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

[coachmac87]

Yeaaaa not buying this . Parker made his remark in late March and Pop made his “You’ll have to ask Kawhi’s camp that” in April. Both Stephen A. Smith and Jalen Rose reported in JANUARY that they were hearing Kawhi wanted out of San Antonio. Months before any comments were made.

And now Kawhi suddenly wants to be in SA but is just “too heartbroken?” And instead of saying he wants a trade, he says he wants a trade to ONLY the Lakers? Get real.

Boom. Tried to explain this to Kawhi step cousin YGHI...

It’s damage control at its finest in which make the Spurs look bad so the media won’t call him a quitter for leaving a team that won 60 games when he played..

Spurs reps and players saw through it and wasn’t gonna get punked despite them “ loving” Kawhi..it’s the principle

[RD2191]

Pop's heading up USA Basketball, his wife just passed, how much does he want to really deal with this moving forward? As good a time as any to hand things over to Becky.

[picnroll]

Boom. Tried to explain this to Kawhi step cousin YGHI...

It’s damage control at its finest in which make the Spurs look bad so the media won’t call him a quitter for leaving a team that won 60 games when he played..

Spurs reps and players saw through it and wasn’t gonna get punked despite them “ loving” Kawhi..it’s the principle

This. All the fools buying into Uncle Dennis half ass narrative never explain how the connection of the Spurs’s mistreatment of poor little Kawhi by mean old Bruce and Tony ties into only going to the Lakers. Dumb asses to stupid to see uncle Dennis agenda and incredibly lame excuses role out over time as planned to try to justify it.

[DPG21920]

I'd take that deal easily over a Sixers package.

Duh lol

[Mugen]

Pop's heading up USA Basketball, his wife just passed, how much does he want to really deal with this moving forward? As good a time as any to hand things over to Becky.

[DPG21920]

I don’t even want to imagine what the nba world will do if Kawhi stays with SA . I mean, I will be happy that our team will be very good, but if all this was just some crazy out of control posturing for a large contract??

This would be one of the nastiest, dirtiest and all time bat sh*t crazy negotiations I can remember in the nba. I am mega pissed at Kawhi and while I will obviously be happy for SA I will forever look at him as a person differently. I will still root for him/the team but man it will be like being in a marriage with someone who not just cheated on you but cheated with your biggest rival

[TD 21]

The only role the Magic could conceivably play in this, is as a 3rd team to take on Fultz. Isaac is a good prospect, but lacks go to scoring ability. '19 is supposedly a weak draft, but would they give up lightly (top 1-2) protected 1st? Would Spurs settle for that, Heat '21 1st and Covington, as the key pieces?

I'd rather tank than try to make trash pretty.

Tank, so you can hope to get a high pick(s) and land a comparable prospect. Sure fire superstars usually come along something like once every half decade. Suffice it to say, the odds of getting them are slim. It's also highly unlikely this organization would be amendable to that.

To be clear, I don't think people are writing him off--I am certainly not. What I am doing, however, is starting i don't think he's worth the risk. Especially given the Spurs tenuous season and potential to have this thing unravel on us in any number of ways. If he comes over and it turns into a psychological roller coaster, that just might be the thing that officially ends the Spurs run. Although at present, I think we might have already had the death blow from Kawhi, that lousy asshat.

Don't get me wrong. It's not a risk anyone would ideally want to take, but again, if push comes to shove and they can't get Brown, then what? If it drags on and no extension is signed, at some point between October 17th and February 7th, they're going to have to take the best offer they can get.

That's the cover story.

Yes, he's working on his shot and has been.

But camp doesn't open for 3 months and he can't risk taking 5 days against mostly g-league caliber players in exhibition settings? Exactly what kind of catastrophic result are they so afraid of? What if he actually shot well and catapulted his value up and started great buzz going into next year?

But apparently the danger to his mind is so incredible that it out weighs the benefits of him playing well.

Or he could have another setback and they could be one step closer to doing permanent psychological damage. Call if what you like, but if someone had a mental block and is now supposedly making progress, I don't think it's wise to risk halting that over a handful of meaningless games.

