Absolutely correct. IT trade has given everyone enough to think about, trading Hayward (or even Horford) would be a PR nightmare. Aside from that, they don't really need a small forward. They will be saving their assets for Anthony Davis. Davis makes them champions, Kawhi doesn't. Their assets are amazing, even that Memphis pick looks incredible value now.
We already saw how Pop handled LA's trade demand. Leonard's under contract through 2020. Why do we think that he'd handle Leonard any other way? "You want out? Sure. Go get me Durant and I'll drive you to the airport myself. Otherwise, you aren't going anywhere and we'd better see how we can work this out."
Hmm.... this is really the best trade I can think of without including Dame. Still might not be enough though. CJ/Zach/Bazz and picks for Kawhi/Patty http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ybwqfjn9 Dame Turner Kawhi Vonleh Nurk
I feel like Boston would possibly hold off and wait for Davis. Davis completes their money and wills be cheaper. Kawhi over Tatum or Hayward ours an upgrade, but not a huge one because that's two all stars right there (give Tatum a couple years). I guess you could play Tatum at the 4 but he's much more of a 3.
Why do I feel like we're not much better? How many picks would SAS need to not include our big 3? Maybe there's a way we could swap our 2018 1st with Cleveland's BKN pick (Top whatever protected) while sending them Davis and Aminu. Then let's say we trade Napier for a mid 1st. Trade that 1st from Napier, BKNs 1st, our 2020, 2022, and 2024 picks. That's 5 firsts. One in the lotto this year. That's a good start...?
They wouldn't want our picks as the primary. How much value would they get out of our picks if we had Dame/CJ/Kawhi/Nurk? Certainly not lotto picks.
Last draft, with 3 picks we got an improved Meyers Leonard and a long G-League thread. If we pay 5 picks, it might cost us 2 or 3 threads and a moderator to be named later.
Never compare Zach Collins to Meyers Leonard unless you want to be perceived as someone that knows nothing about basketball. Kuzma was picked 27th. Pop+Buford would work magic with 5 extra picks and would be a dynasty again in 6 years or so.
They'd be rebuilding. I feel like the Spurs would get extraordinary value out of any 1st. No hypothetical is very realistic.
SAS doesn't rebuild. They are currently 3rd in the West and have been playing pretty much without Kawhi all season. If they trade him, it doesn't imply they are blowing it up. They'll actually want to get back pieces that help them win this season. Note: that doesn't mean they'll actually get back a package that's better than a fully healthy Kawhi Leonard, but they will want something that makes them better than they are with an injured Kawhi. BNM
Kawhi is one of the top players in the league playing for Pop. He will still be an excellent player if he went to another team, but I doubt he would be AS good as he is in SA. I would still trade CJ for him (And I don't say that about many players) but I can't help but wonder how much he would slip. Players get better when they go to SA and worse when they leave. How much worse would be my concern. But again...I would trade for him in a heartbeat.
There is no evidence to support this though. At least in the sense of superstars leaving San Antonio. I'd take 60% of San Antonio Kawhi over any of the SF who have ever played for Portland.
If they're trading Kawhi, they're rebuilding. They wouldn't build around LaMarcus Aldridge. They'd flip Aldridge + Gay for picks as well. They could still compete for a 2nd round birth without Kawhi, but they're smarter than that. Reload and come back to relevance when the Warriors dynasty starts to crumble.