Avery Bradley would be such a fantastic fit for this team. He will get more offers but I really hope we offer him the full tax MLE at midnight.
Youd have to be a tax team first. We wont be a tax team till we sign our bird right FAs I view bradley pretty much like a more expensive beverley. Bev is more pesky but bradley more fundamentally sound. Both can reasonably spot shoot
Woj: Why are the Lakers under pressure? There's two deadlines here: Friday's opt-in/out date for LeBron and then once he gets into free agency. The prevailing sense all along is LeBron is hesitant to be the first one through the door in LA. He'd like someone already there or someone walking in with him. If Paul George stays in OKC, it's incumbent on the Lakers to try and get a deal done for Kawhi Leonard if they want to get LeBron in this free agent class. What else is at risk for the Lakers in trying to make a trade for Kawhi? They did this a year ago with Paul George/Indiana. He wanted to play for the Lakers. The Lakers didn't make a significant offer last year. He gets traded to OKC. Year goes great. Now the Lakers are fighting with OKC to sign George. While Leonard is saying the Lakers now, if he gets traded, gets comfortable and enjoys success elsewhere, it may be difficult for him to leave. The pressure is on LA to empty their arsenal to get a deal done now with San Antonio. They're not just trading for Kawhi, they're trading for Kawhi & LeBron. They're trying to acquire another 1st round pick, perhaps taking on salary.
This can't be said enough. And not just the Hampton 5, but variations with West. GSW had to drop their small lineup and go to two bigs, with Looney and Bell logging 48 minutes combined. And while I wouldn't call Iggy a feared scorer, Iggy and West really help run that small-ball offense. They couldn't enough against our switching defense, and we won Game 4 and 5 against Kerr's adjustment that scraped small-ball to feature Looney/Bell with Green. We had that team spinning in the head.
wouldnt really count Fisher since he sort of forced his way back to LA Giving the impact most likely Artest - he won game 5 for them in the WCF and won them game 7 of the finals in the recent past. Really their biggest FA signings in the last 20 years would be Payton, Malone, MItch Richmond, Rick Fox, Shaq of course but that was more than 20 years ago. Rick Fox maybe the most crucial one given the big role he played in the 3 peat Lakers?
Hmm. I can't see them adding Kawhi/Lebron and then getting PG to come over.... what money would remain? Deng contract really bad but not as bad as Ryno prolly.
We can still offer him the taxpayer MLE and sign him after CP3 and Clint. But I agree. I think we are shifting our defensive philosophy towards guys capable of switching the p&r and defending multiple positions. Avery is one of the best in the league at his role.
This is the part of the narrative I don't get. His numbers generally went down across the board. The Thunder won 1 more game than the previous year, and lost in the first round after being expected to contend. How on earth did the year "go great"? The OKC story is the fact they can pay him more than anyone else.
Woj: Factors for Paul George? Part of it is what is LA doing? Who's going into LA? Is there a trade for Kawhi? Does LeBron come in FA? Same question LeBron has. He doesn't want to be the first one in. No one wants to go there alone. That's an issue for Paul George. He's become comfortable in OKC. He liked playing for that organization. He likes Sam Presti & Billy Donovan. He's gotten along & enjoyed playing with Westbrook. It takes awhile to adjust playing with Russ. While disappointed to get knocked out early, he can run it back there, make more money in the short term and get back out on the market during his prime. There are other situations. Philadelphia will recruit him hard. They have a max slot available. He has a lot of options. A year ago this time, he thought he was going to LA. His thinking has changed. He is much more open. Kawhi sweepstakes if not the Lakers? (Celtics, Cavs, Sixers & Clippers have checked in.) There's no shortage of interest for Leonard. There are more teams who would love to get Leonard. All those teams are asking 'Can we re-sign him?' The Spurs have been slow to open this process. They've had conversations with teams. Nothing has gained traction. Their #1 priority is keeping Kawhi. They want to re-sign him & repair this relationship. They're trying to do that while being realistic and if a big time offer comes they can't refuse, they have to look at it.
I am slow on the uptake as it seems as easy as LBJ and PG calling or texting a 'let's do it', it's done and neither goes it alone. What am I missing???
Problem with the situation is that no team will give up assets for Kawhi now that he's warned teams he is going to LA when he becomes a FA. I respect that SA is holding firm and refuses to deal with the Lakers, but at the end of the day it may be the only worthwhile deal on the table. Definitely a game of chicken here. He might be traded in February instead depending on just how bitter this relationship becomes. I get the feeling that SA is hell bent on making him a lifetime Spur up until the last moment possible. This summer isn't that time.
PG opt in, LeBron opt in, and Kawhi hang on till he is traded, then all have more options for the upcoming year to get traded to contender (Rockets) then they can all unite with the Fakers next year if not satisfied. So a race between PG and LBJ to Htown and Kawhi to Beantown. Next year they can do LA unless of course they happy winning championships.
Which we can assume he didn't like any of his options. Not enough to leave. If he didn't like any of his options(Houston specifically, coming off 65 wins, up 3-2, right there, still said no), not sure why he'd consider Houston again next year. (Along with the rumors you & I have seen this year that he may or may not like the city, he may or may not want to play with Harden. Pretty sure the CoH will stay right where it is and Harden will still be here.) And if that's the case, fine by me. One summer of LeBron was enough.
