There is no way in Hell that PHX keeps Durant. More transparent dreamcasting by the Suns... Ishbia needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Or not.... That's cool too.
This makes a lot of sense to me, from both sides really. I wouldn't really entertain sending the Suns two of their picks back for Durant unless we're sending a poo poo package of players (even then, I'd wouldn't be thrilled). However, we really don't have the contracts to make that work. If the package is centered around Brooks, it makes it very difficult to match salaries without including Bari and/or Sheppard (which I don't want to do). If it's centered around Green, I'd stand firm in only sending one pick back. Green, one pick, and filler. That'd be my final offer.
I honestly think that if that was the offer, there would be a deal by now. I don't think Tari is on the table (RN). It seems that Ime NEEDS FVV to have any semblance of an offense apparently and FVV is the KEY to our defense. If Tari was out, I might include some more SRPs (or a protected FRP that converts to SRPs) and leave that for PHX to stew on. I think the offer is - DB - Cam - Holiday - Landale - Nate (fits in a TPE) - #10 - S&T Tate (3 year contract with TOs on Year 2 & Year 3) A veritable poo poo (or pu pu) platter
Suns holding onto Durant going into the season would be a mistake on their end. They could possibly get value by the deadline but if he gets hurt before then they probably lose him for nothing.
It isn't that FVV is the only guy that can play PG and defend. The issue is that the Rockets are over the cap, have a poor defensive SG (unless they move Amen to SG), the Rockets backup PG is not a good defender, the mechanisms to add another PG are limited such that he's probably better than most options and likely all other options that don't require draft capital, the Rockets have early Bird rights to FVV and not other PGs, and FVV's team option is too large to make it practical to trade (i.e., it is probably less costly to decline option, not re-sign FVV, and make a trade than use FVV in a trade). The best two options outside another team being stupid for the Rockets regarding FVV is basically to decline the team option and re-sign FVV, or decline the team option and don't re-sign FVV.
I don't believe at all that the Suns are desperate to get their picks back. They're about to sign Booker to an extension to make him one of the highest paid players in the league. Beal is not movable. So let's say they get their picks back. How many years are they going to tank while Booker ages? Maximum one year which is not enough. Then let's say they want to trade the picks. So they have Booker + 3 picks currently + 2 picks we give back. Now they can acquire a huge name so the team receiving them is going to know those Suns picks will be middle of first round at best. That's BS. They know they won't get them and it's not the logical course for a re-tool. It's not even on the table. They want our existing young guys. Rockets standing firm means they don't want to give up our young players. We don't want to give up two starters. We want to give up FVV + Landale + #10. We can sweeten it with Whitmore or MAYBE a highly protected future Rockets pick. No way we give up two starters and no way we add a Phoenix pick. The idea that they would trade Green and Brooks or Green and Jabari is hard to believe. Then you will have reduced the value of our best trade assets (Phoenix picks). Out of the 3 teams Durant is willing to extend with, I don't think anyone is offering more than FVV + Landale + Whitmore (equivalent of a pick) + #10. You don't budge from that offer and we'll be so good.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-st...t-trade-saga-impacts-draft-free-agency-rumors …the Suns have once again been deep in trade negotiations with …the Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Toronto Raptors who have talked with the Suns' brass the most over the last few weeks, league sources told ClutchPoints. All indications point toward a Durant trade. More specifically, the Suns want a deal done before the NBA Draft so they can escalate their roster revamp around star guard Devin Booker, who remains the focal point of the franchise. Whether or not a deal involving Durant is completed over the next several days revolves around two factors: teams meeting Phoenix's demands and those same teams calling the Suns' bluff due to their desperate position. The Suns don't necessarily have to trade Durant in the coming days, but it's become clear this marriage has gone stale. Durant wants to go to a new team, and all five organizations outlined above are interested in trading for him… to an extent. Each of the five teams linked to Durant trade talks has made an offer, sources said. The Spurs, who have gone silent in league circles over the last week, haven't given any indications that they are seriously in a battle for Durant. San Antonio has made one offer, sources said, and it does not involve the second pick in this year's draft. Durant making it known that he wants to play for the Spurs has given them leverage to sit back and watch how all of this plays out. San Antonio is interested in Durant and would welcome a trade for the future Hall of Famer, but it does seem as if the offer they have made is final. They do not feel any pressure to go all-in and leverage all of their assets for Durant, as the Spurs continue to keep their eyes on the future and other avenues to add superstar talents down the line. If the Suns like San Antonio's offer, there is a trade to be had. But at the end of the day, the Spurs have made it clear they do not intend to bid any higher than they already have. Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Rockets and Timberwolves have also held substantial trade talks with the Suns and new general manager Brian Gregory. Like the Spurs, the Timberwolves have made an offer that they believe has enough outgoing assets to acquire Durant, sources said. Minnesota has made it clear that Jaden McDaniels is not going anywhere, which means the package would have to include either Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle. The other assets league sources continue to speculate about regarding the Wolves' package are Donte DiVincenzo, Rob Dillingham, and the 17th pick in the draft. The Rockets are viewed as a prime destination and one of the finalists for Durant, sources said. Durant has a strong relationship with head coach Ime Udoka, who just signed a contract extension with the team that makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA, and Houston offers a clear path to contend for a championship in the Western Conference. Jalen Green and the 10th pick in this year's draft present a clear opportunity for the Rockets to swing a deal, but the Suns have demanded more, sources said. Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard are among the young talents in Houston that Phoenix has expressed interest in. The Rockets have not been willing to part with any of the three to this point. From the Suns' perspective, they don't view Green as a positive asset in these trade talks. The young guard struggled in the Rockets' playoff run this season, and the Suns have discussed potential paths with other teams that could help facilitate a potential Durant trade by acquiring Green for other assets that would go to Phoenix. Not much progress has been made with this. Should the Rockets change their stance and offer more draft picks and/or young talents, like Smith or Eason, to the Suns, there is a clear path to a deal being completed before the draft, sources said. That takes us to the Eastern Conference, where a majority of rival teams see a clear frontrunner in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Even though the Raptors' offer of either RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley alongside Jakob Poeltl and draft picks is enticing, it is the Heat that league personnel are signaling as the team with a better chance at a deal. Although the two sides are not right at the finish line yet in trade talks, one player can get them there. That would be Kel'el Ware, a rookie standout in Miami's frontcourt who is a giant with his 7-foot-4 wingspan and two-way potential. If the Heat include Ware in a revamped package to what they have already offered, talks with the Suns will reach a whole new level, as he is the player Phoenix wants in discussions with Miami. This is why many around the league who spoke with ClutchPoints view the Heat as the team that can get over the finish line the easiest. To this point in negotiations, the Heat have not firmly offered Ware in a proposed package, sources told ClutchPoints. If Pat Riley and his front office don't push more chips in to get Durant, a player Riley has wanted to bring to South Beach for years, they will be out, and the Suns will further their talks with the other teams interested. The framework of a potential Suns-Heat trade involving Durant would see Andrew Wiggins and Ware headline the outgoing assets from Miami. Whatever happens, the Suns have signaled that they want to move out of the tax aprons altogether, which is why multiple teams will be involved to help take on unwanted salary. Anything can happen over the upcoming weekend, when the Suns are expected to receive final offers from teams bidding on Durant. The Heat have an obvious path to making a trade, but so do the Rockets and Spurs if they increase their proposal as well. Indications from Toronto hint that the Raptors would still be interested in making a trade without a firm commitment to a potential extension. Phoenix has worked with Kleiman and Durant throughout this trade process, yet they will act in their best interest to ensure the future of the organization. Just because Durant wants to go to one of the Texas teams or Miami doesn't mean he will get his wish, as the Suns continue to talk with the Timberwolves and will 100 percent make a deal with them should the right players be included in a final offer.
I think the current strategy is decline and re-sign for something like 3 years, $90M+. He then becomes a trade chip at the deadline for another player (Garland?)
Suns: Increase your offers! Rockets, Heat, Wolves, Spurs: This is what Shams means “one or two pieces away” Rockets aren’t including Tari/Bari/Reed/other picks Heat aren’t including Ware Wolves may not include Dillingham for a potential rental Spurs aren’t including Sochan? Definitely not 2 or Castle.
Does anyone know if the league allows us to put protections on FRPs we acquired from another team? Could we give the Suns back a pick but lottery-protect it? @BimaThug?
Why does this sound like propaganda to make the Rox panic and throw in Jabari and/or Sheppard? Miami isn’t going to trade their most promising young guy for an elderly man like KD.
