Kawhi Leonard SERIOUSLY Considering Leaving Clippers To Join Jimmy Butler & Bam Adebayo In Miami

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/22/nba...hts-increase-and-75-billion-is-the-price.html

After the National Football League celebrated its history-making 11-year contract worth more than $100 billion, attention shifted to the NBA’s deal, which runs through the 2024-25 season. Early thinking within league circles suggests the NBA will seek a $75 billion rights package, up from its current $24 billion deal, which pays $2.6 billion per year.

One person familiar with sports media deals said the NBA could get $70.2 billion over nine years, using metrics including total viewer hours, which helps networks determine the value of sports league rights. The person also said tier-one sports rights are important to streaming services.

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“I think everyone expects that so long as the public is demonstrating through ratings that they are watching the NBA, you can probably expect increases there as well,” said former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson. “I would think the NBA is going to look for significant increases.”

The NBA has a good reason to seek more money for its rights. The league has more global appeal than the NFL and has a younger demographic, too, as Generation Z continues to support the NBA and Gen Alpha appears to continue the trend.

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Though ratings declined in 2020 primarily due to pandemic factors, the NBA has seen increases throughout its current 2020-21 season. The league is attempting to create more meaningful games with its play-in tournament, which performed well last year.

 

I keep saying it, let each team have a designated player that they can pay whatever the hell they want while only counting for max space. Player must be with team for a minimum of 3 years and those years go away if traded to another team.

I'm willing to bet more superstars stay with their teams.

 

he should come to htine amd build a dynasty. however i'm not sure tillmen can even afford vet minimum

 

https://www.theringer.com/2021/7/1/22558854/clippers-rumors-free-agency-kawhi-leonard-paul-george

Leonard can exercise his player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. No one knows what’s truly going on inside Leonard’s head, but front office executives and agents around the NBA often gossip about the possibility that he leaves since teams are lining up and conspiring to get him.

The Mavericks and Heat plan to make a hard push to acquire Leonard, league sources say. The Knicks will also pursue any superstar that becomes available, and a long list of other suitors would at least make an attempt if he hits the market. Who wouldn’t want a 30-year-old two-time Finals MVP still performing at an All-NBA level?

Dallas is considered by some executives to be the most serious threat to land Kawhi because of Luka Doncic’s presence and the front office’s ability to create maximum cap space or work out a sign-and-trade. During Leonard’s years with Nike, he also developed a good relationship with Nico Harrison, the Mavs’ new general manager and a former longtime executive at the company.

Leonard tried to recruit Jimmy Butler to the Clippers before George was acquired, so Miami could offer Kawhi an enticing chance to play with him. Though the Heat can’t create max cap space, they could always work out a sign-and-trade just like they did to acquire Butler from the Sixers in 2019.

All that said, signs still point to Leonard staying. In March, he reportedly purchased a $17.1 million home in Pacific Palisades, a coastal neighborhood of Los Angeles. While buying a mansion isn’t a guarantee that he’s planning to re-sign long term, multiple league executive sources say Kawhi no longer travels via helicopter from his other home in San Diego, like he often did before Kobe Bryant’s passing in January 2020. Leonard already owned a $6.7 million penthouse near Staples Center. Investing so much in a home is at least an acknowledgment of the possibility he plans to stick around L.A.

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With so few avenues to make significant moves, some executives wonder: What if Leonard wants the Clippers to dump George in order for him to re-sign long term? It’d be a heck of a power play. But we’ve seen this before from Kawhi when he first joined the Clippers. He threatened to stay with the Raptors or go to the Lakers if the Clippers weren’t able to find a costar. So they emptied the coffers for George. Does Leonard feel like running it back? Or could he be ready for a new look?

Damian Lillard is disgruntled with the Trail Blazers, according to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes. It’s worth noting that in 2019 Lillard was on Leonard’s list of stars he wanted to team up with, league sources say. But Lillard has four seasons remaining on his contract. Portland doesn’t need to trade him. If it came to the point where a trade was inevitable, Los Angeles wouldn’t have many goodies to add to a trade involving George, and if the Blazers would rather have younger players and picks, the Clippers would easily be outbid.

There’s also Ben Simmons, the Sixers All-Star who spends nearly all of his off time in Los Angeles and would add a much-needed playmaking dimension to the Clippers. But regardless of the other pieces involved in a potential deal, would Leonard want to team up with Simmons after the latter’s disastrous postseason? Is that a deal the Sixers would want to make, when league sources say they’re also hoping for an opportunity to land Lillard?

Star-for-star trades happen in the NBA but they aren’t common. If Leonard returns to L.A. next season, the odds are George will still be there. Is that such a bad thing? The disrespect online toward George has gone a bit overboard. Yes, George makes some blunders. The missed free throws. The 24-second violation. The occasional no-show quarters. But he’s also one of the best two-way wings in the game and he can make scoring 40 points look easy. He was an iron man this postseason, too. He played 776 minutes, 129 more than any other player has logged. Without him, the Clippers wouldn’t have made it past the second round. George may not be the guy, but he’s still one of the top 15 guys in the NBA.

He’s not untouchable, though, so the Clippers should at least explore every possibility to maximize their roster; if Lillard becomes available, you do what you can to get him. Just as the Clips did two years ago to net Leonard and George. But so far, the duo hasn’t been able to lead the team to its ultimate goal. They ended the franchise’s 51-year drought of failing to make a conference finals—but that isn’t enough to satisfy the team’s best player.

