Breaking News: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green to Raptors for DeMar Derozan, Jakob Poeltl and Protected 1st

Well, that happened quickly.

Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green are headed to the North for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first round pick (protected from 1-20).

This is perplexing on several fronts. Here are my three quick thoughts:

Thought #1 Spurs could have gotten more.

DeRozan is an amazing player but Leonard is on a very short list of two-way impact players (Lebron James, Giannis Antetokunmpo, Anthony Davis) and the Spurs could have definitely gotten more for Leonard and Green.

Three Quick Thoughts on the Lebron Signing

So. Lebron James has signed a 4 year, 154 million dollar deal with the LA Lakers.

Here are three quick thoughts about it.

Thought #1 Happiest about it:Sixers and the Celtics.
You'd think that the Raptors would be the happiest about it because they'll think they may now actually have a chance of making the NBA Finals. But the Sixers and the Celtics would be happier because now, they KNOW that one of them will go to the Finals.

Thought #2 Saddest about it: Kevin Love.
He left Minnesota because he wanted to be in a team good enough to not only go to the playoffs but also have a realitic chance of winning a title. Now, he's on a team that's even worse than the team he left behind. Seriously, would you rather be on a team with Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and George Hill than a team with Ricky Rubio, JJ Barea, Corey Brewer, Gorgui Dieng, and Nikola Pekovic?

Thought #3 Basketball is a Business.
And business is good. Until Jordan came along, basketball was a passion and a profession. Michael Jordan turned it into an enterprise. And now, Lebron James has elevated it into a global conglomerate. James has approached everything from the business standpoint and he has done it tremendously well. The era of the sportsman-magnate is firmly in place.

NBA FREE AGENCY: The Great DeAndre Jordan Flip Flop Controversy

By now, the entire sporting world already knows that DeAndre Jordan, for better or for worse, has remained an LA Clipper.

Many things have been said about whether Jordan's last minute flip flopping is legal, ethical or even right.

So here are some quick answers to that:
Legal? Technically, yes.
Ethical? Depends but I would think not.
Right? Depends on whether you're a Clippers fan or a Mavs fan.

NBA FREE AGENCY: The Top Players Still Left Unsigned

Kevin Love and Draymond Green stay with their teams for a boatload of money. LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez don't even consider staying in Portland. Jimmy Butler gets a max contract to stay in Chicago while Deandre Jordan gets a max contract to move to Dallas. Dwayne Wade gets 20 million to stay in Miami, Greg Monroe gets 50 million over three years to move to Milwaukee.

NBA FREE AGENCY: Let The Frenzy Begin

It's almost time for the madness called the NBA free agency period. This year's edition promises to be an exciting one, as several marquee players are set to hit free agency. That being said, here are some things to keep in mind over the next couple of days.

THE SURPRISES
LaMarcus Aldridge being so determined to leave the Blazers - One of the truly surprising developments leading up to the free agency period was the decision of Aldridge to leave the Blazers, no matter what. He isn't even  giving them a chance to make an offer first. He just moved on to setting up talks with new teams. My guess is Aldridge did not like the perception that the Blazers are  Lillard's team, so he's out there looking for a team to be "his". And this is a team that made strong playoff runs the last two years, with Aldridge loggin in back to back 40 point games last year against a strong Rockets team.

Greg Monroe unwanted by the Pistons - Really? A young, strong, skilled center who averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds is someone the Pistons doesn't want? Either they know something I don't (which is extremely possible) or Stan Van Gundy has lost his mind. If he really is a misfit int he system Van Gundy wants to install, then do a sign and trade, get a good stretch four like Ryan Anderson for him. If they just let Monroe walk away and sign with (heaven forbid) the New York Knicks, the Pistons will be kicking themselves all season long, especially after Melo and Monroe kick the Pistons' butts over and over again.

Lebron Steals Melo's Thunder...Again.

So who's talking about Melo now? Right, nobody.

And all it took was for Lebron James to do the exact same thing Carmelo Anthony did, which is to opt out of his contract and start a recruiting frenzy.

That means Melo will have to do something extraordinary just to get the attention he craves. Changing teams would do it, especially if Lebron James stays in Miami.

Of course, if Lebron James goes to another team, then whatever Carmelo Anthony is relegated to a side story...again.