Best offer for Durant?

[nykballa2k4]

Kennard/Clarke/Smart/Konchar 2026/28/30 UP 1sts. Aldama likely spun off for a 1st might be part of it instead of one of the picks. Then maybe GG or Edey gets worked into it too depending on the pick package.

I think if OKC doesn't want him then something like above will be among the best offers if Durant would even be willing to come here.

i think that Suns could demand someone like Bane coming back as well.

I don't think Suns (with Zeke in the owners ear) will agree to be sellers, but Durant with those boys in Memphis would be scarier than Jah Morant after a pick up game vs high schoolers. (long walk, but .. yeah)

They can demand whatever they want and we will judge if it is worth it. At the end I don't think we include Bane unless the total win now package makes sense. If we are going all in there will be other targets we can obtain and not touch our top 3. IF Durant was 34 then I think we would leap at it but you have to be realistic of how a guy at his age is going to perform the last 2-3 years of his career. I had the Suns overpaying for Durant to start with, it seems like that overpayment is clouding what a return will look like 2 years later after that failed decision.

KD is still elite. Bane is great, but if the cost is Bane, some less-used rotation pieces, and picks and the result is a championship, I think that trigger is pulled.
With the way the NBA cap works anyhow, all 3-man team ups have a shelf life unless players all take pay cuts.

[Texas Chuck]

i think that Suns could demand someone like Bane coming back as well.

I don't think Suns (with Zeke in the owners ear) will agree to be sellers, but Durant with those boys in Memphis would be scarier than Jah Morant after a pick up game vs high schoolers. (long walk, but .. yeah)

They can demand whatever they want and we will judge if it is worth it. At the end I don't think we include Bane unless the total win now package makes sense. If we are going all in there will be other targets we can obtain and not touch our top 3. IF Durant was 34 then I think we would leap at it but you have to be realistic of how a guy at his age is going to perform the last 2-3 years of his career. I had the Suns overpaying for Durant to start with, it seems like that overpayment is clouding what a return will look like 2 years later after that failed decision.

KD is still elite. Bane is great, but if the cost is Bane, some less-used rotation pieces, and picks and the result is a championship, I think that trigger is pulled.
With the way the NBA cap works anyhow, all 3-man team ups have a shelf life unless players all take pay cuts.

Of course if the Grizzlies knew making that trade led to a championship they would do it. But you can't make that guarantee.

[psman2]

They can demand whatever they want and we will judge if it is worth it. At the end I don't think we include Bane unless the total win now package makes sense. If we are going all in there will be other targets we can obtain and not touch our top 3. IF Durant was 34 then I think we would leap at it but you have to be realistic of how a guy at his age is going to perform the last 2-3 years of his career. I had the Suns overpaying for Durant to start with, it seems like that overpayment is clouding what a return will look like 2 years later after that failed decision.

KD is still elite. Bane is great, but if the cost is Bane, some less-used rotation pieces, and picks and the result is a championship, I think that trigger is pulled.
With the way the NBA cap works anyhow, all 3-man team ups have a shelf life unless players all take pay cuts.

Of course if the Grizzlies knew making that trade led to a championship they would do it. But you can't make that guarantee.

Yep...it gave me the If wishes and buts were candies and nuts vibe. If you just give the Suns whatever they ask for you win the championship....just like if the Suns gave the Nets whatever they asked for then....

Not saying we won't trade Bane for KD, but the false choice narrative is funny to me. Memphis has a lot of options, just like OKC and Houston as young teams that are not in tax hell yet and have available draft picks/assets. I think the Nets and Phoenix recent runs are more of a cautionary tale then something teams are going to be in a hurry to duplicate.

When was the last time a 36+ year old star was traded for a lot of value and resulted in the new team winning a championship. This is not getting Kevin Garnett at the age of 31 here.

[nykballa2k4]

KD is still elite. Bane is great, but if the cost is Bane, some less-used rotation pieces, and picks and the result is a championship, I think that trigger is pulled.
With the way the NBA cap works anyhow, all 3-man team ups have a shelf life unless players all take pay cuts.

Of course if the Grizzlies knew making that trade led to a championship they would do it. But you can't make that guarantee.

Yep...it gave me the If wishes and buts were candies and nuts vibe. If you just give the Suns whatever they ask for you win the championship....just like if the Suns gave the Nets whatever they asked for then....

Not saying we won't trade Bane for KD, but the false choice narrative is funny to me. Memphis has a lot of options, just like OKC and Houston as young teams that are not in tax hell yet and have available draft picks/assets. I think the Nets and Phoenix recent runs are more of a cautionary tale then something teams are going to be in a hurry to duplicate.

When was the last time a 36+ year old star was traded for a lot of value and resulted in the new team winning a championship. This is not getting Kevin Garnett at the age of 31 here.

