In my opinion in the long run Amen will be the better player than Booker. He is so good at everything else he won’t have to become the shooter that Booker is. If Amen just gets mediocre 30% from 3 and develops a mid-range and/or floater he will be a perennial all-star at worst. Booker is what he is. I would love him to be a Jalen replacement, but no way I’m giving up Sengun, Amen or Jabari for him. All their picks and their pick of Cam, Jalen and/or Brooks (Landale or Adams if they want them instead of one of the others. If that is not enough we are better off waiting for Giannis or someone that demands out. If Jalen breaks out there is absolutely no need for Booker.
It's not equating Booker to Bridges in the slightest, it's about exerting leverage. Plain and simple, getting control of their own draft picks is much more valuable than trading him to any other team for what is likely mid to late picks assuming that team is a playoff team. They can guarantee their own picks are premium picks, not so much from any other team. Otherwise, they can trade him somewhere else anyway, when he inevitably demands out .... They'll be bad and the Rockets still own the rights to their picks. Some picks are just more valuable than others.
Stone already proved he sucks at exerting leverage so i wouldn’t get your hopes up. He will pay full price when it comes down to actually making the trade
I just think we need an S Tier scorer if we want to be competitive. I'm not convinced Amen gets better than Booker myself, but if he does I doubt his peak is an S-tier scorer as much as it's an S-tier passer and defender, which still leaves us needing a major scorer. Obviously, if Jalen does break out then we're good on that front but that's not a given either (even though I'm in the camp who believes he will) so for me I'd be looking at Booker as the alternative to Jalen, with Amen not even factored into the equation because we're talking about a wing/2 guard/scorer not the distributor (or if he never develops that way, a better Igoudala - which is actually how I see Amen if I'm honest.) If I'm weighing up pro/cons of Booker I'm comparing him to Jalen and Cam more than I'd ever compare him to Amen, Bari, Sengun or Reed. I think PHX would ask for more than Jalen and pieces so I wouldn't do the trade either (if they take Jalen, Brooks and picks then do it tomorrow tbh, then we're competitors) I just don't consider Amen remotely a replacement for either Jalen or a hypothetical Booker/scorer archetype which we will need. Looking at who we're likely playing against when our guys mature into their prime - SGA, Edwards, Luka - we need an S-tier scorer to keep up.
Jalen Fred Dillon Steven Adams Adrian Griffin 2025 PHX/HOU Swap 2027 PHX 1RP 2029 PHX 1RP for Durant and Booker Rockets get two win now superstar players. If Phoenix is moving Booker, they might as well move Durant also. Phoenix gets cap relief in a year or so, their picks back and a young former 2nd overall pick to take a swing on in Jalen. Rockets roll out Amen Booker KD Jabari Sengun Reed Cam Tari Jeff Jock With Tate and Holliday as guys you could move for another upgrade or keep as good depth/ spot minute guys.
Hopefully so. Jalen actually being a good player would be the best thing for this team going forward.
I think we are in violent agreement on this. Booker is a shooting guard replacement. If we don’t need a shooting guard why pay the price for Booker. If Jalen sucks then it is a more reasonable get. I don’t think Booker is the lead dog on a championship team, so no way I’m giving up any of Sengun, Jabari, or Amen for him. Two of Cam, Jalen, and Sheppard could all be available if we don’t have a legit SG when he becomes available. You can take Sheppard off the list if he looks legit, but I highly doubt he will show to be a sure fire starter in his first year.
The interesting thing about Booker is he is great with team USA because he is amazing as a role player with his skill set. I would be into trading for him, but I am not giving up a whole lot. And if we go to deal for him, then it means that the Jalen Green experiment has failed Or we aren’t optimistic. So for the sake of argument, if we are making this trade come, February, his value is rather diminished. Green And all of their draft picks back is probably what it would take at a minimum and I don’t think I’m into that.
I disagree, I think he got great value for the Brooklyn assets - and he kept the most distant of those which limits the time the Nets have to improve significantly while getting 2 swaps and 2 picks for one of each . His alternative was that the Nets were a mediocre team sending him middling picks .... he got assets from a team that's on the brink of cap hell with an aging star that's proven he will whine his way out of a place he doesn't want to be.
i still don't believe the nets turn down 5 1sts for bridges, what was the purpose? To try to win 35 games? They had no path to being decent. I don't think it was horrible trade though, but i think he got the absolute bare minimum though considering he held ALL the cards.
