This Leonard S--t Just won't Go Away!

worcester wrote:Cow, you are right on about the BS blog post extolling Kyrie's O as a rookie.

Bob, if you are indeed back in FL do give me a call. We go out diving again this weekend with our new uw drone.

Worcester,

That was a joke, playing off your joke about Obama. I'm in Antanarivo, Madagascar.


bob


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We certainly do have a lot of blue hairs in Florida. I bet you are having one amazing time in Madagascar. Saw the cartoon long ago.

The chaos surrounding the reported Celtics interest in making a trade for Leonard has multiple layers of uncertainty.

One of the latest rumors has Boston offering up Kyrie Irving.  The numbers work here but Boston would have to include draft picks.  That could be the big sticking point.

Why would Boston offer KI (if true)?  Kyrie may not resign.  The playoffs revealed that Terry Rozier can start at PG.  During the Playoffs the Celtics offense scored 3 less PPG.  Their defense however was about 1 PPG better than the regular season.  We are looking at a 2 point differential without Kyrie in the lineup.

Boston reportedly has not included Jaylen Brown in the mix.  The Spurs have to move Leonard because his trade value will diminish by February and they hate the Lakers as much as we do.

The Celtics reluctance is centered around Leonard's health and the uncertainty of being able to resign him.  The Celtics did not complete the KG trade until he agreed to an extension and there was no health issue with him. 

This entire episode has my head spinning around like that girl in the Exorcist!  Get out you Devil.

Danny is a master of disguise and illusions.  Keep looking to the left and you will miss his slight of hand.

Danny's ultimate goal is to make a trade for Anthony Davis down the road a bit.  He is very unlikely to unload multiple first rounders to get Leonard.

dboss wrote:The chaos surrounding the reported Celtics interest in making a trade for Leonard has multiple layers of uncertainty.

One of the latest rumors has Boston offering up Kyrie Irving.  The numbers work here but Boston would have to include draft picks.  That could be the big sticking point.

Why would Boston offer KI (if true)?  Kyrie may not resign.  The playoffs revealed that Terry Rozier can start at PG.  During the Playoffs the Celtics offense scored 3 less PPG.  Their defense however was about 1 PPG better than the regular season.  We are looking at a 2 point differential without Kyrie in the lineup.

Boston reportedly has not included Jaylen Brown in the mix.  The Spurs have to move Leonard because his trade value will diminish by February and they hate the Lakers as much as we do.

The Celtics reluctance is centered around Leonard's health and the uncertainty of being able to resign him.  The Celtics did not complete the KG trade until he agreed to an extension and there was no health issue with him. 

This entire episode has my head spinning around like that girl in the Exorcist!  Get out you Devil.

Danny is a master of disguise and illusions.  Keep looking to the left and you will miss his slight of hand.

Danny's ultimate goal is to make a trade for Anthony Davis down the road a bit.  He is very unlikely to unload multiple first rounders to get Leonard.

Or maybe Danny Ainge is going to surprise everyone by signing Lebron James.

All the Celts need to do to sign Lebron is to get rid of Al Horford.

Oy Vey!

Oh, the irony...





bob


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dboss wrote:The chaos surrounding the reported Celtics interest in making a trade for Leonard has multiple layers of uncertainty.

One of the latest rumors has Boston offering up Kyrie Irving.  The numbers work here but Boston would have to include draft picks.  That could be the big sticking point.

Why would Boston offer KI (if true)?  Kyrie may not resign.  The playoffs revealed that Terry Rozier can start at PG.  During the Playoffs the Celtics offense scored 3 less PPG.  Their defense however was about 1 PPG better than the regular season.  We are looking at a 2 point differential without Kyrie in the lineup.

Boston reportedly has not included Jaylen Brown in the mix.  The Spurs have to move Leonard because his trade value will diminish by February and they hate the Lakers as much as we do.

The Celtics reluctance is centered around Leonard's health and the uncertainty of being able to resign him.  The Celtics did not complete the KG trade until he agreed to an extension and there was no health issue with him. 

This entire episode has my head spinning around like that girl in the Exorcist!  Get out you Devil.

Danny is a master of disguise and illusions.  Keep looking to the left and you will miss his slight of hand.

Danny's ultimate goal is to make a trade for Anthony Davis down the road a bit.  He is very unlikely to unload multiple first rounders to get Leonard.

