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2018 San Antonio Spurs Offseason Thread -- Into the Great Unknown


Patrick Bateman

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Isn't it possible that all these leaks are simply the ham-handed negotiation tactics of an amateur agent?

 

Uncle Dennis is not exactly a seasoned professional.

 

All we've ever heard from Kawhi himself is that he wants to be here, and be healthy.

 

I would bet the Spurs told Kawhi's team that the Supermax wasn't a lock because his health has been dicey. I'm guessing they explained they'd like to see him qualify for it again this year, and they'd offer it next summer.

 

This was probably the Spurs starting point for negotiation. Uncle Dennis' move? Leak that Kawhi wants out, and force the Spurs to cave into either 1) offering supermax or 2) actually trading him.

 

 

 

 

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21 minutes ago, mapplewhite132 said:

I’m still in the denial stage of grief. Any chance this is a power play for leverage negotiating for the super max?

Almost certainly not.  From all reports, as long as Kawhi wanted to be here they were going to offer him the super max...... I have my misgivings about the contract but he was going to get it.  He could always have a change of heart and reports have been his camp are a bit disorganized but I'd start coming to terms with his leaving.

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I've been staying away from commenting until something official happens, or we hear it directly from Kawhi, but fuck this is fucked up. I'm still trying to stay chill about it, but if he really leaked it before even meeting Pop to tell him face-to-face, I've severely overestimated what time of person Kawhi is. I hope that's not him. 

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15 minutes ago, BurdineBandit said:

I've been staying away from commenting until something official happens, or we hear it directly from Kawhi, but fuck this is fucked up. I'm still trying to stay chill about it, but if he really leaked it before even meeting Pop to tell him face-to-face, I've severely overestimated what time of person Kawhi is. I hope that's not him. 

It's him, unfortunately. The meeting with Pop was reportedly canceled/downgraded to a phone call by Kawhi's "group" after all this leaked, and Pop is apparently back in San Antonio as of last night.

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so depressed.  what does he think he's going to accomplish by spurning (pun intended) the spurs?  go to the clippers, get endorsements, and never win shit?  is it all about the money now?  maybe this injury totally spooked him and he feels like he has to make as much dough as possible for uncle douchebag, but come on!  this type of attitude is not what made him a badass force in the league.  i expect his career is basically toast bc his leg is toast.  anyway, come on RC, work your magic.

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4 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

Clippers and Lakers concerned over Kawhis health, or trying to drive down the price

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kawhi-leonard-trade-rumors-lakers-clippers-concerned-over-health-status-of-disgruntled-spurs-star/

"Sorry Kawhi.  We tried to deal you to Souther California but neither team realistically wanted anything to do with you because of your health.  We made 3 way trade.  Hope you like Detroit."

 

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5 minutes ago, BigOrange1 said:

hell if sacramento puts up the #2 pick in this year's draft, i'd be tempted to do it as the spurs.  i'd need a little more, but if they could get doncic and fuck over kawhi (at least for a year), that'd be pretty tempting in my eyes.

There's been speculation (all it is) of Kawhi and filler for Sac pick, Bogs, and either Temple, WCS, or Hield.  Sac has a ton of open cap so they could theoretically take on more salary.... Without a pick next year (unless it's #1), they may be more interested in doing something now for it's floundering fan base.  But again, it's all just talk....

 

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4 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

There's been speculation (all it is) of Kawhi and filler for Sac pick, Bogs, and either Temple, WCS, or Hield.  Sac has a ton of open cap so they could theoretically take on more salary.... Without a pick next year (unless it's #1), they may be more interested in doing something now for it's floundering fan base.  But again, it's all just talk....

