I’ll go Green/Landale/Brooks/#10. They can route Brooks somewhere else for an additional first rounder. If we give up on Green, we need to keep Cam.
Brooklyn Out: Claxton, Thomas, #19 Brooklyn In: Fred, Dillon, #10 Brooklyn Outlook: Move off their 2 best vets but gain the 2nd lottery pick they are seeking. Fred doesnt fit their direction, but can be a valuable tool with his unique contract. They can either outright decline the option or approach a salary relief needy team and offer a get out of hell free card. Dillon becomes someone they would likely also look to move towards a team looking to offload bad salary for useful rotation minutes at a cost effective salary. Phoenix Out: Durant Phoenix In: Whitmore, Claxton, Thomas, #19 Phoenix Outlook: Get 2 solid rotation pieces in positions of need to continue staying competitive and re-tool around Booker. Get a young, high upside reclamation project and a mid 1st rd pick. Shed a little over 5m in salary to help clear up the tax situation. Starting 5 Booker Grayson Royce Johnson Claxton Bench Beal Whitmore Richards Martin Houston Out: Whitmore, Fred, Dillon, #10 Houston In: Durant Houston Outlook: Get a go-to offensive option, especially come playoffs and a serious upgrade to the starting lineup. The next iteration of veteran presence and experience teacher on the court/locker-room. With Fred gone we can continue to develop Amen in the PG role and bring Reed further into the rotation. Starting 5 Amen Green Tari Durant Sengun Bench Jabari Reed Adams?/Jock Holiday
Newsflash. If someone has inside info then he is by definition a mouthpiece for the source of that info. If someone isn't a mouthpiece, he has no info and not worth discussing because he knows nothing.Gambo is more reliable than Iko because Iko never says anything tangible and therefore all his information are useless. Because all Iko says are the sports journalism equivalent of "he may or may not take a dump within the next 10 minutes, maybe he'll go in an hour instead. Or maybe not until tomorrow. Or maybe he's on the toilet now." These reporting aren't propaganda they're just utterly pointless.
Given how much Danny Ainge likes his assets, there's no way the Rockets are getting either player without giving up real stuff. I can understand you think that package for KD is an overpay, but there's not really a bargain bin out there that I can see. One could argue Jimmy Butler was that guy last deadline since he went for very little. But definitely not this offseason.
If 4-6 teams are in on KD then I’m out. Acquisition cost + ‘mandatory’ 2-year max extension into his age-40 year + assets? No. Thanks, but no.
It looks like they are gonna let KD make the decision on which team he wants to go to. I’m sure his list looks like this: 1. Houston 2. Minnesota 3. San Antonio 4. New York 5. Miami 6. Dallas
You may be right about Ainge, but Phoenix has no leverage, just like Miami had not leverage. It’s very similar. There probably is 6 or more teams highly interested in Durant, but in my opinion none of them is going to offer more than a package including the #10. I could certainly be wrong. SA has the #8 so they could easily outdo it. My other take is anything more than FVV or filler and the No. 10 is an overpay and the Rockets should pivot to something else.
By the way Collins is an expiring. For some team that might be a plus for others a negative. Ainge doesn’t have a lot of leverage though. He either re-signs him or trades him.
Not giving them #10 and 2027. We need to have the option to keep drafting players, if for no other reason than rookie scale contracts and balancing the cap (and future trade assets). I could live with giving up 2027 top 4 protected but not in addition to #10 this yr.
Why would we be on his list over San Antonio? I'd be shocked if we traded for Durant. I'm expecting either the Spurs or Knicks, outside shot of the Mavs or Wolves.
If somehow the spurs can keep Fox and add Greek Buck Man and Durant. They will be trouble next year. I mean I don’t know if a team has ever had that much talent many times. Of course they are out of their primes. End of primes. And before their prime.
