According to ESPN NBA insider Zach Lowe, the San Antonio Spurs entered negotiations this offseason with a high set of demands. When the Philadelphia 76ers inquired about Kawhi Leonard availability in a trade (before the Raptors deal) they were told it would take one of Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid to pull it off.
The journalist also used his podcast platform to disseminate the overall locker room climate in the NBA, with current Sixer JJ Redick reflecting upon the failed experiment that was "Lob City." Redick also touched on the role he was thrust into as a mentor to a young Philadelphia Sixers squad. With Redick as his guest, the conversation obviously veered towards topics of mutual interest.
Lowe insisted that 2017 number one overall pick Markelle Fultz was never considered as trade fodder for Kawhi Leonard by Spurs' upper management. In turn, Redick reflected on the season that was for Markelle, one where broken shot mechanics robbed him of the opportunity of joining the valedictorian class of the historically strong 2018 NBA Draft.
À Propos Fultz, Redick stated his desire to help him recover from his nightmarish first season. "The kid was 19, he’s clearly going through something. I got angry and basically cussed them out. He was my rookie so I guess I was protective but also empathetic. Whatever he was going through, physically or mentally, as an athlete we’ve all been there," he told Lowe.
Check out the podcast here.
