RealGM

Raptors receive Kevin Durant, #29
Windhorst reporting that Toronto wants to make a Kawhi like move this summer for another run at a title. KD was mentioned. Raps would need to find depth at center but have an intriguing core of wings and guards to compete in the East. Would not have to give up the pick inventory to get Giannis.

Top 8: Quickly, Ingram, KD, Barnes, Dick, Abaji, Walter, Battle

Suns receive RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Johnathan Mogbo, #9, Future TOR 1st (Top 10 protected)
Personally I’m not a huge fan of RJ or Poeltl but the salaries work and the Suns need big wings and a starting quality center. Mogbo is a flyer on an athlete. The picks are the value here for the Suns.

Top 8: Booker, Beal, RJ, Dunn, Poeltl, Allen, ONeale, Richards

KD isnt worth this much. i wouldnt offer more than ingram/barrett/9 (3rd team needed to salary match properly)

I dont have KD worth more than 9. This is a big overpay

It should just be KD for Poeltl, RJ, and #9.

HadAnEffectHere wrote:It should just be KD for Poeltl, RJ, and #9.

nah we just saw what a KD led team without legitimate center look like. no thank you

Godaddycurse wrote:

HadAnEffectHere wrote:It should just be KD for Poeltl, RJ, and #9.

nah we just saw what a KD led team without legitimate center look like. no thank you

I mean, it would be a terrible move for the Raptors, but this is the value if the Raptors are going to have to give up if they want to get KD.

Kevin Durant does not have this level of value around the NBA and I don't see the Raptors pursuing Kevin Durant at all due to his age.

Godaddycurse wrote:

HadAnEffectHere wrote:It should just be KD for Poeltl, RJ, and #9.

nah we just saw what a KD led team without legitimate center look like. no thank you

Phoenix was a team without a real Point Guard with little to no depth and no player buy-in.

Adding someone like Poeltl to them doesn't fix their issues meaning Center wasn't even their biggest problem. It seems weird to hyperfixate on this aspect.

If I am Toronto I hold onto #9, draft my Center of future at #9 and offer a lightly protected 2026 1st instead.

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:

HadAnEffectHere wrote:It should just be KD for Poeltl, RJ, and #9.

nah we just saw what a KD led team without legitimate center look like. no thank you

Phoenix was a team without a real Point Guard with little to no depth and no player buy-in.

Adding someone like Poeltl to them doesn't fix their issues meaning Center wasn't even their biggest problem. It seems weird to hyperfixate on this aspect.

If I am Toronto I hold onto #9, draft my Center of future at #9 and offer a lightly protected 2026 1st instead.

Phoenix had Jones as PG but their D was really bad IIRC (27th def rating). I blame that on their C rotation

Center of future wont be ready to make an impact until durant is retired probably

I don’t think you want KD, Ingram, Barnes on same roster..

I think KD is worth 9th and matching.. if KD is interested and Toronto wants to push their kids upgrading Ingram is interesting to me.

Ingram, Gafford, 9th to Phoenix
Klay and KD to Toronto
RJ to Dallas

With seconds filled in however you want and Toronto probably looking to trade Klay immediately. But could probably duck the tax by trading Ochai for a couple vet mins if you wanted to keep Klay for some reason.

Godaddycurse wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:
nah we just saw what a KD led team without legitimate center look like. no thank you

Phoenix was a team without a real Point Guard with little to no depth and no player buy-in.

Adding someone like Poeltl to them doesn't fix their issues meaning Center wasn't even their biggest problem. It seems weird to hyperfixate on this aspect.

If I am Toronto I hold onto #9, draft my Center of future at #9 and offer a lightly protected 2026 1st instead.

Center of future wont be ready to make an impact until durant is retired probably

Maybe, maybe not. Toronto could also trade #9 for a Center or get creative with RJ/Ingram/9 out and KD/Center in.

mademan wrote:I dont have KD worth more than 9. This is a big overpay

How much value do Poeltl and RJ have? They are pretty much filler here because the other workable salaries will be more important to the Raps. Mogbo is a flyer. Idk, think the Suns would be fine shipping either RJ or Poeltl or both to a third team for something coming back to Raps if needed.

Godaddycurse wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:
nah we just saw what a KD led team without legitimate center look like. no thank you

Phoenix was a team without a real Point Guard with little to no depth and no player buy-in.

Adding someone like Poeltl to them doesn't fix their issues meaning Center wasn't even their biggest problem. It seems weird to hyperfixate on this aspect.

If I am Toronto I hold onto #9, draft my Center of future at #9 and offer a lightly protected 2026 1st instead.

Phoenix had Jones as PG but their D was really bad IIRC (27th def rating). I blame that on their C rotation

Center of future wont be ready to make an impact until durant is retired probably

Raps would have avenues to get a starting center. Poeltl is fine but hardly irreplaceable.

jayjaysee wrote:I don’t think you want KD, Ingram, Barnes on same roster..

I think KD is worth 9th and matching.. if KD is interested and Toronto wants to push their kids upgrading Ingram is interesting to me.

