The Suns won’t consider including the top pick in this year’s draft as part of a package to acquire Kawhi Leonard, writes Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Shortly after Leonard’s representatives announced Friday that he wanted out of San Antonio, rumors started flying that the Suns are interested and would be willing to part with their draft choice to make it happen.
The biggest obstacle to a deal, according to Bordow, is Leonard’s ability to become a free agent next summer and his expressed desire to join the Lakers. Phoenix isn’t willing to risk giving away a young building block like Deandre Ayton, along with the other assets it would take to complete a trade, if Leonard is only guaranteed to stay for one year.
San Antonio is reportedly seeking young players with star potential, which is a description that Bordow states describes just two Suns, Devin Booker, who is considered untouchable, and rookie forward Josh Jackson. If Phoenix does get involved in a Leonard deal, it will most likely be as a facilitator, according to Bordow. The Suns have enough cap space to take Luol Deng‘s contract from the Lakers, as long as they receive a young player in return, such as Lonzo Ball.
There’s more Leonard-related news tonight:
- The Lakers may be the oddsmakers’ favorites to acquire Leonard, but a source close to the Spurs tells Frank Isola of The New York Daily News that the Celtics and Sixers can offer better deals. Isola speculates that Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward could be the asking price from Boston. Another source says Leonard enjoyed living in South Orange, New Jersey, and would be willing to play for the Knicks or the Nets. Isola lists the Heat and Clippers as other teams that could put together enticing trade offers.
- Any team that trades for Leonard will be taking a significant risk because of his uncertain medical condition, writes Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated. ESPN reported last month that the Spurs believe the injury that limited him to nine games this season was just a deep bone bruise, while his representatives call it a hardening of the area after repeated bruising “and then an atrophy, which in turn affected the tendons connecting the muscle to the knee.”
- In addition to the on-court factors that could affect Leonard’s destination, he is a free agent with shoe companies, tweets ESPN’s Nick DePaula. The size of the market Leonard goes to could affect the endorsement offers he gets. He reportedly turned down a four-year, $20MM extension offer this winter from Jordan Brand, a division of Nike.
I find Phoenix being able to take on Dengs contract if Ball is attached interesting. Reminds a bit of Russell/Mosgov. Maybe Lakers can get 16 and something for Ball/Deng?
Them taking Deng should be enough, doubt they get anything in return.
Spurs have no leverage trade Kawhi to his preferred place or risk getting very little for a rental
That trade would not make any sense for Boston without assurance of an extension. Kawhi is a huge talent, but also a huge question mark right now.
The C’s need to stand pat because they where almost in the finals without 2 of their biggest assets if anything trade Smart for some center help
Trade him to the Kings, they are dumb enough to give up an asset or two. Basically telling Kawhi to bleep himself bc Lakers wont have cap space to sign him in 2019 bc LBJ ain’t coming without PG13.
Why all the Kings bashing ..they have gotten there front office under control as of last year and hey traded Cousins who was a big cancer in the locker room.. a lot of you say bad things about them and don’t even know the full details as to what they ha e done to right the ship.. stop believe the media they don’t have a inside door to the team they just live to sensationalize things.. they are working hard to get this draft right and they have tons of cap space.
Lakers fan here, but one not convinced that what the Spurs would demand is worth it. Those thinking BI+Deng+FRP is enough, please realize that is offering essentially “not quite a BI” for Kawhi. If a team had been willing to take Deng for a FRP, it already would’ve happened, unrelated to Leonard. It’s going to take probably another pick and one of Hart or Kuz, likely, to get Spurs to bite. And I’m not sure that’s a good idea, unless it’s the only way to get George and LeBron, because it removes a lot of the depth you need with a “Big 3.”
If that 1st was #10 versus #25 then youd have a team like the Bulls’ attention. Cap space is pretty limited, and the bridge in ATL was burned with Deng. Mavs actually want to use their Cap to get a RFA, Gordon or Parker or Randle. Nets maybe would take another contract, I’d want Kuzma, lower contract $.
