Sengun is a better playmaker. He's a better passer. He's miles better defensively. Sabonis is a better rebounder and compared to Sengun is Kyle Korver-esque from deep. That's not tearing anyone down - it's intellectually honest. When taken in concomitance w/ their age, learning curves, and contracts Alpi is a better all-around player. You don't have to take offense on behalf of Sabonis when people state facts. It's possible for someone to be a good player and overpaid. That's Domas.
Do you like dunc'd on? That's my favorite nba pod. They do position rankings every year and they had sabonis 16th/17th best center. They had sengun 11th/16th so not THAT much higher, though this was before sengun ever played in the playoffs and it's kinda hard to rank a player till you see them in that situation. They do kinda lean playoffs over regular season for their rankings, which hurts sabonis a lot because he's not a playoff player (for example his 3 pt shooting which is technically decent, but in the playoffs its 18% on 1 attempt a game) and he sucks on defense obviously. His value is really as a regular season floor raiser, which is just not what the rockets need.
Bill Simmons suggested something similar... FVV, Tari, Jabari, and #10 For Jaylen, Jrue I do that in a heartbeat and flip Jalen or Cam for a decent stretch 4 to compliment Amen....
Sabonis at Senguns current age was a horrendous shooter as well, if anything Sabonis should be used as an example of why you don't trade Sengun. Because he can develop an outside shot just like Sabonis did.
I have said that I wouldn’t trade Sengun for Sabonis straight up. The whole Sabonis vs. Sengun argument has been taken out of context, because the real argument is what do you do if you get Giannis. Sabonis is undoubtedly a better fit with Giannis, tell me why I am wrong. Sabonis is obviously a better offensive player than Sengun at this point in their careers. Stats aren’t everything, but they do have merit, especially when one player does better in every category both counting and %stats. I conceded that Sengun is better defensively and he will be better long-term if he develops a 3 pt shot. This is not just about Sabonis and Sengun. It is about Amen, Lavine, Giannis, Jabari, Sabonis vs Amen, Jalen, Giannis, Jabari, Sengun. Which is the more balanced starting five? Which one provides the outside shooting that is universally panned as what we are missing? That is why Sengun only fans are constantly being called out, because they have a singular player focus as opposed to a team focus.
All right, here's a wild idea for y'all: We get Giannis while giving up just Sengun, Cam, two Phoenix picks and one of our own--nobody else from the "young core", and still holding onto some really good draft assets. Milwaukee can move off of Giannis while remaining a playoff team and getting a soft rebuild going by adding Sengun and a draft pick. The Suns get some depth, add multiple guys who can play, so it's not a completely obliterated roster around Booker--including Cam, who has flashed some upside--and get two of their picks back. They get to hold onto a sliver of hope of making the playoffs, while also having the option to rebuild if they end up having to trade Booker after this season.
Philly out: PG13, #3 Philly in: Cam Johnson, Porzingis, #8, #32 Outlook: Trade down to acquire more depth and talent and focus more on winning now. Brooklyn out: Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, #8, #26 Brooklyn in: PG13, #3 Outlook: Jump up high in the draft to take the player they believe in. Boston out: Porzingis, #32 Boston in: Nic Claxton, #26 Outlook: Sheds 5.4m in salary, which is desperately needed, while moving up 6 slots in the draft giving them 2 late 1st rd picks to build cheap depth with. Not Houston related but im bored and think its a good deal for all.
It's too bad Ime has his darlings. We could easily do something like this: To MIL: Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, 10th pick this year, and the Dallas pick To PHX: Jalen Green, Cam Whitmore, Aaron Holiday, Jock Landale, Nate Williams, 2027 PHX pick, 2029 PHX pick, 2031 HOU pick To HOU: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker Resign Steven Adams Sign Tyus Jones PG: Sheppard / Jones SG: Booker / Brooks SF: Smith, Jr. / Eason PF: Antetokounmpo / 2nd round pick C: Sengun / Adams That's a team with 3 all-stars and depth too.
I know you disagree with this, but I'm fairly certain Amen will be better than Booker or Sengun--so sending him out doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Would rather pair him with Giannis if we were trading for him, especially since I think Amen will become a decent jump shooter within the next couple of years.
Hell no to trading Amen and relying on friggin’ Reed to be our PG. It’s just laughable that we finally draft our superstar and folks are willing to trade him based on 1/2 of 1 year as a starter out of position. Substitute Sengun for Amen and we can talk. Not to mention that we would be in the 2nd Apron.
First Rule of Rockets Trade Speculation FVV is the devil and must be replaced. Second Rule of Rockets Trade Speculation Defense be damned.
HOU IN: J. Brown BOS IN: J. Green, Thybull, Reath, 2025 PHX FRP (10), 2026 SRP swap rights returned, HOU 2028 FRP POR IN: Brooks Houston depth chart: FVV/Reed Brown/Cam Amen/Tari Smith Alpi/Adams
No, you wouldn't be relying on Reed as your starting PG (even though he should be able to handle it as the 3rd pick in the draft with a year in our system). Booker and Giannis are both de facto point guards - both of them averaged more assists per game than Fred.
Three-team deal with Boston and Phoenix: HOU in: Brown, Booker, salary fillers (Houser, Ighodaro) HOU out: FVV, Tari, Reed, 28+31 HOU FRPs to Celtics and JG, DB and 25+27+29 PHO FRPs/swap back to Phoenix HOU starters: Amen, Booker, Brown, Jabari, Sengun
How much does Philly want to shed salary? PG and #3 for Cam, #10 and whatever expiring salary needed excluding young core.
