# Wow! Gordon Hayward May not Play a Game in Boston!



## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

Go to MSN's main sports page titled "Top 30 NBA Free Agents" story.
Danny Ainge might be going after Kawhi Leonard. Rumor he wants to send Gordon Hayward and another player to San Antonio and 2 future 2nd round draft picks to acquire rights to Leonard.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

HighNDry said:


> Go to MSN's main sports page titled "Top 30 NBA Free Agents" story.
> Danny Ainge might be going after Kawhi Leonard. Rumor he wants to send Gordon Hayward and another player to San Antonio and 2 future 2nd round draft picks to acquire rights to Leonard.


They also are saying he is trying to trade Kyrie.

Anything can happen in the NBA. Personally, if Kawhi won't resign - why trade someone you have locked in for him? It's a risky rental.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

HighNDry said:


> Go to MSN's main sports page titled "Top 30 NBA Free Agents" story.
> Danny Ainge might be going after Kawhi Leonard. Rumor he wants to send Gordon Hayward and another player to San Antonio and 2 future 2nd round draft picks to acquire rights to Leonard.


Sweet! we get to boo him 2 times a year instead of once. 8)

I'm not sure Leonard wants to sign long term with the C's and it would be dumb of Ainge to send out a solid piece like Hayward for a 1 year rental.

Ainge has proven he is not dumb as GM.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Catherder said:


> I'm not sure Leonard wants to sign long term with the C's ...


What's makes you think this?

Is it because Leonard has come out and said "if you don't trade me to the Lakers, I won't re-sign with another team..."

Leonard has all the cards right now.

but I'd love to see the C's trade Hayward away from Stevens.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

PBH said:


> What's makes you think this?
> 
> Is it because Leonard has come out and said "if you don't trade me to the Lakers, I won't re-sign with another team..."


If the "sources" on ESPN and other outlets are accurate, yes.

But yeah, I'd chuckle a bit too if Ainge shipped out Hayward after one year. The development of Jaylen Brown and Tatum make the prospect far less farfetched than it may have originally seemed.


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

I'd love to see it happen, then pop retire, spurs tank for future picks and Hayward slip into obscurity.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

neverdrawn said:


> and Hayward slip into obscurity.


This is why I am all for players doing whatever they think are best for them. Fans only care when they are benefitting. Same can be said for most employers - love you if you make them money. Hate you if you do it somewhere else.

What KD did was weak - probably as weak as it gets - but he also has 2 championships and 2 finals mvp's so it certainly helped him.

Hayward didn't go to a west team, he didn't go to a Jazz rival... He simply did what he felt was best. For him and his family. On one hand I think athletes are overpaid and we say they have to much power and whine, etc... On the other hand, fans verbally abuse them and spew so much hate at them. It was disgusting to read things after his injury. Same with I.T.

I can't say Utah is worse than other places, I just live here so I see it. I can say, good for Hayward doing what he wanted - and making $128 Million in the process.


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

While slipping into obscurity and allowing Mitchell to become all he will!


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm not sure why the hatred of Hayward among Jazz fans. Guy paid his dues and took a better job. Boston is a better franchise, a better sports city, a better basketball tradition, a better run organization. So if basketball is your business, why fault the guy for a better gig? 

I've got no issue with what NBA players make. They are the best 300 people in the world at that one thing. Take just about any profession - and find the best 300 in the world and they make bank. It's how it goes. 

As for Leonard - PBH is dead on - the dude is holding all the cards. Since he has said he wants to play for the lakers, he pretty much screwed over the Spurs in trying to get anything for him in a trade. No way do the spurs trade him in the division, and really, the Lakers have nothing to offer anyway. But with only a year left on his deal, no team will take him unless he can make THE difference to a championship. And except for maybe Houston or Boston, no one has a snowball's chance of beating the Warriors any time soon, so no point mortgaging the farm to get Leonard for one season. AND, for what it would take for Houston or Boston to get him from the Spurs, they wouldn't be any better than they are now. So what's the point? 

