Blockbuster trade.

The Spurs have traded Kawhi Leanord and Danny Green to the Raptors for Demar Derozan, Jacob Poetl and a top 20 protected 1st round pick.

Demar is pissed off. Kawhi is surely unhappy as he is being sent up north instead of LA.

Thoughts?

I think Kawhi leaves Toronto after this upcoming season and the Raptors lose everyone and begin their long rebuild.

Lakers somehow win a trade they aren't involved in.

Good luck getting anyone of significance to stay in Toronto.

Jul 19, 2018 19:55:21 GMT Ed said:

Good luck getting anyone of significance to stay in Toronto.

Curious, what are the thoughts that lead to players not wanting to play in Toronto?

Jul 20, 2018 5:08:06 GMT nazzer said:

Jul 19, 2018 19:55:21 GMT Ed said:

Good luck getting anyone of significance to stay in Toronto.

Curious, what are the thoughts that lead to players not wanting to play in Toronto?

Most common complaints I've heard have been cold weather and Canadian taxes.  

Jul 20, 2018 5:47:38 GMT thereallt said:

Jul 20, 2018 5:08:06 GMT nazzer said:

Curious, what are the thoughts that lead to players not wanting to play in Toronto?

Most common complaints I've heard have been cold weather and Canadian taxes.  

So the taxes then... Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston are all fairly cold in the winter. I get wanting to keep more of your money, but the taxes argument always seemed silly to me when you consider how much they still earn after taxesm

It's the taxes. Weather means fuck all. Half the United States is cold in the winter too, and it's no worse than Toronto.

Players get taxed a lot more, and there are states (like Texas for example) that have really relaxed tax laws where players are looking at a difference in pay of hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars.

There's also still a stigma around the NBA about playing in Toronto that I won't get into right now. They Raptors have never been taken seriously and getting swept by the Cavs didn't help that at all. Then they fired the coach of the year and dealt DeRozan after telling him they weren't going to.

This trade might work out for Toronto this year, but that's a big "might" and when Leonard leaves at the end of the season the team is completely fucked. I don't like it. I think Toronto could have spent the next two years trying to win with what they had and a new coach, and then started their rebuild. I don't think this trade gets them anywhere good in the end, but I'll be hoping I'm proven wrong.

Some fans think this puts them ahead a year on the rebuild because they'll have money to sign someone big if Leonard leaves, but who do you sign? Toronto has a bad rep now and there aren't that many huge free agents coming up next year, I don't think.

Jul 20, 2018 6:33:46 GMT nazzer said:

Jul 20, 2018 5:47:38 GMT thereallt said:

Most common complaints I've heard have been cold weather and Canadian taxes.  

So the taxes then... Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston are all fairly cold in the winter. I get wanting to keep more of your money, but the taxes argument always seemed silly to me when you consider how much they still earn after taxesm

Until recently it’s hard to name a really good free agent that signed in Boston, Chicago, Detroit or Cleveland either.

And when you make that much money, the taxes become a lot more money too.

My assumption from what Ed was saying though is that Derozen has suggested that he was told he wasn’t going to be traded a few weeks before he was traded. Gotta treat your stars right for other players to want to come.

Could be worse. The Magic keep overstocking on big men who can’t play offense. The Raptors will probably throw big money at Andrew Wiggins soon and dwindle in the bottom of the East for eternity. No way Kawhi stays in Canada.

DeRozan's instagram story the other day says it all. He's absolutely pissed over it.

There's lots of reports that DeRozan was told he wasn't getting traded, and he's said in the days since the trade that he felt the organization lied to him. He's said in the past he wanted to stay and win with Toronto. He's quoted saying he wants his name on the same level as Joe Carter and Mats Sundin in Toronto sports.

I really feel for the guy. It's so hard to get someone that actually wants to play for Toronto in any sport and the Raptors finally land someone and they dump him for a year loan of a player that probably won't give his all.

I think this is a trade that is low risk for the Raptors. If they can somehow convince Kawhi to sign long-term great but if they can't at least they made an effort to go for it next season and start rebuilding next offseason.

DeRozan is about the only star player I know of that WANTED to stay in Toronto. Long term getting rid of him could turn out to be a mistake.

On the other hand though, Kawhi is now hands down the best player in the East and the Raptor provide all sorts of pieces around him. If Kawhi returns to form we'll be seeing Toronto in the Finals next season.

I still think Boston is the better rounded team.

Also, the way Toronto handled DeRozan makes me forgive Durant and Cousins for their decisions. Like DeMar said, there ain’t no loyalty in the game. Why should GMs and owners be the only ones chasing championships? Players should be able to go where they want to go without repercussions or backlash, too. The handling of loyalty to get a great (from 2 years ago, mind you) changed the way I view signings in the NBA.

I can't help but think that morale will play a big part in Toronto exiting the playoffs yet again next year.

Yeah, you traded up and got Leonard and Green for DeRozan and someone who's name I can't even remember. Yeah, you have a team that finished first last season and should be all means do even better in the playoffs given they improved on paper.

But you have a new coach in his first season. You have shown that loyalty means nothing. You've pissed off Kyle Lowry by trading his go-to guy and best friend on the team.

Leonard's people are most likely telling him to suck it up and do a year in Toronto then get money somewhere else. So he's going to have that in the back of his mind all season.

And we're also assuming everyone stays healthy.

I just don't see the Raptors doing much better in the playoffs. I hope I'm wrong, but Boston or even Philly could take them down and I wouldn't be even close to surprised.

Michael Beasley joining the Lakers is making this Lakers team the most awesome team in the NBA. The characters, man this is Hollywood. I love it!

So Tristan Thompson attacked Draymond Green at an LA nightclub? If true, surely that is grounds for a suspension.

Aug 1, 2018 4:22:11 GMT Dukezilla said:

So Tristan Thompson attacked Draymond Green at an LA nightclub? If true, surely that is grounds for a suspension.

Considering it's Draymond I'm not surprised.

It’s true, but I don’t think him knows it warrants a suspension.

Manu Ginobli has officially retired.

The Spurs are officially unregonizable.