Clippers Reached Out To Rockets On James Harden Trade

Post #1 » by **RealGM Wiretap** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 2:57 pm

The Los Angeles Clippers inquired about the availability of James Harden as they pursued a second star to pair with Kawhi Leonard. The Houston Rockets told the Clippers that Harden wasn't available.

The Clippers also reached out to the Washington Wizards about Bradley Beal before eventually acquiring Paul George.

Leonard also reached out to Jimmy Butler and Kevin Durant about teaming up with the Clippers before they made their own free agency decisions.

Via Jovan Buha, Sam Amick/The Athletic

TacoLord · Post #2 » by **TacoLord** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 3:34 pm

Why didn't they want their franchise hero CP3?

Andrew_M08 · Post #3 » by **Andrew_M08** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 3:57 pm

Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

XtremeDunkz · Post #4 » by **XtremeDunkz** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:03 pm

Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Leonard proved just a couple months ago that he can do it himself.

Meatcookie · Post #5 » by **Meatcookie** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:04 pm

Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

1. Kawhi didn't do this, the Clippers did.

2. Kawhi already won without a super team.

GaaBaaBoo · Post #6 » by **GaaBaaBoo** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:27 pm

Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

You must be a Bron hater

nikster · Post #7 » by **nikster** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:46 pm

XtremeDunkz wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Leonard proved just a couple months ago that he can do it himself.

Umm Leonard has a supporting cast on par with some of Lebrons. Raptors were a 58 win team the year before, just because he didn’t have a big name beside him doesn’t mean he did it himself. Plus his biggest competition to the title had their best player out with another all star missing time too

hyberx · Post #8 » by **hyberx** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:02 pm

Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Not only Kawhi won it by himself, he recruited and got one allstar to join him while LeMe needed two for both of his super teams yet still lost more often than not in the Final while playing in the minor league aka East.

br7knicks · Post #9 » by **br7knicks** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:04 pm

XtremeDunkz wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Leonard proved just a couple months ago that he can do it himself.

He's trolling.

Anybody who knows a tiny bit about basketball would never compare what LeBron needs to do to win, versus what kawhi did.

LeBron worked it out with his friends prior to it happening. Kawhi didn't. That's why he didn't choose LAL. He knows he can do it on his own, whereas lebrong hasn't, can't, and won't do anything like that. LeBron isn't strong enough to have some what kawhi did.

Post #10 » by **zimpy27** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:08 pm

Meatcookie wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

1. Kawhi didn't do this, the Clippers did.

2. Kawhi already won without a super team.

Kawhi definitely did it. You'd have to be extremely naive to think otherwise.

Stubby · Post #11 » by **Stubby** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:08 pm

XtremeDunkz wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Leonard proved just a couple months ago that he can do it himself.

Toronto Raptors not Raptor. It was a team effort out there. Put some respect on the the rest of the squad cause they are champions too. Sure, kawhi was a huge part of the success but he wasn't going to win it without the other guys fulfilling their roles and allowing kawhi to play his own game.

BallerTalk · Post #12 » by **BallerTalk** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:28 pm

Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Fair question.
Don't expect a lot of fair responses though.

It's the honeymoon phase for Kawhi.

Sam195 · Post #13 » by **Sam195** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:29 pm

nikster wrote:
XtremeDunkz wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Leonard proved just a couple months ago that he can do it himself.

Umm Leonard has a supporting cast on par with some of Lebrons. Raptors were a 58 win team the year before, just because he didn’t have a big name beside him doesn’t mean he did it himself. Plus his biggest competition to the title had their best player out with another all star missing time too

You high Toronto is in another country. They have an unfair homecourt advantage because when players go there for road games they get frustrated with the weather, the currency, customs and the high sales taxes which lowers team morale and they just lose in Toronto. Add to that like NY/LA there is a lit night life and guys end up getting drunk and playing hung over. Weed is also legal in Canada and Prostitution is less frown upon. I have been saying for years that Toronto's homecourt is the best it is better than Denver/Utah's altitude and thin air advantage. Toronto for its existence has had great regular seasons with subpar rosters that get exposed in the playoffs this goes way back to the Vince Carter days. It is because players and teams visiting Toronto tend to write off the games there like it is a practice due to all the external factors. It is also some of the reasons stars like Kawhi bolt first chance they get even if they lead the team to a title.

arasu · Post #14 » by **arasu** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:42 pm

zimpy27 wrote:
Meatcookie wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

1. Kawhi didn't do this, the Clippers did.

2. Kawhi already won without a super team.

Kawhi definitely did it. You'd have to be extremely naive to think otherwise.

