Shams: Kevin Durant Traded to Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, No. 10, Five 2nd Round Picks

[scrabbarista]

Gotta think Jalen Green getting shipped to a different team they have 3 sg's now who happen to be their 3 best players with Booker/Beal/Green.


Sounds like someone Charlotte would take.

You mean he sounds bad?

[flow]

He’s coming to a team with Ime Udoka as its head coach, who Durant respects. He’s not going to do whatever he wants.

KD is an old HOF NBA player worth probably half a billion at this point.

He's going to do whatever he wants.

And there's no Draymond Green or Steph Curry to keep him in check, and no championship precedent to keep him humble. He's a number 1 option on a team that hasn't done anything, in his mind. i.e. it's his team.

Good luck, Houston. Brooklyn and Phoenix send their regards.

.

[scrabbarista]

I don’t get it for Houston. Young and promising team, Durant doesn’t fit the timeline at all.

We could've added Cedric Coward and kept Brooks.

It's nice to see Jalen Green go, but KD isn't winning us a title.

I'm not a fan of this move, but we'll see where things go from here....

[davidv2001]

He’s coming to a team with Ime Udoka as its head coach, who Durant respects. He’s not going to do whatever he wants.

KD is an old HOF NBA player worth probably half a billion at this point.

He's going to do whatever he wants.

And there's no Draymond Green or Steph Curry to keep him in check, and no championship precedent to keep him humble. He's a number 1 option on a team that hasn't done anything, in his mind. i.e. it's his team.

Good luck, Houston. Brooklyn and Phoenix send their regards.

.

Could the trade not work out? Sure. But, the Rockets kept their young core intact minus Jalen Green and still have Phoenix’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. It’s a gamble worth taking because they really need Durant’s shooting and scoring ability.

[morosis]

i get why people have opinions on KD's career, and talk about him as a mercenary. but fit-wise, he provides exactly what HOU needed most. and he didn't cost much at all. when a #10 pick and Dillon Brooks are the most positive assets in a trade for a still-very-productive KD I think thats a win. plus HOU already has too many young guys (so much so that a #3 pick rookie basically didnt play last year), so its questionable whether the player the #10 pick turned into would have really had much value to the rockets.

remember KD is younger than steph and GSW is straight up bad when steph goes down. one player that fits a system is huge. and in HOU they will still have athletes to run the floor in transition even if KD doesn't. they are still long and athletic and switchable even if KD is a step slower. the only real risk on the HOU side is injury. and in return he provides the exact thing this board said HOU needed for the playoffs. someone to get half court buckets against set defenses, clutch buckets at the end of games, and efficient shooting/scoring.

im glad the suns were able to turn the page on the KD era. it woulda been awesome to see what they coulda been without the Beal signing basically torpedoing their window. they got two positive value assets back, and Jalen Green who, if he ever stops playing like he's trying to make a pre-draft highschool mixtape, could still turn into something.

[JujitsuFlip]

So what is the convoluted mess they ended up giving and getting with KD, Beal and Ayton… I don’t want to wave through all the picks and players but jeez it is a hell of a regression.

Out:
Ayton
the rights to Toumani Camara

In:
Keon Johnson (waived)
Nurkic (traded for Cody Martin and Vasilije Micić [rumored to be headed back overseas])
Little (expired, not re-signed)

So all they have to show for Ayton is Cody Martin.

Out:
Chris Paul
Landry Shamet
4 first round swaps
6 second rounders

In:
Beal and his retained NTC (dumb rule)
Goodwin (packaged with tons of other picks and players to get Royce O'Neal)
Isaiah Todd (traded)

Still have Beal and Royce.

Out:
Bridges
Cam Johnson
Crowder
4 first rounders and a swap

In:
KD (traded today for Green, Brooks, and #10 and 5 second rounders)
TJ Warren (expired, not re-signed)

We'll see what they do with #10 this week but have Green and Brooks, for now.

[scrabbarista]

He’s coming to a team with Ime Udoka as its head coach, who Durant respects. He’s not going to do whatever he wants.

KD is an old HOF NBA player worth probably half a billion at this point.

He's going to do whatever he wants.

Yeah, I'll believe KD respects anyone other than himself when I see it.

[JustBuzzin]

Gotta think Jalen Green getting shipped to a different team they have 3 sg's now who happen to be their 3 best players with Booker/Beal/Green.


Sounds like someone Charlotte would take.

You mean he sounds bad?

I actually like him over Bridges. The contract is what turns me off.

[NZB2323]

Shouldn’t there be an option for both? Deal makes sense for both sides.

