Young: sources tell @ExpressNews that Kawhi Leonard wants to be traded from Spurs

[DPG21920]

Probably the Prime reason PG is having second thoughts about leaving OKC.

Exactly. Money matters. I also don’t understand the narrative of LA staying y if they lose out on PG. PG said he wanted LA, they literally got fined for tampering and if they can’t sign him after all of that because they gave some other team a financial leg up (despite getting bounced in the first round)?

I have painted this picture already. With what LA has promised their fans, along with the long playoff drought it would be a devastating blow to the franchise if they had max cap space and 2 superstars clamoring for them and they end up with neither.

Plus Bron spurning them? They may literally fall into a Suns/Kings like tailspin.

[NASpurs]

$219 mil 5 years Supermax
$188 mil 5 years if traded and resigned (The LA deal)
$139 mil 4 year if traded and resigns with a different team (what the spurs can force on him)

You can sign shorter deals and get small increases each year when the cap is raised but getting the years is guaranteed money, big risk taking short deals because of injury's.

mess with the bull, get the horns. That would be so ing dirty and I love it.

[Russ]

Kawhi will never step into the Spurs' locker room again?

Does this mean no more Kawhi HEB commercials?

All that acting talent gone to waste . . .

[exstatic]

I think it’s pretty much an absolute guarantee if Spurs can’t retain Leonard long term and don’t get an offer they like quite a bit Leonard doesn’t get moved until the trade deadline for the best offer. Will Leonard hold out until the teade deadline in that case? No loss then, just improve the Spurs’ lottery pick and give the younguns playing time.

The thing is, if they just hold him long enough for Magic to either panic or get impatient and blow his cap wad somewhere else, the offers will improve overnight. That won't even take long. Even if LeBron is on to what Pop is doing, he certainly won't wait a month, and a month would still give the Spurs 2 1/2 months before the season to field offers.

[DPG21920]

LA needs to engage a third team to make this work like myself and others have said. Something like PHX.

If you can get SA Ingram + Josh Jackson and a pick (so move Lonzo to PHX for Josh) and it nets you Lebron + Kawhi you do it.

Does PHX value having their PG for the future instead of Jackson? I don’t know, but LA needs to push for that so they can bring 2 young prospects to the table.

They would likely be giving up Ball, Ingram, Kuz and maybe some more but if that nets you Kawhi + Bron? You do it.

[DPG21920]

Am I missin something here? Even in the Woj article, he stated that LA would have more leverage if they signed PG/Bron. How? Kawhi, if he gets to free agency would already be down 80M guaranteed coming off a year off. Even if LA somehow cleared ALL the salary off their books except Lebron and PG, they still wouldn’t be at Kawhi’s max.

They think Kawhi would give up 80M and then walk to them in free agency in 2019 (with his injury history) and not get his max?

I really don’t understand this thinking.

[Clipper Nation]

Exactly. Money matters. I also don’t understand the narrative of LA staying y if they lose out on PG. PG said he wanted LA, they literally got fined for tampering and if they can’t sign him after all of that because they gave some other team a financial leg up (despite getting bounced in the first round)?

I have painted this picture already. With what LA has promised their fans, along with the long playoff drought it would be a devastating blow to the franchise if they had max cap space and 2 superstars clamoring for them and they end up with neither.

Plus Bron spurning them? They may literally fall into a Suns/Kings like tailspin.

And then when they strike out again in 2019, Magic quits, and they have to hire a new GM all over again, it will set them back even further.

Thank God they told Jerry West that they didn't need him and hired Magic's dumb ass instead. The Lakers would already have LeBron, Kawhi and George on lock if the Logo was their GM. Now it looks like they might not get any of them.

[cool cat]

That’s not including Cali state tax too.

I considered that, but it's 10% for home games, away games get taxed where they are played so it's the same for each team/player.

So it's around 9.4 mil & 7 mil. Probably made up for with endorsements & savings on property tax so I say it's a wash, but contract money is guaranteed and endorsement money is not.

[exstatic]

LA needs to engage a third team to make this work like myself and others have said. Something like PHX.

If you can get SA Ingram + Josh Jackson and a pick (so move Lonzo to PHX for Josh) and it nets you Lebron + Kawhi you do it.