To be fair, the article is about what the Clippers did. That said, there is a clear and extreme bias against LeBron that Kawhi isn't experiencing. Both LeBron and Kawhi supposedly contacted a player signed to another team to have him ask to be traded to another team, and the team those players were ultimately traded to appear to have been colluding on the process. The extreme hate and calls for punishment for LeBron and his team compared to almost none for Kawhi or the Clippers shows there's at least a strong bias. Of course, Kawhi was a free agent, so that would be the excuse for why it's not the same.

tor1234567 · Post #15 » by **tor1234567** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:44 pm

Meatcookie wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

1. Kawhi didn't do this, the Clippers did.

2. Kawhi already won without a super team.

1. Kawhi absolutely did this. Kawhi personally reached out to Butler, Irving, Durant, and George to join him in LA. He even reached out while he was still playing in the Finals with the Raptors.

2. Well, the Raptors were no slouch team. They were a 59-win team, but in desperate need of a playoff performing All-star (which DeRozan is not). They are an elite defensive squad with three point shooting at every position (and Siakam is definitely an All-star).

Swapping out DeRozan with Kawhi and Green put them over the top. This was essentially the ideal team built around Kawhi. LeBron would have won the title with Toronto too, if he swapped roles with Kawhi in Toronto last season.

tor1234567 · Post #16 » by **tor1234567** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:48 pm

arasu wrote:
zimpy27 wrote:
Meatcookie wrote:
1. Kawhi didn't do this, the Clippers did.

2. Kawhi already won without a super team.

Kawhi definitely did it. You'd have to be extremely naive to think otherwise.

To be fair, the article is about what the Clippers did. That said, there is a clear and extreme bias against LeBron that Kawhi isn't experiencing. Both LeBron and Kawhi supposedly contacted a player signed to another team to have him ask to be traded to another team, and the team those players were ultimately traded to appear to have been colluding on the process. The extreme hate and calls for punishment for LeBron and his team compared to almost none for Kawhi or the Clippers shows there's at least a strong bias. Of course, Kawhi was a free agent, so that would be the excuse for why it's not the same.

Kawhi's introverted personality is why he avoids the fallout.

He doesn't say much, so nothing can really be taken out of context or used against him. LeBron is more open and his ego and cockiness is on full display. Kawhi has an ego too, but people just don't get exposed to it.

Nutty Nats Fan · Post #17 » by **Nutty Nats Fan** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:30 pm

tor1234567 wrote:
arasu wrote:
zimpy27 wrote:
Kawhi definitely did it. You'd have to be extremely naive to think otherwise.

To be fair, the article is about what the Clippers did. That said, there is a clear and extreme bias against LeBron that Kawhi isn't experiencing. Both LeBron and Kawhi supposedly contacted a player signed to another team to have him ask to be traded to another team, and the team those players were ultimately traded to appear to have been colluding on the process. The extreme hate and calls for punishment for LeBron and his team compared to almost none for Kawhi or the Clippers shows there's at least a strong bias. Of course, Kawhi was a free agent, so that would be the excuse for why it's not the same.

Kawhi's introverted personality is why he avoids the fallout.

He doesn't say much, so nothing can really be taken out of context or used against him. LeBron is more open and his ego and cockiness is on full display. Kawhi has an ego too, but people just don't get exposed to it.

I agree with this, Lebron put a target on his back with his over the top actions. Calling himself King. A TV special to announce his decision. The not 1, not 2, not 3, etc..

But Kawhi had also won a title with the Spurs, then won one with the Raptors. Lebron had to go team up with two other top players, to get his first ring and did it dramatically. So it makes sense they are viewed differently.

Adam Stern · Post #18 » by **Adam Stern** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:36 pm

I'm guessing that was an extremely short conversation.

IAMZOOTED2 · Post #19 » by **IAMZOOTED2** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:33 pm

Stubby wrote:
XtremeDunkz wrote:
Andrew_M08 wrote:Why can Kawhi Leonard do this and nobody cares, yet when LeBron does it, he "can't win without super teams" and "ruined the NBA"?

Leonard proved just a couple months ago that he can do it himself.

Toronto Raptors not Raptor. It was a team effort out there. Put some respect on the the rest of the squad cause they are champions too. Sure, kawhi was a huge part of the success but he wasn't going to win it without the other guys fulfilling their roles and allowing kawhi to play his own game.

Straight up facts right there. Kawhi would tell you the same damn thing, too. Plus without THAT SPECIFIC squad of Raps, he don't get the chip. VanVleezy, Iblaka, and Spicy P the Cameroonean Don... Shoot, even big Norm! Without them, no dice

Post #20 » by **Slava** » Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:41 pm

Kawhi was pretty much the guy drunk texting all his tinder matches at 4 AM. :lol: