Spurs open to trading Kawhi to Lakers

[Traderwest]

How many Lakers big contracts left after dealing Ingram, Kuzma, Ball and Deng to Spurs?

[infinite11285]

Obligatory

[Luigi]

Spurs are making this trade like a public tender. Put your best bid package forward. Anyone that doesn’t make the top 2 is out of the running form further conversation. That looks like what the spurs are trying to convey. They can’t lose that way.

They can lose that way.

Leonard's statement that he won't resign anywhere but LA means offers from other teams are going to be offers for a 1 year rental. They will be smaller.

The Lakers offer will be bigger early in the summer. It will be smaller if they aren't able to sign free agents.

So the Spurs might miss out of the best offer they can expect. They should move now. Or else try to repair things?

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[Traderwest]

Boogie has a better chance than Klay

[BlaugranaCule07]

It will be funny when all the Spurs band wagoners leave after they’re garbage for the future without Pop

[aznsk91]

a lot of these reports/rumors are false/fabricated/or exaggerated. the others are agenda driven, leaked by the organizations to the reporters, to control the narrative. looks like spurs obviously leaked the initial report about the lakers being 'desperate', and now this second leak opened up the possibility of a laker deal, most likely because in reality they were being low-balled by the Sixers/celtics. or of course this report could be entirely bogus

[Edug27]

All depends on what their goal here is..

If it’s to get the best possible return, then you have to go through the Lakers since Kawhi can scare all other teams away.

If it’s to not help the Lakers and not grant Kawhi his wishes, then you find the best return elsewhere.

All depends on how petty SA wants to be with this.

[LastNameEver]

Both sides win with this. Here are the factors:

1. Leonard puts pressure on by saying he won't resign with anyone but the Lakers, so it's one year rental offers from elsewhere else, which are small. The Lakers' offer is probably bigger.
2. Lakers are motivated to get Leonard quickly. Their FA clock is ticking soon. If they get Leonard early, Lebron and P. George make their decisions, they could net all 3. This forces the Lakers to make a real offer now, but a smaller one at the trade deadline.
3. Spurs can hold out. But if the Spurs hold out too long, they will probably get a half hearted year out of Leonard, where he looks after his own interests anyway (rehab, knocking off the rust, not playing for the team). They can hold out a few more weeks and ruin the Lakers' free agency this summer if they want. This gives them some leverage. And the sign and trade contract is much bigger. This is their other form of leverage.

In this setup, I think it's clear that the best case for all parties is for the Lakers to make a legit offer (2 of their young stars + 1 pick instead of trying to hold onto either Kuzma or Ingram) and for the Spurs to take it.

Everyone loses if it doesn't work out: Lakers will strike out this summer. Spurs will get a deflated Leonard for a year. And Leonard will lose another year.

Everyone wins if it does work out: Lakers get star power and try to contend. Spurs get assets. Leonard gets to play where he wants.

Calling Ingram and Kuzma young stars is really exaggerating. They're both neg RPM guys putting up inflated numbers on a trash Lakers teams. Clarkson and Nance Jr were exposed when they actually had to play on a good team. Expect the same for losers like Ingram and Kuz. WIthout any decent picks, Lakers have no credible assets.

In a vacuum these guys are all mediocre to barely salvagable..with Ball being the least appealing piece (35, 30, 45 %, his dad etc.). Lakers brass have done a good job of selling "upside".

Im surprised to even see Hart thrown in these convos, like hes supposed to be a stud.

When you think about it, you should be ecstatic to give this crap away for a top 3 player.

[Kurosawa0]

It will be funny when all the Spurs band wagoners leave after they’re garbage for the future without Pop

I'm not a Spurs fan, but let's not act like the Lakers haven't been the capitol of bandwagon fans in the NBA. Hell, half the Warriors fans came over because the Lakers have been bad.

[ReaLiez]

Feels like LBJ orchestrated this whole thing. Get the Cavs to get all of the crappy contracts from LA and then go to LA in the off-season with Kawhi who will demand a trade to the same Lakers.

[druggas]

Everyone is good at negotiating. This is just part of the process.

[r0drig0lac]

Makes sense. That trade him only to the Eastern conference thing sounded like a non-Spurs type of thing to do. They just don't seem like a team that makes decisions based on emotion and pettiness. You take the best offer available regardless of conference/rivalry/etc.

unless the player in question has preferred to be out for half of the season (even released by the team doctors) and as soon as the season is over he suddenly tells the league that besides being completely healthy, wants to leave his team (decreasing the value in a possible trade) and go out to play by just one team (further decreasing their value), then the only thing any reasonable person would do would be not trade the player with the team in question

[Luigi]

Both sides win with this. Here are the factors:

1. Leonard puts pressure on by saying he won't resign with anyone but the Lakers, so it's one year rental offers from elsewhere else, which are small. The Lakers' offer is probably bigger.
2. Lakers are motivated to get Leonard quickly. Their FA clock is ticking soon. If they get Leonard early, Lebron and P. George make their decisions, they could net all 3. This forces the Lakers to make a real offer now, but a smaller one at the trade deadline.
3. Spurs can hold out. But if the Spurs hold out too long, they will probably get a half hearted year out of Leonard, where he looks after his own interests anyway (rehab, knocking off the rust, not playing for the team). They can hold out a few more weeks and ruin the Lakers' free agency this summer if they want. This gives them some leverage. And the sign and trade contract is much bigger. This is their other form of leverage.

