Official Kawhi Watch Part 7: Speculation & Rumors

[artsncrafts]

Definitive proof that Lebron runs the Lakers. Dudley needed Lebron's signoff before he was allowed to join.

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Jared Dudley

[niQ]

From the NB perspective.

They already got Curry in California/West, and Kawhi being in LA they’re bound to take sales from one another. I’m pretty sure they want to market another superstar in the East. I think NB pushes for Toronto, but ultimately it’s Kawhi who decides.

On my end though, I do think NB plays a factor consideing how much money Kawhi has lost.

NB is pushing for him to go to LA for sure. There are 16 million people in the greater Los Angeles area. Let alone the global presence the Lakers have over the Raptors isn't really close at all.

LA already has LeBron and AD with Nike covering that market. And if you go north, Curry with UA. NB has a chance to market to the whole country of Canada with Kawhi, and potentially more as Masai is trying to show Raptors as the World's team.

[Lord Eder]

How long do you plan on waiting there itbobby? I can’t imagine someone coming in from the West Coast would want to have a meeting at 9:30 in the morning.

This is the most interesting part of the thread imo - I think a 9:30am reservation was way too early. At least a late breakfast could slowly turn into lunch and then afternoon drinks. How are you going to extend breakfast for more than an hour or two?

"More water, please... and could you let me know if any tall black people show up?"

“Sir, you’ve been here for 9 hours...”

[pbj]

That the mods thought it was allowable was surprising to me.

I'm sorry but what is he 'getting away with' exactly'?

I was there last night and allowed his little 8PM shenanigans to go on because it was clearly baloney and everyone was having fun with it.

And frankly, anyone that genuinely believes that some poster on RGM is going to secretly reveal Kawhi's decision to a handful of random people on the internet deserves to be trolled.
Like people who fall for Onion articles - you don't blame the Onion for publishing fiction, you laugh at the reader for being so naive.

What's wrong is that his board has always had a precedent that if a thread is open where someone is claiming to have sources (it's happened enough times in the past) then it means they've contacted the mods and given them a reasonable explanation of the situation and divulged who their source is. I understand that there are a lot of trolls and a lot of posts to sift through, but what has happened on this board in the last week is inexcusable. From DH to alchemist to gianni13 to bde.

And I agree with you that if a thread is allowed to remain open, it means it's met some standard of credibility.

However this specific thread is clearly marked rumours and speculation, and exists only for the reason of capturing the baseless BS people would be posting anyway.

[pilkoids]

It was a pretty epic troll job, I’ve never seen anything like it. BDE is playing on the heartstrings of Raps fans. The desperation level of finding out any info is hilarious. Kawhi’s decision is getting more play here than when we actually won a championship. It’s really incredible.

That the mods thought it was allowable was surprising to me.

I'm sorry but what is he 'getting away with' exactly'?

I was there last night and allowed his little 8PM shenanigans to go on because it was clearly baloney and everyone was having fun with it.

And frankly, anyone that genuinely believes that some poster on RGM is going to secretly reveal Kawhi's decision to a handful of random people on the internet deserves to be trolled.
Like people who fall for Onion articles - you don't blame the Onion for publishing fiction, you laugh at the reader for being so naive.

Respectfully disagree. That doesn't get to 50 pages if people think its baloney. People were offering money for a PM for crying out loud. Almost everybody on this board took him seriously and it derailed the thread, and you think that's fine because they deserved it?

[dillio]

Lakers are risky. Raptors are safe. Kawhi strikes me as someone that prefers stability and less drama.

Objectively speaking, you're wrong. The Lakers are the safe pick (2 other All NBA Players, iconic franchise that everybody wants to play for, guaranteed to compete for the duration of his time there). The Raptors are the risky pick (aging group, nobody under contract after 2019-2020, no precedent of attracting big named Free Agents).

I believe the Lakers have been a bottom 5 organization for more than 5 years and Raps have been top 5. Leadership matters. Also LeBron is at the end of his career. He will decline and eat their cap while he is a fraction of himself.

Why would you only look at the last 5 years? The Lakers have 16 championships and a storied history - why bother spinning facts to fit your narrative? Do you think that's what Kawhi is going to do when deciding on where to go?

[Steelo Green]

That the mods thought it was allowable was surprising to me.

I'm sorry but what is he 'getting away with' exactly'?

I was there last night and allowed his little 8PM shenanigans to go on because it was clearly baloney and everyone was having fun with it.

And frankly, anyone that genuinely believes that some poster on RGM is going to secretly reveal Kawhi's decision to a handful of random people on the internet deserves to be trolled.
Like people who fall for Onion articles - you don't blame the Onion for publishing fiction, you laugh at the reader for being so naive.

Respectfully disagree. That doesn't get to 50 pages if people think its baloney. People were offering money for a PM for crying out loud. Almost everybody on this board took him seriously and it derailed the thread, and you think that's fine because they deserved it?

Detailed what exactly? The random speculation of tweets from people who have no inside scoop?

You should just wait for the official report then. This thread should have shown you nothing is going to leak until it’s finally reported by Woj.

The vitriol over nothing is funny.

