The case to trade Kawhi at the deadline and why we should be sellers

[CoachJReturns]

I mean I'd rather Masai find a reliable 2nd option instead of waste the only year this team has ever had a true MVP caliber level player, but if it isn't in the cards, I'm open to a reset.
I'm actually a Spurs fan and Kawhi was my number 1 dream target for this team for a while and then it somehow magically **** happened. I don't want the guy to go, but honestly I can't see why he'd stay. The team will get a bit better when JV comes back, as we'd have a bench scorer and easily our best rebounder back. Maybe Masai can at least find a couple 3 point shooters to help provide some real spacing at least, but anything less than that and it's probably not a bad idea to wrap it up. I'm hoping for some fireworks at the deadline.

Whether Kawhi is here to stay or not, this franchise and it's fans passed a critical step in it's development in my opinion. It received a true superstar player and now everyone, including casual fans, will know the difference between an elite player and a sales pitch like we've gotten for years. The bar has been raised ladies and gentlemen. The ball is now in Masai and Bobby's court.

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Yo if they can leverage the Lakers situation into landing Ingram, Hart, etc., I might consider it, if I'm Masai.

[TheAlchemist]

I can say one thing for sure - Kawhi does not look like a fun guy to play with. The team has a bunch of high energy guys and you see them seriously mellow down around him. It's what made this team so good last year. Based on what we see from Leonard on the court, it almost looks like it's just personally practice for him rather than a team game. You can tell his mind is eleswhere. This team isn't fun to watch anymore. It's not a team - it's a bunch of individual guys forced together.

Yeah , it just looks like the team knows that he's gone, and it's sucked a lot of chemistry out of it.

Maybe we really should of thought about trading Derozan, if it was going to hit the locker room the way it has.

I mean, if you where a player with some self respect, would you want to play with a guy who wants to go to another team from the get go?

It's like "ohhh, so you'd rather be with them, cause you think they have a better chance of winning or are better then our franchise".

Any self respecting athlete would definitely be pissed.

[GED Education]

Kawhi is not a LeBron level generational talent. People seem to think that here.

[LJKO]

All you need to stop overreacting because this is just the Regular Season; Let's see if the bucks can win a playoffs series before you all freak out.

[Ackshun]

We have pieces but we're playing with a serious lack of chemistry. It's right there in the body language.

We need Val back asap. We need some shooters at 3/4 spots. And we need to stop giving up **** runs and digging ourselves out of 20 point deficits. The playoffs won't bring many of those opportunities if we continue to let it happen.

We're not getting anything worthwhile for KL2 so I don't get the rationale of blowing it up now. Might as well stack the deck for a run. If a superstar is available, do it. If not, fill out the roster the way it needs filling out.

I refuse to believe KL2 is definitively going to the Clippers. Just because some fans brag about having him in the "bag" . Don't care.

[PhilBlackson]

Send him to the Clippers for SGA + a pick + filler or something.

Unless we make some miracle trade, looking at Lowry just makes it clear this is all in vein. He's cooked and is clearly gonna cost us come Playoff even worse than ever. I'm not saying that out of any emotion. I had no faith in him last year when everybody flamed me for it and now you're all seeing that he is in fact declining and I just don't want to waste time pretending with this dude. Either trade Kyle or end the Kawhi experiment because this could end ugly.

[CoachJReturns]

Kawhi is not a LeBron level generational talent. People seem to think that here.

Well considering the only guys at that level are Jordan, Wilt, Kareem and 2 or 3 others that's probably a fair comment. lol.

[rarefind]

This team needs to add pieces, not trade the best talent we have ever had.

It's great that we are testing Kawhi, but there is a disconnect out there which is the by product of having your two best players missing so much time.

[TheAlchemist]

Send him to the Clippers for SGA + a pick + filler or something.

Unless we make some miracle trade, looking at Lowry just makes it clear this is all in vein. He's cooked and is clearly gonna cost us come Playoff even worse than ever. I'm not saying that out of any emotion. I had no faith in him last year when everybody flamed me for it and now you're all seeing that he is in fact declining and I just don't want to waste time pretending with this dude. Either trade Kyle or end the Kawhi experiment because this could end ugly.

You know Kyle was my favorite player.

And if this trade was well received by him, instead of him being a malicious little cu** , it would make the world of difference.

Lowry actively recruiting Kawhi, and trying his level best, would DEFINITELY of helped a lot.

But he's being a punk b**** that he is usually, bordering on toxic, and now cannot play his way out of a cardboard box.

And that's one of if not the main issue. Lowry is not Lowry, and it looks like he won't be even in the playoffs. Anyone remember 2 years ago, how he couldn't handle Derozan being the main cog in our offence? Came back before the playoffs and straight played horrible.

I don't see it getting any better.

[PhilBlackson]

This team needs to add pieces, not trade the best talent we have ever had.

It's great that we are testing Kawhi, but there is a disconnect out there which is the by product of having your two best players missing so much time.

Pascal has barely missed any time, only Kawhi has missed some?!?

[GED Education]

This team needs to add pieces, not trade the best talent we have ever had.

It's great that we are testing Kawhi, but there is a disconnect out there which is the by product of having your two best players missing so much time.

Pascal has barely missed any time, only Kawhi has missed some?!?

JV? Was he our best anything?

[PhilBlackson]

This team needs to add pieces, not trade the best talent we have ever had.

It's great that we are testing Kawhi, but there is a disconnect out there which is the by product of having your two best players missing so much time.

Pascal has barely missed any time, only Kawhi has missed some?!?

JV? Was he our best anything?

Beer drinking champ count?!

