The Official 2025 Offseason Thread Part 3

[Mr Puddles]

Jabari Smith plays a ton of minutes to average only 12 and 7. AND his stats have been stagnant for three straight years. Call me unimpressed with the Suns decision making.

Plus he's seen a decrease in minutes from the Rockets due to Thompson and Eason, so he's pretty low in the pecking order in Houston at the moment - who may need to dump him in the near future anyway due to roster overlap and rookie extentions kicking in.

Dude just played 12 minute off the bench in an elimination game 7 for the Rockets but he's being talked about like he's this massive trade haul.

[sunsbg]

Can't blame HOU and SAS for not being stupid and giving away young prospects + picks for 37yo KD. My hope for a good offer was a desperate team like the Mavs until they lucked into Flagg.

[Saberestar]

If we don't get a very good package for KD we need to talk to him about an extension with the Suns.

Look, he never asked for a trade. He is fine having a fresh start on another franchise BUT he loves Book, Phoenix and he has a good relationship with our new HC, Ott.

We want to trade KD to get younger and have multiple assets to retool around Booker. If we can't accomplish that there is no need to trade him, he is an amazing player yet.

We will see how this goes in the next couple of days. I expect one of his favorite destinations putting one more asset on the table and getting him in the next few days...but if that doesn't happen we would need to talk to him about staying on the Suns.

[Mr Puddles]

If we don't get a very good package for KD we need to talk to him about an extension with the Suns.

Look, he never asked for a trade. He is fine having a fresh start on another franchise BUT he loves Book, Phoenix and he has a good relationship with our new HC, Ott.

We want to trade KD to get younger and have multiple assets to retool around Booker. If we can't accomplish that there is no need to trade him, he is an amazing player yet.

We will see how this goes in the next couple of days. I expect one of his favorite destinations putting one more asset on the table and getting him in the next few days...but if that doesn't happen we would need to talk to him about staying on the Suns.

100% agree. I'd rather run things back with a new coach and supporting cast than accept those trash offers by Houston and Miami.

Hell, I'd rather let KD expire so that when Beal expires the year after, we have a ton a capspace - instead of having negative value in Green, and a fringe starter in Jabari on the roster and looking for an extention.

[Saberestar]

If we don't get a very good package for KD we need to talk to him about an extension with the Suns.

Look, he never asked for a trade. He is fine having a fresh start on another franchise BUT he loves Book, Phoenix and he has a good relationship with our new HC, Ott.

We want to trade KD to get younger and have multiple assets to retool around Booker. If we can't accomplish that there is no need to trade him, he is an amazing player yet.

We will see how this goes in the next couple of days. I expect one of his favorite destinations putting one more asset on the table and getting him in the next few days...but if that doesn't happen we would need to talk to him about staying on the Suns.

100% agree. I'd rather run things back with a new coach and supporting cast than accept those trash offers by Houston and Miami.

Hell, I'd rather let KD expire so that when Beal expires the year after, we have a ton a capspace - instead of having negative value in Green, and a fringe starter in Jabari on the roster and looking for an extention.

Yeah, even without an extension we could get some assets back working on a sign&trade next summer because there aren't gonna be good teams with enough cap space to sign him.

[One_and_Done]

If we don't get a very good package for KD we need to talk to him about an extension with the Suns.

Look, he never asked for a trade. He is fine having a fresh start on another franchise BUT he loves Book, Phoenix and he has a good relationship with our new HC, Ott.

We want to trade KD to get younger and have multiple assets to retool around Booker. If we can't accomplish that there is no need to trade him, he is an amazing player yet.

We will see how this goes in the next couple of days. I expect one of his favorite destinations putting one more asset on the table and getting him in the next few days...but if that doesn't happen we would need to talk to him about staying on the Suns.

100% agree. I'd rather run things back with a new coach and supporting cast than accept those trash offers by Houston and Miami.

Hell, I'd rather let KD expire so that when Beal expires the year after, we have a ton a capspace - instead of having negative value in Green, and a fringe starter in Jabari on the roster and looking for an extention.

Yeah, even without an extension we could get some assets back working on a sign&trade next summer because there aren't gonna be good teams with enough cap space to sign him.

Cap space can be cleared by someone palatable if needs be. I wouldn't be betting on that as a real barrier. Didn't stop Butler getting moved.

[Djedefre]

If we can't get at least two picks and a decent younger player, then we really need to reconsider. Trading Durant just for the sake of it is not a very wise move. As i said n times before, we can not get a decent haul for him at this point so i was advocating trading Booker as it is the only way to gain enough assets and value to really move forward.

