2024-25 Season Discussion and Speculation Part IV

[Qwigglez]

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I said all year that Hawks would make a good trade partner for Bradley Beal.

[matt131]

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?s=46

Then wtf were you guys doing?

[Slim Charless]

Durant to Houston

At the trade deadline or last summer

Trade deadline: yes a couple of the picks Adams Smith and Jeff green


Booker to Houston - much more

You said Booker to Houston for Adams and picks and Jeff Green. I thought....

Your valuations are off on these dudes.

Booker trade would have included the other Green but with his poison pill - tough to trade

Durant has less valuation

What’s you wager on what Durant will bring back

Well this is where I differ from you, BW and some others here. I think that every team that doesn't win the title will at least have talk about adding him in the summer. Probably half of those will at least call and make an offer.

So that means 15 different offers for Durant. Minimum.

My favorite teams for him? We've been through that already. I think OKC and HOU are the most obvious and the only ones that make sense. As far as offers from them:

OKC-

Best case is JDub/Hartenstein/low level picks/filler
Worst case is probably some combo of Dort/Dieng/Topic/Wallace/filler. We'd also get some higher quality picks like their Philly picks this year and that Dallas pick in 2028.

Houston-

Best case is Amen, FVV and all our picks back.
Worst case is Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and some of our picks back. I think that we're more likely to get them to bit on Booker as he fits their team better.

[BobbieL]

You said Booker to Houston for Adams and picks and Jeff Green. I thought....

Your valuations are off on these dudes.

Booker trade would have included the other Green but with his poison pill - tough to trade

Durant has less valuation

What’s you wager on what Durant will bring back

Well this is where I differ from you, BW and some others here. I think that every team that doesn't win the title will at least have talk about adding him in the summer. Probably half of those will at least call and make an offer.

So that means 15 different offers for Durant. Minimum.

My favorite teams for him? We've been through that already. I think OKC and HOU are the most obvious and the only ones that make sense. As far as offers from them:

OKC-

Best case is JDub/Hartenstein/low level picks/filler
Worst case is probably some combo of Dort/Dieng/Topic/Wallace/filler. We'd also get some higher quality picks like their Philly picks this year and that Dallas pick in 2028.

Houston-

Best case is Amen, FVV and all our picks back.
Worst case is Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and some of our picks back. I think that we're more likely to get them to bit on Booker as he fits their team better.

I hope you are right about Durant - if so keep this and I will buy you lunch

I expect for Durant
A couple FRPs
One solid prospect
Cap filler

[TeamTragic]

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I said all year that Hawks would make a good trade partner for Bradley Beal.

I guess that means Beal wouldn't waive his NTC.

[TeamTragic]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

Then wtf were you guys doing?

Does anyone know what the hell is going on with this FO?

[Slim Charless]

Read on Twitter

I said all year that Hawks would make a good trade partner for Bradley Beal.

I guess that means Beal wouldn't waive his NTC.

Or Atlanta's asking price was too high. You guys are forgetting that they're NOT offering us stuff. They're asking for what we will give them to take his contract off our hands.

Probably like some combo of our firsts and Dunn. They just lost Johnson so they need someone like Dunn.

[wheezy]

I just don't think the Warriors offer was good enough. Trading for Butler and then letting him eat up our cap space is a huge risk.

KD and Booker seemed fine until we traded for Beal. That was the mistake that set this team back significantly.

I just hope Beal keeps balling and we find a suitor this summer. Not interested in giving up on KD so quickly because the grass is not greener.

KD and Book both looked annoyed at CP3 and Ayton before the Beal trade happened. They just seem like they don't like playing with anyone on the team now... which is a great position to be in.

[Slim Charless]

For those skeptical about our owner and GM....i will say thisI'm worried about Boston and us getting convinced to take KP and like Jrue for him. I don't think Boston is winning again and will make moves. Plus they were on his list way back when he signed with the Dubs.

Hopefully he doesn't get the idea to force his way there and make us take their old, overpaid formerly good players.

[bwgood77]

Don't guys on 1 year min deals have no trade clauses? At this point I rather just keep him otherwise you're playing rest of the season with Gillespie as backup PG and that's not a serious position for the team with the highest payroll to be in. At least this way you can say we're trying to win, it just didn't work out.