[GSP]

The first 2 pages are bizarre......some are acting like Phoenix won? Wtf

The fact Houston kept the Phoenix picks and didnt have to give up either of their 2 stars in Amen or Sengun and no Jalen isnt a star. And to that they also kept Jabari, Eason and Whitmore? **** Reed Sheppard?

Kd will be 37 but hes still a top 10, top 15 level player. Ppl will point to Phoenix record last year and say Kds numbers arent impactful anymore when they were 3-17 when Kd was out............that means they actually had a winning record when he played. Suns roster was one of the worst in the Nba last season.

For fit Houston is one of the premier defenses and the best offensive rebounding team. Complete opposite of Phoenix who were one of the absolute worst defenses and rebounding teams. Suns also had 1 of the worst center rotations in Nba of the 2 seasons. Rockets have a rotation of Sengun, Adams, Landale.......you can argue Landale is as good as any Suns center after they traded Ayton. Theyve had washed Nurk, Nick Ricards who was the 3rd string in **** Charlotte, Mason "hes still in the league?" Plumlee who was giving historic nights to opposing centers all season Jokic had the 30,20,20 on him and that rookie they got Oso........that is one of the sorriest rotations youll see.

Rockets are tough, athletic, defense and rebounding oriented all things that fit like a glove around Kd. They just went 7 w/ Jimmy era Golden State who were on a complete tear w/ him and that was w/ trash ass Jalen Green who is good for 1 great game every 8 games kid stinks. Brooks is a good role player but they already have elite athletic perimeter defenders in Amen and Eason.

[threethehardway]

It is a good trade for the Rockets. The Rockets could not shoot to save their lives last season and still won 50 games because of Udoka, playing hard every possession, defense and historic rebounding. Kevin Durant doesn’t have to provide global offensive or defensive impact for the Rockets to improve. He simply needs to efficiently score and shoot the basketball like he has done his entire career.

The Rockets have Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet and Tari Eason to anchor the perimeter defense. They have VanVleet, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson as players with playmaking ability with Reed Sheppard on their bench. What they needed was an efficient shooter who could also be their number one scorer and late-game closer. Kevin Durant has those traits in spades.

KD does have to provide global offensive and defensive impact to improve to championship level.

RealGM tends to like trades that have very little meaning.

KD is ancient and cost a lot of money and the Rockets gave up picks and players that could've went towards getting a younger player that:

A. Will be with the team longer than 2 years.
B. Actually be able to push the offense forward by being a point of attack player that gets everyone involved because people are afraid that he is going to score.

Amen Thompson is Ben Simmons 2.0. He can't shoot to save his life, he can't be your lead playmaker.

Reed Shephard barely plays and I don't expect him to make it on the Rockets because Ime likes his defense.

So we are at old man Kevin Durant who is a threat to miss anywhere between 20 to 30 games and the only thing he can do for a team is put the ball in the hoop very very well. He can't playmake.

Meanwhile, the main problem isn't shooting, it's playmaking. The Rockets don't have a playmaker that makes offense easy. They have athletes and upon athletes and the Rockets go out and get an old man that slows offense down and isos all day.

Passing and playmaking are two different things.

The Rockets should've sold the farm for Lamelo instead of doing a halfway measure like getting an old KD that is one bad bump away from being out 30 games just to go to the second round and have the same problem.

With all due respect, you are talking to someone who lives in Houston and has followed the Rockets since he was a little kid over 30 years ago when Hakeem Olajuwon led the team to their two championships. I also follow the NBA and don’t care what random users on RealGM think about a trade. My posts are based on logic and reason. For example, I was one who said the Pacers would push Oklahoma City to at least six games because of matchups, when many had the Thunder in five.

The Rockets primary weaknesses last year were perimeter shooting and free throw shooting along with not having a good scoring option to prevent long offensive droughts. The Rockets would have shot bricks whether it was Trae Young delivering them the ball or prime Steve Nash. They don’t have good shooters on their roster. When Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green are your best shooters, that says it all. Plus, playing Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun together is difficult in the modern NBA because neither is willing to shoot threes. Durant helps in that regard. He’s going to essentially replace the shots Jalen Green was taking and missing more often than not.

Also, while I agree the Rockets would benefit from a point guard upgrade, there is no way I would have sold the farm to get LaMelo Ball, and he would have cost a lot more than Durant did. If you think Durant is Mr. Glass, Ball’s last two seasons makes him look like an iron man. Trae Young I would have considered at the right price. LaMelo Ball and his ankles are a hard pass.

