Everything Kawhi Leonard

[Shaolin Fantastic]

That's a possibility.. the 2019-2020 season will kind of show us what our young guys are capable of assuming Masai flips Lowry in the summer and holds on to contracts like Serge since he's not going to fetch much. Fred will be in a contract year.. and we're not sure what we do with Delon.. but we could be a scrappy 42-43 win team that tries to make the playoffs.

Feels like it could be like Miami's team. I don't expect the team to do well in the playoffs. We won't have a guy that can get you points when we need some badly. Defensively we could still be good though.

That's not a good thing

[Shaolin Fantastic]

If Lebron, Kawhi & KD team, then up then I'm done with the NBA. That's like 10X better than the current Warriors, who are already 10X better than the rest of the NBA.

Meh people keep saying they're "done with the NBA". People said it when the Celtics big 3 teamed up, they said it when the Heatles teamed up, they said it when the Warriors got KD; but viewership just keeps rising and rising.

The NBA thrives off of having these superteams. It's like having a really, really good top heel in the WWE. Gives everyone a big name to root against.

Professional soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and most of the big European leagues are full of rich teams that have entire starting elevens that are better than any player on the mid-table or lower-table teams. Just recently Barcelona had Neymar (the best Brazilian player), Suarez (the best Uruguayan player and best player in the premier league the year before) and Messi (the best or 2nd best player in the world depending on who you ask) on the same team. Nobody stopped watching, it won't happen with basketball either.

[Puffer]

Kawhi seems to be a thoughtful person, likely to carefully weigh alternatives before making a decision. He has already said in the past that his #1 priority in his basketball career is success. He has clearly demonstrated that he places a high value on trust and honesty. He clearly understands that a basketball team is not a "family" but a business with a couple of specific goals. One, make money, two achieve success by winning more games than the other guys. The ultimate indicator of success is an NBA championship on a team that can afford to pay it's players a large amount of money.

This doesn't seem that complicated. There are only a few teams who are positioned to do very well over the next four to five years, the prime period Kawhi has left to play ball. If he believes he will win more in TO than LA, and they can give him a max salary, I don't think he gives a rats ass about the temperature.

A key here will be Masai's ability to convince another generational talent to sign in TO. He is going to have to sell the AD or Gianni scenario. And the consequent knock on effect of all-stars wanting to sign for lower salaries.

A mid-season trade for a disgruntled star, or one from a team looking to eject salary in exchange for a younger player on a rookie contract and Serge, could be a big step in the direction of proving to Kawhi that Masai is serious. This would also make it easier to sign KD or Giannis. So I think a mid-season trade will be the first indicator that Kawhi is likely to resign.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

I do think Giannis will play for us at some point. It's a relationship business and Masai has a really strong one there.

Hopefully we get the Bucks in the playoffs and sweep them so Giannis knows what time it is. Gotta make an impression.

[S.R.]

Re Lebron: maybe it's tampering, maybe it's just friendship.

I'm not convinced yet that that what the Lakers did (attempt to field a competitive team by bringing it talented players with red flags onto a team which already has Lavar Ball and by extension, his father) is going to pay off in regards to recruiting Kawhi.

Firstly, even with Lebron, I'm not yet convinced that that team can make it into the playoffs in the ever-ferocious west, never mind getting that important sixth-place-or-better finish to avoid being cannon fodder for GSW or the Rockets.

Secondly, that combination of players in that market with that combination of team personalities is at least somewhat likely to make it plain that the media situation down there is almost as relentless and as potentially player-unfriendly as the Leafs media situation has historical been and the Knicks media situation.

Thirdly, if team red-flag has major dysfunction during the year, that's not going to reflect well on the current management of the organization, storied or not.

All that said, there are no guarantees. But I'm going to hold off on any pessimism until I've seen the on-court product and the off-court problems (or lack of them) in both places. We have not only the advantage of being able to make the best offer here, but we the first-mover advantage as well. There may eventually be a time for the wringing of hands, but it is not yet.

Yeah that is one wacky Lakers roster - I'm not convinced at all that LeBron can hold it together. He couldn't hold last year's Cavs roster together, they had to blow it apart halfway through the season.

One of the best possible turn of events for the Raptors this year will be that the Lakers are a sideshow and LeBron is busy making movies. I'm not nearly as convinced as the usual talking heads that LA will be a FA destination of choice next summer.

Two final words: Paul George.

[LJ2]

Kawhi seems to be a thoughtful person, likely to carefully weigh alternatives before making a decision. He has already said in the past that his #1 priority in his basketball career is success. He has clearly demonstrated that he places a high value on trust and honesty. He clearly understands that a basketball team is not a "family" but a business with a couple of specific goals. One, make money, two achieve success by winning more games than the other guys. The ultimate indicator of success is an NBA championship on a team that can afford to pay it's players a large amount of money.

This doesn't seem that complicated. There are only a few teams who are positioned to do very well over the next four to five years, the prime period Kawhi has left to play ball. If he believes he will win more in TO than LA, and they can give him a max salary, I don't think he gives a rats ass about the temperature.

A key here will be Masai's ability to convince another generational talent to sign in TO. He is going to have to sell the AD or Gianni scenario. And the consequent knock on effect of all-stars wanting to sign for lower salaries.

