Where Will Kawhi End Up?

[Lipoli390]

I just really hope its not the Lakers, we are so close to a wide open NBA for the 1st time since really Lebron left the Cavs the 1st time.

I agree. The best thing for the League would be Kawhi staying with Toronto or signing with the Clippers. If he stays with Toronto, the League will have a strong Eastern Conference rival for the Lakers. If he goes to the Clippers the League would have a fascinating intra-city rivalry in LA. If he goes to the Lakers, the League will have another LeBron-driving super team. Yuck.

And its not even like the Lakers will be a lock because all three of those stars have an injury history now (Leborn just starting to show one). But it will ruin basketball coverage, all the talk will be on them. We would be looking a at least some balance. Can GS compete with DLO/Curry/Steph/Green, how does LBJ and Davis mesh with min guys, Can Kawhi lead the Raptors to back to back championships, how does the 76ers big lineup look, the young Pelicans, Doncic and Porzingas who does that look, can Giannis get into all time great convo, does Kyrie blow up another team, Do the Celtics young guys take a step forward with a perceived better locker-room. How does the Jazz look with ton of above average almost all star players.

But if Kawhi goes to LA non of that matters, it will be 90% Lakers talk.

Great point. The worst of it would be how it would skew media coverage. Thinking about it compels me to restate my plea to Kawhi: Please, please, please, re-sign with the Raptors or sign with the Clippers!!!

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I hope he stays with Toronto. He fits well there. They've built a good thing there around him and the fans love him. He also has a big time legacy as "The Dynasty Killer" and a lot of that is tossed out the window if he joins two other superstars. I also want Masai Ujiri to be even more rewarded for his calculated risk of trading for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green last year. It was a tremendous deal. If he's able to keep him (likely both of those free agents), he'll be considered a god amongst the NBA executive community, and rightfully so.

I like when things feel right. Leonard in Toronto feels right. Him going to the Lakers would be atrocious and him going to the Clippers would just be weird. Stay put and try to run it back to back -- Drake reference intended.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

The crazy thing is he's taken this long to decide. If he really cared about putting the best team around him, wouldn't he have declared a decision ASAP so the team could start signing complementary players? He definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer.

Part of me hopes he stays in Toronto for one more year, because that was a fun team, and I think the Sixers could really challenge them in the East next year. Probably the Bucks too, but I think the loss of Brogdon will hurt them. This would also keep him away from the Wolves and help us make the playoffs potentially.

Part of me hopes he goes to the Clippers. I really like that team, and it would be cool to see a counterbalance to the Lakers in LA.

[Monster]

The crazy thing is he's taken this long to decide. If he really cared about putting the best team around him, wouldn't he have declared a decision ASAP so the team could start signing complementary players? He definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer.

Part of me hopes he stays in Toronto for one more year, because that was a fun team, and I think the Sixers could really challenge them in the East next year. Probably the Bucks too, but I think the loss of Brogdon will hurt them. This would also keep him away from the Wolves and help us make the playoffs potentially.

Part of me hopes he goes to the Clippers. I really like that team, and it would be cool to see a counterbalance to the Lakers in LA.

Before FA started supposedly guys were going to meet with teams and make their decision. Basically everyone either made their decision before FA even started or did that night. It hasn't even been 3 days yet since FA technically started. Maybe Kawhi wasn't interested in speaking with teams before the FA period actually started which I would guess clearly happened in some way shape or form. There are guys like Danny Green waiting for the decision to be made. Time is somewhat relative here.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

The crazy thing is he's taken this long to decide. If he really cared about putting the best team around him, wouldn't he have declared a decision ASAP so the team could start signing complementary players? He definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer.

Part of me hopes he stays in Toronto for one more year, because that was a fun team, and I think the Sixers could really challenge them in the East next year. Probably the Bucks too, but I think the loss of Brogdon will hurt them. This would also keep him away from the Wolves and help us make the playoffs potentially.

Part of me hopes he goes to the Clippers. I really like that team, and it would be cool to see a counterbalance to the Lakers in LA.

The one team that can't do much as a player in free agency is the Toronto Raptors. They wouldn't have cap space with or without Kawhi Leonard. Perhaps he's waiting this long to string the Lakers and Clippers along so they aren't able to add quality players, but then he'll wind back up with Toronto with his pal Danny Green.

Additionally, the thought that Philadelphia somehow got better this off-season continues to bewilder me. They lost two huge pieces and failed to adequately replace them. Jimmy Butler ain't walking through that door. J.J. Reddick ain't walking through that door either. There goes both of your starting wings. Your best perimeter defender and best fourth-quarter scorer (12th-best in NBA) in Butler and 240 out of 889 of your three-point makes last year in Reddick. Keep in mind the Sixers were just 19th in the NBA in three-point shooting last year -- and they lost their best shooter who made roughly 27% of their total makes. Do we not see how that's an issue? That is a definite problem.

To make up for these losses, Philly acquired the supremely-overrated Josh Richardson and the always-solid Al Horford, however the latter will either force Tobias Harris to play out of his most optimal position or require Horford to come off the bench where his impact is likely to be marginalized. They're also at risk of losing their backup point guard in free agency. Consider me less than impressed with Philly's off-season.

On to Milwaukee, they lost Malcolm Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic. They retained Khris Middleton, which was crucial, and kept a quietly productive Brook Lopez, but losing the two complimentary players will hurt them. Likely still a contender, but not quite the team of last year.

[AbeVigodaLive]

The crazy thing is he's taken this long to decide. If he really cared about putting the best team around him, wouldn't he have declared a decision ASAP so the team could start signing complementary players? He definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer.

Part of me hopes he stays in Toronto for one more year, because that was a fun team, and I think the Sixers could really challenge them in the East next year. Probably the Bucks too, but I think the loss of Brogdon will hurt them. This would also keep him away from the Wolves and help us make the playoffs potentially.

Part of me hopes he goes to the Clippers. I really like that team, and it would be cool to see a counterbalance to the Lakers in LA.

Before FA started supposedly guys were going to meet with teams and make their decision. Basically everyone either made their decision before FA even started or did that night. It hasn't even been 3 days yet since FA technically started. Maybe Kawhi wasn't interested in speaking with teams before the FA period actually started which I would guess clearly happened in some way shape or form. There are guys like Danny Green waiting for the decision to be made. Time is somewhat relative here.

The entire league is waiting on Kawhi Leonard. He's story #1.

In a league where star players choose destinations where they can push their brands (see James + Durant and others)... this is all great for the Kawhi brand.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

The thing with Kawhi though is whether he is doing this to truly indulge "his brand" or is this just how the guy operates. I'm not so sure. If he ends up with the Lakers, I'll know the answer. You'll hear the champagne bottles popping in Bristol, that's for sure.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

The thing with Kawhi though is whether he is doing this to truly indulge "his brand" or is this just how the guy operates. I'm not so sure. If he ends up with the Lakers, I'll know the answer. You'll hear the champagne bottles popping in Bristol, that's for sure.

Da-na-na, da-na-na!

[Coolbreeze44]

The thing with Kawhi though is whether he is doing this to truly indulge "his brand" or is this just how the guy operates. I'm not so sure. If he ends up with the Lakers, I'll know the answer. You'll hear the champagne bottles popping in Bristol, that's for sure.

Stephen A will get wood too.

[Porckchop]

I think he goes to the Lakers.
If the media and majority of fans had their way all the best talent would be dispersed among 5-6 teams and let them feast on the lesser teams. It gets tiring. If they wanna construct the league like its Globtrotters vs The Generals every nite why not just make it like the WNBA and trim down the amount of teams and games that's are played. Why avoid the inevitable?