(07-19-2022, 12:56 PM)michaeltex Wrote: Just read a report about Kawhi wanting to get paid with his next contract and the team that can pay the most is LACs. The implication is that he's hoping to get a supermax deal when his current deal runs out after 23-24.
I know he's a great talent, as he's proven everywhere he's been, but is he a John wall level risk for lost time to injury? He's had essentially two missed seasons in the last 5. Granted he won a trophy in Toronto, but then he tore an ACL during the 2021 playoffs and ended up missing all of last season. LAC signed him to a 4 year $176M max contract with a 4th year PO.
Despite the fact that Kawhi can definitely carry a team, I have the feeling that signing him to a 5yr Max in 2024 is asking for another John Wall situation where the team has a large chunk of its cap space taken by a guy who's in the training room. I understand that Ballmer has more money than he can spend, but couldn't this end up strangling their roster?
Also, the current CBA runs through the 23-24 season, with an opt out after next season. Given the profligate spending by GSW, LAL, BKN, etc. is there any will to re-negotiate? Sometimes the owners want to save themselves from themselves.
The good news for the Clippers is that he has three years left on his deal. He can opt out of the last year of his deal which is just shy of $49M. He'll be 33 that season. They have two years to see how his health holds up. A supermax seems risky for a 33 year old even if you don't factor in the health and personality quirks though I'm not sure the personality quirks are a big factor since he is playing where he wants to play. I'm also done predicting those max contracts are immovable considering CP3's history and KL is more akin to CP3 than he is Westbrook or Wall from a talent standpoint.