NBA Free Agency

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Gladstone

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Pressure is reportedly mounting on the Lakers to acquire Kawhi Leonard ahead of free agency.

LeBron James reportedly would like to make his free agency decision quickly, meaning there's some added pressure on the Lakers to bring in Leonard in order to entice LBJ to sign with the Los Angeles franchise. However, the Lakers first conversation with Spurs management did not get very far, and San Antonio appears to be in no rush to get a deal done. Leonard could steer his way towards Los Angeles if he can convince opposing NBA teams that his only interest is to sign with the Lakers in 2019, but right now, the Celtics, Clippers and 76ers all remain interested in Kawhi.
 
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I don't think SA is going to send him to the Lakers, but if they do the LA - GS rivalry is going to be a lot of fun.
 
Lakers need Leonard waaaay more than the Spurs need to make a deal.

Nobody puts Popp in the corner. He and RC Buford have their way of running a team and they are not going to change to accommodate Leonard or anyone else not named Duncan.
 
The Spurs can definitely get a better return for Kawhi if they wait for LeBron to sign with the Lakers first.

Lakers won’t mortgage their future for Kawhi unless they know 100% that LeBron is coming... so they’re lowballing their offer to the Spurs right now. But if LeBron signs... Kawhi becomes the missing piece to a championship roster. Then the Lakers are suddenly in win now mode, and don’t care about giving up more of their young core if it means they can compete with the Warriors next season
 
The Spurs can definitely get a better return for Kawhi if they wait for LeBron to sign with the Lakers first.

Lakers won’t mortgage their future for Kawhi unless they know 100% that LeBron is coming... so they’re lowballing their offer to the Spurs right now. But if LeBron signs... Kawhi becomes the missing piece to a championship roster. Then the Lakers are suddenly in win now mode, and don’t care about giving up more of their young core if it means they can compete with the Warriors next season
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I think you have it backwards. LeBron ain't signing with LA unless he knows they have Kawhi (or equivalent talent). If LA's going to be desperate to make a move for Kawhi this year it's before LeBron has signed somewhere.

Kawhi's value to LA drops the minute LeBron picks a team.
 
If Pop is perceived to be fucking with Leonard's future his popularity among the media and players goes way down

He's about one year away from he could only win with Duncan anyway
 
The Spurs can definitely get a better return for Kawhi if they wait for LeBron to sign with the Lakers first.

Lakers won’t mortgage their future for Kawhi unless they know 100% that LeBron is coming... so they’re lowballing their offer to the Spurs right now. But if LeBron signs... Kawhi becomes the missing piece to a championship roster. Then the Lakers are suddenly in win now mode, and don’t care about giving up more of their young core if it means they can compete with the Warriors next season
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I think you have it backwards. LeBron ain't signing with LA unless he knows they have Kawhi (or equivalent talent). If LA's going to be desperate to make a move for Kawhi this year it's before LeBron has signed somewhere.

Kawhi's value to LA drops the minute LeBron picks a team.
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If LeBron doesn’t sign the Lakers, then you’re right that Kawhi is less valuable to them.

But that leaves whichever team LeBron does sign with as a potential trade partner for the Spurs... or someone completely random (i.e. like when the Pelicans traded for Boogie)
 
The Spurs can definitely get a better return for Kawhi if they wait for LeBron to sign with the Lakers first.

Lakers won’t mortgage their future for Kawhi unless they know 100% that LeBron is coming... so they’re lowballing their offer to the Spurs right now. But if LeBron signs... Kawhi becomes the missing piece to a championship roster. Then the Lakers are suddenly in win now mode, and don’t care about giving up more of their young core if it means they can compete with the Warriors next season
Click to expand...

I think you have it backwards. LeBron ain't signing with LA unless he knows they have Kawhi (or equivalent talent). If LA's going to be desperate to make a move for Kawhi this year it's before LeBron has signed somewhere.

Kawhi's value to LA drops the minute LeBron picks a team.
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If LeBron doesn’t sign the Lakers, then you’re right that Kawhi is less valuable to them.

But that leaves whichever team LeBron does sign with as a potential trade partner for the Spurs... or someone completely random (i.e. like when the Pelicans traded for Boogie)
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Right, but they're still only getting a big deal for him if whoever it is thinks he'll stay longer than a year. Having LeBron obviously enhances those odds, but i don't think they guarantee it. I think he really wants to play in LA.

Ultimately I think SA accepts a lesser deal for him to ship him somewhere not named Lakers, he ends up in LA in 2019 and never plays with LeBron. Unless of course LeBron takes a 1+1 with Cleveland (or someone else) this year and opts out to join Kawhi in LaLa land next year.
 
If Pop is perceived to be fucking with Leonard's future his popularity among the media and players goes way down

He's about one year away from he could only win with Duncan anyway
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Phil could only win with Jordan and Pippen or Kobe and Oneal.

