Kawhi to Clippers

#32
Random thought...but I wonder if they are the mystery buyer for Wiggins’ contract. Westbrook and Wall are about the only contracts that could be traded for Wiggins where the receiving actually ends up with a better contract on their books.
That makes a lot of sense actually. I can see that happening.

I can also see Miami making a play for Russ to pair with Butler. They got a couple decent prospects, big contracts that expire after next season, and night still have a pick or two to send their way. I think OKC will find that Paul George had more trade value than Westbrook if they don’t already know. Minnesota may be able to offer the most player for player value in the Wiggins scenario though.
 
#33
Wow that Paul George trade is like really wild. There can only be so many super teams then we have our team which I am very excited about.
Have always liked George and was really happy he was able to come back from that insane broken leg he had.
 
#34
OKC will be getting first rounders from the Clippers when Paul George is 32, 34 & 36 and when Kawhi is 31, 33, & 35. And that's if they are both Clippers for the duration. Outside of injury (and both guys have significant injuries in their past) that first pick likely will be toward the end of the first round but the next two could be very valuable. The two Miami picks will likely be in the second half of the first round.

But it means that starting with the 2021 season the Thunder will have at least two first rounders for five straight years. And if they deal Westbrook to rebuild their picks will probably be in the top 10 for at least a couple years while getting additional assets in return for Westbrook.

As a small market team, Presti knows OKC has to build through the draft and is doing the smart thing by loading up. The last time the Thunder had a string of top 5 picks they drafted Durant, Westbrook and Harden.

I'm high on SGA too so I think the Thunder made out well. The Clippers really didn't have much choice if the alternative was watching Kawhi sign with the Lakers.
 
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#35
Woj said Presti apparently tried to trade both Westbrook and Paul George to the Raptors for a package surrounding Piaskam, but they said no.

Wow. They might’ve been able to pair up Westbrook-Kawhi-George.

George also made the trade request for LAC.
 
#37
OKC will be getting first rounders from the Clippers when Paul George is 32, 34 & 36 and when Kawhi is 31, 33, & 35. And that's if they are both Clippers for the duration. Outside of injury (and both guys have significant injuries in their past) that first pick likely will be toward the end of the first round but the next two could be very valuable. The two Miami picks will likely be in the second half of the first round.

But it means that starting with the 2021 season the Thunder will have at least two first rounders for five straight years. And if they deal Westbrook to rebuild their picks will probably be in the top 10 for at least a couple years while getting additional assets in return for Westbrook.

As a small market team, Presti knows OKC has to build through the draft and is doing the smart thing by loading up. The last time the Thunder had a string of top 5 picks they drafted Durant, Westbrook and Harden.

I'm high on SGA too so I think the Thunder made out well. The Clippers really didn't have much choice if the alternative was watching Kawhi sign with the Lakers.
The lakers were never an option for Kawhi. He used them and played them. It was either clippers or the raptors.
 
#40
The lakers were never an option for Kawhi. He used them and played them. It was either clippers or the raptors.
Maybe. And we may never know. But if Kawhi had decided early on that he didn't want to team up with LeBron and AD, it's likely that it wasn't the Lakers he was playing. I'm sure the threat of him signing with LAL was the leverage that got the Clippers to offer a promising young player in Gilgeous-Alexander as well as five first-round picks.
 
#41
Cousins is cooked. They don’t need a player like him
I don't see Boogie as a great fit with the Clippers either. I think they need a rim runner and defensive anchor more than a post scorer. Given that Leonard and George are both small forwards I'll be interested to see if they start them at the two forward spots along with Beverly, Shamet, and either Zubac or Harrell. Personally, I'd slide Kawhi to the SG spot and start Beverly, Leonard, George, Harkless, and Zubac. That team could be elite defensively, especially along the perimeter. And it would still let them have Lou Williams and Harrell in their bench roles.
 
