Where will Kawhi Leonard end up playing?

hammer1

erikthredd

I voted Toronto but if he leaves I think it's going to be for the Clippers.

thisistheshow

I voted Clippers. As many people like to say, Kawhi is a different kind of dude. So who knows....

JRR300

This guy walks a different beat. Can't get a handle on where he goes, but I do feel strongly that he leaves Toronto.

erikthredd

Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that he's probably not even going to meet with the Lakers and the Clippers would be his preferred choice in LA.

hammer1

Lakers don't have cap space to sign Kawhi. Pelinka either negotiated away the later close date (7-30) for the max cap space, or he forgot about it. As of now they have $10M less than max.

Funny comment from another fan:

"Signing with the Lakers would be Kawhi's golden chance to get back at the Spurs for not giving him what he wanted in the first place. ...Not only did he win the title with the team they sent him to that he didn't want to go to....Then he ultimately ends up with the Lakers the very next year?

Pops head might explode."

erikthredd

I just don't see why he would want to go play in Lebron's shadow when he's already an alpha in his own way. He doesn't need to go jump on a super team in order to win a title.

SanctionII

The Lakers will be over the top with "drama" next season, with out without Kawhi Leonard.

It does not seem that Kawhi is a person that would welcome off court "drama", thus if he chooses to go to LA it would seem he would sign with the Clippers and not the Lakers. The Clippers last year had little if any off court drama going on. If Leonard signs with the Clippers that team would become a legitimate contender for the Western Conference title if not the NBA title.

RAPTORSRULE04

I'm from Toronto. I figure 50/50 between us and the clippers.
Complex guy. with warriors done next year best chance with us plus the best financial security.

hammer1

@RAPTORSRULE04 said:
I'm from Toronto. I figure 50/50 between us and the clippers.
Complex guy. with warriors done next year best chance with us plus the best financial security.

If he comes to LA he has to give up Timmies. None here.

RAPTORSRULE04

That could be a deal breaker right there.

electrode

Why leave Hog Town? During the playoffs there were rumors that he was looking for a house in the area.

hammer1

@electrode said:
Why leave Hog Town? During the playoffs there were rumors that he was looking for a house in the area.

I read he bought one in Toronto.

For sure he paid $13.5 M for one in Rancho Santa Fe in January, which is ~80 miles to LA.

hammer1

Lakers said they wouldn't try to get max cap unless they could hook another big name.

_The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to trade Moe Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones to the Washington Wizards on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, in a move that is being combined with the Anthony Davis trade that will be made official on July 6. And, Anthony Davis is waiving his $4M trade kicker, league sources tell ESPN.

“Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn

The Lakers will start free agency with $32M in salary cap space. The Lakers have the ability to sign a max player now._"

erikthredd

There's gonna be very slim pickings now though.
Kemba is about to sign with Boston.
Kyrie is going with KD to either the Knicks or Nets.
Jimmy Butler looks to be heading to the Rockets in a sign & trade.
Kawhi has scheduled visits with 3-4 teams none being the Lakers.
Klay Thompson is about to re-sign in GS.
Porzingas is about to sign a 5yr extension in Dallas
Middleton is re-signing with the Bucks

The only "Max" type players left are Tobias Harris, Al Horford, Demarcus Cousins,D'Angelo Russell & Nikola Vucevic.
Russell is a restricted free agent and if Kyrie goes to the Knicks there's no chance that the Nets don't match any offers Russell gets.
Pairing Horford,Cousins or Vucevic with AD doesn't really make any sense especially at 28-32M a year.
Signing Tobias Harris could be a good fit but he's not really worth max money.
Its too bad the Lakers have no tradable assets left because adding Bradley Beal would be a good fit with Lebron & AD.

hammer1

Lakers are going after Kawhi, and they have a meeting with him.

LOS ANGELES — Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard intends to grant the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers meetings when free agency opens on June 30, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/06/anthony-davis-trade-rumors-los-angeles-lakers-clear-space-with-extra-moves-could-pursue-max-free-agent-report.html

erikthredd

That must just be out of courtesy. He doesn't need Lebron or AD to not only win but even to get to the Finals.

hammer1

He doesn't need to do anything out of courtesy. He's the man.

If he did join up. They would be a three peat team.

oh, re: Kemba Walker:

_Perhaps most impactful to the Boston Celtics: Free-agent target Kemba Walker may very well find himself in the Lakers’ crosshairs, particularly if Kyrie Irving signs in Brooklyn, as expected. For Walker, who is yet to win anything of substance at the NBA level after a highly successful college career, the Lakers would have to be an intriguing destination _

same article as above.

** the writer is a Boston HOMER! (Tom Westerholm is a Celtics reporter at MassLive)

erikthredd

It's not like Kawhi is going out of his way when the Clippers & Lakers meetings are likely in the very same building.

As for Kemba,in the past hour or two its being reported here in Boston that he's pretty much agreed to come here. I don't know why you keep thinking that MassLive site is something special here. It's not.

erikthredd

Adam Kaufman
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@AdamMKaufman
2h2 hours ago
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According to @wojespn, Kemba Walker to the #Celtics is basically a foregone conclusion. "Barring an unforeseen change of events here, Kemba Walker is going to leave Charlotte. He's going to head to Boston, with Kyrie Irving on his way out." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEPjKky1DF8&feature=youtu.be

hammer1

so the Lakers take Kyrie if no Kawhi.

hey that rhymes. I'm a poet and didn't know it. Look at my toes they're 'Longfellows'.

erikthredd

And just for the record I actually don't want Boston signing Kemba Walker to a 30+M/yr contract. I'd prefer they use that cap space and their trade assets on big men but it looks like its getting spent on Kemba.

hammer1

@erikthredd said:
And just for the record I actually don't want Boston signing Kemba Walker to a 30+M/yr contract. I'd prefer they use that cap space and their trade assets on big men but it looks like its getting spent on Kemba.