 

according to the trade machine, kawhi and pau for randolph (1 year left), temple (1 year if he picks up his PO), WCS (1 year and then RFA), bogdan (2 years and then RFA) and the #2 pick works.  the spurs would pick up two nice assets (bogdan and the #2 pick), take a flyer on WCS and actually save a little over $3.5 million next season.  plus you'd be sending kawhi to purgatory for a year which has to be an added bonus.  honestly, outside of a package build around jaylen brown and next year's top 1 protected sacramento pick, i think it'd be my favorite of any of the realistic deals i've hear thus far if i were a spurs fan.  fultz, saric and the #10 pick is solid too, but i believe in doncic more than i believe in fultz. 

given that there is next to zero chance he'd resign there, i have no idea why the kings would do it but if there is one franchise who would make a trade like that, it's them.

 

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8 hours ago, BigOrange1 said:

according to the trade machine, kawhi and pau for randolph (1 year left), temple (1 year if he picks up his PO), WCS (1 year and then RFA), bogdan (2 years and then RFA) and the #2 pick works.  the spurs would pick up two nice assets (bogdan and the #2 pick), take a flyer on WCS and actually save a little over $3.5 million next season.  plus you'd be sending kawhi to purgatory for a year which has to be an added bonus. 

 

I would like for him to waste a year in Sacramento, but he would just spend it "rehabbing" in NYC or LA.

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1 hour ago, Grade of D as in David said:

I would like for him to waste a year in Sacramento, but he would just spend it "rehabbing" in NYC or LA.

He won't sit out another year. The optics would be unrecoverable: either he actually is still injured, and the dude lost two full NBA seasons to quad bruising; or he's the biggest diva the league has ever seen and would voluntarily choose to spit in the face of the employer paying him $20M.

Frankly though, the NBA probably needs him to waste away in Sacramento for a year. I'll defend player mobility and free agency until I'm blue in the face, but the last two offseasons--with Kyrie and now Kawhi--are a totally different animal. Players under lucrative contracts making it untenable for their current teams to keep them on the roster while simultaneously limiting their trade options to only 2 or 3 teams can't be good for the league.

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1 hour ago, aggie08 said:

He won't sit out another year. The optics would be unrecoverable: either he actually is still injured, and the dude lost two full NBA seasons to quad bruising; or he's the biggest diva the league has ever seen and would voluntarily choose to spit in the face of the employer paying him $20M.

Frankly though, the NBA probably needs him to waste away in Sacramento for a year. I'll defend player mobility and free agency until I'm blue in the face, but the last two offseasons--with Kyrie and now Kawhi--are a totally different animal. Players under lucrative contracts making it untenable for their current teams to keep them on the roster while simultaneously limiting their trade options to only 2 or 3 teams can't be good for the league.

This.  I'm not sure what the options are for the Association, but I'd expect the owners to try to address this in the next CBA.  Current one runs through '23-24 w/ mutual opt out in '22-23.  Maybe minimum 2-year contracts on trades?  It also wouldn't surprise me to see Silver leverage the Kawhi health situation into something I think he's always wanted: NBA doctors who are "impartial" checks to the team doctors - to discourage the DNP-bullshit injury that Pop was making a trend for player longevity.

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11 minutes ago, Horn of Gabriel said:

It also wouldn't surprise me to see Silver leverage the Kawhi health situation into something I think he's always wanted: NBA doctors who are "impartial" checks to the team doctors - to discourage the DNP-bullshit injury that Pop was making a trend for player longevity.

I'm probably going to need some clarification from Uncle Dennis, but is Popovich forcing guys to come back too early from injury or is he holding them out so they can extend their careers? It's all so confusing.

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2 hours ago, aggie08 said:

I'll defend player mobility and free agency until I'm blue in the face, but the last two offseasons--with Kyrie and now Kawhi--are a totally different animal. Players under lucrative contracts making it untenable for their current teams to keep them on the roster while simultaneously limiting their trade options to only 2 or 3 teams can't be good for the league.

Yes,  this is kind of bullshit.  The"honorable" thing to do would be to play our his contract then he's free to go wherever. But whatever.   Lakers aren't winning  shit unless LeBron  goes too. Clippers are in worse shape.  

