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

Fred & Cam for Durant

Durant: $54,708,609 — final year (maybe an extension is worked out as part of the trade)

Spoiler

Knicks:
Towns: $53.1M
OG: $39.5M
Bridges: $24.9M
Hart: $19.4M
Robinson: $12.9M
McBride: $4.3M

Heat:
Wiggins: $28.2M
Rozier: $26.6M
Robinson: $19.8M (ETO)
Anderson: $9.2M
Highsmith: $5.6M

Spurs:
Vassell: $27M
Barnes: $19M
Johnson: $17.5M
Sochan: $7M
Branham: $4.9M
Wesley: $4.7M
Champagnie: $3M

Wolves:
Gobert $35M
Randle $30.9M (Player option)
McDaniels: $24.8M
Reid: $15M (Player option)
DiVincenzo: $11.9M
Conley: $10.7M

And I’ll throw in the Mavs

Mavs:
Klay: $16.6M
Gafford: $14.3M
Washington: $14.1M
Martin: $9.5M
Marshall: $9M
Christie: $7.7M
Hardy: $6M
Powell: $4M
Prosper: $3M

 

I love having a roster with so much depth, talent, and balance that there's no trade we have to reach for.

If KD is interested in us, great. If Phoenix wants their picks back, great. Come to us with an offer we really like. Otherwise ... we're good.

 

Depends on what the Suns are looking to do. Booker and Ishbia still want to compete. It will be possible for the Suns to get under the second apron this off-season which allows them to aggregate players in a KD trade. If the Rockets pick up FVV's option they could offer FVV/Brooks/27 suns pick for KD/Allen. The Suns get a much needed PG and wing defender while also getting a little control of their future back. The Rockets get much needed shooting and open up more minutes for Tari/Bari/Amen.

Amen/Reed
Jalen/Cam
KD/Allen
Bari/Tari
Sengun/PHX lottery pick.

 

i don’t know about that. All it takes is the Suns falling in love with one of our lesser prospects like Tari or Reed to maybe get the deal done. If all we’re giving up is one of those a non Suns pick then I’m for it

 

FVV & Cam for Durant & Tyus Jones. I'll throw in this year's PHX pick back unless it falls 1-4.

 

Jones is an unrestricted free agent I believe

If we want him, he might be gettable for MLE money?

 

I'm sorry I get the appeal, but I can't sign off on this based on his contract and age.

 

When did that reputation happen?
No one ever called him defensive player of the year but minimum effort???

Imagine the cap Space after this 1 yr rental
Rocket River

 

Bingo!

Rocket River

 

Of those teams listed, the Spurs can offer the Suns the best package.

Some players and some picks. The players can be featured and flipped for more picks. They are now on a "be bad for 5 years" program, all because they didn't give up on this season and try get their picks back from us....

 

Not a cap expert, but think about the extensions we need to give this year and what or who we would have to give up, losing that long-term potential/talent for years and playing ourselves for short-term 1 year results.

These 22-year-olds have significantly improved each year, and next year will be no different. We don't need to trade for Durant, IMO. Sometimes the grass isn't greener, and the next shiny player isn't worth it.

 

KD has no chance at a title with SA.

Same with the Heat.

What can the Knicks offer and still be a " contender"?

Same with Minny.

We are it. Frankly, I've gone from "absolutely not" to "maybe together in a blockbuster with Booker" to "perhaps, if the price is right".
Just can't be for very much. Seeing as the season's over, it should be even less now.

 

Durant was worth it this season for a reasonable price, next season probably not.

 

See that is the issue, I don't think we should give up on any of our youth, unless the org decided they don't fit the direction.

FVV is a must for contract matching - so you need about 8-10m more - you can send Landale or Tate and a pick or two back, should be enough.

You can't overpay for a 37 year old player in his last contract year - that would be panic management - you are literally doing PHX a favor by taking him off their hands and giving them cap room to start over......and picks....

DD

 

It’s really tough because he’s still a top 10 player with the shooting skill-set we badly need. But at some point he declines or gets injured and we’re potentially left holding the bag. Also that’s a pretty big list of teams we’d be competing against, which naturally increases his price. It’s a quandary but he’s probably still going to be really good next yr and based on our success this season adding KD would make us a bonafide contender. We’d have a real shot of winning it all next year, so definitely worth taking some risk. But I’m legitimately conflicted about giving up lots of great assets for a max player who for sure is playing on borrowed time. 38 is really old. It will be interesting what the final price tag is.

 

If we take this approach we can’t go wrong. This is the mindset we must have. We are not desperate.

 

I don't think Phoenix even wants youth back in a KD trade. Booker just stated he's never going through a rebuild again. Is there a team out there that can give them a better duo than FVV/Brooks when you consider their roster? PG play and perimeter defense are their biggest issues.

 

Separate from the obvious fact that trading for a 37yo who wants a max extension makes little sense, it's also super unlikely due to all the transaction constraints.

Because of the salary matching and apron rules, the only realistic and feasible way it could happen is opting in Fred to his $44M and adding Cam Whitmore.

Can't add anything else because of Phoenix's apron issues; Sengun and Jalen are obviously not going to be included; and any other combo would involve sending like a 5-1 trade involving Jabari + Dillon + Reed + Cam + more, which ofc isn't happening.

But the FVV path would be too dumb for anyone to consider. You'd be opting FVV into an contract that's overpaid by $20-25M to send to a team deep in the luxury tax? So then you have to pay extra in picks on top of that because the other team is taking back bad money and paying $30M extra in tax just to make the trade work? Makes no sense.

 

I think this is the key - we don't want to be a team that overbids - we want to be the team that has the players who other teams overbid on. If Houston overbids, it's like Cuban offering Chandler Parsons a max despite injury concerns.