The Detroit Pistons are the only team in the modern era to actually win a title without a bonafide all-time great. Saying Pop needed Duncan isn't really a dis as much as a reality.
 
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If Pop is perceived to be fucking with Leonard's future his popularity among the media and players goes way down

He's about one year away from he could only win with Duncan anyway
Click to expand...

Phil could only win with Jordan and Pippen or Kobe and Oneal.

The Detroit Pistons are the only team in the modern era to actually win a title without a bonafide all-time great. Saying Pop needed Duncan isn't really a dis as much as a reality.
Click to expand...

Which dovetails nicely with my Brad Stevens rants

Phil won with those guys after others failed. We don't know if that was the case with Pop because he didn't hire himself until he had them
 
If Pop is perceived to be fucking with Leonard's future his popularity among the media and players goes way down

He's about one year away from he could only win with Duncan anyway
Click to expand...

Phil could only win with Jordan and Pippen or Kobe and Oneal.

The Detroit Pistons are the only team in the modern era to actually win a title without a bonafide all-time great. Saying Pop needed Duncan isn't really a dis as much as a reality.
Click to expand...

Which dovetails nicely with my Brad Stevens rants

Phil won with those guys after others failed. We don't know if that was the case with Pop because he didn't hire himself until he had them
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Kind of...

Jordan didn't have any success until after Pippen showed up which was around 1987. Three years later, they won their first title. Phil didn't make a finals the two years he didn't have Jordan at all or full-time.

Phil arrived in LA in 2000, one year after being ousted by Duncan and Robinson in the playoffs. Kobe was just coming to form, keep in mind this was only his third year. In a lot of ways Phil showed up at a perfect time and situation, at both stops.

 
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I'm a doog who hates winners for this, but I hate Phil Jackson. He's the most overrated coach of all time. I'm glad the game eventually chewed him up and spit him out with his archaic triangle bullshit.
 
I'm a doog who hates winners for this, but I hate Phil Jackson. He's the most overrated coach of all time. I'm glad the game eventually chewed him up and spit him out with his archaic triangle bullshit.
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major +1
 
I'm a doog who hates winners for this, but I hate Phil Jackson. He's the most overrated coach of all time. I'm glad the game eventually chewed him up and spit him out with his archaic triangle bullshit.[/b]
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major +1
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Such disdain for the former U of W head coach.

 
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Pressure is reportedly mounting on the Lakers to acquire Kawhi Leonard ahead of free agency.

LeBron James reportedly would like to make his free agency decision quickly, meaning there's some added pressure on the Lakers to bring in Leonard in order to entice LBJ to sign with the Los Angeles franchise. However, the Lakers first conversation with Spurs management did not get very far, and San Antonio appears to be in no rush to get a deal done. Leonard could steer his way towards Los Angeles if he can convince opposing NBA teams that his only interest is to sign with the Lakers in 2019, but right now, the Celtics, Clippers and 76ers all remain interested in Kawhi.
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If the Lakers want Kawhi Leonard, they should trade for Kawhi Leonard. If they are going to do something like this, LeBron James shouldn’t be a factor. A healthy Kawhi adds 10-15 wins to that team by himself. If the Lakers Get LeBron too, spoiler alert, they won’t get either of them btw, it’s icing on the cake. LeBron has 2 good years left in him no matter where He goes. He’s obviously a game changer, but a team shouldn’t plan on him being this years LeBron for much longer. Too many minutes and miles on him and eventually they will catch up to him.
 
I'm a doog who hates winners for this, but I hate Phil Jackson. He's the most overrated coach of all time. I'm glad the game eventually chewed him up and spit him out with his archaic triangle bullshit.
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I don’t know about you but I’m sick and tired of this generation forgetting and disrespecting where they come from.

sk9wtwar61ir.jpeg
 
If Pop is perceived to be fucking with Leonard's future his popularity among the media and players goes way down

He's about one year away from he could only win with Duncan anyway
Click to expand...

Phil could only win with Jordan and Pippen or Kobe and Oneal.

The Detroit Pistons are the only team in the modern era to actually win a title without a bonafide all-time great. Saying Pop needed Duncan isn't really a dis as much as a reality.
Click to expand...

Yikes.

Isaiah Thomas is an all time great.
 
If Pop is perceived to be fucking with Leonard's future his popularity among the media and players goes way down

He's about one year away from he could only win with Duncan anyway
Click to expand...

Phil could only win with Jordan and Pippen or Kobe and Oneal.

The Detroit Pistons are the only team in the modern era to actually win a title without a bonafide all-time great. Saying Pop needed Duncan isn't really a dis as much as a reality.
Click to expand...

Yikes.

Isaiah Thomas is an all time great.
Click to expand...

He's not talking about those[/b] Pistons.

efbc928c336ee8cd56ee1e8fc05d7cac.jpg

 
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