How Come Buford and Gregg Popovich Get a Pass for Blowing the Kawhi Leonard Trade?

[DoctorX]

better than Derozan lol, Ingram already accomplished something DD could only fantasize bout, shot 40% from 3s oh yeah an all star in the west at 23, while DD wouldn't even sniff a skills contest invite

Yes great achievement by Ingram and he still couldn't lead his team to the playoffs which is the definition of an empty stat player.

sure but he hasnt gotten paid till now, while dd.is an empty stat man getting nearly 30M and now spurs have to decide if they want to pay him an extension

Spurs are not going to give Demar an extension. They refused to give him an extension this year when he requested it. He's in SA until next season and that's the end.

[Dr Aki]

5 rings

Phil Jackson has 11 rings and no one gave him a pass for his Knicks' time.

Michael Jordan is Michael Jordan and doesn't get a pass for his moves in Charlotte.

I can see your point for Spurs' fans, but it seems like Pop gets a universal pass.

They have 5 rings as executive and coach combo.

Phil didn't get any as an executive. Only as a coach.

[bronxknicksfan1]

And I’m pretty sure the Lakers threw everything and the kitchen sink at AD because they lost out on Kawhi by not doing that. So why even complain about this as a Lakers fan?

[G R E Y]

They get a pass from me for not trading with the Lakers. Kawhi didn't deserve to be there after tanking his value and sabotaging the Spurs title hopes by sitting out a year and refusing to communicate with them.

Secondly the Lakers were not offering the same deal they were offering the Pelicans for Davis. I will also say I'm not amazed by Ingram. To me he is an empty stat player that can't win you games. There are plenty of them throughout the league. So I don't care about missing out on him.

Spur screwed up in my eyes not trading Kawhi during the trade deadline of 2018 when they could have gotten Tatum and Jaylen Brown for him. I have heard the Celtics offered both for him around January of 2018. That was a mistake by RC and Pop for not pursuing that trade.

Thirdly I don't get why Laker fans continue to complain about the Spurs not trading Kawhi to them. You just won a god damn title and are still complaining about not getting Kawhi. To me that's just ludicrous. What did you want a super team of Davis,Kawhi,Lebron?

It has nothing to do with that. Obviously I'm elated the Lakers didn't get Kawhi because they ended up getting AD.

This is more about exposing bias and just wondering why Popovich gets a pass.

Even Phil Jackson didn't get a pass for his failures with the Knicks.

Just calling a spade a spade. Pop should be focused on making the best move possible for the Spurs, period. Not trying to not help the Lakers or not help Kawhi.

How was it a great move for the Spurs? Ingram is an empty stat player like Derozan? I don't see how he would made the Spurs any better than what Derozan did. Like I said before the move I'm upset with Pop not doing was the Tatum/Brown for Kawhi deal. That trade would have helped out the Spurs tremendously.

Agree that would have been the best of the lot, though I heard it was either Tatum or Brown, with the latter being far more likely because Ainge couldn't get assurances that #2 would commit to staying.

The bigger issue was that PATFO were hoodwinked into believing #2 could somehow stay. #2 and his group knew full well by the Feb deadline they were gonzo, but couldn't say anything because they had less leverage in where he would go - a bigger package could've been had by the Spurs if #2 had a year and a half left on his contract. They knew what they were doing in ghosting team officials since AUGUST of 2017 in the promotional tour in China - way before any medical issues arose. So, hindsight is what it is, and I'm sure PATFO would've done what was best for the team then had they known what we know now. But I still like the deal we managed to make under the circumstances.

[Boarder Patrol]

The Spurs FO has been making some questionable moves for a while now. They’ve got some interesting prospects but last five years have mostly just been the send offs and comedown from the last era.

[Bornstellar]

Spurs own fans don't give them a pass at all trust me, we know what an awful deal it was

[DoctorX]

And I’m pretty sure the Lakers threw everything and the kitchen sink at AD because they lost out on Kawhi by not doing that. So why even complain about this as a Lakers fan?

It's because they wanted a super team of Lebron-Kawhi-Davis which would have ensured them a dynasty. Sure they are the favorites to win it all this upcoming season but they are still beatable. A super team of Kawhi-Davis-Lebron would have made them unbeatable. They are just greedy and want to be as stacked as possible.

[DoctorX]

Spurs own fans don't give them a pass at all trust me, we know what an awful deal it was

Agreed. Personally I wanted them to keep Kawhi and force him to play out the final year of his contract even if he was going to bolt. At least make him sweat bullets like Fertita is doing with Harden/Westbrook.