Last year, when i was also in the trade-them-both camp, and when it was the only sane and reasonable thing to do, we ran it back, and now, when the returns for Durant are diminishing, Suns are fixated to trade him at all costs.

Same will happen with Booker, yet another poor year for the Suns will be pretty detrimental to his value around the league, given than he'll be the leader of this team. This time next year, we could be leading the same discussion, just with him in the spotlight.

[garrick]

If we don't get a very good package for KD we need to talk to him about an extension with the Suns.

Look, he never asked for a trade. He is fine having a fresh start on another franchise BUT he loves Book, Phoenix and he has a good relationship with our new HC, Ott.

We want to trade KD to get younger and have multiple assets to retool around Booker. If we can't accomplish that there is no need to trade him, he is an amazing player yet.

We will see how this goes in the next couple of days. I expect one of his favorite destinations putting one more asset on the table and getting him in the next few days...but if that doesn't happen we would need to talk to him about staying on the Suns.

Is he fine taking a discount?

If he wants the two year max extension of 50M or more I would rather pass on that than being stuck in the 2nd apron even longer and having his nonchalant attitude on the team. Now if he wanted to take a significant paycheck reduction to help us sign more free agents I would not be opposed but I don't see that happening.

[Calvin Klein]

Per Jake Fischer:

The Suns' attempts to find a Kevin Durant trade have not progressed as swiftly as they would have hoped.

Among the reasons for that: Teams such as Houston and San Antonio simply see little need to make asset-rich offers for Durant when A) they know that the Suns face self-imposed pressure to try to assemble a deal that delivers even half as much as they gave up to acquire the future Hall of Famer in February 2023 and B) both teams have long-held reservations about bidding aggressively for a player who will be 37 in September … and when their respective cores are so much younger.

Minnesota's level of interest, meanwhile, also appears to be in flux. The Timberwolves are said to be reluctant to go ahead with a trade unless they know Durant would embrace it and ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported Wednesday that Wolves star Anthony Edwards — despite his well-chronicled fondness for Durant dating to his youth — has not been actively lobbying his Olympic teammate to add Minnesota to his Houston/San Antonio/Miami list of desired destinations.

in other words....


DUH

[Saberestar]

Barry Jackson about the Heat:

I didn't say they won't increase offer. I only said they're not giving up bundle of both pickS and multiple good young player

It seems that we want multiple picks and multiple young players from the Heat.

They have several available FRPs and swaps that they can give us and three young players with some upside...Ware, Jovic and Jaquez.

For what I have read from Barry Jackson they want to trade AT MOST multiple picks and 1 young player or multiple young players and only 1 pick.

Multiple have to be two. Lol. But that would be enough for me if those picks are unprotected.

Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, Jovic and 2 unprotected FRPs looks a good package IMO.

Ware over Jovic? Yeah, I would like it too but I think they value him higher than Jovic and I am not sold on him.

[Puff]

If we don't get a very good package for KD we need to talk to him about an extension with the Suns.

Look, he never asked for a trade. He is fine having a fresh start on another franchise BUT he loves Book, Phoenix and he has a good relationship with our new HC, Ott.

We want to trade KD to get younger and have multiple assets to retool around Booker. If we can't accomplish that there is no need to trade him, he is an amazing player yet.

We will see how this goes in the next couple of days. I expect one of his favorite destinations putting one more asset on the table and getting him in the next few days...but if that doesn't happen we would need to talk to him about staying on the Suns.

Could not agree more.

I have suggested this since the end of the season. I know our record sucked last year along with the style of play, but the talent was there and is still there. I would rather bet that our new coach can work some magic with this group and make them fun to watch. Which of the suggested players in all of these trade scenarios would you rather watch than KD? It appears that virtually all of them keep us over the 2nd apron with lesser talent on longer contracts. The only one I am interested in is the one with the Heat which includes Ware, Jovic, Wiggans and number 20.

I know you are going to say you cannot stand KD and anyone will do or that is what many of you are saying. The only answer you come up with is for us to trade Booker and then everything will be just fine.

Just draft a quality big with 29. Try to get something for Beal, Allen and O'Neale. Yeah, sign some minimum guys and see if Ott can make it work. Hell, maybe he can even fit Beal in the mix. I just see us getting worse in the short term with no better future than when we can reload when KD's and Beal's contracts expire.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Read on Twitter

Since you are a Raptors fan, why would the Raptors, a team that is young and kind of rebuilding, want KD?

Because they would have Barnes/Ingram/KD and push for the 7/8 seed.

Not to mention that the Bucks/Celtics are down a star player each.

IMO This!!!
But also apparently it worked out fairly well for them with Kwahi Leonard. The East is wide open with the Celtics being severely hampered by injuries and Ujiri seems to he a big risk taker.

