When will Stone get his credit as the greatest activist short seller in the NBA. 1. Rockets have Nets picks -> Stone heavily leaks that the Rockets are targeting Mikal Bridges -> BKN's 2024 season collapses amid swirling trade rumors and dysfunction, giving HOU the #3 pick 2. Rockets trade Nets picks for Suns picks -> Stone immediately leaks to Woj that the Rockets are targeting KD -> PHX's 2025 season collapses amid swirling trade rumors and dysfunction, giving HOU a lottery pick 3. Rockets still have Suns picks, PHX says they will retool around Booker in 2026 -> Stone leaks to Mannix that HOU is targeting Devin Booker -> PHX's 2026 season collapses amid swirling trade rumors and dysfunction? This is what Stone does. Let him cook. People are still falling for it!
We may have a better option than Booker already on the team and he’s only 23 and wouldn’t command 70m for the next 7 years or so. Booker is a terrible idea. I’d rather have Durant to be honest. Cheaper and a better fit.
Which is fine, then the Rockets keep their picks as they tank. The Suns need a deal with the Rockets more than the Rockets need a deal with the Suns.
Exactly but Ishbia has his personal pride invested in his superstar lineup. Billionaires have a hard time admitting their own failures.
Which is why I think he'd go for a deal involving Green, he could spin it as if instead of taking they are merely trading for a younger superstar AND their picks.
Oh that's my bad, I misunderstood another post by CH. He was talking about 2028. That obviously makes a huge difference, ignore what I said.
I'm biased so I'm keeping Jalen out of it even though you could theoretically pair Booker/Jalen in the backcourt defensively while Amen runs the offense from the 3. I've been corrected on salary: Booker is signed for $50m, won't be extended at $70m until 2028. I think Udoka ships Jalen out for Booker without blinking an eye if Jalen doesn't have a good finish to the season. I've never been a fan of Booker. I've always found him to be soft on the court and obviously he's a bad defender. I think Durant gives you better scoring, better mental toughness and 1.3 blocks per game >> I'd take 2 seasons of that over Booker, but that's mostly because I know we have stars that will carry the team with or without these guys anyway.
The Rockets already struggle to get all their young talent enough minutes and will be ready to consider a consolidation trade for a significant upgrade after they see how their young players perform in the playoffs. Booker represents a significant upgrade and helps address their shooting needs. For me, it comes down to the cost between Booker and Durant. If Durant is substantially cheaper in terms of assets, I’d go that direction.
You dont believe Jalen's strides this season have placed him near Booker's production (granted it is a down year for Booker)?
No, I don’t. Green has significantly improved, but consistency matters a lot when you are trying to win a championship. Right now, Jalen Green still runs too hot and cold. That said, if Durant were available for the cost of Jabari Smith Jr or Cam Whitmore, salary filler and one of Phoenix’s picks, I’d go that route. He represents the sweet shooting power forward and closer the Rockets really need.
What do people think we are giving them for Booker??? The only plausible position for him to play here is at SG. The PHX experiment has proven that he simply cannot play as a PG. Sure, it worked for team USA, but he wasn't playing against NBA elite speed PGs on a nightly basis. If he is going to play SG, then he needs to be a clear upgrade over Jalen Green. You might argue that he is marginally better - but let's be fair, Green's shooting (that frustrates us) is better than Booker's shooting this year, and Green's 3pt% this season is the exact same as Booker's career number. Booker is a better finisher and passer, but he makes like $20M per season more, and doesn't have the growth potential that still resides in Green. So, here is the trade option: Booker for Green + (filler) - saves PHX some cash. PHX compensates us with picks [they can get the picks from dumping Durant I suppose?]. I just can't see any other way this works for us. I don't see how that works for PHX either btw *earlier in the season they had a chance to swindle us and flip Booker for Green and at least some of their picks back*
This is false. Devin Booker is shooting 45.6% from the field on 19 shots per game. Jalen Green is shooting 42.7% from the field on 18 shots per game. Booker is one of the best free-throw shooters in the NBA, too. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/3136193/devin-booker https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/4437244/jalen-green
Sooo worth it for an extra $35 million a year. Especially as Booker will start to be entering the end of his prime in a few years and Jalen will start entering his at about the same time. When the Rockets will be starting to legitimately contend.
I guess the real question is, will the peak of Jalen's prime be anywhere near as good as the end of Booker's prime? It's certainly possible, but Booker is MUCH more of a sure bet. You would be getting 3 or 4 years of a top tier offensive combo guard, or you'd gamble that Jalen will one day get a lot better. Right now, a down year for Booker is far and away better than Jalen has ever dreamed of being. That doesn't mean that'll always be that way, and there's an argument to just keep what we have and hope it all works out. It's not straight forward one way or the other.
Jalen Green has been an NBA player for four years and in his breakout season, he’s shooting 43% from the field (the same FG% as his rookie season). That’s not good enough for a team that wants to contend next season. He doesn’t get eight or nine years to figure things out simply because he entered the league at 18 years old. I’m not giving Green away, but the Rockets are going to be at the point this summer where it’s time to find a real number-one option around Sengun, Thompson and Eason. Whether that’s Durant as a short-term play and they keep Jalen Green, or they move for Devin Booker as a long-term option, it’s coming. Also, Jalen Green only has one more year under contract at $36 million. Unless he bombs next year, he’s not opting in to his $36 million player option for 2026-2027.
