Dillon Brooks has had a negative DPBM every single year of his career except one? Why use that to measure someone’s defense? Suns were the 27th ranked defense…KD was surrounded by traffic cones Is KD’s overall impact still not very good? He was 2nd Team All-NBA last season
Suns also were looking to trade KD before the deadline and it was known by Durant and everyone else that his days were numbered and he would be gone this offseason doubt KD put much effort into defense for a bad team that wants to move on from him
I’d only pursue Durant if the trade involves the #10 pick, Jalen, and minimal additional assets. Despite his decline, he’d significantly improve our team, but we must avoid jeopardizing long-term goals for short-term gains. Patience is key with our young team, and we should manage our assets wisely.
Let's just imagine what the Rockets could do if they had a go-to weapon who averaged 25 points per game. We were a team searching for points last year. Isn't this what we needed? Someone who can generate his shot and play better than average D.
this season, Rockets were 13-1 when Jalen scored at least 30 points…he did that in 17% of his games KD scored at least 30 in 34% of his games the year prior when we were just a .500 team, we were 9-4 in the games Jalen scored at least 30…he did so in 16% of his games that season, KD dropped at least 30 in 36% of his games Do people not realize how much having a consistent high level scoring threat will elevate this team? Our defense is already top tier, and KD is not hurting that. Not to mention we would also be adding a 40+% 3 point shooter whose defender must stay glued to him at all times…u can’t help off KD at all we are starving for spacing
We can agree to disagree here and I get your reasoning, I respect posters that can be civil and at least have some genuine info or substance to their perspectives. But to be honest these sound like excuses. He was the leader of that team, lead by example and should take full responsibility for the defense being terrible, one of the worst in the NBA. He didn't make all defensive team or have a positive DBPM number, if he was surrounded by traffic cones like say Dyson Daniels in Atlanta, why didn't he have a positive DBPM compared to the team? He was 8th in DBPM on their full roster, Dyson was #1 in DBPM on a 19th ranked defense, he made his team better on defense. Dillion brooks was even on DBPM this year, a negative on offense and overall. You can fairly argue he along with Amen were guarding the best offensive players night in and night out. Can we say the same for Durant? He'll get paid 55 million next year, likely wanting a two year 120 million extension like Butler or more. He's 2nd team all NBA last season but will be paid like an MVP caliber player, he's currently one of the top five highest paid players in the league. Will he be 1st team all NBA or MVP caliber in three years, but still get paid like one? How will that hurt our future flexibility with a bad contract? Edit: It doesn't look like he made it or qualified for All NBA this year. It's okay to admit he's 37 years old and his defense is falling off, almost all players, including outliers have historically done the same. We can wait for another much younger star opportunity in future years and let our team develop, Durant will not be the last. We all want our team to win, and they have shown significant improvement.
Here's how I would hope things settle ultimately.. Fred Van Vleet / Amen Thompson Dillon Brooks / Reed Sheppard Kevin Durant / Amen Thompson Jabari Smith / Amen Thompson Alperen Sengun / Steven Adams / Joan Beringer I see Amen playing 35 minutes a night, just covering multiple backups positions.... Maybe starting PG by year end.... Anybody else not mentioned I see as expendable....
Dyson Daniels finished 2nd in DPOY for a reason…nobody is expecting KD to be a DPOY candidate If DBPM is supposed to be this great defensive metric, then why is Dillon Brooks almost always negative? Amen Thompson isn’t. Tari isn’t. Jock Landale’s DBPM was slightly higher than Steven Adams. I watch them and don’t think Landale and Adams are even in the same realm on defense. KD was 8th in DBPM on his roster. Now when u filter that down to the top 10 in total minutes played and remove guys who barely played any games all of the sudden he’s 4th. Who is a defender on the Suns? Royce O’Neal had a negative DBPM too. Ain’t he supposed to be 3&D? It’s not KD’s job to captain a defense. the question is if KD can function defensively on a good defensive team…Jalen and his negative DBPM on the 5th ranked defense somehow manages to do it KD will be the 5th highest paid player in the league, but the difference between him and 14th place Lebron is barely 2 mil/yr…all these dudes in the top 15 basically get paid the same Will KD be a top 15 player next season and top 20 the 2 seasons after that? Is he gonna be untradable? Several teams are after him right now. When 30 y/o Giannis was thought to be on the market, a bunch of people didn’t want him because he would cost everything and fit issues. This is a dude who’s a top 3 player. Who are waiting for? Jokic? Shai? Luka again? Ant?