“I don’t care about the Western Conference finals. I’m trying to win a championship,” Leonard said during the second round. The Clippers choked in the 2020 playoffs, so they fired their coach and hired a better one. They made tweaks to the roster and made their playoff team a better one. This year’s Clippers team overcame two 0-2 deficits and showed a level of resiliency the franchise hasn’t seen in decades. Kawhi’s injury just struck at the worst time. Maybe next year.

 

KL doesn't want to be the man full time. He wants a team like San Antonio and Toronto where other players can take the load most of the season, and he just shows up when he feels like it.

 

I get players want to win and they have every right to go where they want...but I definitely hold it against them when it comes time to judge their legacies. Kawhi has no loyalty and just looks for the easiest opportunity to win. Again, I can't fault them for that, but when you avoid challenges, you lessen your greatness, IMO.

Like KD going to a 72 win team immediately after being bounced by the same team. Or Lebron joining superstars in Miami -- which wouldn't have been nearly as bad had he not done that douchey "Decision" special.

Also, Kawhi gives me the impression that he would sit for a minor injury if he didn't think his team could win. Like he wouldn't even try and push his body. That takes him down a peg in my book.

Long story short, NBA players today -- with free agency and star leverage -- are weak. Guys put 2-3 years in to a team and then give up. It's bad for competition and the long term health of the league, I fear.

 

The only team Kawhi chose was the Clippers. Him being traded to Canada was considered a punishment. He got lucky that the Warriors busted some ligaments, but the Raptors' playoff run through the East was all him. They were known as chokers.

I think he'll make his decision between Miami and the Clippers after seeing what they get for Paul George.

EDIT: Overall, I thought Kawhi's legacy was in purgatory and since he got injured it remains in purgatory. He'll either cement himself as a legend or fall back with guys like Pippen.

 

He's already way above Pippen because of the Finals MVP. He is totally capable of being the best guy on the court for any given game or series. What he hasn't shown is the mental and physical strength to be a team leader and be the best person on the court every night. Not saying it's a bad thing. Would have loved to have him next to Harden with Harden bringing it every day and Kawhi playing hero when everyone focused on Harden in the playoffs.

 

Ok, again with certain small market teams. Why can't they keep their superstars and more over ...if they have a superstar or all-star players, how come they can't even make the playoffs against teams with inferior players or superstars? How come they aren't competitive against other small market teams who actually make it to the playoffs?

Glad, you are using New Orleans as an example. They've had Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, as well as now Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and other quality NBA starters. Can't consistently get to the playoffs.

The Timberwolves are bursting with Towns, Russell, Edwards, and Beasley and some pretty good mix of veterans and upcoming NBA players, but they are sitting right in the lottery, again.

Teams, like the Jazz, Trailblazers, Spurs, Suns, and Nuggets are often contenders or steady playoff teams. Yet, Chicago, New York, Brooklyn (New York/New Jersey), and the Clippers before CP3 have been perennial losers for good bit of their histories. in the same span of 20 years, the Magic, Cavs,

It's has more to do with the franchise, being able to have competent management.

 

Kawhi is historically way above Pippen? Of course you take Kawhi's peak over Pippen's, but they are close career wise. If Kawhi either underperforms, like he did in the bubble, or gets hurt again, like he did this year, his career legacy will take a hit. It's important where he plays next year, but I think his performance and health in the playoffs will matter more in how he is looked at historically.

 

Miami isn't in any better a position than the Clippers to win it. But it's his prerogative on what he wants to do.

 

this…people just need to stop it with the “poor small market teams” BS when a lot of these small markets have horrific management

Yeah, being in a good market helps, but who forced Sacramento to take Bagley instead of Doncic for example? They’d be in the playoffs if they had selected Luka, but instead, we haven’t seen them since 2006.

the Pelicans have surrounded Zion with no shooting…they are 26th in 3 point percentage, and 25th in attempts

going into his 3rd season, Zion will already be on his 3rd HC

 

Paul George or Jimmy Butler? Close. But I think you take Butler. The Clippers don't have anybody like Adebayo, though. Then again, the West doesn't have a team like the Nets. Tough decision.

 

Other than the Spurs, how many of those teams came close to contending for a championship in the past two decade. Making the playoffs isn't that hard in the NBA. Winning a championship needs at least two superstars.

Your line of reasoning seems reasonable, but it sounds just like those people who say, "There is no racism. Blacks can succeed if they are smart and work hard. Look at all those successful black folks!" What that ignores is the fact that blacks and other minorities need to be extra smart and work extra hard to beat the whites.

There are well-managed small market teams and poorly-managed ones, just as there are well-managed big market teams and poorly-managed one. But you can't deny that the big markets have an inherent advantage in attracting star players. Small markets have a limited window of keeping their star players even if they are lucky enough to draft one in their rebuilding process. If they can't build a contender within that window, say goodbye and start rebuilding again. You think Kobe would have stuck around after Shaq left if it was Memphis instead of LA? You think Kahwi will even entertain the thought of joining Zion at New Orleans? He didn't even look back after he won a championship at Toronto where they still had a very good team to contend for a repeat. You think he would just walk away if it was LA?

 

Kawhi has proven he can be the man for short spurts. Pippen has never shown that ability. Pippen is the prototypical Robin.

 

Pippen could not lead a team with the most Second Bananas to a championship
IMO The JailBlazers were incredibly talented bunch of knuckleheads

They should have won something

Rocket River

 

He is one weird dude