I tend to believe the longer this drags out, the better chance for the Raptors as I'm sure he really wants to go to LA but is doubting because of the case they made all year. If announced today: Lakers, tomorrow: Raptors. Book it!
Like others have said, Kawhi should go back to Toronto on a 1+1 deal. West and the Clippers make a move to get Bradley Beal next season via trade. The Clips should still have at least one max cap room and probably have a way to clear for two. Then, Kawhi opts out and signs with the Clips. In a strange turn of events, AD don't return to the Lakers and signs a max deal with the Clippers. AD/Kawhi/Beal...better long term trio with LeBron on the wrong side of 30. You also have a better front office and a better coach on hand.
I get your points however Kawhi is a bizarre human, nobody knows what he is thinking. He might be going back to the Spurs, and I wouldn't be shocked, surprised yeah but not shocked. Pop just has to give in to Uncle Dennis and his medical staff.
If he announces it tomorrow night, or later then it's impossible for the Lakers to get him. He has to sign before AD is traded tomorrow. I believe that it has already took too long for him to just go back to the Raptors. If he was going to resign he would have signed two days ago or yesterday imo. It looks to me, he is Lakers bound.
i feel like at this point the $$$ is first and foremost for kashi. so silver and so-cal likely offer the best portfolio of financial incentives on top of just the player salary... fakers.
weak stuff, suppositions built upon suppositions Kawhi is too young, born 18 yrs after the logo had retired, to know who Jerry West was. but, his uncle Dennis, his agent/rep/mouth piece. has always been a HUGE fan of Magic Johnson, who, despite no longer being a LAL employee, was invited to a meeting w Kawhi's team don't know who'll get him; but should Kawhi decide to play in LA, it will not be w the JV team while it is difficult to build a culture, it is ten times more difficult to break a culture. the cheap/bigot/senile Donald T Sterling, for ~ 30 yrs, had build a culture of being cheap, irrational, irrelevant----the quintessential JV team.
Why he has to sign before AD trade? No it has not, he met them 2 days ago with a holiday in between. He’s weighing his options and wanted to see what was out there in LA. Has it convinced him enough that he will be as comfortable as in Toronto and does he have the best chance at championships there? We’ll have to wait and see. It is obvious Lakers has been his first choice since at least 2 seasons so they were #1, but Raptors have done a lot, he’s comfortable there and he has won a trophy. I think the longer it takes, the better odds for the Raptors. If Lakers or Clippers had blown him away in meetings, he could’ve just told Raptors that and he would’ve announced it already. It’s clearly a tough decision so Raptors have a real shot. I still think Lakers and while I hate it, I really want teams to beat them like crazy. There would be one villain who we can all despise.
That's weird because to me if he goes to the Lakers he won't get as much credit for those championships. I don't know how it would shake out but it wouldn't surprise me if he got stuck being second or even third option. And even if he's the first option people will forever say "well of course he won those championships when he went and teamed up with two all-time greats". IMO, it'll hurt his legacy more than it helps it. Right now he's a giant killer. If he joins the Lakers he's just another ring-chasing coat-tail rider to me.
Seems like he's struggling to pull the trigger on the Lakers. That is where he wants to be, but everything and everyone involved with them is causing him pause. The Raptors are an ideal situation for him, but Toronto is not where he wants to be. What I don't get is why he doesn't just go to the Clippers. The team is a little overrated to me, but they have good people in charge that are likely to improve the team.
