re: NBA Free Agency Thread - Russell Westbrook traded to the Rockets for Chris Paul & picks

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Who's the last major FA that took 3+ days to go back to his original team?

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You'd think the extra time means he's investigating other options, but it's Kawhi. He's not on anyone else's timeline, and he's such a hot commodity, no one will rush him.

of course
Leonard knows what they can and can’t offer depending on the date.
it’s just math and trade rules

the bigger issue is making all the other teams wait...NOP, ATL, BKN, WAS, UTA and GSW all have their own business to conclude. They aren’t under the same time crunch as far as sequence of deals but they need to get done and the draftees can’t play in summer league

No

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Can Leonard sign a 5 year deal with a player opt out after 2? Is that legal?

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I don’t think it’s legal, but even if it was legal, I don’t think teams would be very willing to do it even for superstars.

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You'd think the extra time means he's investigating other options,

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Why would he necessarily be considering other options when there are so many complex things to consider with the options he has.

And I believe both LeBron in 2010 and Durant in 2016 took considerably longer than 3 days too. And it makes sense to me because the very elite superstars have far more intangible things to consider than most players.

Most players are either trying to get the best deal, and/or are going to take something like the minimum to play on a contender to get a championship and hopefully contribute.

On the other hand, superstars know they’re getting the max possible, and even if the current team can provide a little more, getting the best deal is not much of an issue. In addition, they’re going to instantly make a team a contender, but to what extent that team is a contender and how they can maximize that is a light more nuanced than a vet just picking the clear-cut favorites after the superstars have decided. Not to mention they to consider their legacy, deal with being the face of a franchise, and how to break the news everyone is so eagerly awaiting, ESPECIALLY if they’re going to leave the current team.

In fact, I think given how the other instances have played out (Lebron and Durant), this may bode worse for the Raptors the longer it takes, since deciding how to break that he’s leaving to a city who adores him (and probably feels entitled to him) would probably add more time.

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So I am not sure if Leonard would sign a one year with an option for a second to get him to 10 years of service. Or would he sign a two year with an option for a 3rd to get him more guaranteed money..

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I don’t see why he would choose 2-1 over 1-1 since the big benefit is the 10 years the 1-1 would achieve. Ans he could probably just do another 1-1 if he wants to get the extra max the 2-1 would offer.

#KawhiWatch update, around 10pm Jeremy Castleberry (Raptors player development coach and close friend of Kawhi Leonard) was spotted entering the hotel that the media is positioned in front of. When asked about the status of Kawhi, he smiled and entered the hotel. LINK

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Amar’e Stoudemire

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healthy

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Of course he’s healthy. He wasn’t playing basketball for 3 seasons. But I don’t think that a nearly 37 year old who missed 20+ games on average over the course of his career, and about 30 over the last 5 years (despite a shortened season in there) is going to be healthy for long.

Stoudemire is always in great shape and you can't teach size. Maybe the time off helped him heal and got him right. Nene is over 40 and probably going to sign somewhere. It is pretty sweet being in the NBA, even making minimum and being a bench warmer..

Im pretty sure its a joke baw