I have been mostly against trading for Leonard, largely because his whole situation this past year was so bizarre. Given the reputation of Pop and the Spurs, I kind of assumed the problem must be with Kawhi, i.e. that he is selfish or has some sort of character/attitude problem. This morning though, I researched him a little and listened to some of his interviews, and he doesn't seem to have a huge ego or any kind of attitude. He seems really quiet and laidback, even shy. I didn't get the impression he would ever be a problem in the locker room or have a big ego or anything. I wonder if there might be more to the story. Does anyone have any insight into exactly what went wrong with Kawhi and the Spurs?

Not sure if I am warming up to a Kawhi trade, but after watching some clips and listening to some interviews, I am a little intrigued - the guy really is one of the best players in the nba, and depending on what we give up, the Celtics would be pretty freaking fearsome with Kawhi.

worcester wrote:Cow, you are right on about the BS blog post extolling Kyrie's O as a rookie.

Bob, if you are indeed back in FL do give me a call. We go out diving again this weekend with our new uw drone.

Right I even remember commentators saying they were trying to have him score more, but that Pop decided to pull back because he wasn’t ready.

I am not warming up to the notion that we should get Leonard.

I like the team we have now and so does Danny. Yes I do think he is a great player but I really do not see a need.

The Celtics are going be pretty freakin fearsome without Leonard. That is why I would not make a trade for him.

dboss wrote:I am not warming up to the notion that we should get Leonard.

I like the team we have now and so does Danny.  Yes I do think he is a great player but I really do not see a need.  

The Celtics are going be pretty freakin fearsome without Leonard.  That is why I would not make a trade for him.

Exactly

I know I'm beating a dead horse here but there are two big red lights here:  His stilll not clarified injury diagnosis and his willingness to stay in Boston.  Without clarity and resolution of both of those any discussion of what assets should be sent to San Antonio is premature.


bob


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bobheckler wrote:I know I'm beating a dead horse here but there are two big red lights here:  His stilll not clarified injury diagnosis and his willingness to stay in Boston.  Without clarity and resolution of both of those any discussion of what assets should be sent to San Antonio is premature.


bob


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Yep.

 

gyso wrote:

Lakers making a big push supposedly.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gabezaldivar/2018/06/29/the-lakers-moving-towards-a-disastrous-kawhi-leonard-trade/#4b5b8f032fdc

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/report-celtics-unwilling-part-starters-171900997.html


Report: Celtics unwilling to part with any starters for Kawhi




NBC Sports BostonJuly 17, 2018, 11:19 AM MDT



As soon as the news broke that Kawhi Leonard wanted out of San Antonio, rumor mills began to churn out potential destinations and packages faster than you could say "blockbuster."

While a Kawhi-to-Boston trade has been one of the pundits' favorite hypotheticals, the Celtics have been unwilling to part with any core players in talks, according to ESPN.


"Boston hasn't included five players, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford," the article writes. "The Celtics and Sixers have offered pick-heavy packages that haven't moved the Spurs."

If any team has the draft picks to swing a trade of that magnitude it has to be the Celtics. With four first-round picks in next year's draft, including the coveted Sacramento Kings pick Boston acquired in last year's Fultz-Tatum trade, Boston's arsenal of trade chips is as deep as anyone's.

The 76ers, one of Boston's premier Eastern Conference rivals, have reportedly made Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz off-limits in any trade talks.

Leonard, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and 2014 NBA Finals MVP, is a free-agent after the season ends, but San Antonio has continued to show a willingness to wait out the process until they are completely satisfied with an offer.






bob



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https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-spurs-raptors-engaged-serious-talks-trade-centered-around-kawhi-leonard-demar-derozan-074418454.html


The San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors are engaged in serious talks on a trade centered around Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Talks between the Spurs and Raptors have intensified in recent days, league sources said. The potential deal would bring Leonard, one of the NBA’s top players when healthy, to Toronto and send an All-NBA and All-Star caliber player in DeRozan to the Spurs. For key figures involved in the deal, it is believed only a snag in final discussions could prevent completion, league sources said

From the moment Leonard made clear his desire for a trade out of San Antonio, the Spurs have taken a patient, deliberate approach to finding a resolution. Several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, emerged as suitors, but most NBA executives believed the Raptors presented the best potential current and future package.

Leonard is scheduled to enter free agency in 2019 and has no desire to play for Toronto, league sources said. DeRozan also has expressed displeasure toward a possible move, becoming aware of the possibility late Tuesday night, league sources said.

