Nope, it just takes that asset off the table since he could no longer be used in any sign and trade scenario (even if the Suns matched).
Yeah, that has like never worked. Durant will get his trade and the Nets will get one good player and 3 or FRP’s. That’s pretty much pre-ordained. A re-signed Ayton and 4 FRP’s is my best bet, but maybe, Phoenix gives in and gives up Bridges. If the Nets would give up Siakim then that would be the best offer.
Where does Siakim come into all of this? Kyrie is the real key. If the return for him is poor because of his antics, the Nets will suffer in the short term.
The same one who flushed all those draft picks to us. Still, where's Isiah Smile Bright Thomas when you need him?
I meant Toronto give up Siakim. My bad. Irving is going to fetch Westbrook and 1 unprotected FRP from the Lakers. Durant will go to Phoenix, Miami, or Toronto. I’m betting Toronto, but who knows. If the Nets value Ayton then it will be Phoenix. I just can’t imagine that Herro does the trick.
I’ve talked about KD being traded to Memphis, but after the Grizzlies, the next place I’d like to see him in is Toronto u have to think Masai is doing all that he can to land KD while keeping Barnes…trying to pull off another Kawhi trade, but unlike Kawhi, KD has 4 years left on his deal instead of 1 that would create another EC contender…a Toronto-Boston or Toronto-Milwaukee series would be fun I also wouldn’t mind seeing Toronto and their crazy home environment in the finals
I’m not pulling for Toronto, because I think they can send the best return to the Nets. Kinda of hope the Nets try to keep both and let Durant get a year older or hurt and they implode in 2023 so we get their pick in 2024 when it is all ours.
This is a really fascinating situation - the Nets need first round picks if they are going to be bad any time soon and are trending in the opposite way as Houston so they really need to get those picks back from Houston OR acquire fresh new picks in a trade for Durant/Kyrie but those guys' cap hold mean they are going to have take back LOTS of dead money(and lots of players if these are non all stars/cap filler) if someone else is giving them picks as compensation for Durant/Kyrie so it seems like the only way for this to work is either Brooklyn finds a way to work with Houston to get those picks back(the Toronto swap for Scottie Barnes+cap filler seems about right) OR Brooklyn trades Kyrie/Durant for lesser all stars(Siakam, Ayton, etc) and tries to stay competitive with a Simmons, Siakam/Ayton/etc types + whatever draft capital they can secure until they finally get their picks back in like 5 years....seems like they just need to find a way to undo the Houston trade because aside from taking control of their rebuilt, it's also impacting their ability to sweeten trade deals as well so even IF Simmons comes back better than ever and maybe Ayton takes a leap(for example), the team has little ability to improve on the margins without high draft picks OR the ability to trade picks for role players.
Yep they are really screwed. They should tank this year and they will get the worst of the Rockets or their pick. Take Siakim or Bridges and picks and trash for Durant and Westbrick for Kyrie and picks. They are idiots as anyone else is if they sign Ayton for near max. At least with a top 10 pick in 2023 and their new guy, they have a start and could begin to turn it around in 2026 or so. Simmons will suck for the rest of his career (bank it).
[Charania] "The Phoenix Suns are Kevin Durant's preferred destination, there is a desire to play with Devin Booker and Chris Paul"
It will make it harder to trade KD, I agree. But Durant and The Nets being at a logjam might work out for us.
Those talking about "giving the Nets back their picks" need to consider that they are giving up everything that was gained via the Harden trade, 6 picks ..... for player Ayton or other players that are nowhere near as good as Harden. That just makes no sense to me. To give up all those assets, I want a league MVP who's young and healthy in return ... and not one that's broken down and a stubbed toe away from being a John Wall level negative contract. I can see consolidating some of those picks eventually ..... but not the whole ball of wax and damn sure not for a guy who's team won't even max out in RFA at a position where only 4 players in the entire league make that amount or more - one of those back to back league MVP's , a second back to back MVP runner up and a 3rd multiple DOPY's. He's nowhere close to that impact.
