RealGM

Given that the Raps are searching for a big fish (per Windhorst), and they were keenly interested in Durant when he was in Brooklyn, here’s a trade.


Goals:
Phoenix: Drop salary, retool around Booker by bolstering front court and youth

Toronto: Go for a big fish in Durant. Go for it in the East.

Utah: Add talent. Trade Kessler if you won’t extend him. Hunt for another top pick next year.





The trade:

Phoenix:
K Durant
for
J Poeltl, J Collins, ‘25 TOR 1st (#9), ‘27 TOR 1st


Toronto:
J Poeltl, RJ Barrett, G Dick, ‘25 1st (#9), ‘27 1st, ‘26 LAL 2nd
for
K Durant, W Kessler


Utah:
W Kessler, J Collins
for
RJ Barrett, G Dick, ‘26 LAL 2nd



Each time gets their goals accomplished. I’ll add the depth chart in the next post.

I have no interest in this at all.

I don't think Utah would want Barrett's 2 year deal over Collins' expiring and I think they likely opt for the best future 1st they can get over Dick and a 2nd for Kessler.

Wrong third team but I'm stealing this.

Phoenix:
Use the #9 to draft their future PG in Kasparas Jaku, or draft their future PF in CMB or Essengue


D Booker / T Jones
B Beal / C Martin
R Dunn / G Allen
J Collins / (draft) Essengue
J Poeltl / N Richards



Toronto:

I Quickley / J Shead
B Ingram / J Walter
K Durant / O Agbaji
S Barnes / J Mogbo
W Kessler / C Boucher


Utah:
Draft their center of the future in Khaman Maluach

K George / J Clarkson / I Collier
C Sexton / G Dick
RJ Barrett /
L Markannen / T Hendricks
K Maluach /

I'm sure Utah values Kessler much more than this. Very solid deal for Phoenix and Toronto would do it if KD doesn't have issues with it (don't want to trade for an unhappy vet star who immediately wants out).

Of course value is so bad for Utah that fixing that (either with Utah or different 3rd team) may kill deal for Phoenix or Toronto.

babyjax13 wrote:I have no interest in this at all.

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

MessiahUjiri wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:I have no interest in this at all.

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

Dick is a bad defender and we dont need guards. No interest in him either. RJ has negative value.

babyjax13 wrote:

MessiahUjiri wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:I have no interest in this at all.

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

Dick is a bad defender and we dont need guards. No interest in him either. RJ has negative value.

Well what does Utah want for Kessler? Collins is negative value so let’s set him aside as a salary filler.

babyjax13 wrote:

MessiahUjiri wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:I have no interest in this at all.

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

Dick is a bad defender and we dont need guards. No interest in him either. RJ has negative value.

I'm not sure R.J. is negative. I think he has shown enough with a unique skill-set where many teams would take a gamble on him for neutral value.

I'd rather have Collins than RJ and Kessler than Dick, so the Raptors need to come up with some more value if they want Utah to help them get KD while giving them a replacement center like this.

babyjax13 wrote:

MessiahUjiri wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:I have no interest in this at all.

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

Dick is a bad defender and we dont need guards. No interest in him either. RJ has negative value.

I find it strange you think Green is worth collins but RJ isnt. Green makes more and RJ did better than hjm. Age isnt even that far apart.

Godaddycurse wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:

MessiahUjiri wrote:

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

Dick is a bad defender and we dont need guards. No interest in him either. RJ has negative value.

I find it strange you think Green is worth collins but RJ isnt. Green makes more and RJ did better than hjm. Age isnt even that far apart.

Neither is worth Collins. Happy?

MessiahUjiri wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:

MessiahUjiri wrote:

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

Dick is a bad defender and we dont need guards. No interest in him either. RJ has negative value.

Well what does Utah want for Kessler? Collins is negative value so let’s set him aside as a salary filler.

Utah shouldn't trade Kessler period, but certainly not for this meager of a return.

Godaddycurse wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:

MessiahUjiri wrote:

What does Utah want? They want picks for Kessler?

Dick is a pretty good prospect. RJ gets Demar like rep, but he’s instantly your 2nd best option after Lauri.

You could expand this to make it a 4 team, where Utah keeps Dick, and RJ gets routed to someone else (Brooklyn @ #19 + a 2nd makes sense).

Dick is a bad defender and we dont need guards. No interest in him either. RJ has negative value.

I find it strange you think Green is worth collins but RJ isnt. Green makes more and RJ did better than hjm. Age isnt even that far apart.

Green is two years younger and a much larger threat from 3 (way higher volume, same efficiency...but also waaaaayyyy better from the freethrow line which I think is indicative of potential for better efficiency). They are both bad players right now, but I'd roll the dice on developing someone who just turned 23 rather (4 months ago) than someone who is about to be 25 (in 11 days). But, I also know that my position on being willing to take that risk is out of the ordinary.

I also think that Green's best basketball so far has been better than RJ's. In January (15 games) he averaged 26/4/3 on 60%TS with 3.7 made threes. RJ averaged 26/7/6 on 59%TS with 1.8 made threes per game during a 10 game stretch in December (it is reasonable to argue RJ was better, but I think that gap in shooting is just more important relative to RJ's rebounding and assists). Green also plays in a better conference, so I have more confidence in his ability to maintain his level of play while I suspect RJ would be worse against better competition (RJ is 53%TS vs. the West last season while Green was 56%TS vs. the West ---- there is of course more road games as a proportion in that sample so it is not apples-to-apples, and Green shot 52%TS vs. the East while RJ was 56%TS vs. the East).

I'll also maintain that I do like RJ as a sixth man, but he is paid too much for that to make sense.

The Suns would say no, thanks.

They prefer to get young talent and picks for KD. Yeah, #9 is nice but I don't like Poetl&Collins as a centerpiece of this trade.

If we are gonna get a player in his prime from the Raptors I would like to get Ingram.

Ingram, filler, #9 and unprotected 1st for KD.

Saberestar wrote:The Suns would say no, thanks.

They prefer to get young talent and picks for KD. Yeah, #9 is nice but I don't like Poetl&Collins as a centerpiece of this trade.

If we are gonna get a player in his prime from the Raptors I would like to get Ingram.

Ingram, filler, #9 and unprotected 1st for KD.

Between his contract, age, and the fact you're going to have to resign him to a new contract in his late 30's, this is a horrendous deal for Toronto

Original deal is too complicated. Ingram would be going out instead of Poeltl, imo, but i wouldnt add more than 9 and filler (RJ)

I think the bones work, but the value is just really bad for Utah.

Quite easily the easiest no from Utah of all trade proposals I’ve seen. Not trying to be rude, but this is wayyyyyy off on value for Utah.