Leonard became uncomfortable with the Spurs’ franchise last season because of an overall mistrust stemming from the handling of his quadriceps injury, leading to his desire to be traded. The 2014 NBA Finals MVP then met with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on June 19 and informed him that his stance had not changed, league sources said, and Leonard had long eyed Los Angeles as his next destination via free agency in 2019. For the Raptors, the risk versus reward would come should the Leonard deal go through, but Toronto has become a potentially attractive city, organization and on- and off-court fit for marquee players.

DeRozan has spent his entire nine-year NBA career in Toronto, the franchise that selected him with the No. 9 pick in the 2009 draft. The face of the franchise and culture, DeRozan remained loyal to the team in 2016 when he signed a five-year, $139 million contract extension. He is a four-time NBA All-Star, leading the Raptors to the most winning in franchise history, including the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals.

Leonard, 27, is a two-time All-Star and led the Spurs to the 2014 championship. He’s under contract for two more seasons and owed $41.4 million, but has a player option for 2019-20. Leonard was drafted 15th overall in 2011 and when healthy is regarded as the league’s best two-way player. His finest season was in 2016-17, when Leonard averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists and shot 38 percent from 3-point range.

No way will Leonard renew a contract with the Raptors after this season. Besides the cold, Toronto players must pay the steep Canadian taxes. If he does get traded, what are the implications for the Celtics? Raptors will be better, but will they be better matched against the Celtics? I don't know. Certainly not in 2019-20 when both DeRozan and Leonard are gone. I still distrust reports that his leg is healthy. We shall see.

Overall reaction to this news? Meh.

worcester wrote:No way will Leonard renew a contract with the Raptors after this season. Besides the cold, Toronto players must pay the steep Canadian taxes. If he does get traded, what are the implications for the Celtics? Raptors will be better, but will they be better matched against the Celtics? I don't know. Certainly not in 2019-20 when both DeRozan and Leonard are gone.  I still distrust reports that his leg is healthy. We shall see.

Overall reaction to this news? Meh.

Worcester, the good news is that this S--t has gone away!

I personally think they may regret getting rid of DeRozen. I would have traded Lowry first. DeRozen has been solid player for them, Lowry, though every one calls him the leader of that team, has not impressed me as much. Of course, it could be that SA didn't want Lowry.

You are right dboss, thank God, all this posturing is over with. Last night I listened to those fools on Comcast/NBCTV sports throwing everything out there from the Celtics to make a deal. Thank God they have nothing to do with the Celtics.

It will be interesting to see just what Leonard has left in the tank after missing a whole season. My guess he will be okay for a while and then....who knows whether that injury will rear it's ugly head.

All I know is I am glad Danny made the starting five off limits. Obviously they wanted a star for a star trade. Good luck to DeRozen, he gave everything to Toronto, now he is going to a good team with a good coach

RosalieTCeltics wrote:I personally think they may regret getting rid of DeRozen.  I would have traded Lowry first.  DeRozen has been  solid player for them, Lowry, though every one calls him the leader of that team, has not impressed me as much.  Of course, it could be that SA didn't want Lowry.  

You are right dboss, thank God, all this posturing is over with.  Last night I listened to those fools on Comcast/NBCTV sports throwing everything out there from the Celtics to make a deal. Thank God they have nothing to do with the Celtics.  

It will be interesting to see just what Leonard has left in the tank after missing a whole season. My guess he will be okay for a while and then....who knows whether that injury will rear it's ugly head.  

All I know is I am glad Danny made the starting five off limits. Obviously they wanted a star for a star trade. Good luck to DeRozen, he gave everything to Toronto, now he is going to a good team with a good coach

yep Rosalie, I agree with you.

I think fans simply miss the positional value that was at work here. Boston is simply loaded with wings and two of them are high rises so getting Leonard really made no sense. Toronto made a huge gamble that will likely back fire. Many were surprised that DeRozan resigned with them. He could have went elsewhere but he stayed with Toronto. For them to trade him for a guy that wants to be in LA is pretty dumb.

Danny knows what he is doing. He did not trade up in the draft and he did not give SA what they wanted for Leonard.

DeRozen is an LA guy too.

last years it was rumored he wanted to play in LA also, but he re-upped with Toronto.

Paui George was almost handed a Laker jersey by all the writers and NBA fans...no way he was going to stay in Okl..but he has.

one simply never knows and a year can be a long time.