KD to the Suns

[Saberestar]

How Kevin Durant provides cover for the Phoenix Suns

https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-kevin-durant-provides-cover-for-the-phoenix-suns

This is an interesting read.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Thaddeus Young and Jackson or Barton would easily be the best case imo.

Suns can't bring Saric back.

Shoot! That's right,
My bad man! I forgot. He'd have to get traded to another team from OKC and then bought out again for us to be able to reacquire him under CBA rules (otherwise not prior to a yr from date of trade).
I'm personally hoping for one of Love (1) or Kaminsky (2) for our frontcourt. And a decent 2 way guard. IF Jackson goes to Denver, I'd hope for D Rose (1) or maybe Wall (2) or even Dragic (3) to get bought out! Otherwise Hill or maybe Josephs? Justin Holiday (1) or Toscano Anderson for me If we target a SG/SF

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[bwgood77]

This is crazy how much underestimating to KD…

Have you guys watched at all how was he playing this season? How efficient he score 30 in a sleap, how he elevates others on the team and how good defence he was playing? Nets won 18 of 20 games before he got injured..

Mikal and Cam are nice players, but God Lord!?!?

Do you know who he is?

I don't think people are underestimating him. The guy is amazing. He is/was playing the best offensive basketball of anyone easily. He is impossible to stop and doesn't really need open shots given his size and impossibility to stop. He's just amazing. I think Suns will probably go on a huge run when he is back if healthy, and even if Book is out the Suns would be fine since he can carry anyone.

They could be unstoppable. I think the issues are is hoping they all stay healthy, none of which have been all season, age, and what the latter half of the decade are.

It's a bit like when you guys gave up a ton of picks and swaps for KG and Pierce. KG is one of the best ever and not as good as KD, and you guys already had Brook, JJ and Deron, so it likely looked like you were set, but it only lasted a couple of years, you didn't win it, and then you gave up some high picks that became Tatum and Brown.

I think a championship is definitely something attainable. I think the west was wide open before. I think now, if healthy, the Suns probably have the best shot..probably slightly ahead of he Clips, but still, a number of teams have a shot.

It will be worth it for many if we win a championship though, even if we end up sucking from 2027-2032 or whatever and give up some really high picks in the draft that turn into stars for ou guys.

Of course that is so far out though. Maybe we re-sign Bridges in 2026 and hit on a star late in the draft in 2024 or something.

I hate losing Bridges but KD will be a fun player to watch, even if I never particularly have liked him much after he left OKC, where I actually really liked him and always rooted for him..

[bwgood77]

Thanks for reply. Still, I declare that this original core of yours really doesn´t scare you (as opponent´s fan). I mean it like oh, that´s good team, gotta be tough series. But right now it´s "if they are healthy how could we beat them?"

I mean this old and broken KD still gives you 30 a night and I think in healthier enviroment than Brooklyn was he won´t miss that many games- CP the last game I saw him was against us in christmas game and while he missed some easy shots and lots of FT he still had I believe 16 as, 0 To. They still are **** ballers.

So.. I just think you should be excited right now.

I mean, Brooklyn was the best team in the NBA when healthy. But they were never all healthy. Now we have that same burden.

And as much as Championships are great, only 1 team gets that per year. I enjoy watching basketball night in and night out. I want to see players I like actually play. Mikal is a terrific watch. So was Cam. I haven't seen KD with us yet, and I won't until after the All-Star Break. There's reporting that there were no other suitors for KD at this point in time. It was an impulsive move by a new owner who didn't realize he could wait and see what adding to the current roster could do instead of upending it.

Mannnnn I’m like the guy that pissed this whole board off saying literally all year no Mikal, no Mikal in the KD trade. I get being upset but do you honestly think no one else was after Kevin **** Durant? Y’all know Steph is 35 right? Does anyone raise this much whoop if we trade the same package for Steph and his injuries? Doubt it.