No he doesn't. He's slow and can't shoot.

Ginobili, Harden, Evans, etc., aren't exactly blurs with the ball, yet never had any trouble breaking down the defense and making plays. If you have skill, IQ and size, you don't need to be Parker, Westbrook, Wall, etc. Fultz has that combination. If he gets so much as a reasonably respectable shot again, his floor is probably Evans and his ceiling is probably Wall.

[objective]

I don’t even want to imagine what the nba world will do if Kawhi stays with SA . I mean, I will be happy that our team will be very good, but if all this was just some crazy out of control posturing for a large contract??

This would be one of the nastiest, dirtiest and all time bat sh*t crazy negotiations I can remember in the nba. I am mega pissed at Kawhi and while I will obviously be happy for SA I will forever look at him as a person differently. I will still root for him/the team but man it will be like being in a marriage with someone who not just cheated on you but cheated with your biggest rival

If he comes back I'll still root for him but I'll smile knowing his handlers won't have easy access to him in LA to suck his blood.

[objective]

[LEFT][COLOR=#222222][FONT=Verdana]

Or he could have another setback and they could be one step closer to doing permanent psychological damage. Call if what you like, but if someone had a mental block and is now supposedly making progress, I don't think it's wise to risk halting that over a handful of meaningless games.

thank you, that's been my entire point. He's a headcase at risk of bizarre psych damage. All at risk with exhibition games against scrubs.

This whole, "Oh, he's skipping summer league to get his shot better" is the cover story, the underneath story is, "If he goes out and lays bricks or is scared to shoot against the Arcidiaconos and G-League nobodies in games that don't matter, he might never be salvageable."

That's a big damn difference. He can't be risked to play against an Arcidiacono or he'll never play again, wonderful.

Trading one headcase with older mentor issues and exaggerated injuries for another bigger headcase with older mentor issues and exaggerated injuries is just one headache too far.

[daslicer]

I don’t even want to imagine what the nba world will do if Kawhi stays with SA . I mean, I will be happy that our team will be very good, but if all this was just some crazy out of control posturing for a large contract??

This would be one of the nastiest, dirtiest and all time bat sh*t crazy negotiations I can remember in the nba. I am mega pissed at Kawhi and while I will obviously be happy for SA I will forever look at him as a person differently. I will still root for him/the team but man it will be like being in a marriage with someone who not just cheated on you but cheated with your biggest rival

I think the media would hate Kawhi more than anybody if he ends up staying with the Spurs.

[ducks]

Pop's heading up USA Basketball, his wife just passed, how much does he want to really deal with this moving forward? As good a time as any to hand things over to Becky.

Yes Becky better then pop

[polandprzem]

Yes Becky better then pop

You putted them in battery of tests ?

[cool cat]

Yeaaaa not buying this . Parker made his remark in late March and Pop made his “You’ll have to ask Kawhi’s camp that” in April. Both Stephen A. Smith and Jalen Rose reported in JANUARY that they were hearing Kawhi wanted out of San Antonio. Months before any comments were made.

And now Kawhi suddenly wants to be in SA but is just “too heartbroken?” And instead of saying he wants a trade, he says he wants a trade to ONLY the Lakers? Get real.

Yep and the original reason we got is he wanted out because SA couldn't bring in top talent.

[TD 21]

thank you, that's been my entire point. He's a headcase at risk of bizarre psych damage. All at risk with exhibition games against scrubs.

This whole, "Oh, he's skipping summer league to get his shot better" is the cover story, the underneath story is, "If he goes out and lays bricks or is scared to shoot against the Arcidiaconos and G-League nobodies in games that don't matter, he might never be salvageable."

That's a big damn difference. He can't be risked to play against an Arcidiacono or he'll never play again, wonderful.

Trading one headcase with older mentor issues and exaggerated injuries for another bigger headcase with older mentor issues and exaggerated injuries is just one headache too far.

