We actually have the salaries to match it, all it would take is brooks, fvv, Adam's, landale, Jeff green and Jasean Tate. We could literally do it without losing a single young player. I'm sure they would want at least one. So maybe we keep Adam's send them Reed or something.
KD is worth adding for the right price. For the right price is incredibly important though. Adams, Jeff, Landale and Tate gets it 80% done financially. You have to add ONE of Jabari, Reed, or Cam + Holiday. You could theoretically add two of those and try to keep Adams (without adding any picks), which is tempting with the way he's been playing. Unless we're sending Brooks, there just isn't a way to keep all the young guys financially. You could send Brooks, keep Adams and a young guy, but we'd have to make up for it with picks. If we could pick up Durant for one young player (Smith, Sheppard or Cam) + one pick returned, Or Brooks + fillers and 2 picks returned, I think we have to really consider it, as we aren't sacrificing much of our future while getting a substantial boost to win in the present over the next 2 seasons. Other teams probably make better offers, but this is just from the angle of what would work for us as bare minimum offers.
There are many ballers in the league that can score 27 ppg if given free reign. It's those that can do it with a winning team that make the difference. Sure $10/mil yr is low for him, but he'd be better suited as a low cost player on a championship team than the main ticket. Even Lebron can't carry his team to victory anymore despite his scoring and play. 10 years ago both of these players willed victories out of thin air.
KD scores 27 ppg efficiently. Most ballers could not score efficiently. Sure give them enough shots and they are likely to score 27. He is worth way more than $10 million.
6'10, huge wingspan. Blocks almost 1.5 shots a game. Good defender. Deadly from everywhere on a highly efficient 25+ ppg, plug and play. Two good years left. 2-time Champion. In 2 years we will have 2 more tradable picks of our own I believe. Are we SURE we wouldn't be a threat to win it all this season if we acquired him? Like SURE SURE? We're on a 50+ win pace I believe. If you can add Durant and not lose anyone important but Brooks, I think you do it and then just wait for the kids to grow up and take the mantle from him. Jabari gets the spot back in 2 years, plays big minutes at backup SF/PF/C and we should be resting Durant a lot anyway. Sengun/Adams Durant/Jabari Amen/Tari Jalen/Cam FVV/Holiday/Sheppard ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY SURE THAT'S NOT A 60-WIN TEAM WITH TWO EX CHAMPIONS STARTING AND A COACH WHO HAS BEEN TO THE FINALS? Can you imagine how much easier life would be for the kids in terms of scoring? The system would actually become appropriate for our personnel. You're basically giving the Jabari role 10 more shots and he's murdering it. Are we not still a top 3 defense? A top 8 offense (currently 11th, and we won't be as reliant on rebounding)? What is that actually worth?
LOL Ringer are a bunch of grade A clowns. I watch or read them for entertainment value but everything they say almost always wrong or short sighted. Their head Bill Simmons is a die hard Morey fanboy and was one of the biggest haters of the Tilman/Stone regime. Of course now Morey has ****ed it up in Philly and Stone is slapping all the clowns who doubted him Simmons has tempered his hate and begrudgingly given the Rox their due. Their other guy Kevin O Connor havent really hated on the Rockets but has some of the dumbest takes esp in the draft. Dude had Killian Hayes no 1 on his draft board and also released a mock draft last year with Reed Sheppard no 1. I am convinced he is the one who cursed Sheppard and not DD. Mortgaging their future for an old ass star is how PHX got into this mess in the first place. Now they want us to do the same? LMAO. FVV, filler, 2 Rockets picks a Rockets swap (not PHX) for KD and Tyus Jones. Take it or leave it.
Honestly considering the prospects we would be willing to trade to them, I bet they would rather make a pick of their own. Ultimately, the team that offers the best top pick to Phoenix will win. Durant is not worth 2 of those elite picks. He's not worth 4 regular picks. Brooks, expiring contracts, one great pick and 1-2 mediocre picks. Jabari and Whitmore would both be needed for the title run and chemistry anyway. Can't lose our depth, otherwise we'll waste a year of his 2-3 remaining years just trying to replenish depth. Doesn't work.
That’s a wild trade, but it would let them clear out a lot of salary and get their picks back. They could let Beal run the show for a season and probably bring his trade value back up into positive territory. It’s an expensive team for the Rockets, but it should be the championship favorite through Durant’s contract. I’m not completely sold on it, but it’s intriguing.
PHX should trade with another team for their picks. And Rockets should trade PHX's picks for those picks.
If they trade KD away I'd tell them I can give them their pick and a swap back for 2 picks and 2 swaps.
Technically, KOC has been gone from the Ringer since September, and Bill Simmons likely has next-to-no input on the Ringer's written output; he's a pure podcaster and on-air talent at this point. But the internal dissonance between two Ringer writers, one named Mike P. and one named M. Pina, is a bit funny to see when you stack it up against itself: Mike P. in October: M. Pina in January:
It’s going to take Jabrari, Brooks, Landale, and 3 future firsts to get Durant. Durant is 36 and is out of time….he’s what they call a depreciating asset. Think Jeff Green in two years…..would you give up talent and 3 picks for a better 36 year old Green?
To PHX: FVV + Cam + Landale + 2027 HOU FRP + highest of 2029 FRP (DAL, HOU, PHX) To HOU: Durant + Tyus Jones + Bol Bol