Does PHX value having their PG for the future instead of Jackson? I don’t know, but LA needs to push for that so they can bring 2 young prospects to the table.

They would likely be giving up Ball, Ingram, Kuz and maybe some more but if that nets you Kawhi + Bron? You do it.

I think LA is so asset poor that it wouldn't matter if you brought in a 3rd, 4th, or 5th team. The player calculus just doesn't work. Someone would just have to absolutely agree to be bent over. I can't ever see PHO flipping JJ for BBB.

[objective]

The thing is, if they just hold him long enough for Magic to either panic or get impatient and blow his cap wad somewhere else, the offers will improve overnight. That won't even take long. Even if LeBron is on to what Pop is doing, he certainly won't wait a month, and a month would still give the Spurs 2 1/2 months before the season to field offers.

Good point. Once the threat of 'only signing the the Lakers' is shat on by getting LeBron and PG, teams won't have to worry and can concentrate on getting Kawhi and building a relationship with him.

[K...]

Convince magic to trade lonzo plus first to Suns for something other than Jackson, turn around and trade kathi to Phoenix for the Lakers and Suns first plus jakson and Bridges

Lakers get medicrioty, Suns get a player, kathi gets Daddy ball

[DPG21920]

I think LA is so asset poor that it wouldn't matter if you brought in a 3rd, 4th, or 5th team. The player calculus just doesn't work. Someone would just have to absolutely agree to be bent over. I can't ever see PHO flipping JJ for BBB.

Someone has to value Lonzo pretty highly though. He was not amazing, but he was a big plus on defense, showed elite passing and court vision and just needs his shot. Worst case he’s Ricky Rubio which is still good. Best case is he’s Rubio with more scoring.

Will be interesting to see his value if it comes to that.

[spurs10]

It’s the difference between the $179 million he can get if he signs an extension wherever he gets traded, and the $99 million or so the Lakers could offer if they sign two max free agents this summer.

If they strike out this summer, that doesn’t apply, and I think he could get around $139 million. But he would be stranded on a mediocre team with little help.

I believe the $80 million is the difference in the super-max, $219;million, which only the Spurs can offer, and the $139 million another team can offer.

[Hoops Czar]

Convince magic to trade lonzo plus first to Suns for something other than Jackson, turn around and trade kathi to Phoenix for the Lakers and Suns first plus jakson and Bridges

Lakers get medicrioty, Suns get a player, kathi gets Daddy ball

Three way trade

Spurs get:
Kyrie
Kuzma
Ingram
Lakers 2019

Celtics get:
Lonzo

Lakers get:
Kawhi

[spurs10]

Kyrie? Yeah as long as we're dreaming.

[lmbebo]

Just thinking out loud - if this drags into the season and Kwahi refuses to report claiming another "medical ailment", grounds for Spurs to suspend Kwahi? There needs to be a way for the Spurs to handle this situation (or any other team).

[ducks]

Just thinking out loud - if this drags into the season and Kwahi refuses to report claiming another "medical ailment", grounds for Spurs to suspend Kwahi? There needs to be a way for the Spurs to handle this situation (or any other team).

he be fined
a max contract is like 350k a game adds up quickly

[objective]

I'd like to see a Spurs leak:

'the Spurs like Lonzo but think he's damaged goods and off the table after the Lakers mishandled his knee injury leading to summer injections'

[RD2191]

Just thinking out loud - if this drags into the season and Kwahi refuses to report claiming another "medical ailment", grounds for Spurs to suspend Kwahi? There needs to be a way for the Spurs to handle this situation (or any other team).

That won't happen

[exstatic]

Just thinking out loud - if this drags into the season and Kwahi refuses to report claiming another "medical ailment", grounds for Spurs to suspend Kwahi? There needs to be a way for the Spurs to handle this situation (or any other team).

They had the option last year to involve the league to medically evaluate the situation, and chose not to. I can't imagine them not doing it this year if they keep faking his injury.

[TD 21]

The funny thing is, if Leonard's camp wasn't supposedly trying to force their hand and it wasn't the Lakers, there's no question in my mind that a package built around Ingram and Kuzma, would appeal most to the Spurs. They love Kuzma and Ingram would fit the bill of a Leonard positional replacement with (supposed) star upside.