#42
Maybe. And we may never know. But if Kawhi had decided early on that he didn't want to team up with LeBron and AD, it's likely that it wasn't the Lakers he was playing. I'm sure the threat of him signing with LAL was the leverage that got the Clippers to offer a promising young player in Gilgeous-Alexander as well as five first-round picks.
True but I never bought into the idea that Kawhi wanted to play with lebron.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#43
two California kids get to go back home. Insane haul for Presti. This means they need to move on from Russ as well. Start from scratch and let the rebuilding process begin. The Thunder reached their ceiling as a team and I applaud Presti for pulling the trigger and seeing this now. Looks like its the era of the dynamic duos, rather than a big 3. I can dig it.
 
#44
True but I never bought into the idea that Kawhi wanted to play with lebron.
The speculation for months and months were that the Clippers were option 1 for Leonard and clearly that is what happened. I do wonder if the Clippers had balked at the high price for Paul George what would have happened. Would Kawhi have signed with LAC anyway? I'm guessing no. So then would have returned to Toronto or signed with the Lakers? I'm guessing he would have gone back to the Raptors.

That's what I was hoping for all along, but right now I'm just very happy he didn't join AD and LeBron, however likely or unlikely that was to happen.
 
#45
Woj said Presti apparently tried to trade both Westbrook and Paul George to the Raptors for a package surrounding Piaskam, but they said no.

Wow. They might’ve been able to pair up Westbrook-Kawhi-George.

George also made the trade request for LAC.
Yeah but that would have wrecked Toronto long term.

LA teams can throw away ALL their draft picks and just buy stars whenever they want to.

Toronto never can and never will. They need their draft picks.

That Toronto GM and OKC GM had a good day!
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#46
The Warriors, who were renown as the best team by far in basketball last year, could very well now be the worst team in California.

Thunder and the Warriors are the off-season losers in the West and become the Kings' competition for a lower playoff slot.

The most interesting dynamic in the west is the push-pull of load management vs. getting to the playoffs. The Lakers and the Clippers are going to want to load manage their stars in the same vein as Leonard was load managed last year. In so doing, they will be ready for the "real season." The problem with that is that this is not the East. A night of load management in the West can easily turn into a loss. Utah, Portland, Kings, and Dallas just added significantly to their depth. And roster depth and good fortune with injuries is going to be a key for those making the playoffs.
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
#47
The Warriors, who were renown as the best team by far in basketball last year, could very well now be the worst team in California.

Thunder and the Warriors are the off-season losers in the West and become the Kings' competition for a lower playoff slot.

The most interesting dynamic in the west is the push-pull of load management vs. getting to the playoffs. The Lakers and the Clippers are going to want to load manage their stars in the same vein as Leonard was load managed last year. In so doing, they will be ready for the "real season." The problem with that is that this is not the East. A night of load management in the West can easily turn into a loss. Utah, Portland, Kings, and Dallas just added significantly to their depth. And roster depth and good fortune with injuries is going to be a key for those making the playoffs.
The Warriors are still better than the Lakers. And way better than us. Lol
 
#49
I don't think they are. No depth. No Iggy. Nothing to speak of in the front court. They have a back court and that's it. Curry is going to be a worn-out puppy by mid-season.
There is talk they will be limiting Curry's minutes big time this year. No point wearing him out when Klay will be out most of the year. They did get Russell so that can limit Curry.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#50
There is talk they will be limiting Curry's minutes big time this year. No point wearing him out when Klay will be out most of the year. They did get Russell so that can limit Curry.
If they limit Curry then they definitely don't get to the playoffs. If they want to get to the playoffs Curry is going to have play his A$$ off and expend a considerable amount of energy. Also, there's reason to believe he's pretty burnt from several years of a championship run. How much he has in the tank is going to be a key question for the Warriors.
 

