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Who is next?
Twelve months ago, the idea that former Spurs striker Kawhi Leonard would be nowhere except San Antonio seemed laughable. But as history has shown in the NBA, it does not take much to a seemingly untouchable star to ask for an exchange in the most extreme situations.
In this light, how are some of the guys going to watch? 2018-19 which could end up in a similar situation, although not so embarrassing.
Jimmy Butler – Minnesota Timberwolves
It's easy to forget that the Wolves' Jimmy Butler did not choose Minnesota, he was chosen for him. And while the situation was ideal for Jimmy to be reunited with head coach Tom Thibodeau, he did not choose the Wolves, they chose him.
Butler took advantage of his first season in Minnesota, but for most of the year. Throughout the season, there have been stories about Butler frustrated with how young players in the training compete and watch the game, and maybe it's not all actually on board the franchise. has a long history of being a tough guy to play with, mainly because of its competitive nature. Butler is not afraid to be a teammate both publicly and privately, and that can wear thin on young guys who can not be as thick as Butler wants them to be. The difficult love does not work with everyone.
The Wolves have tried to make Butler accept an extension of several years, but the problem is that the extensions are based on the last year of a player's contract. This is not in Butler's best financial interest, which means that he'll probably be free of any liability in July, if only to reinstate his contract and make sure he's not in any trouble. get the most money possible
Frustrations make Butler a name to watch at the beginning of the season
The Minnesota story is that they will not trade it. We'll see how close they will stay if the friction between Butler and the young guys picks up where they left off, or worse, if the wolves struggle to come out ahead in a busy Western conference.
Damian Lillard – Portland Blazers Trail
Anyone who has spent time with Damian Lillard, Blazers keeper, will tell you that he is loyal to a foul. For Trail Blazers, it's a good thing because it will probably give them a longer track than they deserve depending on how the alignment and the salary cap have been managed. The additional benefit for Portland is that Lillard is under guaranteed contract for another three seasons, including the upcoming one.
That said, does anyone believe that the Blazers are serious contenders?
This will be the problem of the Blazers. Not the fact that they won 49 games last season and caught the third seed in the West; Some will argue that it is about Blazers players to evolve in their contracts and star status in the NBA, and this could be a fair criticism, but how often in the modern NBA has potentially unhappy or an unfortunate player has seized the situation?
Since Lillard is different, he could be the first to blame the limits of his team, but there is a reality: the Golden State Warriors are not going anywhere in the short term. At what point does the Portland management just sell at the top of its list and try to reload or rebuild?
That's the real question to look at in this situation, because Lillard may never be this guy. The real question is how long will the Blazers stay with what they have and will finish their season in May.
Does anyone believe that Blazer owner Paul Allen will be happy to be the third seed every year of Lillard's contract? – Toronto Raptors
Ticking. Kyle Lowry is on the clock
When the Toronto Raptors opted to swap DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, they made a big bet that not only would Leonard put them in the lead in the East, but that
The problem for the Raptors is that Lowry and DeRozan were incredibly close, and the way things were communicated undoubtedly created a real and tangible discomfort to the team's dynamics
. Let's be real for a minute. Lowry is a pro; he will come and do his job and do it well. That's how Lowry is wired, so think that it would be petty because his best friend has been traded is moved, so let's make sure to do it.
There is a reality, however, that if Leonard and Lowry do not mesh on the ground, Lowry could be moved. Similarly, if things are not reunited before the deadline, the Raptors could be in fire sale mode, not only with Lowry but with Leonard.
The Raptors made a big bet on Leonard; If this bet does not pay off, all the bets are gone to Toronto, and the list could be reversed by the deadline, which makes Lowry a name to watch.
Anthony Davis – New Orleans The Pelicans
Fun, the guy who sings the praises of his current team is the one that most people talk about when they dream of the next big fish to change team, and c & rsquo; Is Anthony Davis, All-Star Pelicans
points out that Davis has never hinted at anything but delighted with the pelicans and his confidence in his team.
Skeptics will recall that virtually all players who changed teams basically said the same kind of things to similar points in their contracts. Davis has two years fully secured on his deal in New Orleans, and a player option in 2020-21.
It will be a great year for the pelicans and Davis. They had an incredible run in the post-season last year and may have finally found the right players to play with Davis in a way that could give the success afterwards -season. The fear in all this is that even with the Pelicans window, which is quite open at the moment, do they have enough elite in the West?
Davis continues to say all the good things, and he will soon be eligible for a Super Max contract extension of the Pelicans worth over $ 220 million. The question becomes, will he sign it or put himself at the center of the rumor?
At this point, Davis seems delighted with his team, and it's a huge positive for the pelicans. The question is: will he stay happy if they do not gain ground?
At this point, none of these guys seems ready to bail out their team, but like Leonard a year ago, no one has seen the distrust of going out as being even a distant reality. One thing that has been true in the current iteration of the NBA is that even the biggest stars are going to look for the door if their teams are not heading towards a championship, and that's the main reason for watching some of these names, because they are all passing through this point in their careers where being a star with a lot of money may not be enough to warrant being at home and not deeply in the playoffs in May.
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