My prediction is that Leonard stays in SA, Labron stays in Cleveland, and Paul George stays put as well. And then next year, they are all free to go where they please, and all three end up with the Lakers. But then again, I'm probably full of crap on the whole deal, and in all reality, I have no idea other than all the garbage the media is reporting. So, yea.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

GaryFish said:


> No way do the spurs trade him in the division


I love their passion. Would be funny if he played the same amount of games as last year for them.

They would be wise to consider what the Lakers offer them. They are going to lose this battle so why be stubborn. Pop has been linked to retirement after the next Olympics (2020). Lamarcus isn't enough and Kawhi is out. It's time to start rebuilding with a foundation before it's full on tank mode.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

The thing with trading Leonard is that the NBA trade rules dictate that salaries must match up , plus or minus 10%. I'm not sure how they factor future draft pics (which Boston has a ton of). So if you trade Leonard and his $20 million contract, you have to get $19-22 million in assets in return. The Lakers would have to give up 3/4 of their roster, the team bus, 3 luxury suites, Jack Nicholson, two Laker Girls and half ownership in the teams airplane to match the value because they sure don't have that value wearing the gold and purple right now.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

GaryFish said:


> The thing with trading Leonard is that the NBA trade rules dictate that salaries must match up , plus or minus 10%. I'm not sure how they factor future draft pics (which Boston has a ton of). So if you trade Leonard and his $20 million contract, you have to get $19-22 million in assets in return. The Lakers would have to give up 3/4 of their roster, the team bus, 3 luxury suites, Jack Nicholson, two Laker Girls and half ownership in the teams airplane to match the value because they sure don't have that value wearing the gold and purple right now.


Not true.

They give them one of the young guys (ball or hart) - some picks - and Luol Deng contract.

So yeah, salaries need to be similar but that doesn't mean star for star. They lose Deng's contract(create space), and reward the Spurs with picks and a high upside asset.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

But why would the lakers give up anything? No way will it help them win in the 2018-19 season, and they know they are getting him as a free agent. So why would LA trade anything?


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

This is why.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...ting-los-angeles-lakers-acquire-kawhi-leonard

Lebron may see that the grass is greener elsewhere if he doesn't have a fellow star locked up in LA. LA may be pressured to send Ingram or Ball, Kuzma, and a pick if they feel the pressure is on.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Catherder is correct. Both for Lebron AND it would also allow them to dump salary. PG and Bron would be a good team... PG Lebron and Kawhi would be a super team.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

RandomElk16 said:


> Catherder is correct. Both for Lebron AND it would also allow them to dump salary. PG and Bron would be a good team... PG Lebron and Kawhi would be a super team.


If they could play nice together. Lebron seems to have issues playing with other super stars, to the point that he ran Kyrie out of town. So there is that.

My own thought is that Labron won't win another title. He is done. He's great now but that cliff is approaching. He'll be Shaq playing for Toronto or Phoenix or Boston. Chasing the illusion of something of the past as Golden State continues to add banners with their young and presumably united super team that has his number.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

GaryFish said:


> If they could play nice together. Lebron seems to have issues playing with other super stars, to the point that he ran Kyrie out of town. So there is that.


Like he had an issue with Bosh and D-wade going to 4 straight? They didn't mind. K-love signed an extension. I think that was a Kyrie being "the man" thing. The opposite of KD.



GaryFish said:


> My own thought is that Labron won't win another title. He is done. He's great now but that cliff is approaching. He'll be Shaq playing for Toronto or Phoenix or Boston. Chasing the illusion of something of the past as Golden State continues to add banners with their young and presumably united super team that has his number.


He just had one of his best seasons and post seasons ever as an individual. He should have been MVP. I don't think he declines like fat Shaq, the mercenary. Winning a chip is hard, but I believe fatigue happens to any team, and will with GS. Also, they have to pay some people over the next two years. If KD gets maxed this year things start getting tricky for say... Klay and Green. I know it's hard to say they showed weakness this year, they won. However - Houston had so many opportunities. I think that happens more and more. They got some fortunate seeding. Jazz in round 1 with no Curry would have been something.

