Kawhi Leonard Discussion: “I’m A Snake Clipper Guy.”

Middle one was conjecture by an author. All he said was that the Suns could take on a bad contract in order to facilitate a Kawhi deal, but that means also taking one of the kids. That's not based on any knowledge by that author, just an idea he said could happen.

As for the first one.

Please trade for Kawhi Cleveland. It'd be hilarious to see them trade for Kawhi and have LeBron still leave. If they really wanted to go that route, they should have done it at the deadline. I believe that ship has sailed.

 

What that tells me is that stat must have some kinda crazy glitch or something then, because besides blocking some shots, Pau can’t play defense to save his life anymore. S***, he couldn’t in LA 6 years ago. With Pau in the paint we were a layup line, he got abused. So I’ll trust my eyes on this one.

 

I actually do think getting Kawhi COULD get LeBron to stay in Cleveland, but as that article points out, they don’t have the pieces to make it work. They have the 8th pick and Love. That’s not gonna get you Kawhi.

 

They have a chance to win it now without Kawhi. Just getting to the Finals (which they should do every year in the East for the next 3-4 years) is a chance. Who knows if Durant goes down? Curry? Klay? Look how exposed that team looked without Iguodala for a few games. There's no team in the East that can compete with them right now. The lineup I posted makes me sweat if I'm any East team. I believe the depth of that team would give Golden State big problems and they don't have to trade for Kawhi to get there. Ainge isn't really a risk taker like that anyway. He only does deals where he rips the other team off and for some reason teams still like trading with the guy.

 

I don't think there's anything that keeps LeBron in Cleveland at this point besides maybe Durant, but the Cavs are screwed so who cares? Who is giving the Cavs Kawhi for the crap they have? Anyone can beat their offers.

 

I just think in certain cases stars trump depth. Boston was super deep last season (missing Kyrie and Hayward I know), but LeBron still beat them basically by himself. I agree that some injuries to the Warriors and Boston has a chance to win, but that’s an if scenario, it can’t exactly be counted on. Kawhi is more of a swing for the fences move. Ainge sat on assets forever and finally cashed in, I could see him doing it again. There’s also no guarantee Kyrie stays past next season, adding Kawhi might make that decision easier for him. He also seems to be an injury concern come playoff time himself, so Kawhi is superstar insurance. I think Brown and Rozier plus picks get it done, and I think swapping out those 2 for Kawhi is not killing you depth at all. It legitimately scares me that the C Bags could do that, and I believe the reports also that SA would take “less” to send him East.

 

I think that exactly kills their depth. They'd have a great starting lineup and nothing going on behind it.

And it's not really the kind of move Ainge makes. Did he really go all in last season? He traded a broken Isaiah Thomas and some bench pieces along with one high draft pick that didn't even end up in the Top 5. I don't think he went all in, that's not really his MO.

if it were me, I'd agree with you and trade for Kawhi because I too think when you have a chance to strike, you should do it. I just don't at all see him making that call, especially with Kawhi's health a question.

 

Well, at the time IT wasn’t expected to be damaged goods, he was an MVP candidate, Crowder was a really solid role player, and he’d held onto picks like Nets one like gold for years before, so I do think the deal he did was him going for it. He just majorly won the deal in the end, but the Nets pick could still have ended up much higher. You really think swapping out Brown and or Rozier and picks for Kawhi kills their depth, when they are adding Hayward back and they didn’t even have Kyrie in the playoffs and still went to the ECF? I think those 2 more than replace Rozier and Brown, plus they have the 27th pick in this draft to add a guard to replace Rozier, who is a restricted free agent next offseason anyway (and totally disappeared in game 7 of the ECF). I don’t WANT this to happen, I can just SEE it happening because teams don’t want to help us in trades.

 

I think the strength of their team is the young depth. The way they've built is what I think the Lakers hope to do this summer (with or without the Kawhi stuff).

That same team, with health, is one of the most talented and deepest teams in the league. Brown and Rozier off the bench is tremendous depth. You take those two out, who on their bench are you actually worried about? You trade those picks away and who are they getting besides minimum deals to man their bench?

Add to that Kawhi's and Kyrie's injury history and now you're one injury away from losing everything. I just don't see them going that hard on Kawhi when they don't have to. The opportunity cost outweighs the opportunity gain. Why go that hard after Kawhi when they're already going to be ECF worthy as is? You risk all that to get Kawhi and possibly weaken the team? Especially since he's an injury risk and a one-year deal? I don't see it. If they do it, more power to them. I just don't think they will.

 

I simply can’t imagine Kawhi weakening that team. They lost in the ECF because these supposedly critical role players in Brown and Rozier absolutely vanished in game 7. Kawhi is an MVP candidate, a Finals MVP, and he and the Spurs had GS seemingly on the ropes and shook 2 years ago before he got Zaza’d. I cannot imagine how adding that player while losing 1 or 2 quality role players and some draft picks weakens the team. We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one, but I certainly hope you’re right that they won’t do it, because if they do they are a true championship threat, not just the next East team to come out and get beaten by GS (or even if Houston if CP3 can stay healthy for only one postseason) in 4 or 5 games.

 

You know... I am kinda thinking the same. Two stars, sure, absolutely. And keep as much youth as we can. I know we have something special in those young guys. Let them grow. I understand if you have to trade someone, but don't get rid of all of them. Two have to stay for sure, ideally 3. Zo/Kuz/Ingram/Randle, see who is expendable out of those 4.

 

I would take (healthy) Leonard in a hard beat. He is what Paul George is in theory, just way better at everything.

It all depends on the price. SA doesn't have too much leverage at this point.

Ingram, Hart, 25th pick, another future first...Kawhi Leonard is a top 3 NBA player. Leonard is worth more than that but given the situation that he is on a 1 year contract with a trade request, that should do it hopefully.

 

Because those critical role players gained critical experience and are now being replaced by much more experienced players. You put Kyrie and Hayward in those situations instead of Brown and Rozier, who now become absolutely fantastic bench pieces, and you're in wildly better shape. The problem with Houston and Golden State right now is their lack of depth outside of their starting lineup.

You don't even know if Kawhi is healthy. Why give up all your depth for a guy you don't need? You may be better, you may reach higher heights with your starting lineup, but you've weakened your depth substantially and messed with something that didn't need to be messed with. We can agree to disagree on this, but I think the key to the question isn't whether they should do it (we both agree they should). The question is would Ainge do it and I don't think there's any real evidence he would.