I think people do. I think are more bothered by the enormous package than that it is KD (outside of his age). Curry is older too, and if we traded for him it would be worse because our size/roster wouldn't make sense. KD is better than Steph right now though. They are the same age too. Steph may last longer in the league though. It seems players his size usually do...and he hasn't had a torn achilles.

[bwgood77]

A man who was swept by the Boston Celtics

He had no help from anyone on the court last year and played far too many minutes. That isn’t a fair assessment considering we beat the Celtics in 5 games the year prior and nearly won the East. The Suns aren’t competing for a play in like we had to do after the Harden trade.

He’s having the best season of his career and was 2nd in MVP voting before the MCL injury this year. He would probably still be a Net if it wasn’t for the injury making Kyrie/Ben reliable.

Yea, I get there will be some level of disappointment considering Bridges/CJ are good and have been Suns from day one but this is Kevin Durant.

If KD wanted to say on the Nets, I wouldn't have traded him for Booker and picks let alone Bridges/CJ. There are levels to this and KD is on a level with only a few others in the history of the league.

Yeah, people are just attached to the players, and the picks are obviously a real concern given the age of KD/CP. I mean our ceiling and championship hopes would have been a lot higher had we traded Book for KD and kept the twins, but there would still probably be some people upset. People just get attached to players you've been watching a while.

[bwgood77]

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Damn, those guys are not THAT good. They barely play for bad teams. Barton probably has the ability to be the best. Jackson is ok, but Payne has been better this year.

[WeekapaugGroove]

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[lilfishi22]

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Wow, Espo! Much insight! The wit! The smarts! I'm amazed!

Some might say, Magic-esque in his commentary

[lilfishi22]

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Kinda looks like a young Westbrook

[lilfishi22]

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Is he the 1st domino to fall in the buyout market?? I really wouldn't mind keeping an eye on him IF K Love isn't bought out?

Do official team social media normally have these types of "we have waived Player X" posts??

[Ghost of Kleine]

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Is he the 1st domino to fall in the buyout market?? I really wouldn't mind keeping an eye on him IF K Love isn't bought out?

Do official team social media normally have these types of "we have waived Player X" posts??

Not normally! But this season is a bit weird in how the deadline process went down. And then with the buyout market being such an underlying focal point for so many teams due to the parity in the league currently.

[garrick]

This is crazy how much underestimating to KD…

Have you guys watched at all how was he playing this season? How efficient he score 30 in a sleap, how he elevates others on the team and how good defence he was playing? Nets won 18 of 20 games before he got injured..

Mikal and Cam are nice players, but God Lord!?!?

Do you know who he is?

No one doubts KD is a MVP level player but given his current age and injury history at some point his production is really going to fall off since you can't beat father time.

Look at both Hakeem and Barkley who were both MVPs and elite players in their time but their peak drastically fell off in their early to mid 30's several years after playing at elite levels, you simply cannot beat the effects of aging as players slow down and their bodies break down. The worry here is we simply gave too many assets to Brooklyn since we won't have any of our picks for the next 6 years or so and we are going to be in luxury tax hell with Booker and KD's massive contracts.

[lilfishi22]

Read on Twitter

Is he the 1st domino to fall in the buyout market?? I really wouldn't mind keeping an eye on him IF K Love isn't bought out?

Do official team social media normally have these types of "we have waived Player X" posts??

Not normally! But this season is a bit weird in how the deadline process went down. And then with the buyout market being such an underlying focal point for so many teams due to the parity in the league currently.

Super odd. Would be like if my company's social had a post saying they've fired me lol

[Bogyo]

Yeah, I was just thinking that KD needs to adapt here a bit. Good thing he is one of the best ever to touch a basketball.
He needs to be more focused on defense, and rebound more. The 1,5 blocks per game is not a bad start. But we definatley lost a lot on peremiter defense with the twins going out, and KD just can't cover that due to his frame, age, and leg injuries. However, he should be able to adjust to play a little "bigger" on defense - get more rebounds, protect the rim, be a secondary line of defense when the peremiter D gets beat or switched. That way our peremiter defenders can be more agressive a bit, plus Ayton needs all the help back there, or he will be in constant foul trouble with the guards/wings driving on him when they beat GrandPaul (or Book). So all in all, our defense would become more paint / defensive rebounds oriented (Craig/Bazley also big wings) from peremiter oriented, and hopefully does not fall off a cliff. If your are not a top 5 (top7?) defensive team you are not winning a chapionship. This much we know.

