This seems most realistic to me. Give the Suns an expiring, a lotto pick and significant potential in Cam who needs development minutes. Durant is your immediate plug in closer without giving up much of the core. You still have Green and Brooks to trade if a star guard becomes available.
Trading FVV, 10, Cam and 2027 for KD is a no brainer. It’s too bad that the Rockets see FVV as a better player than he is.
I hate the idea of trading for LaMelo. Hate it. The trade would be incredibly expensive, he’s averaged only 35 games played per year over the last three seasons, doesn’t play defense, is ball dominant, etc. My least favorite type of player.
On Lamelo, folks know he's injury prone, but curious if anyone looked at his actual career number games played per season. He's been in the league five years total and averaged 46.2 games per season. Last three seasons, the average is 35 games. Nevermind an aging star, but a young player with that kind of attendance is Zion territory. Peek at Zion, not counting Williamson's 2021-22 (out for while year), in seasons where he played at least one game, Zion's average is 42.8 games played. His three seasons was 43 games per season, which is actually higher than Lamelo's last three season average.
I visited the Suns’ Reddit and they are a bit delusional about KD’s trade value. They are arguing whether the third overall pick would be adequate compensation.
Everything. Rockets likely have to trade 1 of FVV/Jalen Green/Sengun to make the money work. We can immediately cross off Sengun. I personally am not trading Jalen for KD and I think the Rockets are torn on this. FVV seems to be completely off the table but would allow a simple trade for him. The Rockets are in the driver's seat for KD. If they want him, he'll be a Rocket. FVV being off the table makes it much harder to find an actual fair deal. With JG you're looking at needing to add around 30 million in salary (likely adding a real valuable piece like Brooks or Jabari Smith Jr.). With Fred it's closer to 20 million which can easily be made up with Cam/Jock/Holiday. Every single person with connections to the Rockets says FVV isn't going anywhere, which is going to be a crucially bad sliding door moment.
Well they did give up 4 firsts and Bridges for him not even two years ago. They are desperate to get half of that value back lol
If the Rockets are truly interested in acquiring KD (which they obviously SHOULD be), then it would be malpractice to allow the Spurs to get him for anything even close to a reasonable price. The Rockets have every ability to outbid the Spurs while still keeping the acquisition cost reasonable. The only way KD should be a Spur is if SA is willing to overpay for him in a big way. This deal is completely contingent on Stone's negotiating skills.
If we picked up the option on Fred it would only take 10m, but the Rockets are stupidly in love with him.
it's honestly infuriating hopefully it's all just talk and the Rockets are trying to play this through sources and the media and eventually either trade him with an opt in or keep him on an expiring.
Chief.will (obviously plugged in with the players) on his instagram stories shared a bunch of rockets player highlights. With a random appearance of Durant thrown in at the end. First story ia tari, followed by amen, then fred, then cam, then jalen, then durant? Dillon, jabari, jock and holiday for durant works... Soon?
That’s what @treyk3 was talking about. If the Rockets are hell bent on keeping Fred, they will have to give up a lot of value like Jabari and Dillon for 2 years of KD. It’s not worth it to me for such a short window but they put themselves in a corner by refusing to consider trading Fred.
finalize a trade for KD on July 1st and offer them Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and a pick FVV Amen KD Jabari Sengun