A mid-season trade for a disgruntled star, or one from a team looking to eject salary in exchange for a younger player on a rookie contract and Serge, could be a big step in the direction of proving to Kawhi that Masai is serious. This would also make it easier to sign KD or Giannis. So I think a mid-season trade will be the first indicator that Kawhi is likely to resign.

But see Puffer, I just don't see where people are getting the things listed on your first paragraph. Like where is all this stuff about the Spurs not beong trust worthy or honest. And winning is something he could have done at a high level there...he's won a championship and been a finals MVP there. And money...well he's walking away from it every chance he gets and may do so once again if he leaves Toronto.

I do agree that Masai has to be looking at adding another "star" player to the roster. My hope is that playing off Kawhi will help to elevate Lowry to that level similar to how playing off Curry has helped Draymond and Klay.

[LJ2]

Yeah that is one wacky Lakers roster - I'm not convinced at all that LeBron can hold it together. He couldn't hold last year's Cavs roster together, they had to blow it apart halfway through the season.

One of the best possible turn of events for the Raptors this year will be that the Lakers are a sideshow and LeBron is busy making movies. I'm not nearly as convinced as the usual talking heads that LA will be a FA destination of choice next summer.

Two final words: Paul George.

I'm really curious what would have happened if LeBron made his decision to move to LA, before Paul George made his decision to stay in OKC. Tactical error on the part of LBJ, imo.

[Truth Teller]

Re Lebron: maybe it's tampering, maybe it's just friendship.

I'm not convinced yet that that what the Lakers did (attempt to field a competitive team by bringing it talented players with red flags onto a team which already has Lavar Ball and by extension, his father) is going to pay off in regards to recruiting Kawhi.

Firstly, even with Lebron, I'm not yet convinced that that team can make it into the playoffs in the ever-ferocious west, never mind getting that important sixth-place-or-better finish to avoid being cannon fodder for GSW or the Rockets.

Secondly, that combination of players in that market with that combination of team personalities is at least somewhat likely to make it plain that the media situation down there is almost as relentless and as potentially player-unfriendly as the Leafs media situation has historical been and the Knicks media situation.

Thirdly, if team red-flag has major dysfunction during the year, that's not going to reflect well on the current management of the organization, storied or not.

All that said, there are no guarantees. But I'm going to hold off on any pessimism until I've seen the on-court product and the off-court problems (or lack of them) in both places. We have not only the advantage of being able to make the best offer here, but we the first-mover advantage as well. There may eventually be a time for the wringing of hands, but it is not yet.

Lets not kid ourselves. Lebron makes the playoffs. I'll make the NBA before Lebron misses the playoffs.

[Puffer]

But see Puffer, I just don't see where people are getting the things listed on your first paragraph. Like where is all this stuff about the Spurs not beong trust worthy or honest. And winning is something he could have done at a high level there...he's won a championship and been a finals MVP there. And money...well he's walking away from it every chance he gets and may do so once again if he leaves Toronto.

I do agree that Masai has to be looking at adding another "star" player to the roster. My hope is that playing off Kawhi will help to elevate Lowry to that level similar to how playing off Curry has helped Draymond and Klay.

I suspect from his actions that he has been very upset with the Spurs and their reaction to him getting a second medical opinion that differed from the teams doctors. Members of the Spurs organization reacted to his actions by denigrating his character and work ethic. This is not a demonstration of trust in him. So I think he decided right then that he was done with the Spurs. And that lack of trust was a bigger factor than the money he might make by staying there.

I'll admit it's all speculation on my part, but the way it spun out, it looks to me like Kawhi reached a point where there was no possibility of reconciliation.

I agree with you about the importance of Raptors players (particularly Lowry) seeing their games elevated just by playing with Kawhi. I also think other stars in the league will se that effect and will realize that Toronto is a reasonable destination for a player seeking success in the league. I think there are several self-reinforcing threads at play now. I think Masai is the person to weave them into a nice new outfit for the Raptors to wear.

[Jclaw]

now at least I can stop interpreting "was that a smile?" when Kawhi posed with Webster and Ujiri. He's got the same look hanging out with Lebron and KD. No wonder Osman is the only one smiling.

[golden]

Talk about living life in a fishbowl. There are already like 10 articles written about this picture and what it means.

[KeonClark]

Talk about living life in a fishbowl. There are already like 10 articles written about this picture and what it means.

People really need more things going on in their own lives

[S.R.]

People really need more things going on in their own lives

"KeonClark Doesn't Like Canada"

"KeonClark to Miami?"

"KeonClark Will Sign With Lakers"

"Drake to KeonClark: Please Stay. Please."

[KeonClark]

"KeonClark Doesn't Like Canada"

"KeonClark to Miami?"

"KeonClark Will Sign With Lakers"

"Drake to KeonClark: Please Stay. Please."

"Girlfriend JeonClark: stop scrolling thru that fucking phone and empty the damn dishwasher"

The glamorous life for me

[Joey]

"Girlfriend JeonClark: stop scrolling thru that fucking phone and empty the damn dishwasher"

The glamorous life for me

Oooo well la ti da, look at fancy pants high roller with a "Girlfriend".


... I'm so lonely ...