I really think if that deal was on the table, they'd have already jumped on it. I believe they are in a similar situation to the Rockets in that they aren't getting offers of young talent and draft assets in return. I read an article yesterday talking about the Nets waiting until training camp if they don't get an offer that they like. I'd wager that when TC rolls around and the offers are no better that they'll be saying the same crap the Rockets were about Harden - "We're willing to get uncomfortable" .... they will end up taking the same kinda package the Rockets did in marginal talent as salary filler & some picks / swaps. They won't get a young allstar or a player of any real consequence. Same thing happened to the Nets when they traded Harden ..... they got back a guy that wouldn't even play and can't shoot if he did in Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and 2 unprotected picks in 2023 and 2027.
They will eventually accept Westbrick and Ayton along with a ton of unprotected picks. They will try to be competitive in the near term but they aren’t making the playoffs with Simmons and Brodie taking all their lol “shots”. Sadly we might not get a bottomed out Nets team since that would have required old age and injuries to catch up with Durant and Kyrie.
The Nets won't get back ALL their picks, but they need to at least get back a few strategic ones because right now they have little ability to get better via the draft OR to trade those picks to make some other move happen. In other words, even if they decide they won't rebuild and decide to trade Durant/Kyrie for guys like Ayton or Butler or Siakam to pair with Simmons, they will run into problems filling in holes around those players because they have little trade-able draft assets. I could be wrong, but have seen very few people advocating for Houston trading those draft assets for a young-ish all star - I think the only trade I have seen mentioned that most reasonable fans agree on is if we could get a Scottie Barnes and Toronto is only giving him up for something BIG like Durant so if Durant costs players and picks and Houston becomes a future home for Barnes, then I think they should consider letting go of several of those picks to make that happen because Barnes is literally the rarest commodity on the planet - an efficient wing player who can guard 1-4, gets a lot of hustle points(don't have to draw up players for him to impact the game), has shown he can be a better shooter than previously considered and a natural leader...and when is the last time ANY rookie legit for All NBA Defense votes like he just did? Just seems like if you believe Green is the best version of an efficient modern scoring guard, and Smith is the best version of an efficient stretch big that Barnes would be the missing link as a wing version of a similar player and then you have elite defensive wings who can somewhat cover for what Sengun lacks - it becomes a pick your poison type of team where there are too many high bball IQ guys out there and they are all under 21 - it's an incredible start to a rebuild. I'm all in!
Kyrie is a train wreck. He's proven that .... I can't see any team giving up a whole heck of a lot to acquire him, he's just too big a risk. He's only played 20, 54 & 29 games the past three seasons due to injury and .... being in concussion protocol .... The only teams I could see taking him is the Lakers and Dallas. The only thing they'll get in out of the Lakers is Westbrook and maybe a pick. They don't have anything else to offer .... Dallas might offer them a poo poo platter of Dinwiddie, filler & a pick that's likely very late. No team is giving him a max deal for max years when he reaches FA either, hell apparently, he couldn't get a multi year max offer in FA this year or he wouldn't have opted into the final year of his deal. He'd have taken the security of a new multi year contract. I really think they'll be a sub .500 team. Maybe not bottom 5 but a lottery team.
I am one for usually holding the picks to cash in later to the point of even using the picks down the road. To get Barnes though I would really really consider it. You have your pick next season and max cap space. You could really fill out the team to the point where a top 5 team could come back with a quickness. 3rd year - Jalen Green/Barnes/Sengun/2023 Free Agent. With a second year Jabari and Eason is nothing to scoff at or joke around about.
You don't have to sell me on Barnes, I was one of the very few who wanted the Rockets to draft him #2 last year, I'd be quite happy to package some of our future draft assets to acquire him ..... but not for a "Harden like return." Two picks and a swap or two, sure.... but that's where I draw the line. But let's be honest, Masai Ujiri isn't going to offer Barnes or Siakam, the idea would be to add Durant to those guys.
