The Grip - FRI 7.20.18

Toronto's a long way from Rodeo Drive

July 20, 2018

7.20.18

  Written while listening to Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's They Reminisce Over You

Two franchises do a face swap

To the majority of the world the Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto seemed... random, but Woj had reported rumors a few days before it happened, and Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was likely knocking on Pop's door since the two-time DPOY's trade request leaked. On Wednesday, the two teams got it done.

The Toronto Raptors are getting: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and $5 million

The San Antonio Spurs are getting: DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick

DeRozan, who went an on Instagram rant about loyalty in the early morning at the same time Shams and Woj were trading Twitter bombs, has by all accounts been a champion in the Toronto community and a nice all-around guy. 

Here’s the thing

Texting beat writers when they’re sick and donating to charity are great humanitarian olive branches, but they don’t win you a game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

If he wanted to stay in Toronto forever, he should have done one of two things.

  • Not have gotten swept in the 2017 ECSF.

  • Not have gotten swept in the 2018 ECSF.

Brian Windhorst said it best: "Toronto's front office does not care if Kawhi leaves after one year. They believe one year of Kawhi gives them a better chance at winning a championship than three years of DeMar."Ujiri proved this point: "When you have a chance to get a top-five player, which doesn't come very often, I think you have to jump on it." In comments on Thursday, he also apologized for a 'miscommunication' about DeRozan getting traded.

They jumped on it, and who can blame them? Plus, the Raptors are out of a bloated contract for a player stuck in the 2000s who was on the bench for parts of crunch time in last year’s playoffs. DeRozan plays ineffective defense, and will never be the first or second best player on a title team. He’ll also probably never make an All-Star game playing with the big boys.Raptors fans can be sorry he's gone, certainly. But can they deny his shortcomings?

So, who won this deal?

It seems it was a decent compromise for the Spurs, who were put in a no-win situation. Here are the positives for both teams:

  • To get anything for Leonard that will help to compete now -- Popovich is likely going to retire after 2020 -- is a win. They can make the playoffs for the next two years and Pop can go out in a postseason series.

  • The Raptors were able to hold on to two young, promising players in Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby and will bring in two team defenders onto an already solid defensive team in a weak Eastern Conference.

The Raptors, though, to us, unequivocally won this deal. They’ll have an entire country trying to convince Leonard to stay. It sounds silly, but it worked with Paul George, and Toronto is waaaaaay cooler than Oklahoma City.

They got the best player, plus Danny Green, a three-and-d wiz who -- we’re going to say it -- can be more valuable at times in a playoff series than a one-dimensional scorer who can’t shoot threes like DeRozan.

Carmelo Anthony proves that it pays to suck

Carmelo Anthony was really bad last year, and his arrogance level went from “That’s just Melo!” to “Wow that guy’s a dick!”

He stalled a potentially successful duo in Paul George and Russell Westbrook, opted into his $28 million after the season, then got traded yesterday to the Atlanta Hawks, in a smart move by OKC to shave about $73 million in payroll tax.

The Thunder, in the trade, received Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala, and the Hawks received relief from Schroder and his contract. They will also buyout Anthony, who will be receiving $28 million not to play in Oklahoma or Atlanta.

The likeliest to grab him on a minimum contract remains Houston, who fought like hell only one summer ago to acquire his services.

2016’s spending spree is screwing the middle class

Think back to 2016, when people like Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Ian Mahinmi and Bismack Biyombo and Timofey Mozgov were getting four-year contracts just shy of $80 million.

Now here we are in 2018, where players of similar or better talents are getting that 1992 money. For example: 

Clint Capela is still unsigned

He remains a restricted free agent, which means the Rockets can match any offer a team gives him. He’ll likely settle for what Houston offers, or take a much-lower qualifying, one-year offer, then bet on a better market next offseason.  

In this environment, cause by a predicted cap spike that never came in 2016, has produced some head-shaking contracts for good players... 

Like Robin Lopez

The Bucks just snagged a center that was hiding in the shadows of LeBron James. Brook Lopez signed a one year, $3.4 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Over his ten year career, he has averaged 17.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. With a newly-developed decent three point shot, he will open up the floor and pair nicely with Giannis, INC.

Throughout Lopez’s whole career he’s been on some bad teams (New Jersey and Brooklyn Nets, last year's Lakers), so giving this man a chance to play for something might produce some exciting results. 

Like Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas, hero of the 2017 playoffs, signed a one-year deal on a vet-minimum contract. His career was was at full peak two years ago. He was on track to be the best 5-foot-9 player in the NBA's history. But one bad hip coupled with another young star seeking asylum from LeBron sent him on a downward spiral, eventually landing him on a dismal Lakers team.

Sad, but at least it could be a good fit in Denver, which added a two-time All-Star and Michael Porter Jr. for less than $10 million this offseason.

 Quick hits

 What we're reading

  • With Kevin Knox, the Knicks’ new era is officially here [The Ringer]

  • Here’s a very interesting Q&A Brian Windhorst did with the Huff Post about his relationship with LeBron, when they both moved to Miami, and how he deals with the trolls. [The Huffington Post]

  • The James Jordan murder, 25 years later [Chicago Tribune]

  • Five lingering questions from free agency [S.I.]

  • The 2018 dead-cap draft [The Ringer]

  • The L.A. Times sports desk bids adieu [The Ringer]

 Our podcast pick

  • Zach Lowe talks to ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz and Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star about the Kawhi Leonard trade. >>

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