Jalen plus Dillon can't work, right? I think Phoenix can't aggregate players in a trade and also can't receive more salary in a trade. Jalen and Dillon are set to make just a touch more than KD. Given that, I think it's hard to hit the number without one of Jabari, Reed or Tari included in a Jalen-oriented trade. Also, there's Jalen's poison pill, which won't expire until July 1st, after the draft. There are more options to get there with FVV...
4th on the 28th defensive team in the league, that still is terrible. The defender on the Suns certainly isn't Durant, but he'll get a huge check just the same. He didn't make All NBA at all this year, it's not about his past it's what about he'll do next year and three years from now at 39. The NBA voted and he wasn't a top 15 NBA player this year, he's not going to get better next year or three years from now but still get paid 60 million like an MVP caliber player. Not worth it imo. KD is nowhere on this 2025 All NBA list but paid more than almost all of them Did people think Amen would become an All Defensive first team his second year and an upcoming star? Did folks think Sengun would become an all star? Many never thought we'd be a second seed this fast and now forget we've exceeded expectations. This isn't a veteran team with Harden that has reached it's ceiling, we've just started scratching potential. An alternative is we be patient and let the team develop to an actual prime year or and see how they do in coming seasons then make moves accordingly. We would be the team giving up the star potential player in bad trades like others if we traded talented players like Sengun, Amen etc. early. Rather than be shortsighted and only look at the present, focus on how the team is trending and progressing season over season. I'll move on but trading for Durant or early with 22 year olds at the #2 seed is a desperate move for a two year contention window vs long term contention with flexibility to make moves as needed.
That Minnesota leverage is wearing thin... Durant not wanting to be there is not something you want hitting the press...
I cannot stop laughing at this lol. And I realized I missed the +1 Future Suns Pick at the back, FML. I have no words. The suns itself traded their sole future first for, check notes, THREE future protected firsts. The 10th pick is with at least TWO future protected firsts (Rockets traded 2 such picks for the 16th pick which was Alperen Sengun) And throw in Cam Whitmore, AND toss in Tari Eason (which imo is as good as Mikal Bridges as soon as next season) You would think this is a borderline competitive package for Giannis. But wait fool me not, it’s for a 37 year old Kevin Durant. Equivalent of TWO blue chips, ONE good player with some upsides, AND the equivalent of FIVE protected future firsts. Look in the mirror and tell me this is a fair value package (which I was told repeatedly YES it is fair).
He wants to come back to Texas. UT Udoka Ivey Adams Uncle Jeff Augustin You know who’s also a free agent? And is a Rockets legend™ And is good friends with all these guys And replaces Fred Spoiler
I feel like the Rockets are really being underrated too, could be my bias talking, but just about every single team has a rough go of the playoffs their first time. Experience is a REAL thing that matters and this season was literally all about getting playoff experience. We also ALL wanted to avoid the Warriors, we knew they were a matchup problem and proved to be one. I doubt Jalen even looks as bad as he does if it were literally any other team because the Warriors are one team 9 outta 10, he sucks again, consistently. So it's no surprise that he went out and sucked for that entire series pretty much. I do think the Pacers show that sometimes you don't need to make changes just to make them. I'm not for selling the farm for Durant. I want him at a good price or not at all.