Lakers won’t give up ball to get rid of Deng
I anticipate a very similar return to the Paul George trade. A surprise team with 3rd or 4th year guy that has been good but not great (Oladipo) and a late lotto pick from last year (Sabonis). What about Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo from Miami? You’d probably have to add Dion Waiters for salary purpose as well. A starting 5 of Mills, Waiters, Winslow, Aldridge, and Adebayo/Gasol might even be good enough to sneak into the playoffs.
For the Heat, it could give a chance to Whiteside to prove he just had a bad year. If it worked out, great. If it doesn’t, then the Heat would have a lot of expiring contracts during the 2020 offseason.
u realize that they won 47 games last year without kawai, theyre a capable playoff team
As far as I see it, it’s going to be one of these teams…since I feel like Philly has the most iterations of possible trades, I consider them the favorites, but obviously, there are a lot of variables
Philly: Fultz, TLC, Korkmaz, Bayless, and a first round pick for Kawhi, or Covington, Fultz and a 1st rounder for Kawhi and Derrick White
Lakers: Ingram, Hart, Deng, 25th pick for Kawhi and Patty Mills
Clippers: Tobias Harris, Sindarius Thornwell, Dekker, and the 12th pick for Kawhi
Heat: Waiters, James Johnson, Rodney Mcgruder, and 2019 1st round pick for Kawhi and Patty Mills
Nets: RHJ, Dinwiddie, Carroll, and their 29th pick for Kawhi
I’ll throw out a random team that could take a chance…Denver could do Gary Harris, Lyles, Wilson Chandler, Torey Craig, the 14th pick, and #43 pick for Kawhi
And since we’re here, let’s throw out 2 more…Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre, Tomas Satoransky and the 14th pick for Kawhi and Patty Mills
And lastly the Bulls Denzel Valentine, Paul Zipser, Robon Lopez, and the 7th pick
I dont feel like it makes any sense for Boston to move anyone for Kawhi at this point. The only thing I could see is some sort of deal around Rozier, Ojeleye, Morris, Yabusele, and their draft pick, but I think that falls short in salary matching, and it leaves a really good wing player not getting as many minutes. Makes more sense to grab a big and go for it with a healthy team
Can you replace Tobias Harris and Thornwell for Austin Rivers and Wes Johnson lmao
Spurs would be hanging up on each of those proposals.
For 1 year of Kawhi, coming off a quad injury that cost him a full season? If they’re trading him, these are the types of packages that would be in play. How are they lacking?
Leonard is fine. If he wasn’t, he’d have sucked it up and signed the max extension with the Spurs for $ecurity.
Top bid wins. Lakers and Celtics are the top two players in my opinion – Lakers because of the rumors and motivation (if they trade for him now, they increase their chances with LBJ), Celtics because they have the right assets to get it done (and take advantage of what could be Kyrie’s last year with them).
In which world would Phoenix give Ayton/Bagley to San Antonio for Kawhi, if they do it they should have their franchise taken away from them & sent to Seattle, worst trade ever man. Even with a guarantee of resigning I wouldn’t do it.
Whoa, what? Kawhi is a Top 5 player in the league, and you wouldn’t trade the #1 pick for him even if Kawhi was locked up? Whoever is taken in that pick is unlikely to even become a Top 5 player at best.
You’d literally be turning down a dollar, to keep 50 cents and less than half a chance at a dollar.
He doesnt like Kawhi. He obviously hasnt seen him play, especially his last 2 years
Nobody has seen him play in the last 1 years
And that’s not his only problem
I hope Lakers don’t trade Ball at all, but if they do to Phoenix he would be a beast in there with Booker & Ayton, but then again Ball would be a beast in any team, the man can ball for sure.
LaVar, this your burner account?