In this setup, I think it's clear that the best case for all parties is for the Lakers to make a legit offer (2 of their young stars + 1 pick instead of trying to hold onto either Kuzma or Ingram) and for the Spurs to take it.

Everyone loses if it doesn't work out: Lakers will strike out this summer. Spurs will get a deflated Leonard for a year. And Leonard will lose another year.

Everyone wins if it does work out: Lakers get star power and try to contend. Spurs get assets. Leonard gets to play where he wants.

Calling Ingram and Kuzma young stars is really exaggerating. They're both neg RPM guys putting up inflated numbers on a trash Lakers teams. Clarkson and Nance Jr were exposed when they actually had to play on a good team. Expect the same for losers like Ingram and Kuz. WIthout any decent picks, Lakers have no credible assets.

In a vacuum these guys are all mediocre to barely salvagable..with Ball being the least appealing piece (35, 30, 45 %, his dad etc.). Lakers brass have done a good job of selling "upside".

Im surprised to even see Hart thrown in these convos, like hes supposed to be a stud.

When you think about it, you should be ecstatic to give this crap away for a top 3 player.

I think it's gotta be both Ingram and Kuzma + a 1st. They are mediocre to good, and they could get better. SAS leaks they have no interest in Ball. Hart is on the table if they'd rather.

They aren't great, but they're assets. What more can you get for Leonard after he says he's only resigning with the Lakers?

[DROB27]

It will be funny when all the Spurs band wagoners leave after they’re garbage for the future without Pop

Funny how you’re a lakers and Yankees fan. classic bandwagoner right here lol.

[king_james_vers]

Makes sense. That trade him only to the Eastern conference thing sounded like a non-Spurs type of thing to do. They just don't seem like a team that makes decisions based on emotion and pettiness. You take the best offer available regardless of conference/rivalry/etc.

The Spurs are kinda screwed. Kawhi has already stated his intention of going to LA if he reaches FA in 2019. While other teams can clearly make stronger offers (Philly, Boston), they're not going to give up a king's ransom for only one year of Kawhi, only to watch him bolt to LA next offseason. So, other teams being able to make a stronger offer is kind of a moot point.

I think a trade to LA will happen. LA will give up fair value, but I don't think they will get bent over by San Antonio. It's a shame how this has went down -- the Spurs don't deserve this.

Take a look at how the Kyrie Irving deal went down. Does anyone think the Cavaliers got fair value for Irving?

[Kurosawa0]

Lebron will never Surpass Jordan ..

This will literally be the third super team he had to create .

You say this like it's supposed to be a knock on LeBron. I think it says more about the two eras. LeBron's had to build "super teams" to win because of the league is better now than it was during the 90's (especially the late 90's). Jordan didn't have to face teams like the Warriors or the KG-Pierce-Allen-Rondo teams. Well, he did, but it was during the 80's and they sent Jordan home every year.

[reload141]

I love how I keep reading that the Lakers don’t have a competitive package to offer

I can’t wait until the “real” offseason starts

Agreed, they can put a good offer on the table and get it done.

I also love the "Lakers are BACK!!"

When they haven't even landed anyone yet

[TommyPoints]

Obligatory

Everybody looks dumb in a Lakers uniform. Not sure what it is.

[king_james_vers]

Makes sense. That trade him only to the Eastern conference thing sounded like a non-Spurs type of thing to do. They just don't seem like a team that makes decisions based on emotion and pettiness. You take the best offer available regardless of conference/rivalry/etc.

unless the player in question has preferred to be out for half of the season (even released by the team doctors) and as soon as the season is over he suddenly tells the league that besides being completely healthy, wants to leave his team (decreasing the value in a possible trade) and go out to play by just one team (further decreasing their value), then the only thing any reasonable person would do would be not trade the player with the team in question

I think it's a similar dilemma to what the Cavs had with Kyrie Irving. Irving said he wanted a trade. The Cavs didn't want to trade him. Irving threatened that if his demands weren't met, he'd get knee surgery and miss most/all of the season.

What if Kawhi issues a similar threat? What if he says, "if you don't trade me, I'm going to get surgery"? Or, "an independent doctor told me it's in my best interest to sit out this season, wink-wink, nudge-nudge".

I get that you don't want to trade the player if you're not getting fair value... but keeping around an unhappy player -- especially one that has already demonstrably protested by missing half a season -- isn't really any better. Kawhi isn't just yapping, he's actually walked the walk and followed through.

[r0drig0lac]

It will be funny when all the Spurs band wagoners leave after they’re garbage for the future without Pop

use one of his 33 posts in this "real" account to unnecessarily beat fans one of the most regular franchises in league history (only 4 times out of the playoffs, highest% of wins in history and more wins than losses on ALL franchises in the league) should be a slow day in barcelona