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

[TheAlchemist]

This isn't really a knee-jerk reaction thread, although we just got beaten pretty badly by Miluwakee.

But coming into this season, we took a gamble, put all our eggs into one basket, to woo a superstar to stay on our team.

It worked to some degree and we really have been one of the best teams in the league until recently.

But a couple things have become crystal clear;

#1. We lack a really defined second option. This can go into two parts, the decline of Kyle Lowry and the gap Pascal Siakim/Ibaka have to becoming a legitimate #2 option. On top of that, our offensive system has not really integrated both Lowry and Kawhi together at all.

All the time off between the two, has made things kind of awkward if anything. Lowry not dominating as usual, Kawhi isolating a lot and not passing as much.

It kind of shows that Kawhi does not want to really integrate as much with the team, as he lacks in the facilitating department.

#2. Kawhi looks like he will not re-sign. Say what you want about the new house, say what you want about the non commitment, but we really have not had ANY indication that Kawhi wants to stay. He wears his own branding wherever he goes and doesn't show the team spirit a player should at all.

Listening to even Danny Green talk about Kawhi buying a house in SoCal, you can get the sense that Kawhi doesn't want to live here for most of the season.

I'm pretty much guranteed that he will bolt.


#3. We lack the star or firepower to make the eastern conference finals. Say what you want, but we really have no star power, system, second option or even been playing like a powerhouse team.

and IF these facts are true, we really should sell at the deadline. Not only Kawhi, we should sell everyone.

We only have one season to "woo" this guy, and if we aren't dominating or have a great team to begin with, I hardly doubt we will re-sign him.

A shrewd general manager would see this very clearly, and stockpile assets. We can use the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes as leverage to get what we want.

If LA is being shutout for Anthony Davis, why not send that same package they where for Anthony Davis, and use it to get Kawhi? Hell they can sign someone in the off-season and make a great team for themselves.

Want Kyle Lowry as a 1.5 year rental? or Ibaka? Send us some decent assets.

Danny Green is expiring. Send a crappy contract and a first rounder, we'll take it.

THE POINT of this post is ; We have a chance of having a sustainable championship caliber team, if we leverage our assets this year

And the possibility of being sellers should really not be dismissed as hearsay.

[Raps in 4]

We need to pick a direction and **** commit to it.

Either trade Kawhi and hit the reset button now or trade for a second option and go all in.

[RaptorsLife]

This is absolutely pathetic. Like it’s draining to watch

Kawhi and Lowry have 0 chemistry

Kawhi got 1 foot in LA

Ibaka dumb as rocks

OG abs fvv regressed

Lowry has fallen off a cliff

Siakam only bright spot

[Scott Hall]

We need to pick a direction and **** commit to it.

Either trade Kawhi and hit the reset button now or trade for a second option and go all in.

Yeah I'm tired of the Fools Gold era we need to go all in or do a proper rebuild

[TrustFundBaby]

I'm frustrated too but this is a huge overreaction

First, MIL needs to actually win a playoff series before we crown them East champs

Second, we can still make moves, like buyout candidates or a trade For players like Mitotic

We have a chance at the finals, It's best to just go for it.

If he walks he walks

[rotty]

we would have gotten a better return if we traded him in october... there is no point in trading him now.

Masai could still shake up the peices around kawhi and still have a shot at the finals. seems unlikely

[TheAlchemist]

We need to pick a direction and **** commit to it.

Either trade Kawhi and hit the reset button now or trade for a second option and go all in.

I agree, and judging by the looks of things, it's much more reasonable and shrewd to hit the reset button now then later.

Nobody should be safe

And hey, maybe we where losing in a lot of those playoff games , not only because we lacked a #1 option in Derozan. But maybe we lacked a real #2 as well?

Getting a package of Kuzma, Ingram , and picks would be an incredible start to the Pascal Siakim raptors.

If we go the other way, trade Siakim for a #2 option, who's to say that Kawhi would even re-sign?

And then we'd be stuck in rebuild mode or no mans land for a while.

[Ado05]

Dark times await us.