I don't think they want to take a chance on Fultz and even if they were open to it, they love Murray and because most teams don't need a PG, the best they could probably do is, 2 2nds in the 30s, from the Magic.

If the Spurs can't land Brown or Jackson (in a 3 way trade) and the Lakers up the ante enough (some combination of a 1st, Hart and Randle, who could be rerouted to a 3rd team for another asset), as much as it would pain them, the Spurs might end up doing it anyway.

I would prefer for Murray and Fultz to play together; they'd be a good fit, in theory, Fultz is apparently a bad defender but an excellent shooter (if he ever regains his form) while Murray is an great defender who currently can't shoot. For the "Murray isn't a PG" crew, he'd be sharing playmaking responsibilities with Fultz in a theoretically backcourt.

Fultz, Covington, Miami' unprotected 2021 first rounder, Parsecniks, Anderson, and Bayless. for Kawhi and Mills.

PG-Fultz, Parker
SG-Murray, Manu?, White, Walker, Bayless*,
SF-Covington, Green, J. Anderson
PF- K. Anderson, Bertans
C-Aldridge Gasol, Militinov?, Metu?*,

Hayward, Brown and the Kings pick (I think there is a decent chance that that is a top five pick) for Kawhi and Gasol would be a very great deal.

PG-Murray, Parker,
SG-Brown, Manu? Mills, White, Walker,
SF- Hayward, Green
PF-Anderson, Bertans
C-Aldridge, FA-C, Militinov? Metu?

That trade would allow for the Spurs to be a 50 win team, probably for the next couple of seasons, leading up to the summer of 2020 when LMA hits free agency and Brown and Murray hit RFA.

Fultz and Murray would be a poor fit together. It's unlikely either even becomes an average shooter soon, if at all. Plus, Anderson isn't going anywhere. They'd also have a logjam at guard. Where's the near future path to 25-30 mpg for Walker? That team would lack spacing and go-to scoring.

The Celtics aren't trading Hayward at this juncture and probably not at all. They supposedly may not even budge on Brown.

Lakers panicking making the media means one thing for sure:

The signal fire has been LIT: It's all hands on board for the media to pressure and intimidate the Spurs into dealing Kawhi

Expect a nonstop barrage from everyone from ESPN to Bleacher Report to SB Nation to SI to Yahoo to Stein and every podcast flunky to slander the Spurs and up the pressure

Expect new leaks like the 'never set foot there again' to faking an injury after looking good in camp (promoted by the Dunc'd On Podcast) to even playing nice ('Kawhi loves Pop and looks might return like LeBron to Cleveland if they let him go')

It's going to be 24/7 blitz until LeBron and George settle things

[exstatic]

I'd like to see a Spurs leak:

'the Spurs like Lonzo but think he's damaged goods and off the table after the Lakers mishandled his knee injury leading to summer intentions'

[Killakobe81]

Not sure if Lonzo is equal to Josh Jackson... An argument can be made for either. Despite Jackson's superior athleticism, Lonzo was the better defender and rebounder. Neither can shoot yet but for Lonzo that is more of a problem... Since he is a PG.
But for Suns Lonzo is a better fit because he can get open/easy looks for Ayton and Booker. And as Lonzo tries and find his shot pairing him with Booker would be ideal. His defense can help limit Devin's weak D and Bookers shooting is a perfect match for Lonzo's vision.

[objective]

Just thinking out loud - if this drags into the season and Kwahi refuses to report claiming another "medical ailment", grounds for Spurs to suspend Kwahi? There needs to be a way for the Spurs to handle this situation (or any other team).

he be fined
a max contract is like 350k a game adds up quickly

If he sits out long enough for medical reasons the Spurs will get an injury exception for half his cap number

They can then absorb a salary at the trade deadline for what, $11 million

Maybe even squeeze a protected first off a team looking to save on the tax

[look_at_g_shred]

A 3 team trade involving LAL/SAS/PHX makes sense where LAL sends Ball to Suns for JJ. The suns biggest need right now is a PG. Lonzo is in the same age group as suns core. So in that scenario the spurs would receive Ingram/Kuz/Jackson . I'd do that in a heartbeat. Its a win win for everyone imho