My guess is Pelinka was brought in because of ties to Kobe and because he had tangential connection to Kawhi so that we may possibly get him as a free agent.
So you have faith in Rob's ability to make deals knowing that no one in league circles likes him? You wouldn't rather have someone that is respected around the league, someone that has a knack for getting things done?
Amazing that he pulled off one of the most complicated 5 team trades considering that, “no one in league circles likes him.”
Let's be reminded of what happened : KL turned down playing with LeBron and AD! Turned down Lakers marketing clout for the clippers. Is our FO to blame for this....really? Let's be reasonable here.
C'mon guys there's no truth to this...?and he pulled it off because we gave up basically our whole draft future and all of our assets. Let's stay in reality here
Sorry but I don’t believe s*** that Cris has to say. He was played by Kawhi, just as bad as we were. Kawhi has already talked to KD and Paul about coming to the Clippers before he even met with us. Nothing we did or didn’t do was going to change Kawhi’s mind. We were always his backup plan behind the Clippers and Raptors. Cris is now just trying to cover his a** from looking like a fool on national TV.
I dont ever remember him saying the klaw was the Lakers to lose. I remember him telling everyone that there wouldn't be a decision and he was more in tune with what was going on with the klaw. At one point he said the Lakers were still on a level playing field with the Claps and Craps but nothing more Think about it though, Kawhi told people what he wanted them to hear so he could get what he wanted. He was very cunning and played his cards right. #incrisitrust
No he didn’t say it was the Lakers to lose and I never meant to imply that. I’m saying Kawhi lied to him and he fell for it too. Now he is trying to make excuses for why we didn’t get Kawhi. It was never about what Magic did or didn’t say, or the Laker front office. Sorry to get off topic.
He said the intel that Magic let out of the meeting was a mistake. That Kawhi didn’t trust our FO or medical staff. He was talking to KD and PG probably between 3 to 5 days (based on KD turning him down and already setting up a meeting with PG) before he even met with us. That tells me that it was always Raptors and Clippers. The only way he was coming to the Lakers was as a fall back options. So Magic talking about their meeting had no bearing on Kawhi picking or not picking us. Same with the FO office stuff. It’s like you interview for a job you have no intention of taking but say later you turned it down because the pay was too low. It’s just an excuse. Cris is using all the BS as an excuse. He’s the one that said Kawhi’s having a hard time deciding. No he wasn’t. He’s just covering his butt. I don’t believe him because at this point he is just trying to save face.
Forget all the anti Laker rhetoric that's been going on. Don't fall for it. Just look at the evidence. Facts. Kl turned down the opportunity to play with LeBron and AD. Simply put, he didn't want to share the limelight with 2 other stars. Period. If the FO did anything wrong, it was to make the team too powerful for him to join. Can you blame the FO for getting setting things up too perfectly for kawhi?
Always a great idea when you're new to a forum to insult one of the Admins when you're trying but failing to make your point.
Clipper FO already had a committed KL, they almost lost that opportunity. They lost KD to the nets, butler to mia. And had to give up way more than what PG was worth. Heck I don't have to be Jerry West to get that deal done with OKC.
Wow really I never insulted you, not even a little bit. You're trying to spin it like all they got for that trade was PG13, that's simply not the case. They got a complete backcourt with Kawhi and PG and probably the best defensive squad in the league. Dont be so sensitive, no need to flex your admin muscle on me I wasnt going after you just some regular banter If disagreeing with admin is insulting I'm guilty as charged
And to top it off both of them are locked up for the next 3 and 4 years. Pretty good decision on the Claps part imo
Call me crazy, I don’t care. I don’t buy that the concerns about our “front office dysfunction” was a factor in Kawhi’s decision at all. I think he always knew he didn’t want the pressure of our organization and Lebron’s shadow. He wanted the challenge of going to little brother and carving out something unique. It had nothing to do with Magic leaving or leaking a few minor details about their conversation. Nothing to do with a rumor about Pelinka being a backstabber. Deep down, this is always what Kawhi wanted. But I also think the Clippers knew this. And they pulled the strings (and Kawhi had no problem with this) in such a way specifically to try and hurt the Lakers the most. Kawhi’s super secretive inner camp is suddenly leaking the details of what they disliked about the Lakers? Naw, it’s the Clips taking advantage of the decision to try and boost their image while hurting ours.
Magic is no longer in the secret club. He doesn't get to come to super important meetings. He traded DLO because he did what he did, but Magic is one of those guys I don't think you can tell a secret to. It will just eat him up inside having something so juicy that he just has to share it with someone. Sometimes the qualities we like the least in other people are qualities we see in ourselves.