Not saying that Memphis bends over or anything. But Durant is a current top 5 player and as such if he's on the market to a contender, the price is high.

The problem Phx has is they put together talent but did not make a team. Nets were a shoe size from possibly winning a title with him before it all went to trash.

Zeke's problem is that he is always a talent > else. Suns would have been successful, ironically, if they stopped at Durant and didnt move for Nurk and Beal. CP3 and Ayton would have competed for a ring easily.

[gswhoops]

The problem is that trading Durant (especially with no All-Star caliber frontcourt player coming back) means that the Suns threw the towel which without their 1st rounders would be even more suicidical.

I think you gotta treat those picks as a sunk cost at this point. If you can get them back in a Booker/KD trade, great, but don't let them dictate your strategy going forward.

I disagree. Without those/own picks you simply don'r start rebuilding.

If* you've determined that you can't win a championship with this roster (and you don't have the pieces to make moves that can get you there), is it better to just stubbornly ride out the next 2-3 years until KD and Beal expire, or try to recoup some assets for KD now?

(*obviously a big "if" here)

[psman2]

Of course if the Grizzlies knew making that trade led to a championship they would do it. But you can't make that guarantee.

Yep...it gave me the If wishes and buts were candies and nuts vibe. If you just give the Suns whatever they ask for you win the championship....just like if the Suns gave the Nets whatever they asked for then....

Not saying we won't trade Bane for KD, but the false choice narrative is funny to me. Memphis has a lot of options, just like OKC and Houston as young teams that are not in tax hell yet and have available draft picks/assets. I think the Nets and Phoenix recent runs are more of a cautionary tale then something teams are going to be in a hurry to duplicate.

When was the last time a 36+ year old star was traded for a lot of value and resulted in the new team winning a championship. This is not getting Kevin Garnett at the age of 31 here.

Not saying that Memphis bends over or anything. But Durant is a current top 5 player and as such if he's on the market to a contender, the price is high.

The problem Phx has is they put together talent but did not make a team. Nets were a shoe size from possibly winning a title with him before it all went to trash.

Zeke's problem is that he is always a talent > else. Suns would have been successful, ironically, if they stopped at Durant and didnt move for Nurk and Beal. CP3 and Ayton would have competed for a ring easily.

I don't have him anywhere close to top 5 anymore. Top five guys can drag 5 g leaguers to the playoffs and be in contention for MVP, that is not him anymore. I think he is closer to the 12-15ish range this year. That likely rank is going to fall to 20-35 range the next two seasons if not further. Then when you factor in the increased injury concern with age and big contract to work around then I rather just sit out the Durant sweepstakes if it requires us to move Bane. We still have all our picks and some young guys and 50+ million in tradable salary. I think we can still find a trade that makes us stronger than losing Bane in a Durant trade, and if not we are still a fringe contender already and our players are just entering their primes. No need to push in the chips too early if the cost is too high.

I think my original offer will be close to whatever the deal ends up being if he is traded between now and the start of next season. I doubt Phoenix would value Bane as much as we do so it really doesn't make sense to include him instead of other assets. With OKC being the one team that might go all in since they have ability to overpay and still recover. I have no interest in topping OKC in a Durant bidder war. I make my best offer and if OKC or another team beats it I think Memphis and their fans are fine with that outcome giving Durant age and likely decline.

[Texas Chuck]

not arguing a specific rank for Durant(not really interested in that debate) but the Suns record with and without him suggests he can still do a fair amount of lifting. And the great thing about the Grizzlies is they don't need to set a floor. He would be the final piece to a legit contender.

Agree 100% about not including Bane though. If the Suns get a better offer, they get a better offer. But the Grizzlies are good enough and have enough assets to look to add to their core rather than go that route.

[nykballa2k4]

Yep...it gave me the If wishes and buts were candies and nuts vibe. If you just give the Suns whatever they ask for you win the championship....just like if the Suns gave the Nets whatever they asked for then....

Not saying we won't trade Bane for KD, but the false choice narrative is funny to me. Memphis has a lot of options, just like OKC and Houston as young teams that are not in tax hell yet and have available draft picks/assets. I think the Nets and Phoenix recent runs are more of a cautionary tale then something teams are going to be in a hurry to duplicate.

When was the last time a 36+ year old star was traded for a lot of value and resulted in the new team winning a championship. This is not getting Kevin Garnett at the age of 31 here.

Not saying that Memphis bends over or anything. But Durant is a current top 5 player and as such if he's on the market to a contender, the price is high.

The problem Phx has is they put together talent but did not make a team. Nets were a shoe size from possibly winning a title with him before it all went to trash.

Zeke's problem is that he is always a talent > else. Suns would have been successful, ironically, if they stopped at Durant and didnt move for Nurk and Beal. CP3 and Ayton would have competed for a ring easily.