Disastrous deadline, but not unexpected since we have no assets and disappointment was set in stone once Beal showed he wasnt interested in leaving.

Depending on who we get for KD and Booker (JDub/Amen) we might need Greyson's shooting. I'm happy we kept him. Shooters are always needed and he also is the only guy on the team with a little grit.

Shouldn't really surprise anyone....lol. But I have a couple of prospects in this upcoming draft that will embody BOTH of those traits.

Shooters: (2nd rounders)
Tucker Devries, Peyton Sandfort, Milan Momcilovic, Chaz Lanier.

Gritty tough, athletic defensive players: ( late first through 2nd round options)

Johni Broome, JO JO Tugler, Trevon Brazile, JT Toppin.

Also, two prospects with star potential ( IF THEY ACTUALLY DECLARE FOR THIS DRAFT??
1- Koby Brea- Klay Thompson/ Devin Booker 2.0!
2- Isiah Evans- A 6'7- 6'8 clone of Brandon Ingram. Very smooth scorer.

Also Trevon Brazile is a slightly skinnier ( not yet fully muscularly developed version of Amare Stoudemire). Just needs more muscle / weight added. And JoJo Tugler is a 6'8 230 lb elite multipositional gritty non stop motor big forward version of Robert Williams! ( 7'6 wingspan) and the most elite defender in the entire draft.

We could really walk away with an even stronger core of young talent if our scouts are paying attention to any of these names, just as they did with Dunn.

I'm ready for your draft analysis posts in the draft thread, though hopefully only one video per post so we'll maybe watch them.

I imagine most of us can only read so much "KD to ____________ for _____________" and Booker to _________________ for _____________" posts before late June/July. We've got like 5 months left!

And I know I'm as guilty as anyone, if not the guiltiest...

So we can start zeroing in on what to do with that pick # 28! And if we trade KD to Dallas and their 18th pick is included or to another team.

What pick will Houston get with ours if they keep it? #1? 4? 10? 15?

[thamadkant]

I would try to fleece Wolves with KD but Utah already fleeced them earlier. KD should only be traded for youth and multiple first rounders... no veterans.

[bwgood77]

Read on Twitter

I said all year that Hawks would make a good trade partner for Bradley Beal.

The Wizards were probably like "sure, we have a ton of cap space...we will absorb him for 3 firsts!"

[wheezy]

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From earlier today! They make a pretty good but also obvious point. But how truly bad must our front office be if this is the consensus opinion of the entire league.

How are we good at talent acquisition? By trading one of the most massive hauls in history for 34 year old KD? They have made what look like decent fringe moves getting Royce, Jones, Morris, etc. I don't really think the Ayton/Camara for Nurkic/Allen was a great trade. I understand why they wanted to get off of Ayton, but still don't think it was good.

I don't really view Martin, Richards, or any of these other moves as great talent acquisitions.

I'm really glad we passed on Luka to draft Ayton... only to trade him eventually (+ Toumani and another frp) for Grayson Allen....

It'll be really interesting to hear what Nurk has to say about the suns locker room. Doesn't really seem like he was the issue so much as he (probably) loudly had an issue.

[thamadkant]

I just don't think the Warriors offer was good enough. Trading for Butler and then letting him eat up our cap space is a huge risk.

KD and Booker seemed fine until we traded for Beal. That was the mistake that set this team back significantly.

I just hope Beal keeps balling and we find a suitor this summer. Not interested in giving up on KD so quickly because the grass is not greener.

KD and Book both looked annoyed at CP3 and Ayton before the Beal trade happened. They just seem like they don't like playing with anyone on the team now... which is a great position to be in.

Booker is the common denominator.

He and KD are dictating the system, moves, roles... the Suns system literally has not changed much between Monty, Vogel and Bud under the Booker KD era...

It's not the coach.

[bwgood77]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

Then wtf were you guys doing?

That's what I think is shady about Ish and the FO. Clearly someone was telling Beal to make noise about forcing his way to Phx. But also Beal's camp was saying they were never approached about the NTC, which is pretty absurd. I think they were trying to make Beal uncomfortable enough to want out somehow.