Okay, so what's the plan? Lose Leonard for nothing because you don't want to pay 99% of players significant money (even though every team needs to spend to at least 90% of the cap), tank and hope to land the next sure fire superstar? Even if they do, the Pelicans landed the last one and have proceeded to do nothing of note in 6 years.

Free agency? They couldn't appeal to superstars and stars at their peak, so they damn sure won't following the Aldridge fiasco and Leonard saga and as a re-building team.

[Spurs da champs]

I don’t even want to imagine what the nba world will do if Kawhi stays with SA . I mean, I will be happy that our team will be very good, but if all this was just some crazy out of control posturing for a large contract??

This would be one of the nastiest, dirtiest and all time bat sh*t crazy negotiations I can remember in the nba. I am mega pissed at Kawhi and while I will obviously be happy for SA I will forever look at him as a person differently. I will still root for him/the team but man it will be like being in a marriage with someone who not just cheated on you but cheated with your biggest rival

ESPN would self destruct.

[sasaint]

Pop's heading up USA Basketball, his wife just passed, how much does he want to really deal with this moving forward? As good a time as any to hand things over to Becky.

If Pop were going to step aside this off-season, he would have done so already.

[sasaint]

Leonard back and recommitted gives you an outside shot at a championship over the next couple of seasons (unless Pop is Bill Snyder he's not going to coach past that). Focus on winning now and put off any rebuild until later.

Otherwise you see what you can get for Leonard in a trade with an eye towards rebuilding now and setting the table for Pop's successor. You avoid making that tremendous financial commitment to a perimeter player which you'll have to pay out over the down slope of his career.

If Pop's successor is anywhere on the horizon, the team should move on from Pop and give said successor the opportunity to set his own table. Unless, contrary to many rumors, Pop could actually personally have the influence with Kawhi to induce him to stay, them I don't like the idea of letting PATFO have the opportunity to mold the team further in their image rather than bringing a new HC to mold the team in his/her image.

[K...]

I don't know if Kawhi had the social skills to regain leadership if he signs. His team has put most of the veterans in the cross hairs for their role in the standoff. There are just too many questions. Is he healthy, is he going to pout, can he mend fences.

So while it may make sense to stay with the Spurs it's an uphill climb if he does

[K...]

If Pop's successor is anywhere on the horizon, the team should move on from Pop and give said successor the opportunity to set his own table. Unless, contrary to many rumors, Pop could actually personally have the influence with Kawhi to induce him to stay, them I don't like the idea of letting PATFO have the opportunity to mold the team further in their image rather than bringing a new HC to mold the team in his/her image.

The p might change but who is arguing for afto? They'll either promote from within our pick someone to come back.

[SpursDynasty85]

The p might change but who is arguing for afto? They'll either promote from within our pick someone to come back.

Manu as assistant and Ettiore Messina as hc! Do it RC!

[sasaint]

The p might change but who is arguing for afto? They'll either promote from within our pick someone to come back.

So, you believe that the successor would just be a figurehead and PATFO would continue to call the shots? I am not sure whether Pop, in"moving on", would give up both of his positions/ les or just give up the HC job.

[objective]

Okay, so what's the plan? Lose Leonard for nothing because you don't want to pay 99% of players significant money (even though every team needs to spend to at least 90% of the cap), tank and hope to land the next sure fire superstar? Even if they do, the Pelicans landed the last one and have proceeded to do nothing of note in 6 years.

Free agency? They couldn't appeal to superstars and stars at their peak, so they damn sure won't following the Aldridge fiasco and Leonard saga and as a re-building team.

I'm fine tanking Leonard. I'm also fine paying him. If he ends up hurt, so what? They weren't winning with the other guys like Tobias Harris. But I'm still fine with tanking him the whole season.

My point is that people need to have their eyes open and recognize the truth of the supposed deals out there. Lots of people think that the Spurs will still contend as long as they 'get something' for Leonard, looking to guys like Fultz or Covington or Jaylen Brown.

Barring Lonnie Walker or Derrick White becoming Donovan Mitc simultaneously with Milutinov becoming a poor man's Gobert (or a rekindling with Leonard), the Spurs are finished. Doesn't matter if it ends with a selling off of assets in a total rebuild or a long funk of mediocrity with a Tobias Harris or Fultz and Covington, it's over until the next superstar gets on the roster.

