Around the League: Offseason

[In2ition]

I just don't see any way Poku could have developed here.

You're probably right. I'll just have to hope that Chucker Smith turns into the player that Jones thinks he could be.

[INFORMER]

I just don't see any way Poku could have developed here.

You're probably right. I'll just have to hope that Chucker Smith turns into the player that Jones thinks he could be.

Haliburton will be the one that got away, because, as others have noted, he checks all of Jimmy Jones's boxes. Haliburton was a favorite of mine for awhile, but I did start to have some concerns about him, and I didn't have a problem with Jones passing on him and picking Smith.

We'll see what happens.

[INFORMER]

The Denver front office is so good. That roster is a thing of beauty. And how do you go to the Western Conference Finals and manager to walk away from the draft with Zeke Nnaji and RJ Hampton? Hartenstein was a good pick up too.

[Split T]

The Denver front office is so good. That roster is a thing of beauty. And how do you go to the Western Conference Finals and manager to walk away from the draft with Zeke Nnaji and RJ Hampton? Hartenstein was a good pick up too.

Have you watched RJ at all in the preseason? He was the big swing guy I was intrigued by.

[INFORMER]

I haven't seen him. I'm not expecting much if anything out of him this year.

[In2ition]

I just don't see any way Poku could have developed here.

You're probably right. I'll just have to hope that Chucker Smith turns into the player that Jones thinks he could be.

Haliburton will be the one that got away, because, as others have noted, he checks all of Jimmy Jones's boxes. Haliburton was a favorite of mine for awhile, but I did start to have some concerns about him, and I didn't have a problem with Jones passing on him and picking Smith.

We'll see what happens.

I agree. He's looked really nice so far.

[ShelC]

There's also the question of which teams he wouldn't meet with or told he didn't want to get drafted to. Not sure if we were on the list but it seemed like he wanted to try and control where he went. If he didn't want to come here for whatever reason, that answers the question. You can say screw it and still draft him of course, but you also want guys that want to be here.

[Split T]

[ShelC]

Saw that stuff about Harden but things like that were allowed by Morey and by MikeD, who's never been one to run a tight ship or confront team issues. And of course, if any of those teams had won or made the Finals, none of it would've mattered.

[Indy]

Saw that stuff about Harden but things like that were allowed by Morey and by MikeD, who's never been one to run a tight ship or confront team issues. And of course, if any of those teams had won or made the Finals, none of it would've mattered.

And probably would have been accepted by Russ too in OKC. But Russ wasn't the #1 guy anymore.

[Flagrant Fowl]

This is a weird one.

https://www.tmz.com/2020/12/14/jerry-we ... ee-agency/

JERRY WEST SUED, MAN CLAIMS HE HELPED CLIPPERS GET KAWHI ... You Owe Me 2.5 Mil!!!

4:10 PM PT -- A rep for Jerry West tells TMZ Sports he did nothing improper ... and didn't even know he was being sued.
“I am not aware of any lawsuit being filed against me and I deny engaging in any improper conduct in connection with the signing of Kawhi Leonard.”
A man who claims to be Kawhi Leonard's pal says Jerry West owes him $2.5 MIL for his role in helping the Clippers land the NBA superstar ... and he's demanding JW pay up ASAP.

It's all in a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which Johnny Wilkes spells out how he agreed to work with West for a small fortune in exchange for help getting Kawhi in a Clippers uni.

Wilkes says back on April 10, 2019, he met West at Staples Center and informed the Clippers' executive board member he had close ties to Kawhi and Kawhi's uncle, Dennis Robertson.

Wilkes says he and West exchanged contact information ... and a few weeks later, in June, West asked Wilkes for help in courting Kawhi to Los Angeles.

In the suit, Wilkes claims he told West he'd only help if the Clippers would pay him $2.5 MILLION ... and Wilkes claims West agreed to the terms.

Wilkes says in the lawsuit he "immediately went to work" ... and began convincing Kawhi and Kawhi's uncle the Clippers were the right team for him after he had just left the Toronto Raptors.

Wilkes says he told West and the Clippers they needed to get Paul George first and foremost to hook Kawhi. He then says he helped connect West with Kawhi's uncle.

Wilkes also claims in the suit he gave West a specific gameplan for how the Clippers should pitch Kawhi during an important meeting with West, Leonard, Doc Rivers and others in July 2019.

"This information was vital," Wilkes said in the lawsuit, "because it was the exact information Kawhi Leonard wanted to hear at the time in order to effectuate his signing with the Clippers."

Wilkes also says he helped facilitate a deal between West and Kawhi's uncle ... in which West agreed to give Uncle Dennis a Southern California home and a travel expense account.

Wilkes says after Kawhi ultimately agreed to sign with the Clippers in late July ... he went for a celebratory meal with West and others in Beverly Hills.

Wilkes claims West agreed yet again at the dinner to fork over $2.5 million for all the help ... but Wilkes claims in the suit he still hasn't received a penny -- and he's suing West and the Clippers for breach of contract and more.

Wilkes is asking for the $2.5 mil plus damages.

We've reached out to the Clippers for comment ... but so far, no word back.

Originally published -- 7:02 AM PT

[Superbone]

That is a weird one. Did Jerry West renege on his part of the deal?

[Flagrant Fowl]

Kawhi might be the most interesting superstar player ever. He doesn't say anything to the media and it appears that he works his ass off, but dealing with him seems like a huge pain in the ass.

[Charlie Smithy!]

He's a veritable hemorrhoid.

[In2ition]

Did you guys see this? Makes the All-Star game one time and all of a sudden thinks he's a SuperMax guy.

[carey]

Lol. No.

[In2ition]

I hope they pay him it. It will handicap them for awhile, imo.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I'd request that he shoot at least 70% from the free throw line before putting a super max discussion on the table.

Or he's just angling for a way out of SLC, which wouldn't be all that surprising.

[In2ition]

Damn, Fox can not shoot worth a darn. He's like 2-16 or something close to that from 3. Pure chucking it, throwing up scuds.

0-7 tonight

[Cap]

That is a weird one. Did Jerry West renege on his part of the deal?

Or Wilkes made it all up. The article, at least as far as quoted here, doesn't say anything about any evidence of this supposed agreement.