>They are having a fine season but you could make the case
>that Kuz & Zo plus picks would be a better bet for the future
>than having DeRozan essentially keep you at status quo (with
>guaranteed playoff exits) for the foreseeable future.

Before the Kawhi trade was even made, there was the general idea this was the end of the road for a while for the Spurs. The rebuild was about to begin and maybe Pop would be retiring soon (which was in play as soon as his wife died). Now, their current situation is not that. They're still probably a first round exit (though it depends if they can climb into the 4/5 slot), but they've got two established All-Stars an can probably sign some key pieces that will fit the system in the next few seasons. Plus, the team generally drafts well. So they're not consigned to mediocrity or anything.

>The goal for the Pels isn't to stick it to the Lakers or to
>Davis - it's to get the best possible return value for AD in a
>trade. And it's actually very likely that the Lakers have the
>most compelling package to offer.

That remains to be seen. As of now, the Pels are only really negotiating with one team. So clearly it behooves Magic to put together the absolute best package possible because he's only got a window of the next weeks where he's the only serious suitor. However, if we're being real, everything Magic makes available today is going to be available in June/July, so it unless somehow Magic comes through with an absolutely baffling, can't miss package, I really doubt that the Pels won't wait until summer.