Turning to locking up the cap with Covington and Fultz et al is really just the bargaining phase of coming to terms with the death of the Spurs. At least recognize how Fultz isn't a sure thing to get the Spurs back in it, he has his own major problems that people are quick to gloss over. Could he become a superstar? Sure, so could Lonnie. Is it something to expect or count on? Considering his particular issues ... no. There is no trade that the Spurs won't lose. Unless it's really out there like Tatum+Brown+SAC1st+MEM1st et al. Barring that, the Spurs will be catastrophic losers while Kawhi is out winning.

And regarding the Pelicans doing nothing in the 6 years since drafting Davis ...

How about the 5+ years of the teams who traded 'franchise players' away? Denver sure has looked nice after Melo, locking up their cap with average to above average players in Gallinari and Chandler that they got back. Sure has been wonderful there, they were just in the lottery.

How about Orlando after Dwight? By 'getting something' for Dwight, they're still stuck paying Vucevic. He's done a great job getting them into the lottery.

[tim_duncan_fan]

The only role the Magic could conceivably play in this, is as a 3rd team to take on Fultz. Isaac is a good prospect, but lacks go to scoring ability. '19 is supposedly a weak draft, but would they give up lightly (top 1-2) protected 1st? Would Spurs settle for that, Heat '21 1st and Covington, as the key pieces?




Tank, so you can hope to get a high pick(s) and land a comparable prospect. Sure fire superstars usually come along something like once every half decade. Suffice it to say, the odds of getting them are slim. It's also highly unlikely this organization would be amendable to that.

Don't get me wrong. It's not a risk anyone would ideally want to take, but again, if push comes to shove and they can't get Brown, then what? If it drags on and no extension is signed, at some point between October 17th and February 7th, they're going to have to take the best offer they can get.


Or he could have another setback and they could be one step closer to doing permanent psychological damage. Call if what you like, but if someone had a mental block and is now supposedly making progress, I don't think it's wise to risk halting that over a handful of meaningless games.


Ginobili, Harden, Evans, etc., aren't exactly blurs with the ball, yet never had any trouble breaking down the defense and making plays. If you have skill, IQ and size, you don't need to be Parker, Westbrook, Wall, etc. Fultz has that combination. If he gets so much as a reasonably respectable shot again, his floor is probably Evans and his ceiling is probably Wall.

It's not gonna happen, bro.

Ginobili wouldn't have won a race with Westbrook, but he was never in life slow until like 4 years ago and even now he might be quicker with the release and just generally getting a shot off than Fultz is.

Spurs aren't trying to get Adam Morrisoned. That is just not quick.

Plus, they are having to re-teach his shooting form...nope. it's a no for me dog. I didn't like him in the one game of his i saw. He looked slow of foot.

Also, there is nothing so about Harden. All youn need is a good first step and he's got that and then some and he's crafty. And his scoring is natural, aside from the gassed up free throw count. He's not out there being mechanical or literally thinking over his shot. There is no comparison to Fultz.

[toki9]

Peter Vecsey: “Kawhi listened to the Spurs doctor. Did everything he was told. But when he went back to play his knee began to hurt from the stress. He was scared about blowing it out. He saw what happened to Isaiah Thomas when he played in pain for Boston in the playoffs. He got reduced to damaged goods. As a free agent this summer, he’ll never recoup the $50M-$100M he lost by deciding to play. “The Spurs knew the quad was only 70 percent,” insists my source. “Kawhi got good advice, advice anybody would give their son in the same situation, see an independent doctor.”
3 hours ago – via Patreon

The problem with this version is that Kawhi got the second opinion in August and his group was in charge of rehab from that point on...so he never played on that knee in a game situation under Spurs' watch. The 9 games he played during the season were under the second doctor's watch, after which he went to a third doctor. I suppose he could be saying that Kawhi's knee hurt while he was training, i.e., before August, but then the quad was "only 70 percent" in July, months before the season--and just before he went on the China trip.

