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

I like the trade for both teams. Toronto is taking a home run swing and has a year to convince Leonard to stay (and offer him more money than anybody else). At some point, a microphone will be put in front of Kawhi's face and he'll have to say something instead of letting this horrible uncle do all of the talking.

I can understand DeRozan's anger at being traded and moves like this reinforce how "loyalty" in the NBA is a one-way street. However, Toronto probably looked at their playoff track record and realized they couldn't run the Trash Bros out there again. Their game was a known, shrinking playoff commodity and I don't think they had a chance against Boston. The Spurs get an all star shooting guard in his prime in exchange for a silent malcontent.

 

A better shoe deal? That's probably just a joke, but I think he was after more than a shoe deal. He was sick of his employer and we all have the right to get sick of our employer. I'm not saying he handled it very well or that I would have handled it that way (especially under a lucrative contract).

As for the trade, I love it for both teams. Toronto was going nowhere fast. Lowry is good but getting older. D.D. has shown himself to not be a special playoffs guy. And Denny Green could actually be pretty useful in the Leastern conference. Their 1st round pick will be very late anyway.

And I think it's a good haul for San Antonio, especially compared to a pouting Leonard, which was less than zero.

 

This is a great trade for Toronto, even if Kawhi ends up leaving next year, as it ends up freeing them from a big contract star player that was obviously not going to lead them to the promise land. And if Kawhi ends up working for them, then even better.

It's also a good move by the Spurs, as they get said star player and put him with a mentally strong coach that can hopefully elevate his game even further. Green is also a good complementary player.

As far as Derozan being hurt by the trade; he is getting paid millions of dollars, so he should not complain that his team is being disloyal or whatever. It's a business, and he got traded for one of the top players in the league, going to one of the best coaches and systems in the league, so if anything, he should be honored. And, he still gets his millions.

Kawhi OTOH, has pulled one of the dirtiest moves in the history of organized sports. The Spurs/Pops get the benefit of the doubt here, since they've harbored some of the best players of all time through long careers, treated their minutes sensibly and put them in the best positions to win. It sounds to me like there is a lot of instability in Kawhi or at best, his "camp" and I would never trust him with anything, regardless of how good he is on the court.

 

This year his relationship with the employer got bad, but before this year even started the rumors began that he was going to force his way out of San Antonio because of his shoe situation. He refused an extension with his current shoe deal because he felt it was too low for a star. There are articles out there you can find that say he was going to angle his way to LA to get the better shoe deal last year.

I'm not saying that's the ONLY reason he wants out of San Antonio, but it's a big part.

If he was just "sick of his employer" he wouldn't be using the media to scare off CONTENDERS from trading for him. He doesn't want Toronto, Boston, Philly, Miami, etc. He wants LA. That's it. That's more than an issue with your employer, it's financially motivated for him as well as probably lifestyle.

 

Honestly I don’t know, as it is all perspective. It reeks of spite but it could be that the Spurs wanted someone that can score right now and DeRozen is the best player to fit that role. Do I think the Spurs could have gotten a more attractive deal in regards to younger players? Yes I do, but I think the Spurs don’t intend to rebuild so DeRozen fits their needs.

Popovich really has little to do with Dawson or Tomjanovich. If your insinuation is that Popovich acted improperly in this whole thing, I don’t see it at all. I see a player that methodically did everything he could to destroy his trade value so he could force his way to the Lakers.

 

Drake must be so happy

 

once again the way you would operate

 

Pop should retire and let the spurs go into rebuild. Competitors dont know when to step away and no one will ask him to because of the success. But he would have had none if the spurs didnt tank for a year and get Duncan with the #1 pick. ;p

All these pointless seasons of mediocrity stagnate franchises.

 

Okay, thanks. The whole situation feels very heavy on rumor and extrapolation. But if he was trying to make a career decision based on a shoe deal, that doesn't say many good things about him, and I doubt San Antonio (a good org, overall) would have based their future on such a loser (?). Maybe they had no choice, until they had to make a choice yesterday.

 

Any GM that opts for vengeance is just a dumb GM, playing for a dumb franchise for hiring him in the first place.

 

Personal rant - I wish the league could do something in this extreme situation. It is obvious Leonard screwed SA badly. He did not conduct himself professionally. If he does something similar to Toronto, there should be punishment.

I wish they would limit the teams he can join via free agency or make him rejoin the league via the draft.

It is just sad that players will sign a CONTRACT with a team, then not even half-ass it.

 

Uncle Dennis wants that nationalized health care in case Kawhi’s injury flares up again

 

Are you kidding me, what all these pointless seasons, the spurs have been winning chips for like 2 decades, I think they will survive a year or two being just great and not contend for the title.

 

I think they just didn't believe it would matter.

Like I said, if this were about not liking your current employer you'd be ok with going to Boston or Philly or Miami or Houston or hell, any number of teams. He's not though. He only wants LA and he's even ok with the lesser of the two teams in LA. He just wants that market.

And that's his RIGHT. I'm not hating on him for wanting to go to LA, I'm hating on him and the league in general for the way players get to nuke their teams to hell to get their way.

 

lol these random posters trying to tell a spurs organization how to operate having winning multiple titles for years

 

No realistic shot at winning once Duncan retired and Kawhi went rogue. Mediocrity has already begun. DeRozan doesnt help the situation along, he pushes them deeper into quicksand ... but they think they're close to solid ground. Only sinking deeper into nothing at a snail's pace. Demar is a very low percentage player, but you could be right in that San antonians just want to be entertained at games once in a while, not compete until Durant turns 35.

 

Their admittedly limited options were this. Trade Kawhi for an ineffectual fake star who is not going to lead you to the championships (which is absolutely the barometer you have to go by if you aren't tanking), Trade Kawhi for ingram/hart, or let Kawhi rot for another year and torpedo his own career with fines/suspensions etc and. But they got too greedy by trying to push for more return than LA was willing to give, leaving them with only the other 2 options. So they chose the inconsequential non competitive trade which only has the value of saving face instead of trying to **** over the player that put them in that position to begin with.

 

I really believe Kawhi Leonard will not show up in Toronto, Trade will be voided, Spurs are stuck, Kawhi will sit out this season also, if Lakers or Clippers step up their offer. I think Clippers is most likely to get
Kawhi Leonard.

 

Current teams can offer both higher annual salary and longer term. But, yes, the bulk of what the difference is is due to the extra year.

 

The titles were had because of 1 guy, according to pop, a guy they got because of tanking and getting the #1 pick. Ironic post.