Shams on Pat McAfee show saying Rockets and Kevin Durant had mutual interest in trade

Tell me the cost and I tell you whether I want Durant.

I think the Rockets are in a spot where they can absorb a Durant contract before players like Amen/ Sengun/Green are due for a third contract

 

Again, you can do Brooks/Sheppard/Landale/Holiday to match salaries instead.

I'd argue that makes more sense for both parties. Shores up Phoenix's depth and works toward fixing their roster construction, gives them some upside for the future (Sheppard). As inconsistent as FVV has been this season, he is still harder for us to replace than Brooks--we have Amen, Tari, Bari, Cam sitting right there.

I don't think that package is enough to get KD from them though.

 

I think it comes down to Rockets or Twolves.

 

You're a idiot if you wouldn't want KD. First off, his only role would be to close games. We don't need 30pts every night. By him just being on the floor we have the advantage. Him, Jalen & Amen would be our big 3

 

No one is giving his a Max Contract

Rocket River

 

I want Durant....at the right price. Agree with most of your posts but Durant WANTED OUT of PHX. He told Ishbia get me Butler or peace out. You can hear all the media reports you want but it is in PHX's interest to put out the reports you see. The proposal from GSW could not be kept secret so it had to be discussed. KD didn't want to go back there and is trying to avoid the shade that accompanies all of this. It explains why the talks of trading Beal to Miami or elsewhere morphed to Phoenix, Miami, and GSW locked in a conversation about Butler and then Durant. PHX knew they had a bomb on their hands. Personally, I think Durant wants to come to Houston (connections) and especially if you could bring Harden back here. I think both would look at it as a final "home" for their career. Discounted stars with the appropriate price. They only got on the court together 16 times with Kyrie. Think about that, I am sure they do. I believe we could do this AND keep our assets.

 

I still say OKC is the team that should trade for him if they don't win a ring (maybe even if they do). They have the assets, they can salary match with Hartenstein & Joe, he's one of the only players they could acquire that meaningfully increases their chances of winning a championship next season. And on top of that it's a great storyline for their fans, not that that probably affects Presti's thinking, but still.

From a Rockets fan's perspective I wouldn't mind it at all. I think they would still be strong contenders even after KD retires given their trove, but at least it depletes said trove a little bit. I don't think the Rockets are winning a title next season anyway.

 

No, that package is not practically feasible.

It would put us in the tax, and then also hard cap us at the first apron because we’re taking more money back, assuming Fred comes back at any realistic number. We’d struggle to fill out a roster under the first apron without unrealistically rosy assumptions.

Then we’re in the repeater tax by the time Amen’s extension starts.

Any path where we start paying the tax next year isn’t worth discussing so long as we’re operating in the land of realism.

Hell, we’re all still happily putting off the question of whether Tillman would sign off on paying the tax for even one season under any circumstances.

 

Last Rocket Suns game
Mar 30, 2025

Durant
23 min
11 points
-28

Caveat: small sample size.

 

Where was it reported that KD told Ishbia to get him Jimmy Butler or he’s out?

this was from Shams

By Saturday night, as people around the world were digesting the implications of the massive Doncic trade, multiple sources told ESPN that the Warriors were already deep into negotiations with the Phoenix Suns to reunite Durant with the franchise with which he won two Finals MVPs and championships in 2017 and 2018. The teams had secretly been talking since early that week. Durant and his longtime business manager, Rich Kleiman, only learned of the stunning talks when the Suns played the Warriors on Jan. 31.

It was a lot to digest. So Durant and Curry discussed the idea the next day, hours before the poker tournament. Curry wanted a read on how Durant would feel about returning to the team he had chosen to leave after the 2019 Finals, sources said.

Durant told him it didn't "feel right" and that this "wasn't the time" to revisit their basketball partnership, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the conversations. He added he was happy in Phoenix and wasn't looking to play elsewhere.

How does that sound like KD demanding out and initiating his exit?



you’re stating a lot of assumptions as facts

a Harden return with KD would be a really fun scenario and would fill the 2 biggest holes on the roster: PG play and scoring/shooting

 

They are actually over the tax line this season ($1,007,311 over).

I'm not so sure the tax line is the boogeyman that it once was, now it's the 1A or 2A.


They'll be over the tax line to start the offseason with only 12 players if they pick up the FVV option and most certainly above the 1A when the roster is filled out.

 

KD wouldn't even need to be the #1 option.

He can get a shot whenever he wants.

I would do it as long as the price is right.

 

KD will get to say where he goes.

He is supposedly very good with his money, so it may not be a Butler situation where he goes to whomever will extend him.

 

KD is much better than those even at his age. Zion, Kawhi are busted up. Morant will always be in his own way. He gives me Hardhead vibes.

 

VanVleet/Sheppard + 2 of their picks

x

Durant

Make it happen Stone......finally do something.


Amen...Jalen Green...Jabari...Durant.....Sengun

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe we'd actually be in the first apron or the luxury tax next season, assuming FVV's option was declined and he re-signed for, say, $20M or so. Any extensions for Tari and Jabari wouldn't kick in until the season after that. By my count, in this scenario we're at about $175M in total payroll obligations, plus whatever we have to pay for our FRP from the Suns (assuming we kept it and it didn't go back to them in this trade), and a few minimum contracts. We should be able to squeak in just underneath since the tax is set at $188M next season.

Now, once Tari and Jabari's extension kicked in the season after that, we would be in some trouble if we extended KD for anything but a sweetheart "I just want to win another chip" kind of deal. To me, I'm thinking about KD as a one year rental. That's why I said the max I'd offer would be the deal above with no first round picks included--that seems like a fair price for one year of 37-year-old KD for me.

If we did extend him anywhere near the max, I'd only offer him one guaranteed year at a time, take it or leave it.

As far as Tilman paying the tax for a team he perceives as a real contender, do we really know he won't? We've never been in that situation with him as the owner. Even if he only sees things in terms of dollar signs, perhaps he would think it's worth it for the playoff revenue/viewership/butts in seats/etc. Not saying you're wrong, just saying I don't think we know for sure either way, unless there's some critical piece of information I missed.

 

Depending on the deal, wouldn't be bad to bring back James Harden...since he's on a Player option next year, we could do a sign a trade and give up FVV, future 1st, and Cam. I think Phoenix will be asking too much for KD

 

Yeah - good point!

I think that's kind of my opinion on them. They need to be bad Nets style (ie get some vets and keep flipping) to ever be good again.
The draft picks of others are their best options, and picking long shots who get plenty of opportunity.

If they can develop some Cam Thomas level players that way, they might leave a chance of getting back their picks, or at least it brings them closer to a year where they have their picks!!

 

Eason and Thompson are untouchable