What do you think happens when other team’s young stars get better and they sign appropriate rotation pieces. Oh, wait a minute, I know, OKC happens.
I am one of the few people that are glad they are off the table all though I don't think they are. I think if we find a Green replacement we will improve. Everyone on the team should e improving and we had one of the better series of the playoffs. Things are not in bad shape even if we do nothing.
Saying things aren’t bad if we do nothing is akin to playing not to lose. It never works. It’s not the end of the world to not get Durant or Giannis and I wouldn’t do it for too steep of a price, but doing nothing should not be an option. Hell, I guess the Texans should have kept butt chin, because he kept winning divisions. The Rockets shouldn’t be in this for consolation prizes like the 2nd seed or making the playoffs. It’s not good enough.
Being honest, if PHX "wants their picks back" they are better off doing a deal with the Bullets .... errr Wizards because they could immediately benefit this year (26) and again in 28 and 30. Utah owns the 31 pick. They deal with the Rockets, they just send the Wizards a high pick in next years draft and probably again in 2028. I'm fairly certain they'd love to send us Durant for the 27/29 picks and salary but Stone aint buying & it's too bad for PHX that Washington has no reason to take on Booker. There's no real downside for Houston or Washington to play the long game with these picks as even if they get a rotation player or two in return for Durant, high end talent is still pretty much out of reach. They are stuck in the lottery, the only real question is how bad will they be? And at least in theory, all the teams who finished below them should improve with lottery picks. Booker may have been the target at one point but now, it's time to play the long game.
Nonsense. Everyday there is a new rumor. There will be a different rumor tomorrow and another one the day after that. Nothing concrete this early in the game
OKC seems to have done pretty well standing pat, building through their youth. I don’t recall them blowing it up and writing off all of their 23-24 yo kids. I’m ok standing pat.
okc didnt stand pat and they made a giant trade to kickstart their emergence. addin carusso and hartenstein put them over the top this year. saying okc grew their team organically is just plain false.
Exactly... plus the centerpiece / the MVP was a trade acquisition. Granted SGA was acquired in like his 2nd year, but he was acquired in PG trade to LAC. Fun fact: SGA only played 82 games once: his rookie year with LAC (started 73 games).
Jalen Green will always disappear into 3 for 15 type shooting for single digits in big moments. Unless he's coming off the bench we'll never advance past the 2nd round.
Bro, Giannis was #15 in 2013 Draft. He was really raw and Morey was actually interested in him from what I recall... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_NBA_draft
OKC is good but please, get off their dick. They’re not the Warriors of yesterdecade. They’re not unbeatable. They may get a title or two but even then, let’s not put the cart before the horse. Things change quickly in this league. 2012 Baby Thunder were set to return and run the West! “They’ll be back!” Heat were supposed to win not one, not two, not three, not four, not five… Celtics were gonna be a dynasty! Pop goes the achilles, a $500M bill due and now they might be broken up. Mavs were in the Finals a year ago with their 24 year old superstar. The Thunder have Shai, the Spurs have Wembanyama, it’s done. It’s over. Can’t redo it. Can’t go back in time. There’s no Shai trade for us to make. There’s no “Let’s tank for, let’s go get the next Wemby.” Let it go. TRADE(3): Shai Gilgeous Alexander: acquired as a 20-year old in Paul George trade; averaged 10.8 as a rookie on Clippers; made first all-star game in 5th year; won first MVP in 7th year Alex Caruso: acquired for Josh Giddey Kenrich Williams: acquired in 4-team trade Spoiler OKC: Kenrich Williams(NO), Zylan Cheatham(NO), Joshia Gray(NO), Darius Miller(NO), George Hill(MIL), 2023 1st(DEN), 2023 2nd, 2024 2nd NO: Steven Adams(OKC), Eric Bledsoe(MIL), 2024 1st swap(MIL), 2025 1st(MIL), 2026 1st swap(MIL), 2027 1st(MIL) MIL: Jrue Holiday(NO), Sam Merrill(NO) DEN: RJ Hampton(MIL) DRAFT(13): Chet Holmgren: 2022/1-2 Cason Wallace: 2023/1-10 Ousmane Dieng: 2022/1-11 Jalen Williams: 2022/1-12 Nikola Topic: 2024/1-12 Dillon Jones: 2024/1-26 Jaylin Williams: 2022/2-34 Ajay Mitchell: 2024/2-38 Aaron Wiggins: 2021/2-55 Lu Dort: 2019/undrafted Adam Flagler: 2023/undrafted Branden Carlson: 2024/undrafted Alex Ducas: 2024/undrafted Other(2): Isaiah Joe: Claimed off waiver wire Isaiah Hartenstein: signed as free agent (3y/$87M) Great, let’s do our Giddey/Caruso trade! “No! I’m not trading Green for anything but a star! I’m not giving Green away! Green is better than [insert incoming player]”
Totally agree. The swap of BKN picks for PHO picks, at the time, looked ho-hum. BKN was desperate to get their picks back and it seemed like the Rockets could have extorted BKN for more draft capital back. Now, things look quite different. Stone shorting PHO looks brilliant. Pretty ballsy move that paid off. Yeah - I have been preaching patience. What I am saying is if the Rockets are still deadset on grabbing a star, they have positioned themselves really well to nab Booker, which would not have to be an overpay due to the relative value of PHOs picks to the Suns. However, these picks are looking like potential high lottery picks. Holding on to them and drafting cost-controlled players is also another really appetizing path.
I only wanted KD if he was cheap. With Giannis off the table for now, KD will likely get a bit more expensive with more teams focused on him. I don't want to overpay, so I'd like to wait until the deadline and see who's available then. Hopefully by the deadline: 1. Green can repair his value. 2. Phoenix implodes. 3. 1 or 2 new stars become available, ones that are a good fit.
I asked Bima about this the other day... The 26/28/30 picks are tied up in layers of pick swaps, 26/28 virtually impossible for Phoenix to get back since they'd have to give each team value to release the rights. To a lesser degree the 2030 pick (2 swaps), so they'd have to work with both WAS and MEM.
Lol, the Worriers happened but if you look at it, the Durant era was not really that long and he furked off after a few years due to his bruised ego and him wanting to be the beta 'man' again which did not serve him that well. This darn 2nd Apron league only allows deeper teams with fewer stars on them.
Stone is an incompetent GM at trading. He wont get us any superstar by trading. Stone will develop Jalen as the GOAT. Just be patient.
