now. Lebron changed the game and Kawhi and his team know this. They call the shots. Spurs are a franchise in so much disarray they should try everything they can to appease him. Pop is in such a vulnerable state he may just give up and let Kawhi have whatever he wants.

You mean the Spurs better be bent over and grabbing their ankles for Leonard.

[TheDoctor]

Erin's death could be the catalyst for another successful season 2013/2014 style.

[Brunodf]

I'm sure his requests are reasonable and he has earned the cache to do so.

Has he though? Underperformed in the playoffs in 2015/2016.

Got hurt in 2017 and didn't play in 2018. Has a long injury history since college, known slow healer.

Only one MVP caliber season in his entire career and people act like there's no chance he'll revert back to his old ways

[Spurtacular]

The media still hates the Spurs. I hear it and see it with my own two eyes all the time.

Spurs push out higher revenue producing teams.

[SAGirl]

I understand the reluctance to pay Kawhi, but it's funny that this is the same FO that gave Patty 50 million at 12:01 and signed Pau for like 48

They didn’t pay Paddy Fifty after he tore a shoulder and needed surgery tho... and Paddy was a warrior.

[daslicer]

Spurs better be on their hands and knees for Kawhi cause if he don't sign we might never see another like him on this team again.

Its a superstars league now. Lebron changed the game and Kawhi and his team know this. They call the shots. Spurs are a franchise in so much disarray they should try everything they can to appease him. Pop is in such a vulnerable state he may just give up and let Kawhi have whatever he wants.

Great organizations don't bend over and let superstars strong arm them like what Lebron has done to Cleveland. Cleveland is lucky Draymond was stupid in '16 or they wouldn't have a le despite allowing Lebron the ability to call all the shots. Look at the Warriors they didn't even give Steph a no trade clause and he accepted it despite not agreeing with it. Outside of Lebron I don't see a superstar that really has control over an organization. Not even Curry and Durant have Lebron's status with the Warriors.

[offset formation]

Erin's death could be the catalyst for another successful season 2013/2014 style.

Interested to see how you see that potentially playing out?

[John B]

Boring to the simpleminded and low rating. No scandals, no news worthy, until finally Kawhi’s mutiny.

[daslicer]

Boring to the simpleminded and low rating. No scandals, no news worthy, until finally Kawhi’s mutiny.

No scandals since '95 in which they dealt with Rodman.

[Stabula]

No scandals since '95 in which they dealt with Rodman.

There is also Parker nutting inside his team mate's wife. True alpha, tbh

[99 Problems]

Announcement probably Bud back in S.A. And 1 or both assistants getting big job offer elsewhere tbh.

[Raven]

it is a no brainer.

[tholdren]

Great organizations don't bend over and let superstars strong arm them like what Lebron has done to Cleveland. Cleveland is lucky Draymond was stupid in '16 or they wouldn't have a le despite allowing Lebron the ability to call all the shots. Look at the Warriors they didn't even give Steph a no trade clause and he accepted it despite not agreeing with it. Outside of Lebron I don't see a superstar that really has control over an organization. Not even Curry and Durant have Lebron's status with the Warriors.

Agree. Make spurs great again. Sign and trade this loser.

[r0drig0lac]

Spurs better be on their hands and knees for Kawhi cause if he don't sign we might never see another like him on this team again.

Its a superstars league now. Lebron changed the game and Kawhi and his team know this. They call the shots. Spurs are a franchise in so much disarray they should try everything they can to appease him. Pop is in such a vulnerable state he may just give up and let Kawhi have whatever he wants.

the culture was gone when the great Duncan retired

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Money-wise the divorce will play a role in this decision - it's pretty clear as there's money to split and if they "invest" the wrong way in the super max it won't be pretty. So this divorce "happens" at the worst possible time because it also becomes another variable to consider if you make these type of high caliber decisions.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

the culture was gone when the great Duncan retired

Let's give it some time. Right now the Spurs are one of the few or the last "long-term planning for success" teams left. I'd say as long as Parker and Manu remain the culture will still be there, or not. Any other team nowadays will cut those 2 guys in the blink of an eye but the Spurs have decided to keep them again and again so the culture might still be there yet

[MoSpur02]

Money-wise the divorce will play a role in this decision - it's pretty clear as there's money to split and if they "invest" the wrong way in the super max it won't be pretty. So this divorce "happens" at the worst possible time because it also becomes another variable to consider if you make these type of high caliber decisions.

The divorce won't play a part in whether they offer the super max.

[YGWHI]

I have no doubt in my mind that if Kawhi were healthy and playing SA would have no issue with the SuperMax

Who knows. We read articles about Spurs' losing money last seasons, and now they have to face the divorce of the majority owners.

I've said before that Kawhi could have played many games this season and still the Spurs would ask him for a paycut...Again, some small markets can't afford supermax-contracts. This next offseason, the Spurs could be one of them.

[MoSpur02]

Who knows. We read articles about Spurs' losing money last seasons, and now they have to face the divorce of the majority owners.

I've said before that Kawhi could have played many games this season and still the Spurs would ask him for a paycut...Again, some small markets can't afford supermax-contracts. This next offseason, the Spurs could be one of them.

LOL. The divorce will not be a deciding factor with the whole super max. It all has to do with Kawhi, his health, and the relationship between the Spurs and Kawhi. That's it.

The Spurs will probably offer less than the max, which I'm sure a lot of teams do because who knows maybe the player will accept less. It's called negotiating. After this season if I were the Spurs front office I wouldn't offer an injured player who has been distant and caused friction in the locker a super max deal just like that.

[YGWHI]

LOL. The divorce will not be a deciding factor with the whole super max. It all has to do with Kawhi, his health, and the relationship between the Spurs and Kawhi. That's it.

Only you can think that the divorce of majority owners won't affect the partnership and financial future. Look at other sports franchises...Do you remember San Diego Padres' owner who needed cash for his divorce? Buyers took on more than $200M in stadium debt from him...

I'm not talking about a future sale or anything, that's stupid. I'm just saying that divorce is a factor in offering or not a super-max deal esp in a small market like this.

Plus, the fact that the man who has to carry this franchise is 70 years old and could retire in one-two years.

There are many factors, bigger than Kawhi's health.

[MoSpur02]

Only you can think that the divorce of majority owners won't affect the partnership and financial future. Look at other sports franchises...Do you remember San Diego Padres' owner who needed cash for his divorce...?

I'm not talking about Holt would sell or anything, that's stupid. I'm just saying that divorce is a factor in offering or not a super-max deal esp in a small market like this.

Plus, the fact that the man who has to carry this franchise is 70 years old and could retire in one-two years.

There are many factors, bigger than Kawhi's health.

The Spurs and Padres owner situation is different. I know first hand that the divorce is not a factor in whether or not a super max is offered.

[YGWHI]

The Spurs and Padres owner situation is different. I know first hand that the divorce is not a factor in whether or not a super max is offered.

I heard the opposite. That's why I said during the first months of the season that the Spurs could have issues offering a super-max deal. And it was before doctors' 2nd opinion and all drama...People called me crazy " but but Patty/Pau contracts"...This offseason the Spurs' financial situation is way different.

Also, compromising the financial future of a small market franchise with a super-max deal when Pop will retire in the fist years of the duration of that contract is a big issue, too.