Everything Kawhi Leonard

[Puffer]

I think Kawhi needs to hear from the Raps that the franchise is committed to pay the extra tax to run it back.... then Kawhi does a 1+1 to try for the repeat. Otherwise, he gone.

Read a great writeup in the morning coffee selection for this morning (I think) that looked at the complete financial situation. Income tax between Ontario,Canada and California, US is actually pretty close. But a big chunk of Kawhi's pay can be structured as a bonus which only gets taxed at 14% as opposed to the %50 on California based income tax. In addition Kawhi would have tro pay add ons in California like Medicare, etc. which make his actual tax hit higher in California. And real estate is at least 10% lower in Toronto than in L.A. The sales of Raptors Finals gear was twice as high as the second best year (LeBron's last Finals). So the opportunity for endorsement deals is huge. Not another sports figure in Canada has Kawhi's magnitude. All of that would probably give the tip to the Raptors even if they couldn't give him $40 million more than anybody else. Of course, if he decided to leave after two years (or even one) the Raptors could just engineer a trade and recoup players plus picks.

So he makes more money, with a winning organization, with teammates he has bonded with under heavy duty sports related duress and pressure, insures himself against losing money due to a career ending injury if he signs a 1 + 1, and he get's to go elsewhere after a year or two.

Good reasons to stay.

[Kagemusha]

Read a great writeup in the morning coffee selection for this morning (I think) that looked at the complete financial situation. Income tax between Ontario,Canada and California, US is actually pretty close. But a big chunk of Kawhi's pay can be structured as a bonus which only gets taxed at 14% as opposed to the %50 on California based income tax. In addition Kawhi would have tro pay add ons in California like Medicare, etc. which make his actual tax hit higher in California. And real estate is at least 10% lower in Toronto than in L.A. The sales of Raptors Finals gear was twice as high as the second best year (LeBron's last Finals). So the opportunity for endorsement deals is huge. Not another sports figure in Canada has Kawhi's magnitude. All of that would probably give the tip to the Raptors even if they couldn't give him $40 million more than anybody else. Of course, if he decided to leave after two years (or even one) the Raptors could just engineer a trade and recoup players plus picks.

So he makes more money, with a winning organization, with teammates he has bonded with under heavy duty sports related duress and pressure, insures himself against losing money due to a career ending injury if he signs a 1 + 1, and he get's to go elsewhere after a year or two.

Good reasons to stay.

Is $ still an issue though?

[golden]

OK, so ... kind of a dumb question. Do they have to wait to have this conversation until June 30?

There are still a few unknowns.... because if Kawhi wants everybody back, the Raps need to know if Gasol is opting in or not (probably) and also how much Danny Green wants. That said, the team should already know how much tax they're willing to pay in each scenario. Also, Danny said that he's waiting to see what Kawhi does, but if Kawhi only signs a 1+1, that might not be long enough for Green. He's talking about signing with the Lakers to join his buddy, Lebron.

[S.R.]

Read a great writeup in the morning coffee selection for this morning (I think) that looked at the complete financial situation. Income tax between Ontario,Canada and California, US is actually pretty close. But a big chunk of Kawhi's pay can be structured as a bonus which only gets taxed at 14% as opposed to the %50 on California based income tax. In addition Kawhi would have tro pay add ons in California like Medicare, etc. which make his actual tax hit higher in California. And real estate is at least 10% lower in Toronto than in L.A. The sales of Raptors Finals gear was twice as high as the second best year (LeBron's last Finals). So the opportunity for endorsement deals is huge. Not another sports figure in Canada has Kawhi's magnitude. All of that would probably give the tip to the Raptors even if they couldn't give him $40 million more than anybody else. Of course, if he decided to leave after two years (or even one) the Raptors could just engineer a trade and recoup players plus picks.

So he makes more money, with a winning organization, with teammates he has bonded with under heavy duty sports related duress and pressure, insures himself against losing money due to a career ending injury if he signs a 1 + 1, and he get's to go elsewhere after a year or two.

Good reasons to stay.

The tax thing is way overblown, it's not as simple as "Canada has high taxes".