Does adding Durant make the Rockets’ championship favorites next year? No. Oklahoma City still has the most talented roster in the NBA. But, I think adding his skill set to the current roster can help the remaining young guys learn how to win playoff series and even make the Western Conference Finals. That will pay dividends in a few years.

The problem with shooting is the fact that a lot of the 3 point shots are were taken by Jalen Green and Fred Vanleet.

These are bad point of attack players that took difficult 3 point shots at volume and didn't provide playmaking. Dillion Brooks had no problem hitting 3s.

You swap out Fred for Anfernee Simmons or a Trae Young or a LaMelo and trade away Jalen Green for anybody that can hit a 3, the impact on shooting overall is different. Shots are easier for everyone due to defensive attention.

LaMelo being Mr. Glass is with his upside is worth it, KD is not. The Rockets can make the case that LaMelo is injured all of the time anyway, so he should be cheap. He just had a down year too.

If all the Rockets gotta give up is the 10th pick, Fred Van Fleet, Reed Shephard and Jalen Green, I'm doing it and running away. I have PG for the future that is a savant, with elite size, can play off ball and I just gotta tell him to play defense and don't do stupid crap on the court and offense will take care of itself. Wrap him in bubble warp and pray over him.

If I get Simons, I know I have one of the best at creating his own 3 point shot at the PG position, that has experience playing as an off-guard so I can use him like Steph Curry and I can the ball in the hands of Amen more with Simons on the court. So Simons lack of vision wouldn't be as detrimental.

With KD I don't solve the problem of not having a PG and I give up my only 3&D player that gave the team an edge and a was a cultural fit. And on top of that he's old and I have to do the "will he or won't he" every off-season and I don't want to do that.

Point is, this is a capped league and fit and timeline matters more than star names and one dimensional thinking towards solving a roster problem.

KD can shoot and he can score efficiently but that's it. I wouldn't want to slow my offense down and incorporate isos to appease him, I would look at the Pacers model and find a PG and push the pace and keep playing tough defense and rebounding.

[SearsTower]

There should be a Win-Win and a Lose-Lose option. In this case, it's a Win-Win imo.

[Jamaaliver]

[threethehardway]

Yeah, I'll believe KD respects anyone other than himself when I see it.

It's note even a respect thing, he just has a style that like he's to play.

He's a one on one player in a team game. When it comes down to it, he wants his damn isos and pull up middies and he is going to have it one way or another.

He is going to play KD ball.

[NZB2323]

Thats it for KD?

He’ll be 37 next year and just missed the play-in tournament. He’s played 65 or more games in a season once since 2019. He’s gotten out of the first round twice since 2019, and if Kawhi doesn’t get injured maybe that’s only once. He’s gotten swept twice in the first round since 2019.

I’m not sure what kind of offers people were expecting.

[FarBeyondDriven]

KD destroyed any leverage the Suns had so with that in mind the Suns did okay. Getting a legit 3 and D culture setter in Brooks was big. Whether they stay at #10 or move back (they should) they have an opportunity to get another 3 and D wing and can address C and PG later or via trades. Green might be on the move but if he isn't he at least gives their offense a slightly different look with his slashing and he's just entering his prime and has some more upside. If I was a young player on the Rockets I'd be begging to be traded. Ime Udoka hates young players. I think the Rockets have realized what I've know for years, that Ime needs an overwhelming talent advantage to compete for a championship so in that regard they did what was necessary and got KD.

[Edrees]

Rockets paid a lot for a 2 year rental that wont end up in a title. KD will be washed after 2 more seasons. Not sure why people act like this was so good for the Rockets. Rockets just made it harder on themselves to build an actual long term contending team.

[Dan Z]

Are the Rockets going to give Durant a contract extension or let the season play out and go from there?

[NZB2323]

Rockets paid a lot for a 2 year rental that wont end up in a title. KD will be washed after 2 more seasons. Not sure why people act like this was so good for the Rockets. Rockets just made it harder on themselves to build an actual long term contending team.

Did they? Brooks is 29, they didn’t want to pay Green, and their draft pick shouldn’t be a high pick. Fair trade IMHO.

[Edrees]

Rockets paid a lot for a 2 year rental that wont end up in a title. KD will be washed after 2 more seasons. Not sure why people act like this was so good for the Rockets. Rockets just made it harder on themselves to build an actual long term contending team.

Did they? Brooks is 29, they didn’t want to pay Green, and their draft pick shouldn’t be a high pick. Fair trade IMHO.

They could have traded those assets for a good younger player is what I mean. It is a fair trade in terms of assets involved, I just dont like the Rockets doing this, feels like rushing the process.