[sashaturiaf]

Yeah, I was just thinking that KD needs to adapt here a bit. Good thing he is one of the best ever to touch a basketball.
He needs to be more focused on defense, and rebound more. The 1,5 blocks per game is not a bad start. But we definatley lost a lot on peremiter defense with the twins going out, and KD just can't cover that due to his frame, age, and leg injuries. However, he should be able to adjust to play a little "bigger" on defense - get more rebounds, protect the rim, be a secondary line of defense when the peremiter D gets beat or switched. That way our peremiter defenders can be more agressive a bit, plus Ayton needs all the help back there, or he will be in constant foul trouble with the guards/wings driving on him when they beat GrandPaul (or Book). So all in all, our defense would become more paint / defensive rebounds oriented (Craig/Bazley also big wings) from peremiter oriented, and hopefully does not fall off a cliff. If your are not a top 5 (top7?) defensive team you are not winning a chapionship. This much we know.

Don't worry about KD defensively, he's a 2 way superstar. Out of the top 5 NBA players (Giannis/KD/Doncic/Jokic/Steph) he's easily the 2nd best defensive player there after Giannis, and better at certain aspects of defense than Giannis.

KD is a shutdown 1v1 defender when he feels like it (ask Doncic) but his biggest strength on defense is as a help defender where his length, IQ and mobility alters a bunch of shots. His best defensive seasons (GSW 1st season and this Brooklyn season) have all come in that role alongside more physical goons taking the on-ball assignments. Defensive rebounding is his worst trait on defense since he doesn't box out at all but he still gets some due to his size.

I think the Suns have enough dogs on the team getting after it defensively (Craig, Okogie, Wainwright), the biggest question is if Ayton can harness his physical gifts more and really make his presence felt inside defensively. KD at the 5 defensively is very good in spurts, but KD at the 4 on D next to a real big at the 5? Not many teams will have an answer against that.

[sunsbg]

Don't worry about KD defensively, he's a 2 way superstar. Out of the top 5 NBA players (Giannis/KD/Doncic/Jokic/Steph) he's easily the 2nd best defensive player there after Giannis, and better at certain aspects of defense than Giannis.

KD is a shutdown 1v1 defender when he feels like it (ask Doncic) but his biggest strength on defense is as a help defender where his length, IQ and mobility alters a bunch of shots. His best defensive seasons (GSW 1st season and this Brooklyn season) have all come in that role alongside more physical goons taking the on-ball assignments. Defensive rebounding is his worst trait on defense since he doesn't box out at all but he still gets some due to his size.

I think the Suns have enough dogs on the team getting after it defensively (Craig, Okogie, Wainwright), the biggest question is if Ayton can harness his physical gifts more and really make his presence felt inside defensively. KD at the 5 defensively is very good in spurts, but KD at the 4 on D next to a real big at the 5? Not many teams will have an answer against that.

Reading your posts gets me pumped up even more and I can't wait to see KD play for the Suns. I guess you are a big KD fan, who just became Suns fan ? Welcome!

[sashaturiaf]

Don't worry about KD defensively, he's a 2 way superstar. Out of the top 5 NBA players (Giannis/KD/Doncic/Jokic/Steph) he's easily the 2nd best defensive player there after Giannis, and better at certain aspects of defense than Giannis.

KD is a shutdown 1v1 defender when he feels like it (ask Doncic) but his biggest strength on defense is as a help defender where his length, IQ and mobility alters a bunch of shots. His best defensive seasons (GSW 1st season and this Brooklyn season) have all come in that role alongside more physical goons taking the on-ball assignments. Defensive rebounding is his worst trait on defense since he doesn't box out at all but he still gets some due to his size.