If it goes well, he might reconsider extending there. And if it somehow doesn't, there not on the hook for any long term commitment and they could still assess moving him at/ around the deadline and recoup some assets.

[Frank Lee]

At some point you have to cut your losses

Can’t base the return for KD on what we gave for him. You keep focusing on the rear view mirror you will miss the upcoming curves. Can’t short change his value tho. And a slew of maybe’s and a handful of picks doesn’t guarantee anything.

Furthermore, If keeping KD (w an extension) means we have to stretch Beal just to facilitate the ability to make necessary trades then just do it.

It wasn’t Book and KDs fault we sucked… it was/is the faulty crew around them. Poor point guard play, coaching and mediocre C was our downfall.

Having one of the top 3 lethal scorers is not a bad thing. Pay the man and move on to plan B. F the league trying to scavenge off of us.

[KdoubleDees23]

Jabari Smith plays a ton of minutes to average only 12 and 7. AND his stats have been stagnant for three straight years. Call me unimpressed with the Suns decision making.

Plus he's seen a decrease in minutes from the Rockets due to Thompson and Eason, so he's pretty low in the pecking order in Houston at the moment - who may need to dump him in the near future anyway due to roster overlap and rookie extentions kicking in.

Dude just played 12 minute off the bench in an elimination game 7 for the Rockets but he's being talked about like he's this massive trade haul.

Who is saying massive trade haul? The made up voices in your head! Nobody has said dude is a massive haul or an all star. He is a great filler and young role player, that has potential. Thats about it.

[KdoubleDees23]

At some point you have to cut your losses

Can’t base the return for KD on what we gave for him. You keep focusing on the rear view mirror you will miss the upcoming curves. Can’t short change his value tho. And a slew of maybe’s and a handful of picks doesn’t guarantee anything.

Furthermore, If keeping KD (w an extension) means we have to stretch Beal just to facilitate the ability to make necessary trades then just do it.

It wasn’t Book and KDs fault we sucked… it was/is the faulty crew around them. Poor point guard play, coaching and mediocre C was our downfall.

Having one of the top 3 lethal scorers is not a bad thing. Pay the man and move on to plan B. F the league trying to scavenge off of us.

I actually think it is both Book and KDs fault we sucked. None of them were a vocal leader on the court, and just showed up. I would argue Booker tried to be, but he wasn't. KD just doesn't talk, doesn't lead, etc. He was the reason the chemistry, the leadership in the lockerroom, etc was not great.

[KdoubleDees23]

Since you are a Raptors fan, why would the Raptors, a team that is young and kind of rebuilding, want KD?

Because they would have Barnes/Ingram/KD and push for the 7/8 seed.

Not to mention that the Bucks/Celtics are down a star player each.

IMO This!!!
But also apparently it worked out fairly well for them with Kwahi Leonard. The East is wide open with the Celtics being severely hampered by injuries and Ujiri seems to he a big risk taker.

If it goes well, he might reconsider extending there. And if it somehow doesn't, there not on the hook for any long term commitment and they could still assess moving him at/ around the deadline and recoup some assets.

If we got Quickley, Barrett, Poetl and #9 for KD. You take it. I would keep Barrett, not sure why not

IQ
Booker
Barrett
Dunn
Poetl

Sign me up

[KdoubleDees23]

GAMBO if you are reading these blogs!!!!!

Please step down, you are not good at what you do, and you just throw stuff at a wall and hope it sticks.

You said SUNS were trading KD this week, are you going to change it now to next week, then the following, etc.

You are almost as accurate as a weatherman!

[Saberestar]

GAMBO if you are reading these blogs!!!!!

Please step down, you are not good at what you do, and you just throw stuff at a wall and hope it sticks.

You said SUNS were trading KD this week, are you going to change it now to next week, then the following, etc.

You are almost as accurate as a weatherman!

Lol...do you know that it's Thursday?

Shams said last week that "a deal can be made in the next few days" so he said basically the same thing that Gambo said.

[WuTang_CMB]

GAMBO if you are reading these blogs!!!!!

Please step down, you are not good at what you do, and you just throw stuff at a wall and hope it sticks.

You said SUNS were trading KD this week, are you going to change it now to next week, then the following, etc.

You are almost as accurate as a weatherman!

Lol...do you know that it's Thursday?

Shams said last week that "a deal can be made in the next few days" so he said basically the same thing that Gambo said.

It would make sense to happen on draft night IMO , kind of a fake trade deadline

[One_and_Done]

I mean, if KD is to be moved at all, it basically has to be before the draft. After that the value you get for him goes down even further. An organisation like the Spurs or OKC would have maintained they were keeping KD the whole time, but that feels untenable at this point.