2:49pm: The Lakers have reached out to the Spurs about dealing for Leonard, but no specifics have been discussed, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The contact came within the past week, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, with a Lakers’ source saying, “they basically shut the door on us.” (Twitter link)
1:20pm: The Spurs are willing to listen to offers on Kawhi Leonard but haven’t spoken with the Lakers, Leonard’s preferred landing spot, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
San Antonio has not been making calls about Leonard but it will field offers and add them to the list of proposals, Wojnarowski adds. This suggests that the Spurs’ front office is losing hope of resolving the impasse between the club and its star forward.
With Leonard still under contract, San Antonio isn’t in any hurry to make a trade. Unless there’s a dramatic and overwhelming proposal, it’s not going to happen on draft night.
Leonard met with head coach Gregg Popovich on Tuesday in San Diego but that didn’t alter his request to be traded. Leonard’s desire to be dealt over the way the franchise handled his quad injury last season, and comments make by Popovich and guard Tony Parker about his ability to play, was revealed last week.
Leonard can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Considering he was in a shell before those comments were made, how can he be surprised or offended? He’s just looking for an out and taking bad advice. Time for the Spurs to move on.
Leonard’s value right now is higher than it will be in 24 hours, after teams draft for need. If the story is true, Spurs should be looking for best they can get before other teams make moves and close their doors.
I disagree in some sense. Los Angeles needs other stars to lure LeBron. He isn’t punting a year to wait for kawhi. If George stays on OKC the Lakers will need to be aggressive. Spurs could theoretically take the love and 8 pick offer, of that’s a real offer and entice LeBron to stay in Cleveland. George stays in OKC and the Lakers strikeout again. If I’m the spurs I strongly suggest doing that. Magic is the Man but he needs to be aggressive in this offseason and aquiring kawhi tonight would set the tone.
The plans are already in place these guys already know where they’re going. It’s just a matter of the pieces moving back and forth that need to be worked out. LeBron and Kawhi in La. Plus one other guy either George, Chris Paul, cousins.
A real offer! Kevin scrub and the #8 pick you must be a Cavs fan! That deal won’t get you squat let alone Kawhi!!!!!
Spurs fan. Just being logical about the situation. You’re clearly still emotional over this.
I can’t imagine the Spurs having any interest in Love. The teams they should be trying to involve are Atlanta or Charlotte. Schroeder or Kemba Walker would be a perfect fit for the Spurs. Both teams should be interested in stockpiling picks. And (minus Kemba in CHA) both teams should also be willing and able to eat a bad contract.
Leonard may be worth a little more now than he’ll be in 24 hours, though SA can probably get more teams involved and a possibly better offers after the new league year begins on July 1.
Agreed padam, starts getting advice from his uncle, and this all falls apart. If he wanted the benefit of the doubt about his injury, offer the Spurs doctors the opportunity to work with his independent ones. Share updates and information. Heck, just communicate with the team and your teammates.
As far as I see it, it’s going to be one of these teams…since I feel like Philly has the most iterations of possible trades, I consider them the favorites, but obviously, there are a lot of variables. As I said, Pop has said he doesnt want to trade Kawhi in the West, but it should come down to what assets they want. A place Kawhi would resign is also of obvious importance, and there has to be at least some thought about Kawhi’s injury.
Philly: Fultz, TLC, Korkmaz, Bayless, and a first round pick for Kawhi, or Covington, Fultz and a 1st rounder for Kawhi and Derrick White
Lakers: Ingram, Hart, Deng, 25th pick for Kawhi and Patty Mills
Clippers: Tobias Harris, Sindarius Thornwell, Dekker, and the 12th pick for Kawhi
Heat: Waiters, James Johnson, Rodney Mcgruder, and 2019 1st round pick for Kawhi and Patty Mills
Nets: RHJ, Dinwiddie, Carroll, and their 29th pick for Kawhi
I’ll throw out a random team that could take a chance…Denver could do Gary Harris, Lyles, Wilson Chandler, Torey Craig, the 14th pick, and #43 pick for Kawhi
And since we’re here, let’s throw out 2 more…Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre, Tomas Satoransky and the 14th pick for Kawhi and Patty Mills
And lastly the Bulls Denzel Valentine, Paul Zipser, Robin Lopez, and the 7th pick
As a Laker fan, any deal for Kawhi has to include Ball ….please!
Spurs should not make any trade decision until after the major FA moves and related trades have been made. Only then will they and the rest of the league know what options the Lakers have with respect to acquiring KL as a FA or by trade, then and next year. That will influence the market.
The longer the Spurs hold out, the more desperate the Lakers will become and pay higher. To potentially have LBJ and Leonard on the same team is the infusion the Lakers want and need.
Desperate? Maybe yes, maybe no, but it certainly the Spurs leverage can’t get any lower, and almost any major FA signing by LA makes it better. The one thing the Spurs can prevent is a big 3 of PG13, LBJ and Leonard. Leonard and his agents violated a basic principle of negotiation; never leave the other side with little to no leverage. PG13 will be the first foot to drop.
Somebody please tell me how trading Kawhi under any circumstance makes the Spurs a better team.
They get assets instead of him leaving for nothing.
lakers or clips don’t HAVE to give up much since they can just sign him next offseason .. and its not like he had a no trade clause.
yeah its a gamble for anyone but that’s just the way it goes I have so assume the spurs send him were they can get the best haul for him they can which would be philly or bos or atl ..just to throw it out there though anychance POP ad Kerr hook up on a deal that sent Klay to SA for Lenoard ?
While I dont think Leonard has as much value as others bc as far as I’m concerned hes injured. No one has said he is 100% not even his camp. Quad and Shoulder. That and his desire to go to LA means anyone else should be low balling only. If you give up a big package you should be fired and never have a job in the league again. Bc if your Jersey doesnt say… Lakers or at worst Clippers, he isnt staying.
If he wants to go to LA, tell him to call up Magic and offer up Ingram. Otherwise you deal him to the east for 40 cents on the dollar and LA *might* have cap space to sign him next year.
If San Antonio doesn’t wanna even talk to the Lakers, that is bad business practice, that Kawhi wants to go there is not Lakers fault, only understandable, who wants to be/play in San Antonio? I do think San Antonio this last year is proven to be such a mess of a team, after decades everybody telling us what an awesome team, they just had TD he made them all look good, the team, Pops, the city… embarrassing.