Let’s Hope a Brett Brown Takeover Opens the Door For Kawhi
The smoke from the burner accounts has cleared. Sixers fans can finally walk around outside to enjoy the sunshine again knowing that Jerry Colangelo is dead to us. Things are going back to normal. Ben and Kendall no longer fornicate (I think), Markelle is working out with Elite NBA trainer Drew Hanley, and JoJo has conquered his fear of water slides. Brett Brown is now the captain of the ship and there is one thing him and the team need to do before the draft:
Fleece the Spurs and get Kawhi Leonard.
To be honest, we kinda all forgot about this. We were googly-eyed watching a frustrated Lebron attempt to win with a bunch of scrubs . With a decision from the King and free agency looming, it is not crazy that we overlooked one of the leagues elite defenders. Adrian Wojnarowski reported recently on ESPN that Kawhi and Greg Popovich plan to have a meeting any day now and the results could flip the free agent market upside down. Coach Pop, Kawhi, and the San Antonio front office have like, two weeks to amend their relationship and build their trust again. So, yes, I am skeptical if you were wondering. The Spurs turned down an offer from Boston at the trade deadline (thank you basketball gods) so Philly and LA seem to be the only teams left in the mix that have enough pieces to make this even remotely possible.
Since I refuse to believe that LA has a horse in any race for a superstar, the Sixers look to be the favorite. IF Kawhi really is on the way out the door, his trade value will be pennies compared to what he is actually worth. A package deal of Fultz, Robert Covington, and the 10th overall pick could be enough for San Antonio.Hopefully. Brett Brown would be a modern day D.B Cooper. Yes, Fultz is a young player with incredible upside if he develops a shot that looks somewhat fluid. He’s still not Kawhi and never will be. To be honest, I just need him to be better than Jayson Tatum but that’s a different post for another day. Aside from Fultz, the tenth overall pick will be a rotation player, and Robert Covington proved in the playoffs he’s very expendable. So, we are really throwing a Hail Mary here.
Kawhi fits into the Sixers scheme better than any other free agent available. As one of the most awarded small forwards in the NBA, he will have no problem replacing Covington. He’s actually like a stronger version of Robert Covington, who can actually finish a lay up. A lineup of Simmons, Redick, Kawhi, Dario, and Embiid will tear through an already weak Eastern Conference.
When superstars find new homes, others follow. Getting Kawhi will force the Sixers up to the top spot in the Lebron standings. How is the King gonna say no when it comes to joining two young stars and the guy who tortured South Beach Lebron? Why throw away the opportunity to silence the old white guys that refuse to acknowledge anyone but Michael Jordan as the greatest player to step on a court?
If the stars do align and a super team forms in Philadelphia we can be sure of one thing. The NBA will no longer be boring. The Celtic/Sixers rivalry will be the premiere matchup once again. If we are lucky, maybe we can get another timeless picture showing the animosity both teams have for another, except with Lebron and Kyrie.