This kind of narrative shaping is just unnecessary (although I guess it's artistic in a way, given it's just spinning fiction at this point). If he wants to leave, he should just say that. Why throw the Spurs under the bus and try to drag PATFO's reputation through the mud like this?

[TD 21]

I'm fine tanking Leonard. I'm also fine paying him. If he ends up hurt, so what? They weren't winning with the other guys like Tobias Harris. But I'm still fine with tanking him the whole season.

My point is that people need to have their eyes open and recognize the truth of the supposed deals out there. Lots of people think that the Spurs will still contend as long as they 'get something' for Leonard, looking to guys like Fultz or Covington or Jaylen Brown.

Barring Lonnie Walker or Derrick White becoming Donovan Mitc simultaneously with Milutinov becoming a poor man's Gobert (or a rekindling with Leonard), the Spurs are finished. Doesn't matter if it ends with a selling off of assets in a total rebuild or a long funk of mediocrity with a Tobias Harris or Fultz and Covington, it's over until the next superstar gets on the roster.

Turning to locking up the cap with Covington and Fultz et al is really just the bargaining phase of coming to terms with the death of the Spurs. At least recognize how Fultz isn't a sure thing to get the Spurs back in it, he has his own major problems that people are quick to gloss over. Could he become a superstar? Sure, so could Lonnie. Is it something to expect or count on? Considering his particular issues ... no. There is no trade that the Spurs won't lose. Unless it's really out there like Tatum+Brown+SAC1st+MEM1st et al. Barring that, the Spurs will be catastrophic losers while Kawhi is out winning.

And regarding the Pelicans doing nothing in the 6 years since drafting Davis ...

How about the 5+ years of the teams who traded 'franchise players' away? Denver sure has looked nice after Melo, locking up their cap with average to above average players in Gallinari and Chandler that they got back. Sure has been wonderful there, they were just in the lottery.

How about Orlando after Dwight? By 'getting something' for Dwight, they're still stuck paying Vucevic. He's done a great job getting them into the lottery.

I haven't heard one person say that. You need a lot of luck to be championship contenders in this league. Most owners are not on board with pulling a Hinkie to pursue it and I doubt the Spurs would be any different.

It's a nice thought and I used to think that way too, but it's just not realistic. By that logic, damn near 25 teams (non contender or superstar teams) at a given time shouldn't pay anyone significant money and should simultaneously tank in the hopes of lucking into the next O'Neal, Duncan, James, etc.

Everyone knows Fultz is far from a sure thing and no one has glossed over his issues. I'm just saying, it's too soon to call him a bust and it's possible he ends up being the highest upside player they can acquire. Comparing him to the likes of Gallinari, Chandler and Vucevic, is foolish. They never had the upside he does.

They're more than likely finished either way if it comes to a trade. Their only hope is getting a player like Brown or Fultz and a valuable pick and hoping between those 2 and Walker, 1 can become a superstar. Considering there's maybe 10 at a given time, it's highly unlikely, but I'll take 3 miniscule chances over 1.

It's not gonna happen, bro.

Ginobili wouldn't have won a race with Westbrook, but he was never in life slow until like 4 years ago and even now he might be quicker with the release and just generally getting a shot off than Fultz is.

Spurs aren't trying to get Adam Morrisoned. That is just not quick.

Plus, they are having to re-teach his shooting form...nope. it's a no for me dog. I didn't like him in the one game of his i saw. He looked slow of foot.

Also, there is nothing so about Harden. All youn need is a good first step and he's got that and then some and he's crafty. And his scoring is natural, aside from the gassed up free throw count. He's not out there being mechanical or literally thinking over his shot. There is no comparison to Fultz.

Fultz isn't slow, he just doesn't have elite burst. Neither does Murray and unlike Fultz, he doesn't make up for it with a combination of size, skill and IQ. Fultz just needs at least a somewhat respectable shot to go with it.

It's a last resort for me, but it's one I'm absolutely taking if the alternative is nothing.