But the bad thing is they never found a team that wanted him that had anything to send us back or send Miami assets for Butler. I'm sure Washington wanted picks to take on his contract and Atlanta probably didn't care to send out too much. I guess we heard a little about Bogdan, but he would have had to go to Miami. But Miami could only get back 1 big contract. So they trade had very little chance of happening anyway.

And it results in fans heckling Beal's wife and probably bothering them on social media with vitriol. We saw what TeamTragic was saying about him hear, making assumptions.

[thamadkant]

If you really think about it. It was a huge gamble that didn't pay off...

Suns had everything on the up...

Booker, Ayton, Mikal, Cam Johnson and first round picks galore... all they needed was to rotate veterans once CP3 declined a lot.... keep the core and use picks to upgrade...

Instead they sold the farm for this debacle.

[bwgood77]

Booker trade would have included the other Green but with his poison pill - tough to trade

Durant has less valuation

What’s you wager on what Durant will bring back

Well this is where I differ from you, BW and some others here. I think that every team that doesn't win the title will at least have talk about adding him in the summer. Probably half of those will at least call and make an offer.

So that means 15 different offers for Durant. Minimum.

My favorite teams for him? We've been through that already. I think OKC and HOU are the most obvious and the only ones that make sense. As far as offers from them:

OKC-

Best case is JDub/Hartenstein/low level picks/filler
Worst case is probably some combo of Dort/Dieng/Topic/Wallace/filler. We'd also get some higher quality picks like their Philly picks this year and that Dallas pick in 2028.

Houston-

Best case is Amen, FVV and all our picks back.
Worst case is Jalen Green, Jabari Smith and some of our picks back. I think that we're more likely to get them to bit on Booker as he fits their team better.

I hope you are right about Durant - if so keep this and I will buy you lunch

I expect for Durant
A couple FRPs
One solid prospect
Cap filler

Yeah, I definitely Slim's trade expectations the best! I think it's probably more likely to see someone like Minnesota or maybe Dallas be serious about him. OKC has such great chemistry and joy and such a long window I don't know if I'd mess with it. Especially if they have to give up a key player. I wouldn't. Houston does make sense, but Booker makes a ton more sense for them and I think they give up A LOT more for him, being like 8-9 years younger and playing a position they are thinner at with good players. But OKC has far more assets so they could still make a pitch like his second one without disrupting the core much and give Chet injury insurance. When Chet is out they have to play the other Jaylin Williams, who sin't as good (maybe Slim means this guy..would make more sense).

[SunsRback4Good]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

Then wtf were you guys doing?

Does anyone know what the hell is going on with this FO?

No bro, I’m completely in the dark. Nobody from Suns staff reached out to me not a single member.

[bwgood77]

KD and Book both looked annoyed at CP3 and Ayton before the Beal trade happened. They just seem like they don't like playing with anyone on the team now... which is a great position to be in.

Yeah, this is my only thing when people say "Book has been super loyal and a great pro" I think "well, yeah, but we also were the worst team with him as our star (or one of them), then gave him a max, then gave him a supermax, and it seems like we kind of bend to his will an he doesn't always seem to treat teammates well, etc.

Like, of course a guy is loyal when he can do whatever he wants and you pay him the supermax and change the entire roster around him like 3 times! But some of his ex teammates seem to be on good terms with him like Bridges and Cam. And maybe Payne and to a lesser extent, CP3.

[bwgood77]

For those skeptical about our owner and GM....i will say thisI'm worried about Boston and us getting convinced to take KP and like Jrue for him. I don't think Boston is winning again and will make moves. Plus they were on his list way back when he signed with the Dubs.

Hopefully he doesn't get the idea to force his way there and make us take their old, overpaid formerly good players.

That would kind of suck and I could see something like that happening too, and if we are doing the usual trying to please Book there isn't a low chance of us taking back older vets like those guys as opposed to trying to get young guys.

Book knows he can always bolt or ask out if things don't work out and that at worst he's a FA in 2028. Of course he says he wants to play his career in Phx, until he doesn't. He's not gonna say "I wanna play here one more year."