[pbj]

That the mods thought it was allowable was surprising to me.

I'm sorry but what is he 'getting away with' exactly'?

I was there last night and allowed his little 8PM shenanigans to go on because it was clearly baloney and everyone was having fun with it.

And frankly, anyone that genuinely believes that some poster on RGM is going to secretly reveal Kawhi's decision to a handful of random people on the internet deserves to be trolled.
Like people who fall for Onion articles - you don't blame the Onion for publishing fiction, you laugh at the reader for being so naive.

Respectfully disagree. That doesn't get to 50 pages if people think its baloney. People were offering money for a PM for crying out loud. Almost everybody on this board took him seriously and it derailed the thread, and you think that's fine because they deserved it?

And I respectfully disagree that 50 pages suggests the majority of people seriously believed he had something, beyond just being cautiously curious.

[dillio]

That the mods thought it was allowable was surprising to me.

I'm sorry but what is he 'getting away with' exactly'?

I was there last night and allowed his little 8PM shenanigans to go on because it was clearly baloney and everyone was having fun with it.

And frankly, anyone that genuinely believes that some poster on RGM is going to secretly reveal Kawhi's decision to a handful of random people on the internet deserves to be trolled.
Like people who fall for Onion articles - you don't blame the Onion for publishing fiction, you laugh at the reader for being so naive.

Respectfully disagree. That doesn't get to 50 pages if people think its baloney. People were offering money for a PM for crying out loud. Almost everybody on this board took him seriously and it derailed the thread, and you think that's fine because they deserved it?

I don't understand why BDE hasn't been IP banned - it's very obviously a burner account from a regular poster and he's trolling the board. Strange to see it allowed.

[Lukeem]

After this year we don't give him a good chance to win. It's the Lakers, they're literally the most proven franchise in the history of the NBA. There's really no comparison on that front. Sure they just went through ridiculous problems right now, but the guy who got "back-stabbed", is still so loyal to the franchise that he recruited for them. The dysfunction for them (as enjoyable it is for me) is likely temporary.

You have to be kidding on the marketing end lol.

China LOVES Lebron/Kobe/Lakers. They're a much more global brand than the Raptors are.

These are unfortunate things we can't change. Our only hope is Kawhi focus's more on the fact that we have proven ourselves to him, rather than taking a leap of faith with the Lakers.

Lakers are risky. Raptors are safe. Kawhi strikes me as someone that prefers stability and less drama.

Objectively speaking, you're wrong. The Lakers are the safe pick (2 other All NBA Players, iconic franchise that everybody wants to play for, guaranteed to compete for the duration of his time there). The Raptors are the risky pick (aging group, nobody under contract after 2019-2020, no precedent of attracting big named Free Agents).

Both lakers injury prone with no depth behind them

Raptors are proven obviously just winning the title

The no players under contract past 2020 is both misleading and a positive

Misleading both anunoby and siakam can be guaranteed to return after that

And a positive because after those three with have a tonne of flexibility to get someone new or bring back those that still work for the squad

[IceBelly05]

Thanks kuzma added

Iggy would be fine starting alongside lebron and Leonard

McConnell is a scrappy defender and good shooter. Rondo is a ball dominant liability and no where near the defender he used to be. Maybe playoff rondo might be real and worth having around though

McConnell actually doesn’t shoot all that well from distance so having him, iggy, AD, and kawhi (who can shoot but likes operating in the midrange/high post) would be pretty god awful fits next to lebron

[StopitLeo]

This is very concerning coming from Cris Carter. Much different tune compared to what he was singing the last couple of days.

Cris Carter also said the following after the trade:

"You can call me. Don't call Kawhi, call me. And I'll let you know: he is not going to Toronto."
“I’ll let you know; he’s not going to Toronto. I have warned people.”

Carter is playing the role of this insider because he shares/has shared an agent with Kawhi. Because Kawhi keeps his cards close to his chest you can basically say anything reasonable on TV and then cover your butt if the opposite happens.

"Kawhi was really intent on going to the Lakers but his desire to defend the Championship was the overriding factor in him staying with Toronto for a 1 year deal."

"Kawhi's heart is in LA but he has such great respect what Toronto did for him and his health that he felt he should show some degree of loyalty and return for 1 year to defend the title. Whether they win again or not he will be in LA next season."

"Kawhi wanted to play with LeBron and AD but he had real concerns about depth and what kind of load he would have to carry. He was especially concerned about what would happen if LeBron got hurt after last year or AD got hurt given his history of missing games his entire career. AD has only played over 68 games twice in 7 years. Kawhi felt more comfortable with Toronto's depth and ability to manage his playing load, at least for one more year."

And on and on.

[rocky_da_best]

I'm sorry but what is he 'getting away with' exactly'?

I was there last night and allowed his little 8PM shenanigans to go on because it was clearly baloney and everyone was having fun with it.

And frankly, anyone that genuinely believes that some poster on RGM is going to secretly reveal Kawhi's decision to a handful of random people on the internet deserves to be trolled.
Like people who fall for Onion articles - you don't blame the Onion for publishing fiction, you laugh at the reader for being so naive.