I don't have him anywhere close to top 5 anymore. Top five guys can drag 5 g leaguers to the playoffs and be in contention for MVP, that is not him anymore. I think he is closer to the 12-15ish range this year. That likely rank is going to fall to 20-35 range the next two seasons if not further. Then when you factor in the increased injury concern with age and big contract to work around then I rather just sit out the Durant sweepstakes if it requires us to move Bane. We still have all our picks and some young guys and 50+ million in tradable salary. I think we can still find a trade that makes us stronger than losing Bane in a Durant trade, and if not we are still a fringe contender already and our players are just entering their primes. No need to push in the chips too early if the cost is too high.

I think my original offer will be close to whatever the deal ends up being if he is traded between now and the start of next season. I doubt Phoenix would value Bane as much as we do so it really doesn't make sense to include him instead of other assets. With OKC being the one team that might go all in since they have ability to overpay and still recover. I have no interest in topping OKC in a Durant bidder war. I make my best offer and if OKC or another team beats it I think Memphis and their fans are fine with that outcome giving Durant age and likely decline.

Honestly, I think Durant might be better next to Dleaguers than his current team...
Durants biggest gift is on offense. Beal and Booker basically take the ball out of his hands..

[psman2]

Not saying that Memphis bends over or anything. But Durant is a current top 5 player and as such if he's on the market to a contender, the price is high.

The problem Phx has is they put together talent but did not make a team. Nets were a shoe size from possibly winning a title with him before it all went to trash.

Zeke's problem is that he is always a talent > else. Suns would have been successful, ironically, if they stopped at Durant and didnt move for Nurk and Beal. CP3 and Ayton would have competed for a ring easily.

I don't have him anywhere close to top 5 anymore. Top five guys can drag 5 g leaguers to the playoffs and be in contention for MVP, that is not him anymore. I think he is closer to the 12-15ish range this year. That likely rank is going to fall to 20-35 range the next two seasons if not further. Then when you factor in the increased injury concern with age and big contract to work around then I rather just sit out the Durant sweepstakes if it requires us to move Bane. We still have all our picks and some young guys and 50+ million in tradable salary. I think we can still find a trade that makes us stronger than losing Bane in a Durant trade, and if not we are still a fringe contender already and our players are just entering their primes. No need to push in the chips too early if the cost is too high.

I think my original offer will be close to whatever the deal ends up being if he is traded between now and the start of next season. I doubt Phoenix would value Bane as much as we do so it really doesn't make sense to include him instead of other assets. With OKC being the one team that might go all in since they have ability to overpay and still recover. I have no interest in topping OKC in a Durant bidder war. I make my best offer and if OKC or another team beats it I think Memphis and their fans are fine with that outcome giving Durant age and likely decline.

Honestly, I think Durant might be better next to Dleaguers than his current team...
Durants biggest gift is on offense. Beal and Booker basically take the ball out of his hands..

His career average for FGA is 18.7, which is exactly what he is doing this year. I don't think any team is going to trade for Durant again and expect him to be a 30+ scoring guy again. If anything his usage is going to continue to be slashed if he finds himself on a better team as he ages. My hope would be he returns to being a good defender and scores 22-23 points a game if he lands in Memphis. He could still erupt occasionally in the playoffs but I wouldn't want him taking 19 shots anymore most of the time.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Griz could offer some pretty spectacular things.

For KD??
Just curious what their package would/should look like? (I do have them on my top 5 list actually)

Kennard/Clarke/Smart/Konchar 2026/28/30 UP 1sts. Aldama likely spun off for a 1st might be part of it instead of one of the picks. Then maybe GG or Edey gets worked into it too depending on the pick package.

I think if OKC doesn't want him then something like above will be among the best offers if Durant would even be willing to come here.

This is a pretty solid offer if we're still trying to compete with Booker post KD. Not many offers might get better. You guys can keep Edey too. I'd hold onto Clarke for his defensive potential, keep Smart and Konchar (quality bench player). And utilize the firsts towards more key pieces perhaps.

Overall, I'd take this offer! But I'm admittedly a little bias too because I like the Grizzlies and would want them to win the championship as a young upstart team. But if rebuilding, I'd do this deal and look to trade Smart for one or two firsts from some contender or fringe playoff contender. Also move Kennard for some 2nds.
Keep Clarke, move Konchar for a 1st, keep aldama and GG Jackson (** prize).

Then look to trade Booker to Houston for Jalen Green/ Jeff Green/ expiring/ Eason/ Whitmore/ PHX 27' 1st/ PHX 29' 1st/ HOU 31' 1st. Bottom out and rebuild completely. And I have a feeling that Beal will happily waive his no trade clause to go anywhere else.