Toronto, San Antonio talking Kawhi-DeRozan Swap (UPDATE: Done deal)

Paul George decided to stay in Oklahoma City... doesn't get worse than that.

 

lol. Why would the Lakers want him? They aren't planning to contend this season.

 

FIFY

 

So are Paul George, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. Yet they all signed long-term extensions with their respective teams.

 

Your intelligence is terrible, not my post. Yes, you never get an equal return for a player like Leonard, nor are you going to go anywhere with Derozan + LMA playing dinosaur ball on the team and with Pop leaving in 2 years anyway as he is rumored to do so. The Spurs realizing that should have let Kawai play it out 1 more year on the team to punish him for the drama he caused last year, or watch him throw his career down the drain when he refuses to report in to play for them.

Instead, they went for Option A with getting fake star DeRozan who has Lebron PTSD (who btw is now in the same conference again), instead of Option B of getting some measure of vengeance. The most optimal option would have been trading him to the Lakers for Hart or Ingram (if they were offered).

 

I really like this trade for Toronto they are going all in next season. If Kawhi comes back at 100% their lineup is just really good on both ends of the floor and they have all sorts of lineup possibilities given their depth at every position now except center.

If both Green and Kawhi leave next season Toronto starts their rebuild around their young guys and stay well under the tax for them. They pretty much were at their limit with the Derozan/Lowry core and needed to move on from that instead of treading water.

For the Spurs I am surprised their haul was so little in terms of future compensation. Chances are the first round pick will convert next year (barring something crazy I do not see Toronto not being a top 10 team next year if Kawhi is healthy). Poetl is a nice big to have and DeMar is a good player, in his prime and under contract for 2 more season, possibly 3 if he doesnt opt out of his deal. He is paid a lot but I think he still has room to develop and can become better than he currently is. The Spurs are most likely banking on having their development system there taking DeMar from a top 15-20 player in the league and pushing him closer to the top 10. DeMar can become a top 5 2-way player (though personally not sure if he will given that he is 28 and it may be too late to develop some of those defensive fundamentals, but it is the Spurs). I am actually excited to see if DeMar develops into a better talent in SA.

If I was a Spurs fan I would have probably wished gotten another first or at the very least another 2nd in the deal.

 

They aren't. They are filling their team with one year deals getting ready for two max slots next summer.

 

they're still trying to win as much as possible. point was they're not doing that with melo

 

Plus Jakob Pöltl and a protected 2019 1st round pick.

Also got rid of Danny Green.

 

whoa I would take the over on that any day. Spurs basically played without Kawhi last season and yeah they lost Green in this deal and lost Anderson and Parker in free agency but the guys they kept and drafted along with internal development I dont see how they dont get over 40 wins after adding DeMar and Poetl.

 

I wouldn't talk too fast. Remember Greg popovich is STILL the coach... I not sure he could fix the choking but that team wont be an easy out.

 

how's that punishing Kawhi? Spurs would be punishing themselves in that scenario.

you're looking at it from your own personal perspective not the organizations. big difference there.

Getting those players from LA would absolutely suck

 

it is interesting... they will probably win 48 game still..

 

Magic and Pelinka sweating about the promise Kawhi obviously made them. Love it.

 

No Tony Parker. Probably no Ginobili. No Danny Green. No Kawhi. My money's on Pop calling it quits this year.

 

Green wasn't a negative asset, the last legit 3&D guy they had on the roster and on an expiring contract, some Spurs fans are actually pissed they didn't trade Mills or Pau instead of Green.

 

F with Pop and he'll deport you.