NBA Would this make sense?

HockeyGuy1964

Registered User
Oct 7, 2013
4,172
4,848
Not really a basketball guy so looking for opinions if this even made sense cap wise etc, etc, etc.

Obviously Toronto's first choice would be Leonard to return with a max deal & try to take another run but what if he's already made up his mind to go play closer to home as has been hinted at? Who could they conceivably get to fill the hole?

I was thinking last night after the win that maybe they could entice Durant. From everything I've read or heard most are not all that concerned with him returning to form, or close to it, because of his age, work ethic, etc. So, why not offer him a max deal knowing he'd be unavailable for the better part of next season, Leonard missed 20 games & the team still did reasonably well, but might be close to full strength for next years playoffs.

Does anybody think he'd consider this especially after seeing how the Raptors organization showed themselves as being player friendly & look after their players above all else? I get that he has the option to return to the Warriors & not opt out but, I think this is not totally inconceivable given what's happened in the last year.

Thought?
 

Gains

Registered User
Apr 29, 2012
1,794
859
Montreal
I don't think so because KD wants to go to New York or LA to grow his brand IMO. (Or stay with the GSW).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Voight

HockeyGuy1964

Registered User
Oct 7, 2013
4,172
4,848
I don't think so because KD wants to go to New York or LA to grow his brand IMO. (Or stay with the GSW).

Yeah, I can understand this thinking but the other teams you mentioned can say they will be patient & work with the player but the Raptors have shown that they actually mean it. I also don't discount that he has to have noticed he can grow his brand over a whole country & think he can transcend borders & be relevant to an American audience while playing in Toronto.

I think he stays with the Warriors by NOT opting out but if he has some hard feelings this would be not a bad fall back position for him. Good team, management that has shown they do what they say where it comes to protecting players &, when he did return, he'd have a real, defined 1st option role on a team that has shown it can get it done.

They could also structure the contract with player outs like GS did & by signing a player of his caliber while losing Kawhi would send a great message to the team & fans that they're in it to win it again.

I think it could be a win-win & the best possible outcome for the Raptors if Kawhi decides to leave.
 

Morozov

The Devil Killer
Sep 18, 2007
13,846
364
The chance of KD going to Toronto is less than zero.

Imagine, after leaving the Thunder after losing to the Warriors while being up 3-1, he then joins the Warriors after his team lost to them in the final. It doesn't matter that he didn't play (well barely) in the finals. He'll be seen as jumping ship to the better team again.

There was literally memes about it during the series. Mr Sensitivity would never be dumb enough to do that at this point.

He's also not going to Toronto with his ego. If not staying in GSW (with rumour being that they'll offer him a max deal anyway) then it's LA or NY. Which will be horrible for his fragile personality but oh well.

You can put all the positive spin on it you want, but nobody believes this is a genuine possibility.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Stylizer1

Khelandros

Registered User
Feb 12, 2019
3,926
4,410
Yeah, I can understand this thinking but the other teams you mentioned can say they will be patient & work with the player but the Raptors have shown that they actually mean it. I also don't discount that he has to have noticed he can grow his brand over a whole country & think he can transcend borders & be relevant to an American audience while playing in Toronto.

I think he stays with the Warriors by NOT opting out but if he has some hard feelings this would be not a bad fall back position for him. Good team, management that has shown they do what they say where it comes to protecting players &, when he did return, he'd have a real, defined 1st option role on a team that has shown it can get it done.

They could also structure the contract with player outs like GS did & by signing a player of his caliber while losing Kawhi would send a great message to the team & fans that they're in it to win it again.

I think it could be a win-win & the best possible outcome for the Raptors if Kawhi decides to leave.
I think this statement is entirely overblown. I can tell you with certainty that out in the western provinces, we don't give a shit about the Raptors. There are select pockets here and there but for the most part people don't care. They are a Toronto team, not a Canada team.
 

Dr Pepper

Registered User
Dec 9, 2005
70,347
15,496
Sunny Etobicoke
And last week most of the NBA was too.

I think that was just more anti-Golden State than anything else.

If it was Toronto vs. any other team from the West, I don't think there would've been such overwhelming support going Toronto's way, at least not south of the border. :laugh:
 

Maestro84

Registered User
May 3, 2018
2,120
1,634
Toronto
I think that was just more anti-Golden State than anything else.

If it was Toronto vs. any other team from the West, I don't think there would've been such overwhelming support going Toronto's way, at least not south of the border. :laugh:
Same with the NHL. A big reason why everyone was so pro-Blues was because of how anti-Boston everyone outside Mass is. The only other east teams that would've had everyone root against them regardless of the western opponent is probably the Penguins and maybe the Leafs.

As for the raps against any other west team, it depends. If it was the Lakers, I'm sure everyone outside Hollywood would've been pro-raps as well since most of the US hates the Lakers for the same reasons why most of Canada hates the Leafs.

Also, I think a good chunk of NBA fans would've pulled for the raps regardless since Kawhi's gained a large fanbase league-wide, all of Memphis would support them cuz of Gasol, OKC fans will support them cuz of Ibaka, Spurs fans will cheer on Green and Kawhi (at least the non-salty ones will), parts of Illinois would've cheered for the raps as well due to FVV, African fans are going to cheer on Ibaka and Siakam, Spanish fans for Ibaka and Gasol, UK fans for OG, and the Asian-American community would've been pro-raps too because of Lin
 
Last edited:

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->