A couple other things:
- The highest earners in the US may actually pay more than Canadians (depends on the province/state). It's the middle class where Canadians definitely pay more than Americans. The total tax burden in California for the highest earners, for example, is higher than in Ontario. California and US federal top end income tax brackets are expensive.
- Athletes, including NBA players, have to pay taxes in every state they play in (the effectively worked and earned wages there).
- The whole system is so complicated, I guarantee you your average NBA player with an opinion on this has no idea how his income taxes really work. Some of the stuff that's been said by players ("You pay taxes twice on the same money") is flat out wrong. I don't think most of them know, "taxes are bad in Canada" is just a talking point around the NBA.
- Raptors salaries are all in USD, so re: living expenses and taxes in Canada, they stand to get way ahead depending on exchange rates. Years when CAD is $0.65 USD, their salary is going damn far while living in Toronto through the season. That variable alone exceeds the tax rate variables, but nobody even talks about it. It's off the hot take radar.

[GOLDBLUM]

The tax thing is way overblown, it's not as simple as "Canada has high taxes".

A couple other things:
- The highest earners in the US may actually pay more than Canadians (depends on the province/state). It's the middle class where Canadians definitely pay more than Americans. The total tax burden in California for the highest earners, for example, is higher than in Ontario. California and US federal top end income tax brackets are expensive.
- Athletes, including NBA players, have to pay taxes in every state they play in (the effectively worked and earned wages there).
- The whole system is so complicated, I guarantee you your average NBA player with an opinion on this has no idea how his income taxes really work. Some of the stuff that's been said by players ("You pay taxes twice on the same money") is flat out wrong. I don't think most of them know, "taxes are bad in Canada" is just a talking point around the NBA.
- Raptors salaries are all in USD, so re: living expenses and taxes in Canada, they stand to get way ahead depending on exchange rates. Years when CAD is $0.65 USD, their salary is going damn far while living in Toronto through the season. That variable alone exceeds the tax rate variables, but nobody even talks about it. It's off the hot take radar.

Players may not be aware but I trust Raptors management to make Kawhi and his agent fully aware of all of those details and financial ramifications.

[GOLDBLUM]

he jet

The cargojet is nothing but good Mixx ... this is a company with ties to the Raps organization and potentially major endorsement dollars.. The details are foggy but there was a lot written about them as a possible boon to keeping Kawhi earlier in the year. The fact that he's there on the victory march bodes extremely well I'd say.

[MixxAOR]

I feel sorry for Jalen Rose but I think his accountant robbed him and told him "Canadian taxes bro" now Jalen Rose thinks there's some extra Canadian taxes on top of American taxes

[slaw]

The tax thing can be managed. And, as someone noted above, the Canadian rupee makes living up here a steal if you're paid in a real currency.

[DanH]

Not a dumb question! And nope. Raps are the only team that can talk to him now if they want to. ... I think.

They can talk all they like, but they can't make an official offer until June 30th. And obviously like every other contract it can't be officially agreed to/signed until the 6th.

[Scraptor]

YOU GUYS

https://www.instagram.com/p/By-z-UFh...=1vw2ebmw6owj7

Best sign yet!

[KeonClark]

YOU GUYS

https://www.instagram.com/p/By-z-UFh...=1vw2ebmw6owj7

Best sign yet!

Scrolling through the cargojet instagram, he's got mad pictures with Kyle, Marcus Stroman, and Drake. This dude is richer Nav

[KeonClark]

Not sure how to embed instagram(thanks golden)...cargojet man is a somebody...Drake poses for pics like a 7 year old boy

[golden]

Just wrap the Instagram link with "IG" tags, like so....

YOU GUYS

Best sign yet!

BTW. Air Drake is a Cargojet plane.

[Zak24gege]

There are still a few unknowns.... because if Kawhi wants everybody back, the Raps need to know if Gasol is opting in or not (probably) and also how much Danny Green wants. That said, the team should already know how much tax they're willing to pay in each scenario. Also, Danny said that he's waiting to see what Kawhi does, but if Kawhi only signs a 1+1, that might not be long enough for Green. He's talking about signing with the Lakers to join his buddy, Lebron.

Green's return or departure is a $ and term question. He will be trying to maximize both and Raptors are $ constrained and should be cautious about offering the 31 year old, catch and shoot specialist a 3 year deal. 2 + 1 team option seems more realistic?

[slaw]

Scrolling through the cargojet instagram, he's got mad pictures with Kyle, Marcus Stroman, and Drake. This dude is richer Nav

The stock of CJ he owns alone is worth at least $140,000,000 from what I can tell on a quick search. CJ isn't huge in the grand scheme of things - it's ~$1.1 billion market cap - but that's pretty big for a Canadian company.