I think the Suns have enough dogs on the team getting after it defensively (Craig, Okogie, Wainwright), the biggest question is if Ayton can harness his physical gifts more and really make his presence felt inside defensively. KD at the 5 defensively is very good in spurts, but KD at the 4 on D next to a real big at the 5? Not many teams will have an answer against that.

Reading your posts gets me pumped up even more and I can't wait to see KD play for the Suns. I guess you are a big KD fan, who just became Suns fan ? Welcome!

I'm a Nets fan but certainly not a Marks/Tsai fan and KD is my fav player. I also can't wait to see KD play in Phoenix since this is the sort of stable environment that he hasn't seen in all his years with the Nets.

Go Suns

[dremill24]

Yeah, I was just thinking that KD needs to adapt here a bit. Good thing he is one of the best ever to touch a basketball.
He needs to be more focused on defense, and rebound more. The 1,5 blocks per game is not a bad start. But we definatley lost a lot on peremiter defense with the twins going out, and KD just can't cover that due to his frame, age, and leg injuries. However, he should be able to adjust to play a little "bigger" on defense - get more rebounds, protect the rim, be a secondary line of defense when the peremiter D gets beat or switched. That way our peremiter defenders can be more agressive a bit, plus Ayton needs all the help back there, or he will be in constant foul trouble with the guards/wings driving on him when they beat GrandPaul (or Book). So all in all, our defense would become more paint / defensive rebounds oriented (Craig/Bazley also big wings) from peremiter oriented, and hopefully does not fall off a cliff. If your are not a top 5 (top7?) defensive team you are not winning a chapionship. This much we know.

KD is a shutdown 1v1 defender when he feels like it (ask Doncic) but his biggest strength on defense is as a help defender where his length, IQ and mobility alters a bunch of shots. His best defensive seasons (GSW 1st season and this Brooklyn season) have all come in that role alongside more physical goons taking the on-ball assignments. Defensive rebounding is his worst trait on defense since he doesn't box out at all but he still gets some due to his size.

He'll fit right in here

[Pointgod]

Not a Suns fan but I think it’s worth taking a look at other superstar trades compared to what you guys gave up for KD.

AD-Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft, a 2022 first-round pick, a pick swap in the 2023 draft and the Lakers' 2024 first-round pick with the right to defer it to 2025.

Paul George-Danilo Gallinari; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; Miami's 2021 and 2023 first-round picks; the Clippers' 2022, 2024 and 2026 first-round picks; pick swaps in 2023 and 2025

Westbrook to Houston- Chris Paul, a 2021 first-round pick, a 2024 first-round pick (top-four protected), a 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected) and two pick swaps

Harden to Nets-Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince to Cleveland, Caris LeVert, Rodions Kurucs, as well as three first round draft picks (2022, 2024 and 2026) and four first round pick swaps (2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027)

Donovan Mitchell-Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, unprotected first-round draft picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029. The teams will also swap their first-round drafting rights in 2026 and 2028.

Rudy Gobert-Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler (No. 22 pick in 2022 Draft), Jarred Vanderbilt, 2023 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 pick swap, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick

What Phoenix traded for Durant is the going rate for a superstar and I can argue even Durant at his age might be the highest impact superstar of the bunch. I’m a Lakers fan and I have no regrets that we made the AD trade because we won a title. I actually think the Nets didn’t get a great return for a player of Durant’s caliber and the fact that you guys kept Ayton is huge, like us keeping Ingram or the Nets keeping Jarrett Allen. That’s the biggest thing when it comes to there trades, keeping enough talent to extend the window. I get it that this could all go wrong, but the Suns window had closed prior to this trade. I think the key factor is that your owner has to be willing to spend and can’t be cheap trading 1st round picks for tax savings. Take it from a Lakers fan our biggest mistake was gutting our depth for Westbrook and not paying Caruso. We’d still be a top 6 team in the West if not for those moves. Enjoy Suns fans. It’s going to be an exciting couple of years.