What I'm saying is kawhi wants to win. So he Durant want to go to la alone. He wants to go to la after they use their cap space and sign two other guys our lines up trades for all of them.
Yes. Things could change. But I'll be surprised. Anybody heard what happened in the Cavs meeting Wednesday? It's Saturday.
There’s no reason to believe that meeting ever happened. Only one guy reported, no credible sources ever backed him up and then he himself hedged by saying if not Wednesday than soon.
Neither team is going to give away a pile of assets for Kawhi without him committing. Your trades are good and make sense. But teams aren't going to give up that much for a Kawhi that is moping. And I do agree this power play by Kawhi probably won't work. Kawhi has kinda screwed himself with his issues leaving the team last year.
Besides the asset difficulty for LA, the timing component is another potential benefit to Houston. In other words, it's very unlikely the Spurs will act quickly on any scenario by the effective June 29th deadline (as it pertains to Houston). They're a notoriously patient and deliberate organization. So when it comes to LeBron's decision, I highly doubt he's willing to make Kawhi a part of the calculus based on what might happen down the road. Because first the Spurs would have to agree to trade him, and then they'd have to choose LA's offer over probable superior packages from Boston, Philly, and perhaps others. And the Lakers would also have to overcome SA's likely desire to send Kawhi East. I can't imagine a 34-year-old LeBron in Year 16 bases his decision on those sorts of hypotheticals. That's not to say LeBron can't pick LA, of course. Maybe he just likes the city that much. The family and lifestyle considerations are real, too. But if it's a basketball-only thing, and that's largely what he's said to this point, I don't see the Lakers level with the Rockets by June 29.
I think the Lakers are 100% moving Lonzo to clean things up in a professional sense + clear room for LeBron-PG-superstar X. They'd prefer it be in a Kawhi-to-LA megadeal, but Pop isn't going to appease Kawhi and facilitate the formation of a new superteam in the WC, so they'll have to look elsewhere. LeBron's people have probably already communicated a list of guys to Magic and Pelinka... something like 1) Kawhi 2) Jimmy 3) Dame 4) DeRozan etc. That FO and Klutch already have a positive working relationship dating back to the KCP favor last summer. At this point, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense that LeBron and PG are already cemented to LA, and Magic and Pelinka are just working to find that third guy. I wouldn't be surprised if it winds up being Jimmy, honestly.
Except this doesn't jive at all with what we've heard from Stein and Amick this week about the increasing odds that PG stays in OKC.
True, but they may just have bad intel. If PG-to-LA leaked, that could potentially dissuade a team like POR or MIN from wanting to facilitate the formation of another superteam in their own conference, no? Someone could be feeding Stein and Amick that information for a reason. LeBron and his people are as tight-lipped and savvy as they come.
Anything's possible, but worth noting Stein was out front last summer with the CP-to-Houston story, which went against the conventional narrative. I'm just so mentally fatigued with the whole "Star X destined for LA!" noise. Feel like we've heard some variation of this for 5+ offseasons now. Maybe this time will be different, but for me, it's a bit like the boy who cried wolf at this point.
I hear you but I think it is actually the opposite. As you mention, Boston has the ultimate flexibility and valuable picks that aren't going to run out with this draft. I don't the Spurs will ever trade Kawhi to LA but I think the Spurs don't have ample time to get the best deal now unless someone blinks. They want to do the deal now but not rushed to LA, especially. If Kawhi is not traded to LA by the draft and Boston looks like the winning suitor over time then I think it puts major downward pressure on LA and LBJ and PG13 if they wanted to go there. NOLA is going to hold onto Cousins for same reasons even though he doesn't fit. Butler will be hard to get immediately. The only downside about Houston is the if of the Ryno trade. That will be resolved by then and Houston will have access to a big 4 or 5 if you count Capela. If LA remains an if with potentially those two waiting I don't see anyone waiting. Rockets can tell you about that. I still believe LBJ NEEDS championships and will not wait on anyone's if.
I hear you, but with respect to Paul George I think most of that noise about places other than LA are them rebuffing the tampering narrative.
I think either Boston or Philadelphia isn’t afraid to take the gamble. Both are big markets, and both would not be mortgaging their future in such a trade. Let’s say Boston trades Rozier, Brown and either the Sacramento or Memphis pick. They still have one of those picks, their own, Tatum, Horford, Hayward and Kyrie even if Kawhi walks. And the odds Kawhi walks from a team that loaded (the most talented in basketball) is slim. Same is true if it’s Kyrie involved and they keep Brown and the Sac/Mem pick. As for Philadelphia, I just can’t see Kawhi leaving that situation, considering if he goes there, LeBron likely does too. Because a team with cores of Kawhi, Embiid, Covington, Fultz, Saric, and pick 10 or Kawhi, Simmons, Embiid, is enough for LeBron to beat Golden State with in the next few years. Plus, look at it from Boston and Philly’s perspective. If you let the Lakers sneak in and steal Kawhi, you have essentially enabled the Lakers to form their own super team with LeBron, Kawhi and Paul George, making it that much harder for you to win a championship with your talented young cores. They simply can’t let that happen.
Let’s get back on track and to the topic of main discussion.... When exactly was ClutchFans originally created?
If after all these rumours the Lakers once again finish their offseason without any superstar that would be incredibly hillarious.
I think that’s what’s going to happen. Very doubtful Leonard is moved to the Lakers. PG probably won’t go by himself, so if Houston is able to make a LeBron deal work, I think he stays in OKC. The Lakers aren’t as well positioned as people think, their top talent also has a a lot of off the court baggage. Randle is a RFA, Ingram and Kuzma can shoot, no one outside of ball has the potential to be a franchise player. If they were playing Denver or Atlanta people wouldn’t be nearly as high on them. I think the media loves the Lakers farm system a lot more then nba teams
I was just about to come in here and post this. @ch44 posted his info and then hours later KOC posts an article including that info. Perhaps heard from the same NBA sources. @ch44 on point once again.
I think it’s the opposite. I think Lebron is more likely to sign in LA if Kawhi goes there because the certainty of getting him is better than the uncertainty of him maybe shaking loose, especially when spurs would trade him to Boston/philly first if possible. He is more likely to prefer a bird in the hand (Houston) than two in the bush. Of course no one really knows whether he cares most about winning versus other factors so he may still choose lakers, but Kawhi not being able to possibly go there until the deadline reduces the appeal somewhat.