[G R E Y]

yea im sure you're more happy that tor got a ring lol, every one knew Derozen wasnt a real star, even their own fan base knew this

I didn't enjoy Kawhi winning. I wanted him to fail and it sucked to see him succeed but it would have been much more painful if he won with the Lakers.

you do realize clippers offered their 2 lotto picks that yr as well right? one which turned into Alexander who looks to have a brighter future than DD too

You may be being narrowly focused to try to win your point, but you're missing bigger picture. It's not about DeRozan vs. whoever. The Spurs sought and All Star, a prospect, and a pick. LAC's offer was Tobias Harris whose contract would have been done after that one year, and two first rounders. Harris, mind you, was not an All Star. Also, it's kind of strange how he's bounced around the league so often. There was also no prospect offered. Whether you think the picks offset anything misses the point that this is NOT what the Spurs sought.

DD's contract length was just right, long enough to stabilize things and be a good vet presence, short enough to end in 2021. Jakob is the prospect, filling a need at D and C. Keldon Johnson - this is the pick comparison you should be making to Alexander, not DD - is already all kinds of awesome for us.

A lot of this thread like many others about this topic is simply either wish fulfillment, some 2K GM mode, or flat out misinformation.

I can't help but be amused at the first two, but as to the last point, this is the simple fact: Spurs sought All Star, a prospect, and a pick because we do deals for the benefit of the present and the future. ONE team fulfilled it. That's it.

[jptremblay]

One of the worst trades of the last 10 years...they traded a top 5 player and a good role player for an empty stats guy with a bad contract that put them in a treadmill situation. Sorry but adding Poetl and a late first round pick doesn't make that trade look any better.

[Ckay]

Pop still salty about the Pau Gasol trade.

[DoctorX]

One of the worst trades of the last 10 years...they traded a top 5 player and a good role player for an empty stats guy with a bad contract that put them in a treadmill situation. Sorry but adding Poetl and a late first round pick doesn't make that trade look any better.

I agree. Unfortunately Kawhi sabotaged his value and also sent out feelers to the rest of the league that he was going to one of the LA teams once his contract was up. It was a bitch move by Kawhi which derailed the Spurs chances of getting a good deal.

[nikster]

Why would they be any better with the Lakers trade? They'd get ingram whos max contract may stick them in mediocrity anyway. So a couple mediocre young roleplayers, and some future late 1st round picks.

I don't blame them for trying to keep the playoff streak alive.

[jimmy keys]

Meh. The Lakers offer was **** anyways. Ingram with a blood clot issue + some role players and late picks isn't moving the needle. New Orleans should've done the same.

[DoctorX]

Meh. The Lakers offer was **** anyways. Ingram with a blood clot issue + some role players and late picks isn't moving the needle. New Orleans should've done the same.

Agreed. Pelicans got ripped off. The picks they are going to get from the Lakers are going to be late first round picks if Davis/Lebron stay healthy. Also their future success really depends on Zion more so then Ingram. If Zion is not health then they are not going to be a playoff team.

[VanWest82]

Someone prove to me that Ingram is a better player than Derozan. I'll take cases that don't even consider the blood clot.

[G R E Y]

One of the worst trades of the last 10 years...they traded a top 5 player and a good role player for an empty stats guy with a bad contract that put them in a treadmill situation. Sorry but adding Poetl and a late first round pick doesn't make that trade look any better.

Why not? The Spurs themselves are happy with the trade. What alternatives on the table were better given the All Star, prospect, pick parameters? DD's coming off the books, Jakob is very valuable defensively for us, and Keldon Johnson is the pick. He's going to be another one of those 'Damn it, Spurs got another one' players. The point here is that people are too quick to let the effects of a deal play out. It takes time to see what that pick can become, how Jakob can help, what we do with the cap space in 2021. These types of pronouncements don't come with viable alternatives given the reality of the parameters sought in the trade. So what do you suggest would have been better and why?

[John Murdoch]

Its true , theyre FO made more of a emotional transaction than a business transaction . It sux for them but it is what it is

[Phreak50]

Would I have preferred Ingram over Demar in the long run? Probably yeah.

But I'm proud of the franchise for not giving in to yet another sulking superstar who quit on the team and demanded a trade.

[G R E Y]

Why would they be any better with the Lakers trade? They'd get ingram whos max contract may stick them in mediocrity anyway. So a couple mediocre young roleplayers, and some future late 1st round picks.

I don't blame them for trying to keep the playoff streak alive.

PLUS the privilege of Deng's albatross contract, STILL on the the Lakers' ledger.