[C_Money]

Holy f*** were not trading Kawhi at the deadline, do you know how stupid that would be?

[TheAlchemist]

we would have gotten a better return if we traded him in october... there is no point in trading him now.

Masai could still shake up the peices around kawhi and still have a shot at the finals. seems unlikely

No not really.

Lebrons years are going by extremely fast. Judging by this whole Rich Paul / Anthony Davis stunt, it looks like we can leverage the Lakers to send out the assets for us.

New Orleans isn't picking up LA's phone.

Why not give the Lakers a different path and say hey, we won't ask EVERYTHING that New Orleans would but give us 70% of what you would, and we're happy with that.

Hell a Kuzma/Ingram package would be amazing for Derozan

[Lucky 24]

This is absolutely pathetic. Like it’s draining to watch

Kawhi and Lowry have 0 chemistry

Kawhi got 1 foot in LA

Ibaka dumb as rocks

OG abs fvv regressed

Lowry has fallen off a cliff

Siakam only bright spot

Kawhi is on pace to have the best single season in Raptors and just had 22 straight 20+ games snapped. Pretty amazing for having "1 foot in LA". Relax, the team is going through some of the mid season lull but will get it together. All the best teams go through them. We have too much talent and JV will definitely help things even further.

[S ID]

I'm sure some people will say you sound ridiculous but the Raptors are 17-12 since starting 20-4.

They've been mediocre for 2 months now.

If we go past the deadline without some sort of a shake up this team is doomed for another 2nd round flame out

[TheAlchemist]

Holy f*** were not trading Kawhi at the deadline, do you know how stupid that would be?

You do know that the Clippers are BRAGGING that they have Kawhi in the bag already?

Word for Word quoting Zach lowe about the Bragging.

There's no ego in business, we make the best move possible with the cards in front of us.

Nothing wrong with saying hey, we tried to build with Kawhi, we don't have enough to persuade him to stay, lets save face and see what we can get.

Ainge traded Garnett and Pierce, and i'm sure at that time everyone thought it was stupid or disloyal to do that.

Today he can grab Grab Anthony Davis on top of Kyrie.

And it's not only about Kawhi, but we can get a lot of pieces back for Green, Lowry, Ibaka and Jonas.

[rotty]

we would have gotten a better return if we traded him in october... there is no point in trading him now.

Masai could still shake up the peices around kawhi and still have a shot at the finals. seems unlikely

No not really.

Lebrons years are going by extremely fast. Judging by this whole Rich Paul / Anthony Davis stunt, it looks like we can leverage the Lakers to send out the assets for us.

New Orleans isn't picking up LA's phone.

Why not give the Lakers a different path and say hey, we won't ask EVERYTHING that New Orleans would but give us 70% of what you would, and we're happy with that.

Hell a Kuzma/Ingram package would be amazing for Derozan

According to latest reports the pelicans are talking with the lakers. I do get your point but it seems like Masai isnt even close to thinking about doing this

[Tha Cynic]

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.

[Basketball_Jones]

I think the chemistry thing is overblown. Kyle isn’t good with Leonard because he can’t shoot for ****.

[RaptorsLife]

This is absolutely pathetic. Like it’s draining to watch

Kawhi and Lowry have 0 chemistry

Kawhi got 1 foot in LA

Ibaka dumb as rocks

OG abs fvv regressed

Lowry has fallen off a cliff

Siakam only bright spot

Kawhi is on pace to have the best single season in Raptors and just had 22 straight 20+ games snapped. Pretty amazing for having "1 foot in LA". Relax, the team is going through some of the mid season lull but will get it together. All the best teams go through them. We have too much talent and JV will definitely help things even further.

I love you tried to fit the narrative that I said kawhi was trash

Kawhi defense is definitely not the same as it was in spurs

The raptors started 20-4 now 17-12. I think I’m leaning towards were the latter team with the point differential we have

This is a 2nd round exit

[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.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

Lol with the most wins still at the all star break, you want to just bring the party to a halt?

I don’t think that has ever happened at the trade deadline. Kawhi is stuck with us. People will just wait to get him rather than lose assets for nothing at this point and time.

[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.