But it sure beats signing Deng and Mozgov for 4 years at a combined 32M per.

hammer1

Los Angeles billboard:

hammer1

@erikthredd said:
And just for the record I actually don't want Boston signing Kemba Walker to a 30+M/yr contract. I'd prefer they use that cap space and their trade assets on big men but it looks like its getting spent on Kemba.

Ostensibly a done deal. 35.5M for four years:

_It appears the Boston Celtics have a replacement for Kyrie Irving. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Kemba Walker plans to sign a four-year, $141 million contract with Boston once free agency opens. _

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-free-agency-rumors-kemba-walker-commits-to-max-deal-with-celtics-lakers-true-threat-to-sign-kawhi-leonard/

second source: https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-rumors-kemba-walker-tells-hornets-hes-signing-with-boston-will-sign-4-year-deal-worth-141-million/

erikthredd

Yeah that has been all over social media here for the past couple days. Kemba would have been a great replacement for Kyrie when Horford,Baynes & Morris were still on the team but now Ainge has some holes in their lineup to fill.

erikthredd

Kawhi to the Clippers it is on a 4yr deal. Hats off to him for not taking the easy way out. He made a name for himself with the Spurs,became a Canadian Hero with the Raptors and he if wins one with the Clippers this guy will be a legend.
I'm calling it now,we're going to see a Clippers-Warriors WCF Final next May.

Edit: there's a report that the Clippers are also trading for Paul George. Both players who wanted to play for the Lakers end up on the Clippers lol.

thisistheshow

Should be fun to watch.

hammer1

clips got George, for five 1st round picks and Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

kawhi was pissed that magic wouldn't meet pop's demand of four firsts when he was in san Antonio. it was the first question he asked magic last week. then the lakers give up three firsts and 80% of their team for AD.

kawhi got even, by holding up the lakers from getting better free agents while they were waiting on his decision. kawhi made them wait while Jerry West got George trade done.

hammer1

...

erikthredd

Jerry West has proven to be one hell of a GM over the years but FIVE first round picks plus,two pick swaps and Shia Gilgeous-Alexander (Gallinari is just salary filler) for Paul George is nuts.
It's like the Lakers & Clippers GMs are both competing to see who just possibly could have made the worst trades in history if either one of those deals doesn't land them a championship.

erikthredd

@hammer1 said:
clips got George, for five 1st round picks and Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

kawhi was pissed that magic wouldn't meet pop's demand of four firsts when he was in san Antonio. it was the first question he asked magic last week. then the lakers give up three firsts and 80% of their team for AD.

kawhi got even, by holding up the lakers from getting better free agents while they were waiting on his decision. kawhi made them wait while Jerry West got George trade done.

Kawhi is gonna have to have new t-shirts made up after this....Board Man Gets Payback

hammer1

talk about giving up the future. Clips first round draft picks:

"the Clippers, who will not be able to trade a draft pick until 2028 because of Friday’s deal."

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/7/6/20684350/kawhi-leonard-los-angeles-clippers-paul-george-trade

erikthredd

@hammer1 said:
Is this true?

"the Clippers, who will not be able to trade a draft pick until 2028 because of Friday’s deal."

3rd paragraph from the bottom: https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/7/6/20684350/kawhi-leonard-los-angeles-clippers-paul-george-trade

The last pick in this deal is 2026 and NBA teams can't trade first round picks in back to back seasons so that means the Clippers can't trade their 2027 due to 2026 in this deal so 2028 is their next available first to trade. The Clippers still own many first round picks during that time though,they're only losing three of their own first rounders,two others come from Miami and OKC has the choice to swap first round draft spots with the Clippers in two other drafts but the Clips will still be picking two first round picks those two years. That haul for Paul Geoirge is great from a OKC standpoint but the Clippers didn't give up as much as the Lakers did for AD.

erikthredd

Lol I can't take credit for this but had to share it here:
Kawhi is the balance in the force

ended the reign of the Miami Heat Big 3
ended the dynasty Warriors
ended the Lakers superteam before it even started

the real-life Last Jedi.

hammer1

Clippers' 2020 NBA title odds moved from 16-1 to 3-1.

erikthredd

I just read that they still have 14-15 in cap space then have access to about 14M in midlevel/trade exceptions. That team is now going to get players looking to jump on with the chance to win.

erikthredd

The Lakers signed Cousins,Rondo & Danny Green.

hammer1

@erikthredd said:
The Lakers signed Cousins,Rondo & Danny Green.

Cousins was looking at a max deal before he got injured.

He's getting NBA chump change now- $2.3M.

erikthredd

@hammer1 said:

@erikthredd said:
The Lakers signed Cousins,Rondo & Danny Green.

Cousins was looking at a max deal before he got injured.

He's getting NBA chump change now- $2.3M.

I didn't think he was that great a fit with AD when he was fully healthy and even moreso now but he's definitely a low risk high reward signing.