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He won't sit out another year. The optics would be unrecoverable: either he actually is still injured, and the dude lost two full NBA seasons to quad bruising; or he's the biggest diva the league has ever seen and would voluntarily choose to spit in the face of the employer paying him $20M.
Frankly though, the NBA probably needs him to waste away in Sacramento for a year. I'll defend player mobility and free agency until I'm blue in the face, but the last two offseasons--with Kyrie and now Kawhi--are a totally different animal. Players under lucrative contracts making it untenable for their current teams to keep them on the roster while simultaneously limiting their trade options to only 2 or 3 teams can't be good for the league.
That's part of player mobility.
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23 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

I'm not sure what a contract for a guy that misses two seasons forinjury looks like,  but a imagine it's less than a supermax.

Only the Spurs can offer him the super max.  If he leaves this summer he's forgoing it in any scenario unless he signs it, stays for a year, and then demands a trade....

12 hours ago, BigOrange1 said:

according to the trade machine, kawhi and pau for randolph (1 year left), temple (1 year if he picks up his PO), WCS (1 year and then RFA), bogdan (2 years and then RFA) and the #2 pick works.  the spurs would pick up two nice assets (bogdan and the #2 pick), take a flyer on WCS and actually save a little over $3.5 million next season.  plus you'd be sending kawhi to purgatory for a year which has to be an added bonus.  honestly, outside of a package build around jaylen brown and next year's top 1 protected sacramento pick, i think it'd be my favorite of any of the realistic deals i've hear thus far if i were a spurs fan.  fultz, saric and the #10 pick is solid too, but i believe in doncic more than i believe in fultz. 

given that there is next to zero chance he'd resign there, i have no idea why the kings would do it but if there is one franchise who would make a trade like that, it's them.

 

I'm not even sure we'd have to take on Randolph unless we wanted the cash savings.  Kings have plenty of space and could take a trade exception.  I mean, the chances something like that happen are less than 2% but it's the basic idea.  Sacramento hasn't made the playoffs in 12 seasons, so they may be desperate.  Can't rely on the NBA making that 4 on 5 change.  There's also been speculation (again that's all it is) that Kawhi may prefer a less media heavy area as well.  Ranadive may be a loon when it comes to his game ideas but he's a pretty progressive thinker otherwise, reportedly.  Maybe they take a chance and make a move to get into the playoffs now with Kawhi and then trying to trade some assets for a 2nd star.  If there's one thing we've learned, they'll fuck up the draft....

 

Edited by Patrick Bateman
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44 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I'm probably going to need some clarification from Uncle Dennis, but is Popovich forcing guys to come back too early from injury or is he holding them out so they can extend their careers? It's all so confusing.

Makes all of this even more unbelievable. Players have played well into their late 30's with Pop and Pop has been fined for resting players in the past, but he was rushing back the crown jewel of the franchise that Pop had delayed his retirement specifically to have the opportunity to coach? Crazy Uncle Dennis strikes again.

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6 minutes ago, PilotsError said:
2 hours ago, aggie08 said:
He won't sit out another year. The optics would be unrecoverable: either he actually is still injured, and the dude lost two full NBA seasons to quad bruising; or he's the biggest diva the league has ever seen and would voluntarily choose to spit in the face of the employer paying him $20M.
Frankly though, the NBA probably needs him to waste away in Sacramento for a year. I'll defend player mobility and free agency until I'm blue in the face, but the last two offseasons--with Kyrie and now Kawhi--are a totally different animal. Players under lucrative contracts making it untenable for their current teams to keep them on the roster while simultaneously limiting their trade options to only 2 or 3 teams can't be good for the league.

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That's part of player mobility.

Not really. Asking for a trade privately and living with the consequences--including staying in an awkward situation or the possibility of being traded somewhere undesirable--is perfectly acceptable. 

Leaking it to social media, making it clear you won't play for your current team, threatening surgeries, and giving out the list of teams you would consider re-signing with is different.

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