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#51
Holy crap Presti getting a bigger haul for PG now than he gave up to get him
Did they? I'd take Oladipo/Sabonis over that package. There's a lot of potential in the deal they got but you can ask Ainge how the all in on picks thing works. Now it's up to Presti to not make the same mistakes Ainge did because as it looks right now, the C's missed their window hanging onto the gamble of those draft picks. If he's smart he'll be wheeling and dealing with those picks at the deadline. The potential of something like that happening is why I would have liked to see Vlade take a step back on blowing out his entire cap. You never know, at the deadline he could have leveraged that space to play threes company on a trade with OKC and picked up some of that draft goodness for simply playing along.
 
#52
If they limit Curry then they definitely don't get to the playoffs. If they want to get to the playoffs Curry is going to have play his A$$ off and expend a considerable amount of energy. Also, there's reason to believe he's pretty burnt from several years of a championship run. How much he has in the tank is going to be a key question for the Warriors.
That's the point, why put miles on Curry if they aren't in Championship mode? Let Russell get a ton of minutes before Klay gets back. Then reassess when he returns if you have a shot.
 
#53
There is talk they will be limiting Curry's minutes big time this year. No point wearing him out when Klay will be out most of the year. They did get Russell so that can limit Curry.
I know the Warriors will always be a big draw because of their [previous?] dynasty, but would they do that going into a brand new arena? Ticket prices will plummet.
 
#54
I know the Warriors will always be a big draw because of their [previous?] dynasty, but would they do that going into a brand new arena? Ticket prices will plummet.
Tickets are already sold for next year. Plus just the opposite, the building will draw fans the first year, good time to tank.
 
#56
The Warriors, who were renown as the best team by far in basketball last year, could very well now be the worst team in California.

Thunder and the Warriors are the off-season losers in the West and become the Kings' competition for a lower playoff slot.

The most interesting dynamic in the west is the push-pull of load management vs. getting to the playoffs. The Lakers and the Clippers are going to want to load manage their stars in the same vein as Leonard was load managed last year. In so doing, they will be ready for the "real season." The problem with that is that this is not the East. A night of load management in the West can easily turn into a loss. Utah, Portland, Kings, and Dallas just added significantly to their depth. And roster depth and good fortune with injuries is going to be a key for those making the playoffs.
They are still better than us and the team is attractive enough to fill the gap with decent roleplayers.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#57
That's the point, why put miles on Curry if they aren't in Championship mode? Let Russell get a ton of minutes before Klay gets back. Then reassess when he returns if you have a shot.
It's ok by me. It would be good news for those fighting for the 8th slot. I just can't imagine that a team with Russell, Green and a bunch of minimum salaries would be within striking distance by the time Klay got back.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#58
They are still better than us and the team is attractive enough to fill the gap with decent roleplayers.
I disagree.

Here are the four losses to the Warriors last year:

116-117
125-130
123-127
123-125

Four losses by a total of 12 points.

Those losses occurred when the Warriors had Durant, Thompson, Iggy and Cousins on their team. Now the Warriors have Russell and WCS, which doesn't come close to offset those losses. The Kings added Barnes, Dedmond, Joseph, Ariza and Holmes. (Barnes had only been playing with the Kings for two weeks prior to playing the Warriors in the last game). The Kings most talented players - Fox and Bagley - are their youngest players and on an fast upward trajectory. Russell is still improving, but again doesn't offset the growth of Fox and Bagley. How exactly are the Warriors superior to the Kings?

In the last game the Kings played against the Warriors, Durant, Thompson, Iggy and Cousins accounted for 72 points and 27 rebounds. The Kings lost by two points. Are Russell and WCS going to make up the difference? Good luck on that.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#59
One of the ultimate ironies in people being befuddled by the Kings bringing Barnes and Ariza is that we have somehow wound up being maybe the one team in the west capable of defending both Kawhi and George at once. Even more so if we bring back Brewer.
 
#60
One of the ultimate ironies in people being befuddled by the Kings bringing Barnes and Ariza is that we have somehow wound up being maybe the one team in the west capable of defending both Kawhi and George at once. Even more so if we bring back Brewer.
Now that's optimism lol