If they keep everyone and Simmons actually plays, I think the Nets are definitely a playoff team. Not a title contender, but playoffs in the East isn't a high bar.
I tend to agree with whoever said that Nets holding on the Durant for this year would be beneficial to us. He would be unmotivated. Even if they could play decent, it wouldn't matter. 2023 would be swap year. We aren't going to be very good yet. The swap would likely be useless. Another year older. Higher chances of injuries. More disgruntled. Lower trade value.
If they don't find a deal for these guys, do they sit out to start the season? Why hasn't a deal been made since we are past the first week of Free Agency, most big name players have signed.
My guess is they're going to want to wait until December when teams have a better idea of their needs, recent signees can be traded etc. It's right after the draft and the big names have been signed. Right now, every team thinks they're sitting in a good spot etc
I just don't see them playing then, two injury prone guys who are on max deals should not contribute to getting wins for their soon to be opponent. If I am Brooklyn I don't want to risk injury to either guy either, so I am guessing we are in for a tank show from Brooklyn w their pick if we are talking about 30-40% of the season being gone before a trade.
It's more to do with the way teams are currently set up. The same issue Kobe had when he requested a trade under contract. No top team wants to lose a star player and gut the contending roster just to place KD in and maybe lose top team status. No middling teams have the means to go from middling to top team by working a similar trade for KD. Too much outgoing with only KD incoming and 1 reliable role player like CJ and an injury prone Zion is way too high risk. KD wont want to go to a bottom team, but a lot of these team ups require the bad team with lots of picks and assets. Problem is KD under contract 4 years and there's no one who can sign outright to a bottom team KD is traded to so they can team up ala LeBron signs in LA + assets to trade for AD. There's no AD level player. Detroit trading for KD to pair with Cade and signing Ayton is the closest thing to what LeBron's been able to pull off so well. If AD was the one who signed in LA and waited for a under 4 year contract LeBron to be traded, AD would have to be part of the deal and that's the issue KD and Nets are having. Much easier if KD was the free agent, chose a spot and someone wanted to join him via a trade and KD got that with Kyrie team up and Harden trade and they both betrayed him. Truly the best move for KD is to get Kyrie and management on the same page and hope Simmons and Harris and Curry and Claxton is enough support. Obviously as a Rockets fan, i want to see the Nets fall apart, but realistically they will get enough in return to be a middling team on the come up so it doesn't work out unless Nets go for a Harden like deal and focus on picks especially 3+years from now when KD might be on his way out or severe decline. Otherwise GS's package and Detroit are the 2 spots i see with the best situations for both KD and Brooklyn.
If the value gets low enough I wouldn’t mind the rockets being the third team in a Miami trade and grabbing Bam.
We need to realise that contending teams looking to add KD are NOT giving up a key piece. There is no chance Miami is giving up Bam for KD. And even if they did, the Nets would keep Bam ten times out of ten
I don’t see why the Lakers are dead set on keeping AD unless Lebron really wants him there instead of Durant. LeBron is a UFA next summer. There’s no guarantee he re-signs. If LeBron leaves I think AD’s value takes a big hit considering he hasn’t won anything without LeBron unless the Lakers think they can find another big time FA to pair with AD. If the asking price for KD is giving up AD and it also means I can get Irving more easily and get rid of WB in the process I’m making that move all day long. Nets receive: AD, WB and pick(s) Lakers receive: Durant, Irving and role player(s) they think can help. Nets get a franchise superstar in return. AD might not be thrilled but neither are KD and Irving so it is what it is. WB is an expiring so they prob won’t buy him out I can see him putting up nice numbers on that Nets team while maintaining the status quo of thinking they’re relevant. A team with Irving, Durant and LeBron would be the favorites IMO. Bring back and sign Montrezl for cheap and call it good for the next few years.
Yeah, top teams won't want to risk disrupting change by giving up a key piece. Teams that would most want KD would be 2nd tier teams with only one superstar. These teams would be willing to give up their depth and hope that KD would push them to the top tier, kind of like what the Rockets did in trading for CP3.
Phoenix with Brooklyn getting Ayton+Bridges+picks is the only logical trade here. Ill be shocked if it doesn't go like that.
