Woj: Kawhi still leaning towards Clippers, Raptors have a lot of work to do still

MikeM · Post #61 » by **MikeM** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:28 pm

The Raptors have done all the work. It only comes down to whether Kawhi wants to live in LA over everything else. There is literally no more work out there to complete. It's the off-season.

Mikistan · Post #62 » by **Mikistan** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:29 pm

Lmao woj, yeah and the wizards making an offer too

Clown is making **** up

mtcan · Post #63 » by **mtcan** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:30 pm

At this point the logical thing to do is to sign a 1+1 and run it back for at least 1 more season to see if you can repeat or exceed the success of this season. It is a minimal risk situation. Since there is so much uncertainty in the free agent market now with KD and Klay injured and out for most of if not all of the next season...it makes sense to see where the dominoes fall in preparation for next summer when more is set in stone.

HEKTOR · Post #64 » by **HEKTOR** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:32 pm

Who really cares about these reports? They are just guesses anyways and they constantly change.
"Kawhi is going to LA"
"Kawhi warming up to Toronto"
"Kawhi would give consider the Knicks"
"Kawhi buys home in LA signalling his future"
"Kawhi buys home in Toronto"
"Kawhi just wants to be closer to home in LA"
"Kawhi leaning towards re-signing short-term with Raps"
"Kawhi still considers LA his #1 destination"

Let the man celebrate, and let everyone else celebrate too. In a couple weeks, we'll know for sure.

Steelo Green · Post #65 » by **Steelo Green** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:32 pm

Shamet and SGA are better than Fred, OG & Siakam. Wow. Hot takes.

OG didn't even play and has loads of potential.

HEKTOR · Post #66 » by **HEKTOR** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:34 pm

MikeM wrote:The Raptors have done all the work. It only comes down to whether Kawhi wants to live in LA over everything else. There is literally no more work out there to complete. It's the off-season.

Exactly. I don't expect Masai to get on his knees. The pitch has already been made considering all that was accomplished. If Kawhi wants to play in LA, then clearly he already made his mind up from the beginning.

OkcSinceSGA · Post #67 » by **OkcSinceSGA** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:34 pm

Steelo Green wrote:Shamet and SGA are better than Fred, OG & Siakam. Wow. Hot takes.

OG didn't even play and has loads of potential.

Don't put words in my mouth. SGA/Shamet WILL be much much better than OG/Fred. I said Siakam is the best of the group.

everdiso · Post #68 » by **everdiso** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:35 pm

shtolky wrote:What work would Toronto possibly have to do? They catered to his load management needs, they won a title, and they want him back in the worst way. No work has to be done. If he leaves Toronto now, he was never staying no matter what happened.

I would guess that work could involve something like laying out a clear plan of how the team will continue to be elite throughout the length of his deal.

It could also involve a convincing layout of his marketing potential in this market.

madmaxmedia · Post #69 » by **madmaxmedia** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:36 pm

HotelVitale wrote:
ClipsFanSince98 wrote:
NoDopeOnSundays wrote:If he goes to LA it's simply because he wants to be home, I don't think anyone should be mad at him if he does leave that's the reason. Cause I don't see how the Clippers are a better basketball situation than the Raptors are right now.
I think the Raptors are more built to win the next year or two. If you compare rosters top to bottom, assets, flexibility etc.. I think the Clippers (with Kawhi of course) will be better for 5+ years almost certainly. Lowry and Gasol are due to fall off a cliff at any time. Ibaka likely won't continue this resurgence. It's basically gonna be Kawhi+Siakam and an inferior role player cast outside of that. I get Siakam is the best young player, but he's not better than Harrell+SGA+Shamet combined for example..

I've been arguing that the Raptors are a this-year-and-next team for a while, but I also don't think the Clips are definitely better on the long haul. There's a chance that's true but if you're Kawhi you'd have to leave a short-term sure thing to roll the dice on a totally unknown longer one--though one with some real upside. That's a big gamble but not a crazy one, and it's just going to come down to how much he wants to be in SoCal.

I don't think a free agent like Kawhi can really count on anything past 1 or 2 years. A team in a great position is inevitably going to have important players coming off rookie contracts, etc. Kawhi's fortunate to have a title team to return to, or a great situation in LA as well if he so chooses. If he signs a long deal in either place, it's just as much a bet on the FO, and both Toronto and Clippers seem to have excellent ones.

Stannis · Post #70 » by **Stannis** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:36 pm

Toronto has a lot of work to do? They just won a championship with him... What else is there to do????

JayMKE · Post #71 » by **JayMKE** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:36 pm

These 'sources' a lot of the time are just complete fiction, they had some bull story about Giannis before he even got off the court at the end of the series vs Toronto too. The media always wants to force these guys to go to the big markets so they never have to trudge into the great divide between the coasts again, no doubt they're paid to push that narrative as well. If Kawhi doesn't resign then I really don't think he ever was going to, Toronto has done everything right by him.

HotelVitale · Post #72 » by **HotelVitale** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:36 pm

ClipsFanSince98 wrote: So all I will say is, don't bet against me when it comes to analyzing the talent on our team. This isn't me being a blind homer, I'm telling you SGA/Shamet are going to make HUGE leaps in the coming seasons. I see them as a top 5 backcourt in this league. I'm very good at spotting that "it" factor with players.

Okay, that's definitely a bet I'll take. Should we say $250?

OkcSinceSGA · Post #73 » by **OkcSinceSGA** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:38 pm

HotelVitale wrote:
ClipsFanSince98 wrote: So all I will say is, don't bet against me when it comes to analyzing the talent on our team. This isn't me being a blind homer, I'm telling you SGA/Shamet are going to make HUGE leaps in the coming seasons. I see them as a top 5 backcourt in this league. I'm very good at spotting that "it" factor with players.