We don’t need or want Ball and his “ MOUTH FATHER” around any of these parts.
formerlyz, especially in the last two years??? Two years ago Kawhi was 25.5, 5.8, 3.5, and 2.3, finishing 2nd in MVP voting. You know, two years ago when he had the Spurs up by 29 in game 1 of the WCF before the injury that derailed the Spurs season.
As a Spurs fan, I am good with moving on, if only because if he doesn’t want to be here, then leave. I don’t think Phoenix would be smart to give up number 1 for him, as it’s a destination that he probably doesn’t sign an extension with, but to Boston for Hayward and Brown (with Mills kicked in for salary), would be reasonable for both.
But would he take to Boston?
“Especially HIS last 2 years”….I also was saying this dude doesnt consider him a top 25 player, when he is obviously a top 3-4 player
DeRozan to the Spurs, Kawhi to the Lakers, Ingram, Mills and Hart to the Raptors
Does Kawhi worst $ 219 million after his injury???
Anyone that likes the Celtics, who is in support of trading Gordon Hayward, is an idiot. Trading him will look bad on Ainge and any future free agent interested in Boston, will think twice of signing in Boston.
In addition, stop with James and Leonard talk because they are going to LA.
Start talking about Anthony Davis.
Wrong. You need to forget about AD. AGAIN, He’s not getting traded. LeBron and Kawhi are real possibilities. LeBron has always talked about how he would love to play for a good coach and has spoken nice about Stevens. I personally don’t think he’ll come to Boston, but at least it’s possible unlike AD. Kawhi is a real possibility. All the Celtics have to do is offer the best package. This very same scenario played out last offseason with Kyrie. Everyone said no way the Cavs trade him to Boston. Guess where he went. To the team willing to give the most. And, NO, no one will look down on the Celtics for trading Hayward for Kawhi. Every single team in the NBA would do it. A top 30 player for a top 10 player. Of course you do it. Problem is that you have to get a long-term commitment from Kawhi to do it. Which you won’t get. Also, I don’t think it would take Brown and Hayward. Or, even Hayward and the Kings pick to be the best offer. If 2 offers are similar. You can bet that the Spurs are going to ship him East before they trade him to a team in the West. I doubt that the Spurs will get a better offer than Hayward, a top 30 player, and Bostons own 1st. But, imo, Boston needs to find a way to trade up to get one of these young big men in this year’s draft without giving up one of Kyrie, Brown, Tatum, Hayward, or Horford. That would make them a complete team. And, they surely have the assets to make it happen.
Truth.
The spurs should just let Kawhi ride the bench this year. He’s putting the spurs in a no win situation. No team will give up top assets for only one guaranteed year. And the lakers do not have that of great assets to give up. The spurs should be weary of bringing back Ball in a trade since that means taking his father too, and I doubt Pop would deal with his BS. So forget it, it Kawhi refuses to play then ride the bench for a year. He did it this past season anyway
That’s not how the NBA works. No team would waste an asset like Kawhi for spite.
They can get a nice return for him now or nothing next summer.
Not happening.
Right, but then you get NOTHING for a TOP 5 player.
This is going to be a fascinating situation to watch.
For the Lakers:
They would love to get Kawhi and he would love to go there.
They have plenty of assets and cap space to make almost any conceivable deal happen.
There would be almost zero risk of him leaving for another team next summer so they can pull the trigger with less risk than any other team.
And, Magic wants star power.
The big issue… will San Antonio let him go to a western team?
Will San Antonio take the best offer or send him east?
Sometimes a trade partner’s leverage gets too low. I don’t see much leverage for the Spurs right now, but I also don’t see (short of an injury or re-injury) that it can go much lower, and I can certainly see it going higher – whether in the Fall market or the in season pre-deadline one. SA should be prepared to wait it out. If they weren’t a veteran team (but a rebuilding one) or the player was playing at his peak (vs sitting out the last year due to an injury nobody seems to agree on), then it might not be as clear.