Stephen A Smith: "From what my sources told me, Kawhi Leonard met with Gregg Popovich

[Marcus Bryant]

They can't trade him for a calendar year after signing him to a supermax deal, so that's not an option IMO.

Then Uncle Dennis has royally ed his nephew.

[r0drig0lac]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23856933

[baseline bum]

Then Uncle Dennis has royally ed his nephew.

If you really want to have a laugh, the Lakers won't even be able to make a max offer of 4 years, $139 million next summer provided they sign James and Paul George to the max deals they'll be looking for even if they salary dump everyone else (including picks) and take zero in return. Thanks to cap holds for empty roster spots under 12 at $889k a pop the absolute max they'd be able to offer Kawhi next summer is 4 years, $130 million should they sign James and PG13 this summer. If they sign those two LA is going to have to blindly salary dump at least one of Ingram and Ball to open up enough space for James + George. They can't stretch Deng if they want Kawhi next summer, because if they do it takes off $7.36 million from the base salary they could offer Kawhi so that their max offer would be only 4 years, $99 million. Of course all this is moot if LeBron doesn't join the Lakers. We know George is signing there though.

[Mr. Body]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23856933

I'm guessing there's enough to nail the Lakers on tampering with Kawhi already.

[baseline bum]

I'm guessing there's enough to nail the Lakers on tampering with Kawhi already.

I'm guessing Silver wouldn't care if there was.

[Ron Swanson]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23856933

Magic warning others about tampering is ing hilarious.

[Mr. Body]

I'm guessing Silver wouldn't care if there was.

I think Silver would do something if he was given the evidence. Stern wouldn't. Silver would.

[99 Problems]

This time last year he does that China trip, looks like the second coming of Superman, ready to take over the league as the undisputed #1. Should have been on his way to becoming a basketball God like MJ & Bron. Instead now it’s all discussion here about camps, entourages, agents, law suits, tampering, ruining relationships, reputations, Wot a web we sometimes weave.

[cd021]

At first I thought even both picks were bad but then I saw how little Tobias Harris is being paid over the next 3 years and it looks pretty good. Saves us money to go after another good free agent this year or next year as well. Package all 3 picks for a top 4 and you have even more upside. Basically top 4 plus contract friendly Harris. Sounds good to me.

I think Harris has one year left plus a player option. The Clippers apparently aren't going to offer both picks and if they did, I doubt Phoenix, Sac, Atlanta, or Memphis would trade back for 12,13 & 18 plus the Spurs would probably be better off using all three picks and seeing if any turn into something.

[Marcus Bryant]

Good background. http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...-leonard-spurs

[sasaint]

I'm guessing Silver wouldn't care if there was.

This. Screw the Spurs. Business as usual.

[sasaint]

I think Silver would do something if he was given the evidence. Stern wouldn't. Silver would.

Who blocked Paul to the Lakers?

[Marcus Bryant]

If you really want to have a laugh, the Lakers won't even be able to make a max offer of 4 years, $139 million next summer provided they sign James and Paul George to the max deals they'll be looking for even if they salary dump everyone else (including picks) and take zero in return. Thanks to cap holds for empty roster spots under 12 at $889k a pop the absolute max they'd be able to offer Kawhi next summer is 4 years, $130 million should they sign James and PG13 this summer. If they sign those two LA is going to have to blindly salary dump at least one of Ingram and Ball to open up enough space for James + George. They can't stretch Deng if they want Kawhi next summer, because if they do it takes off $7.36 million from the base salary they could offer Kawhi so that their max offer would be only 4 years, $99 million. Of course all this is moot if LeBron doesn't join the Lakers. We know George is signing there though.

His reps seem in way over their heads. It's clear that the injury diagnosis concern was bull and Leonard held out rather than play when he could. Now a trade demand and oh, he's 100%. A star player under contract refusing to play for a playoff team yet wants the supermax? At this point to get a decent return the Spurs can't unload on Leonard with what they know, but it's as Leonard's uncle set out to destroy Leonard's rep.

I don't think it occurred to Uncle Dennis that NBA people would see through the injury bull and find it problematic. Even at face value there's plenty of concern about a player who missed almost an entire season. What's the plan when the Spurs don't just roll over and make a trade? Another lingering mystery injury?

[Mr. Body]

Who blocked Paul to the Lakers?

The owners.

[spurs10]

Hi, Trav. The situation is just perplexing more than anything. Kawhi's behavior doesn't help himself...whether he wants to leave or not. So I just don't get it.

Don't let him take down timvp.com in anger if PATFO caves and sends Kawhi to LA.

I just saw that site. Really cool, I didn't know about it. Love it!

[spurs10]

Who blocked Paul to the Lakers?

It had something to do with Stern and the league actually owning NO at the time, so it was like a conflict of interest to the league.

[polandprzem]

I wonder if they met tbh.

It's again sources told somebody something.

No vid, no photo and no names responsible for the info.



How ty it is esp in this day and age when you can track everybody everywhere and we have no legit info. just speculations.

[r0drig0lac]

The owners.

which is another proof that the league has absolutely no power to favor the lakers or any franchise

[dbestpro]

If in order to get a trade done the Spurs have to sign him to the supermax first they will, but the amount of bad blood created so far by his reps has endangered that. It's really strange, Leonard probably could've gotten the supermax and an early player option done already if this hadn't become so adversarial.

Doesn't signing Kawhi to the supermax before a trade make the trade more difficult as you have to take more than the current salary back? I think currently we take back 17-23 mil but after signing the supermax it would be 27-33 mil or I could be completely wrong about this.

[lmbebo]

can't sign him to the supermax and trade. Not immediatly.

[TVI]

Truth

[Shastafarian]

True. His actual agent (Mitch Frankel?) was an odd choice for Kawhi. He's so bush league. Last I looked, the agency didn't even have a working website, and the agent was operating with just a gmail address. Not to mention Kawhi's old agent suing the agency/Frankel and all that.

Didn't that guy also represent Jeff Ayres?

[Clipper Nation]

I think Silver would do something if he was given the evidence. Stern wouldn't. Silver would.

Silver is still making every excuse in the book for the Warriors and how they've ruined the league's product. He wouldn't do to the Lakers.

Now, if the Clippers were the ones tampering, we'd probably get the SMU treatment.

[DMC]

If so, make him play out his contract and let him walk. He's undermining his trade value and after last season it's apparent he had already quit on the team. If he doesn't show up to play, suspend without pay.

If "playing out" his contract means being in NY or LA all year nursing his swollen labia, he's no help. If he walks on his own, we'll get nothing.

[DMC]

This is borderline Sprewell if true.