What's wrong is that his board has always had a precedent that if a thread is open where someone is claiming to have sources (it's happened enough times in the past) then it means they've contacted the mods and given them a reasonable explanation of the situation and divulged who their source is. I understand that there are a lot of trolls and a lot of posts to sift through, but what has happened on this board in the last week is inexcusable. From DH to alchemist to gianni13 to bde.

And I agree with you that if a thread is allowed to remain open, it means it's met some standard of credibility.

However this specific thread is clearly marked rumours and speculation, and exists only for the reason of capturing the baseless BS people would be posting anyway.

I think there's a difference between a thread for rumours and a thread designed to breed a sesspool of trolls which is what you managed to accomplish by not punishing them. And to then have the nerve to hand out warnings to legitimate posters like me without explanation is the cherry on top.

[Raps Next GM]

How long do you plan on waiting there itbobby? I can’t imagine someone coming in from the West Coast would want to have a meeting at 9:30 in the morning.

This is the most interesting part of the thread imo - I think a 9:30am reservation was way too early. At least a late breakfast could slowly turn into lunch and then afternoon drinks. How are you going to extend breakfast for more than an hour or two?

"More water, please... and could you let me know if any tall black people show up?"

Brilliant!

Whatever Kawhi decides, hilarious post like that makes it worthwhile.

[dillio]

Lakers are risky. Raptors are safe. Kawhi strikes me as someone that prefers stability and less drama.

Objectively speaking, you're wrong. The Lakers are the safe pick (2 other All NBA Players, iconic franchise that everybody wants to play for, guaranteed to compete for the duration of his time there). The Raptors are the risky pick (aging group, nobody under contract after 2019-2020, no precedent of attracting big named Free Agents).

Both lakers injury prone with no depth behind them

Raptors are proven obviously just winning the title

The no players under contract past 2020 is both misleading and a positive

Misleading both anunoby and siakam can be guaranteed to return after that

And a positive because after those three with have a tonne of flexibility to get someone new or bring back those that still work for the squad

100% agreed that we have factors working in our favor, I just think it's wrong to say that the Raptors are the safe pick and the Lakers are the risky pick.

[Logicbro]

If anything that Dudley thing is a negative , who wants to go to a team where the FO doesn't run the show . This leads to Drama.

[First Step]

From the NB perspective.

They already got Curry in California/West, and Kawhi being in LA they’re bound to take sales from one another. I’m pretty sure they want to market another superstar in the East. I think NB pushes for Toronto, but ultimately it’s Kawhi who decides.

On my end though, I do think NB plays a factor consideing how much money Kawhi has lost.

NB is pushing for him to go to LA for sure. There are 16 million people in the greater Los Angeles area. Let alone the global presence the Lakers have over the Raptors isn't really close at all.

LA already has LeBron and AD with Nike covering that market. And if you go north, Curry with UA. NB has a chance to market to the whole country of Canada with Kawhi, and potentially more as Masai is trying to show Raptors as the World's team.

I'm talking just about Los Angeles having 16 million people when you include Beverly Hills, Long Beach etc.

New Balance revenue will increase with Kawhi as a Laker vs Kawhi as a Raptor... I'm sorry that's just a fact.

[bluerap23]

Objectively speaking, you're wrong. The Lakers are the safe pick (2 other All NBA Players, iconic franchise that everybody wants to play for, guaranteed to compete for the duration of his time there). The Raptors are the risky pick (aging group, nobody under contract after 2019-2020, no precedent of attracting big named Free Agents).

I believe the Lakers have been a bottom 5 organization for more than 5 years and Raps have been top 5. Leadership matters. Also LeBron is at the end of his career. He will decline and eat their cap while he is a fraction of himself.

Why would you only look at the last 5 years? The Lakers have 16 championships and a storied history - why bother spinning facts to fit your narrative? Do you think that's what Kawhi is going to do when deciding on where to go?

Do I think that Kawhi is going to consider the current managerial team’s track record? Yes I do. Do I think that is more important than what the previous management did? Yes I do. Why was Kawhi leaning to Clippers all year? Must be because of their long and storied history and nothing to do with Jerry West and Doc Rivers.

[Slo]

If anything that Dudley thing is a negative , who wants to go to a team where the FO doesn't run the show . This leads to Drama.

Im pretty sure Kawhi doesnt even know Dudley signed, let alone the tweets around that

[Steelo Green]

NB is pushing for him to go to LA for sure. There are 16 million people in the greater Los Angeles area. Let alone the global presence the Lakers have over the Raptors isn't really close at all.

LA already has LeBron and AD with Nike covering that market. And if you go north, Curry with UA. NB has a chance to market to the whole country of Canada with Kawhi, and potentially more as Masai is trying to show Raptors as the World's team.

I'm talking just about Los Angeles having 16 million people when you include Beverly Hills, Long Beach etc.

New Balance revenue will increase with Kawhi as a Laker vs Kawhi as a Raptor... I'm sorry that's just a fact.

New Balance wants him in Canada. LA is more saturated with so many stars, Kawhi has all of Canada. An economics insider reported it a couple of days ago.