The Nemesis
Semper Tyrannus
We're back to 1000 post limited threads, so time to roll things over again.
Any chance we get a Christmas day game this year?
The Spurs had the financial advantage with Leonard, though that didn't end up making a difference in trying to resolve their issues with the All-Star forward.
On July 16, Leonard became eligible to receive a five-year, $221 million super max extension from the Spurs. After the trade, the most Leonard can receive in an extension (six months after the trade) will be $108 million over four years (starting in 2019-20). In free agency, Leonard will be eligible to sign a five-year, $190 million contract with Toronto (barring another trade before the deadline) or a four-year, $141 million deal with a team that has cap space.
San Antonio also made it clear that pieces keeping the franchise competitive in the playoff race this season were a priority in any trade. As we'll see, few teams outside of Toronto could swing such a deal for Leonard if he's likely to be a one-year rental.
Complicating factors
• Selling more than a one-year rental for Kawhi. Difficult for the Spurs to acquire more of the Raptors' young core or better picks given their lack of leverage.
• Trading an All-Star in DeRozan with three years left on his deal vs. Leonard's expiring contract.
• What is Plan B if Leonard leaves? Toronto will stay competitive in 2019-20 and rebuild the following year. The Raptors still will have $102 million in committed team salary if Leonard walks in free agency, but only Powell ($10.8 million) and Anunoby ($3.9 million team option) are under contract for 2020-21.
its almost as if Masai knew what he was doing the whole time...
Kawhi could walk for nothing and the trade would still be a good one.If they cant convince Kawhi to stay this could be the biggest blunder in Raptors history.
Kawhi could walk for nothing and the trade would still be a good one.
If they cant convince Kawhi to stay this could be the biggest blunder in Raptors history.
If they cant convince Kawhi to stay this could be the biggest blunder in Raptors history.
How many times are you gonna running it back with the same core that cant get it done?I'm not a raps fan but the biggest hold up the franchise will always have is. Majority of the league is American players that will rarely chose the one out of country team in the league. Attracting top talent and keeping top talent will always be harder for Toronto. DeRozan wanted to stay in Toronto. He wanted to play, live and win in Toronto. How do you let that go for an almost certain rental.
Because he’s not good enough, fuzzy feels aside.I'm not a raps fan but the biggest hold up the franchise will always have is. Majority of the league is American players that will rarely chose the one out of country team in the league. Attracting top talent and keeping top talent will always be harder for Toronto. DeRozan wanted to stay in Toronto. He wanted to play, live and win in Toronto. How do you let that go for an almost certain rental.
I'm not a raps fan but the biggest hold up the franchise will always have is. Majority of the league is American players that will rarely chose the one out of country team in the league. Attracting top talent and keeping top talent will always be harder for Toronto. DeRozan wanted to stay in Toronto. He wanted to play, live and win in Toronto. How do you let that go for an almost certain rental.
I'm not a raps fan but the biggest hold up the franchise will always have is. Majority of the league is American players that will rarely chose the one out of country team in the league. Attracting top talent and keeping top talent will always be harder for Toronto. DeRozan wanted to stay in Toronto. He wanted to play, live and win in Toronto. How do you let that go for an almost certain rental.
I get they needed a shake up but doesn't mean dumping DeRozan was the answer.
The East is up for grabs now and the Raptors with last years roster have just as good of a chance as anyone.
No question Kawhi is the better talent however it remains to be seen how much the injury will change him and if you lose him after a year you now have nothing to show for it. It's poor asset management. How they didn't get some conversation with Kawhi about his interest in staying is beyond me. For all we know they did talk to him and his reps but given how this is shaking out in the media it's pretty clear they didn't or they didn't care what he said and did the trade anyway.
You don't trade a committed top 5 SG in the league to take one shot at maybe the most stacked team of all time.
DeRozan is not a top talent in the sense that you want him to be.
You let him go for a player that IS FAR BETTER THAN DEROZAN CAN EVER CONCEIVE OF BEING.
That can't be stressed enough. I hate drawing hockey comparisons because they are usually, without exception, broken and ill-fitting, but what you suggest is essentially that a team should be happy to have a good 2nd liner that wants to be here instead of being able to trade him for a superstar that gives you a shot at the cup.
We've seen the DeRozan Raptors go as far as they can. It's time to roll the dice and see if the Kawhi Raptors can go farther. And who knows, maybe he sticks around. Lowry was supposed to bail when he was traded to the Raptors and he didn't. Chris Paul was supposed to bail when he was traded to the Clippers and he didn't. Paul George was apparently as good as gone when LeBron signed in LA and he chose to stay with the Thunder. Why not Kawhi once he realizes that this is a chance to be on an East-leading team with youth and the chance to get better and in a market that won't grind him into a paste like big US ones will?
Also for what it's worth DeRozan hasn't even been the best player on the Raptors for the last 4 years. Kyle Lowry is easily better overall and more valuable to the franchise than DeRozan has been in terms of on-court performance.
Also to those saying Kawhi can take the Raptors further than DD. In an East that just lost LeBron I agree they have as good of a shot as any to go to the finals but you're joking yourself if you think they don't get swept by Golden State.
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He forfeited a $221M supermax contract because he wanted to play in LA - he will potentially give up another $49M by not re-uping with us for 5 years should he choose 4 years @$141M somewhere else like most expect. This is not a Paul George situation - he really wants to go home and we're holding that up... obviously money means nothing to him.