Ingram, Gafford, 9th to Phoenix
Klay and KD to Toronto
RJ to Dallas

With seconds filled in however you want and Toronto probably looking to trade Klay immediately. But could probably duck the tax by trading Ochai for a couple vet mins if you wanted to keep Klay for some reason.

If the Suns could get BI instead of RJ and Poeltl I’m all in.

This is why I harp on these kinds of contracts to young players because they are young. Toronto has bad matching and Poeltl basically has to be in any Durant deal for it to make sense, but creates a new hole for Toronto thats tough to fill because they are already so close to the tax line. But assuming you would pay tax if you dealt for KP then I agree, keep 9 draft a center then sign a veteran with the TMLE. Send a future pick to Phoenix.

Then the problem becomes RJ just is the worst of the Raptors for the Suns. But without using him now you need a 3rd team to give value for BI which seems so unlikely on that new contract. Now maybe you could do my bad RJ deal to get the Suns pieces that make more sense, but then they need Beal to be a legit 2nd option which feels sketchy.

Just a hard nut to crack because of how badly Toronto handicapped themselves with the deals to IQ, RG, and BI. All those were terrible decisions in real-time so its not retrospect. I know some here really believe IQ can be Knicks effective playing starters minutes against the best defenders, so maybe he ends up okay, but we still need to actually see that over any sample.

Love the idea of the Rap trying to dig themselves out like this. But hard to make it work for Phoenix because of the Raps issues.

Godaddycurse wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:
nah we just saw what a KD led team without legitimate center look like. no thank you

Phoenix was a team without a real Point Guard with little to no depth and no player buy-in.

Adding someone like Poeltl to them doesn't fix their issues meaning Center wasn't even their biggest problem. It seems weird to hyperfixate on this aspect.

If I am Toronto I hold onto #9, draft my Center of future at #9 and offer a lightly protected 2026 1st instead.

Phoenix had Jones as PG but their D was really bad IIRC (27th def rating). I blame that on their C rotation

Center of future wont be ready to make an impact until durant is retired probably

Jones isn't a starting caliber Point Guard.

facothomas22 wrote:Kevin Durant does not have this level of value around the NBA and I don't see the Raptors pursuing Kevin Durant at all due to his age.

Why? The core they currently have doesn’t even have a championship window. As opposed to a Giannis trade, they keep the draft equity and young pieces in Barnes, Dick and Quickly. They become a ECF level team with upside for 2 years then can retool.

jredsaz wrote:

mademan wrote:I dont have KD worth more than 9. This is a big overpay

How much value do Poeltl and RJ have? They are pretty much filler here because the other workable salaries will be more important to the Raps. Mogbo is a flyer. Idk, think the Suns would be fine shipping either RJ or Poeltl or both to a third team for something coming back to Raps if needed.

Poeltl is an above average staring C...he has no reason to be in a trade when the Raps are presumably trying to win here. The only salary filler here that makes sense is RJ and Ingram, but i'd want something back for Ingram as, like i said, i dont think KD is worth more than 9.

RJ/Ingram/9 for KD/29/something

KD's gonna be 37 and has played 62/75/47/55 games in his last 4 seasons and is gonna be looking for a contract extension. I hate him as a target for the Raps, but if we were gonna get him, it would have to be him replacing Ingram

Who is giving you value for BI on that contract? This is a serious question. I want to know you believe would give the Suns something they would take in a Durant deal and give extra value to the Raptors(not sure why the Raptors would be getting said value, but playing along). We need a willing team here. And I sure can't think of who would do that for BI.

And while we count games.... BI has 2 seasons total he's not missed at least 20 games and one of those barely and the other his rookie year and he's averaged playing half a season the past 4 years. KD should come dirt cheap because of health, but BI should return value despite it???

And getting this value for BI somehow without accounting for RJ being negative? Or are you selling him as neutral filler? Because that feels super optimistic too.

mademan wrote:

jredsaz wrote:

mademan wrote:I dont have KD worth more than 9. This is a big overpay

How much value do Poeltl and RJ have? They are pretty much filler here because the other workable salaries will be more important to the Raps. Mogbo is a flyer. Idk, think the Suns would be fine shipping either RJ or Poeltl or both to a third team for something coming back to Raps if needed.

Poeltl is an above average staring C...he has no reason to be in a trade when the Raps are presumably trying to win here. The only salary filler here that makes sense is RJ and Ingram, but i'd want something back for Ingram as, like i said, i dont think KD is worth more than 9.

RJ/Ingram/9 for KD/29/something

KD's gonna be 37 and has played 62/75/47/55 games in his last 4 seasons and is gonna be looking for a contract extension. I hate him as a target for the Raps, but if we were gonna get him, it would have to be him replacing Ingram

I want to see how you consider Poeltl to be a Center clearly in the 8-12 range.

Maybe I don't watch enough Toronto Raptors and maybe Poeltl improved, but I thought the original trade for Poeltl valued him as a Top 15 center but nothing I have seen supports that.