Doesn't mean Bron wins.. but I don't think they get past a 3 peat -- if they get that. So if that team goes away, which team can't Lebron beat with other stars?

My thing with a Bron-Kawhi-PG team is that those two are two of, if not THE two best 2-way players in the league. (so many two's!).

Lebron can play defense. He just can't be 75% of offense while doing it (current Cavs).

We shall see. I think the NBA has some power shifts the next 3 years


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Labron got pushed to 7 games by a Celtics team missing their two best players. So barring injury, he won't beat them again. Put Labron in LA with Leonard AND Paul George (which after this morning we know wont' happen) and they'd still be the 3 seed in the west, at best, behind GS and Houston. 

KD said he's staying in GS, PG says he's staying in OKC. So, a new big 3 in LA won't happen this year. 

True, Labron had a great year and I agree, he should have won the MVP. But the mileage of carrying teams completely on his back is adding up. Only 1 1/2 more seasons on the bottom half of his 30s and that clock is ticking. 

In Miami, the reason that worked is the other two guys were mature enough to make it work. Doing that with young, immature guys with a different expectation about themselves, work ethic, and never having really played team basketball, well, that's another story. 

As for Golden State, for whatever reason, they have found a way for 4 all stars to play exceptionally well together. It is seldom that two MVPs can play together. When was the last time that happened? Lakers in the 80s with Kareem and Magic? And the Dubs are all still young. Klay and Green seem to be happy not having to be THE GUY, and KD and Currey seem to be pleased enough sharing the top rung of the ladder. As long as that continues, their run can go for another 5-6 years. Barring injury, I really don't see another team, Labron or not, competing with them.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

First - PG definitely hasn't said he is staying. He opted out, and also has been releasing a video segment in which he talks a lot about LA.

Next, 3rd record or not, Lebron knows how to win in the finals. Houston may lose some players, AND they may be a great regular season team, but it was clear they lacked the IQ when it mattered most.

I would say the Celtics would beat Lebron next year, but I can't. The man has ruled the East and gone to 8 straight. He finds a way. Should they beat him? Yeah! Should Cavs have made it this year? Hell no. But, that's Lebron.


I would put any amount of Money that this GS team is not doing this in five years. Too many people will decide they want money. We have seen this before when we think a team will never be stopped... then, they are. We will see


Personally, I don't think LA should have a big 3. I think they should get Lebron and PG and then be really smart with their other assets. Make a roster that is 7 deep, led by Bron and PG. If they do make that big 3, they will beat Houston. Kawhi and PG are the best 2 way players, as I have said. They can worry about defense and the Lebron freight train hits yet another level on offense. Can they beat GS? Depends how many assets LA loses... Salary cap is a beast lol.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Ok to add on to my "be smart with other assets" - I forget about teams like the Raptors that need a rebuild. The lakers could trade a few assets for say, Kyle Lowry? Him, Lebron, and PG would be a good lineup.

Then get a few other veterans and ring chasers for cheap. Him and PG opted out. If they both agree to LA, I think the other pieces come. Why sell the farm for one Kawhi when you could trade the same, or less assets, for multiple guys. I wonder if Kemba would be in play?


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Why am I reading this stuff when the South Fork and Henry's Fork are finally settling into summer flows? Sheesh.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

GaryFish said:


> Why am I reading this stuff when the South Fork and Henry's Fork are finally settling into summer flows? Sheesh.


Good question, you should be out there whipping up the water.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

It's done. Lebron is a Laker...

And so shall other's follow.

I am not a big Jazz fan as you know, but I disagreed on TV when they listed them as the odd team out in the playoffs. The West continues to grow - but the Jazz have a solid lineup. I would LOVE to see them add LOVE via trade lol. I think he would be a great fit. It is hard to see who would be left out, but I hope it isn't them!


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