[hype_2004]

**** dumbass knee jerk reaction, lol, the east is wide open and we have the playoff experience to win and make the NBA finals. First we have to be healthy, second we have to find the right lineup and shorten our bench. The playoff is all about overcoming pressure, we have players on this team that's been there and knows how to win. We not trading of selling anything this season, we commit Ed to see this thing till the end, whether Kawh is here next year is irrelevant, now stop with that bull, it's embarrassing.

You know what wouldn't be a dumbass knee jerk reaction?

When we lose our one year rental , lose in the second round or the eastern conference finals, and start a team that will fight for the 7th to 8th seed next year.

It's time to be realistic.

When it comes to the playoffs, are team really does not have the chemistry or integrity to win enough to persuade Kawhi.

Why not play both LA teams against each other, get the most assets we can from them, and commit to a real rebuild?

We do not have players, other then Kawhi and Danny Green, who have been there and know how to win. Our team was known as chokers, now we have chokers plus some of San Antonio. It just doesn't seem palatable.

Your hopeless negative thinking is just plain stupid, there's only one team this year in the West that is almost guaranteed to win it all. Yes we have hit our bumps but it's still the REGULAR season. If we somehow trade Kawhi this season for scraps then will those scraps get us to the finals? No guarantee of that happening, **** your reset strategy it's all in this season, if we add more pieces while giving up some then so be it. Thia is the year to make it happen, if we lose this season so be it, of we lose Kawhi next year so be it, let the chips fall as they may, enough with the loser mentality.

[Rapsalot]

Not sure about the trade but agree with folks saying in or out. If we can’t get a steal of a trade in next 5-6 days I have a trade lined up with LA Clippers.

[JordanBPeterson]

Most threads on this forum are reaction threads and I can't see how this one is any different. Sorry OP.

If this thread was created after a win then maybe you have my attention but it's all too predictable right now.

Just a reminder that at the beginning of the season when most people were polled it was revealed that the Raps would likely win less games but it was deemed ok because it's all about the post season.

The shrewd move is actually sticking with the original decision until the end because it's not about saving your ass by playing scared , it's about living with the pot choices at the poker table.

We have the chance to enter the post season with a genuine mvp calibre player for the first time since Vince and with a much more talented roster. You don't throw that away - scared or not.

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[goinrogue]

I’m confident this team can’t get past the second round and could even be swept. If they can grab 2 of Ball, Ingram and Kuzma or one of them plus Hart and KCP or Zubak then maybe it’s worth it. Fire the coach in the offseason, trade ibaka, start the rebuild.

[CoachJReturns]

This team needs to add pieces, not trade the best talent we have ever had.

It's great that we are testing Kawhi, but there is a disconnect out there which is the by product of having your two best players missing so much time.

Pascal has barely missed any time, only Kawhi has missed some?!?

JV? Was he our best anything?

Rebounder. Also our most efficient scorer I think, just ahead of Pascal.

[TheAlchemist]

**** dumbass knee jerk reaction, lol, the east is wide open and we have the playoff experience to win and make the NBA finals. First we have to be healthy, second we have to find the right lineup and shorten our bench. The playoff is all about overcoming pressure, we have players on this team that's been there and knows how to win. We not trading of selling anything this season, we commit Ed to see this thing till the end, whether Kawh is here next year is irrelevant, now stop with that bull, it's embarrassing.

You know what wouldn't be a dumbass knee jerk reaction?

When we lose our one year rental , lose in the second round or the eastern conference finals, and start a team that will fight for the 7th to 8th seed next year.

It's time to be realistic.

When it comes to the playoffs, are team really does not have the chemistry or integrity to win enough to persuade Kawhi.

Why not play both LA teams against each other, get the most assets we can from them, and commit to a real rebuild?

We do not have players, other then Kawhi and Danny Green, who have been there and know how to win. Our team was known as chokers, now we have chokers plus some of San Antonio. It just doesn't seem palatable.

Your hopeless negative thinking is just plain stupid, there's only one team this year in the West that is almost guaranteed to win it all. Yes we have hit our bumps but it's still the REGULAR season. If we somehow trade Kawhi this season for scraps then will those scraps get us to the finals? No guarantee of that happening, **** your reset strategy it's all in this season, if we add more pieces while giving up some then so be it. Thia is the year to make it happen, if we lose this season so be it, of we lose Kawhi next year so be it, let the chips fall as they may, enough with the loser mentality.

There's a lot of hate coming from your post.

Think logically, not with the prejudice that I'm negative.

At this point to me, it's sunk cost.

Kawhi doesn't look like he's re-signing. We don't have a second option. Locker room chemistry is really different then years prior, and our offensive defensive system isn't as great as years past.

What if instead of losing Kawhi for nothing, for a potential second or third round exit, we receive better assets?

A Shai Alexander?

Kuzma/Ingram?

Throw in our expiring vets this year and next, and we have a young budding roster that already had playoff experience.

Building around a Pascal-Kuzma-Ingram-FVV lineup is not a bad start to building a solid contender.

Its not something crazy I'm proposing. In fact a lot of analysts said if Kawhi doesn't re-sign, Toronto can still pull a great deal at the deadline.

[TheAlchemist]

Most threads on this forum are reaction threads and I can't see how this one is any different. Sorry OP.

If this thread was created after a win then maybe you have my attention but it's all too predictable right now.

Just a reminder that at the beginning of the season when most people were polled it was revealed that the Raps would likely win less games but it was deemed ok because it's all about the post season.

The shrewd move is actually sticking with the original decision until the end because it's not about saving your ass by playing scared , it's about living with the pot choices at the poker table.

We have the chance to enter the post season with a genuine mvp calibre player for the first time since Vince and with a much more talented roster. You don't throw that away - scared or not.

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Hey I love Peterson. Amazing dude. If you are Peterson you win, just cause you're Peterson and awesome. Lol.