Bogyo wrote:I think a lot of these teams are trying to shed salary - or at least rumoured to. So Minny and Cavs in particular are not likely to be serious suitors in the KD sweepstakes as this would defeat their main purpose.
I wouldn't mind Poetl and RJ for KD (no picks and extra players, sorry GoK that package is just aint happening). Then we just have to find a PG for the Grayson/O'neale contract and whatever we pick up on the way.
PG/Book/RJ/Dunn/Poetl - bench of Morris/Gillespie/Beal (sorry not getting rid of him either, maybe he tries to reinvent himself in that role)/whoever is left of Grayson or O'neale, Bol, Plum, Osho, Richards and our draft picks, plus maybe a vet min PF. Problem is size on the wings, rebounding and overall talent, but I'm pretty sure more watchable than this years crew.
Sure! Teams might be looking to reduce salary, but then KD as a 54 million expiring contract still accomplishes that by a large amount. Getting 54 million off your books while also having KD as a rental for any potential contending teams obviously accomplishes both goals! Being very competitive and having a chance to contend, but then also having a " get out of cap hell free" card as well.
Now we for the Raptors trade premise, of course you're entitled to your opinions on what they might or might not do in a trade for KD, but I'll respectfully disagree with you that package of Poetl and Barrett ( NO PICKS or extra players) gets them anywhere close to acquiring KD.
I mean sure they can try and lowball us for KD with only being willing to swap Barrett and Poetl for KD. But then we can just laugh and hang up rather quickly and just look at one if the other 4-6 interested teams that absolutely will be willing to give up picks in a KD trade.
I'll also point out these couple of points to consider:
1- The suns front office has already put out the reports stating that they want to get a trade done prior to the draft, indicating that they will prioritize picks along with players in any KD trade package. So without those inclusions those teams aren't getting KD.
2- KDs' camp and KD him self has stated that San Antonio is at the top of his list. So a KD to Toronto trade is highly unlikely anyways. And those teams premised packages already include quality pick inclusions. So either Toronto gets serious and ups there offer, or else they can stay on the outside looking in!
3- Barrett is solid, but far from considered a legitimate centerpiece value in a trade for a player of KDs' value. And Poetl although good too and a starting center, is still pretty limited offensively and is fairly similar to what we already have in Nik Richards.
He can't really space the floor. He's not very mobile, and he's solid defensively, but nowhere near elite. Basically we could get a similar starting center to Poetl through free agency or even through the draft with his exact skillset at a reaction of the cost.
Heck, Bidatze could be better than Poetl and we could likely get him without having to trade KD. We could get any of Lopez, Adams, Capela, etc just by virtue of cap reduction/ cap flexibility through expirings. Or we could get Vucevic for a late first. So why would we just take a package of Barrett and Poetl for KD when we have multiple mechanisms to get a starting center without giving up KD and NOT GETTING PICKS??
Any trade of KD to Toronto would have to include a BASELINE RETURN of Barrett/ Poetl ( for salary matching purposes) and one or two fillers/ AND at least the 9th and 39th picks AND a future 1st ( 28' or 30' will do) otherwise the Suns won't even waste their time.