Okay, that's definitely a bet I'll take. Should we say $250?

For 3-4 seasons for now? Sure. This year though I'm sure you'll see enough growth to know I'm not crazy. Again... remember my Harrell threads 2 years ago?

madmaxmedia · Post #74 » by **madmaxmedia** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:39 pm

TreyKincade wrote:Nobody should be mad at him. He gave Toronto a chip. He’s not going to the team nobody wants him to go to (Lakers).

It’ll be rooting for him

Ha ha, could you imagine the uproar if first Lakers traded Josh Hart and the #4 to get Anthony Davis, then Kawhi signed with them too?

Nick Sigler · Post #75 » by **Nick Sigler** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:40 pm

Toronto is a better situation for Kawhi. They have great complimentary pieces around him.

RaptorPride · Post #76 » by **RaptorPride** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:41 pm

Steelo Green wrote:Shamet and SGA are better than Fred, OG & Siakam. Wow. Hot takes.

OG didn't even play and has loads of potential.

I don't know how people still stay douting the Raptors young guys and prospects. We just saw what Siakam and Fred did in the finals. We been telling you guys for years yet no one wants to believe it.

Michael Jordan · Post #77 » by **Michael Jordan** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:43 pm

Quattro wrote:If he does re-sign, watching the egg on the face of all these so called "experts" will be almost as satisfying as watching this team win a championship.

And ya, I'd love to know what possible more work that this franchise could do at this point

I think it just means that Kawhi wants to know what the future plan is after Lowry, Gasol, and Ibaka come off the books next season.

Siakam and OG are the only players on the books for the 20-21 season, there's certainly a lot of work to do and Kawhi probably wants to know what its gonna be.

RaptorPride · Post #78 » by **RaptorPride** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:44 pm

Michael Jordan wrote:
Quattro wrote:If he does re-sign, watching the egg on the face of all these so called "experts" will be almost as satisfying as watching this team win a championship.

And ya, I'd love to know what possible more work that this franchise could do at this point

I think it just means that Kawhi wants to know what the future plan is after Lowry, Gasol, and Ibaka come off the books next season.

Siakam and OG are the only players on the books for the 20-21 season, there's certainly a lot of work to do and Kawhi probably wants to know what its gonna be.

That's when Giannis comes home to Masai

MoMan24 · Post #79 » by **MoMan24** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:47 pm

NoDopeOnSundays wrote:
ClipsFanSince98 wrote:
NoDopeOnSundays wrote:If he goes to LA it's simply because he wants to be home, I don't think anyone should be mad at him if he does leave that's the reason. Cause I don't see how the Clippers are a better basketball situation than the Raptors are right now.

I think the Raptors are more built to win the next year or two. If you compare rosters top to bottom, assets, flexibility etc.. I think the Clippers (with Kawhi of course) will be better for 5+ years almost certainly. Lowry and Gasol are due to fall off a cliff at any time. Ibaka likely won't continue this resurgence. It's basically gonna be Kawhi+Siakam and an inferior role player cast outside of that. I get Siakam is the best young player, but he's not better than Harrell+SGA+Shamet combined for example. Clippers are younger with their core and the vets they do have like Lou/Gallo are borderline all star guys. So I still disagree that's it's a pure LA decision. Likely biggest factor, but the Clippers front office, ownership, coaching and future prospects are top tier as well.

All this said, I expect him to stay anyway.

Siakam and FVV are proven on the biggest level now, there's no telling what SGA/Shamet and Harrell would be able to do on the biggest stage. The potential of SGA & Shamet is good, but FVV & Siakam have actualized that and Siakam has proven he can be a secondary star on a championship team with 20/7/4 in the finals being guarded by Iguodala and Green. I think Siakam will be an all-star next season, none of those young guys on the Clippers will be that in the next 2-3 years.

I think it's purely a lifestyle decision to go to the Clippers, basketball definitely comes secondary IMO.

Not only that but the Raptors also have have Norman Powell who had a major role and Chris Boucher who is the reigning G-League MVP and DPOY. Also here are the list of expiring contracts the Raptors have next offseason:

Lowry $33.3 Million
Gasol $25.6 Million (Player Option)
Ibaka $23.3 Million
FVV $8.6 Million

Including min contracts that also expire in 2020 there is almost $95 million expiring. That is not including a one year deal they would give Danny. As of right now Powell is the only contract on the books in 20/21 at 10.8 Million. The pitch is we run it back with this team with minor changes and Kawahi, Lowry, Gasol, Ibaka get load management while they young guys like Pascal, FVV, OG, Powell, Boucher carry a greater load during the year and get better. In the summer of 2020 we have a max salary slot after all the expirings and only having Kawahi and Siakam (extension) and Powell (if they don't trade his contract) on the books and build a big 3 with a 3rd star.

OkcSinceSGA · Post #80 » by **OkcSinceSGA** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:47 pm

RaptorPride wrote:
Steelo Green wrote:Shamet and SGA are better than Fred, OG & Siakam. Wow. Hot takes.

OG didn't even play and has loads of potential.

I don't know how people still stay douting the Raptors young guys and prospects. We just saw what Siakam and Fred did in the finals. We been telling you guys for years yet no one wants to believe it.

Fred is 25 and a 3rd year vet. He's a really good role player. JJ Barea type bench spark. Doesn't mean he has much potential though. He played what 3 or 4 years in college? He's a GOOD player, just has low upside man, that's not a knock. As for OG... Raptors fans in his rookie year were acting like he's the next star and overhyping the crap out of him. This year he was pretty much exactly the same player with no growth. Still time, but neither guy looks to project to be anything more than a good role player. They aren't even starting...