2024-25 Season Discussion and Speculation Part IV

[Mulhollanddrive]

Anything but Randle, which means we will get Randle.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Read on Twitter

Am I wrong that the wolves will be below the second apron if they Randle opts out?

If so, Gobert + Donte for KD would benefit both teams IMO.

Suns get a defensive anchor and structure their offense around Booker/Beal.

Minnesota creates a 5 out team around Edwards by bringing in KD and re-signing Read.

As far as getting under the 2nd apron if Randle chose to opt out of his 30 million PO. But I personally don't think he will man because he's likely just intending to play out the season so he can be a free agent in 26. But if he would do that, then I believe that they could be under the 2nd apron. But as for that package, I'm just not sure I'd want to take back a Gobert/ DiVincenzo package without more value coming back! (picks and Dillingham)?

Because IF we were to take Gobert and DiVencenzo back, we'd still be a 2nd apron team for another 2-3 seasons and wouldn't really be able to make any significant moves. And although Gobert is solid defensively, for the amount of money he'd tie up, he's just too limited for our needs. I'm not sure I'd want that salary commitment, especially when we could just as easily target someone like Kalkbrenner who's basically the same stature and archtype but would be on a rookie scale contract, is more mobile, and can hit the three and has a midrange game. Or even Rocco Zikarsky at 7'3 in a similar solid defensive but very limited offensive archetype.
https://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=ryan-kalkbrenner--rocco-zikarsky--rudy-gobert

For me, I'd only accept a package of either KD for Randle/ McDaniels/ Dillingham/ DET 25' 1st (20th) pick (Top value offer). Minnesota could accomplish this by simply buying out Conley and trading DiVincenzo into cap space and only taking back 3 million or less back. Or the 2nd offer of
KD for McDaniels/ DiVincenzo/ Conley/ Dillingham/ DET 25' 1st/ MIN 31' 1st. Minnesota can then trade Randle to a 3rd team and only take back around 18-20 million in returning salary to stay under the 2nd apron. (Middle Value offer).



Randle (expiring)/ DiVincenzo/ Conley (expiring)/ Shannon Jr/ Garza/ Minott/ DET 25' 1st (20th pick)/ MIN 31' 1st as the baseline very bottom value offer. *** And to make up for lost value in this scenario, I'd trade Randles' 30 million expiring and Martins' 8 million expiring and a CLE 1st to Denver for MPJr (KD low end replacement) for spacing! Porter Jr's contract would also conveniently expire at the same time as Beals' giving us upwards of $95 million in expirings for 27-28 in Booker's final year!

I would also mention that it's likely that Minnesota would likely prefer to acquire KD and then play him at the 4 between BOTH McDaniels and Gobert to take defensive pressure completely off of him to allow him to focus solely on offense alongside of ANT.

FA / ANT/ McDaniels/ Durant/ Gobert. To accomplish this, Minnesota could trade for KD and then just buy out Conley, and trade off Divincenzo into cap space and buy out Garza and Minott or Miller. But if Reid isn't brought back, then they could just trade a package of Randle/ McDaniels/ picks (DET 25' 1st) and 31' 1st. And keep Dillingham and DiVincenzo, and Conley only having to really buy out Shannon Jr, Garza, and Minott to stay under the 2nd apron!

[KdoubleDees23]

KD to bulls for Williams, White , and Giddey (new contract)

[grumpysaddle]

Man, **** the Lakers

[lilfishi22]

Apologies if this has already been posted and I missed it

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/insider/story/_/id/44108357/kevin-durant-trade-proposals-four-deals-suns-star

Four hypothetical trade offers for KD

Dallas Mavericks
Herring's trade offer:

Mavericks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, 2025 first-round pick (via Dallas)

Why it makes sense for both sides

In dealing then-25-year-old Luka Doncic for 31-year-old Anthony Davis, the Mavericks have made no secret that they view their window to contend for a title as the next few years. With that in mind, they would seemingly be of the mind of continuing to push the chips in, even with Kyrie Irving's torn ACL likely affecting their chances next season.

Getting Durant, one of Irving's closest friends and his former Brooklyn teammate, would be a clear way to ensure the team's perimeter scoring and ballhandling stay afloat while Irving rehabs. And it would also give Davis another future Hall of Famer to take pressure off his shoulders night to night. The move would also give Durant a chance to potentially finish his career in the state where he became a one-and-done superstar for the Texas Longhorns.

In this deal, the Suns immediately deepen their rotation, getting not only historic sharpshooter Thompson, but also key win-now players in Washington and Marshall. Most importantly, they would get Lively, who enjoyed a fantastic rookie season on both ends of the floor with Dallas en route to the Mavs reaching the NBA Finals last year. The haul, and the draft pick in a deep selection pool, should be enough to convince franchise player Devin Booker that Phoenix has enough to be competitive.

On the other side, Dallas, like the current Suns roster, would undoubtedly be a thin, top-heavy group as a result of this move -- one with a trio of stars who would ultimately need a decent stretch of good health to give the club a chance at glory. It may seem like a heavy investment and risk for the Mavs. Frankly, it is one. But after dealing away Doncic, isn't that exactly what Mavs general manager Nico Harrison and the club have signed up for at this point?



Houston Rockets
Kram's trade offer:

Rockets get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Dillon Brooks, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, Jock Landale, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks (via Phoenix; the 2025 first is conveyed after the May draft lottery)

Why it makes sense for both sides

The Rockets are a natural trade partner for the Suns for two main reasons. First, Durant slots neatly into Houston's largest hole. Thanks to a shiny young core and ferocious defense, the Rockets are rising in the West. But they lack the go-to scorer required to lead a contender and rank just 25th in half-court offense this season, per Cleaning the Glass.

Even at 36, Durant would represent a major improvement in this area. He has a higher usage rate and much better true shooting percentage than any player in Houston's rotation.


Second, the Rockets control Phoenix's draft picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029, which the Suns had initially sent to Brooklyn when they traded for Durant. Reacquiring some or all of those picks would bring Phoenix's Durant era full circle and also allow the team to make whatever future moves it desired without worrying about the potential loss of lottery picks.

In the meantime, this return could also help Phoenix put together a competitive roster around Devin Booker and avoid a full rebuild. Brooks is a useful 3-and-D wing on a declining contract who could plug one hole in the Suns' porous perimeter defense. Sheppard hasn't found his footing in his rookie season in Houston, but the No. 3 pick offers more upside than any player on Phoenix's roster. So too does Whitmore, an occasionally electric scorer (career 22 points per 36 minutes) who hasn't checked enough other boxes to earn more of coach Ime Udoka's trust.

Phoenix would acquire the young talent and picks it is missing, while Houston would upgrade from Brooks to Durant without sacrificing anyone else from its current core. That seems like a win-win deal.



Miami Heat
Pelton's trade offer:

Heat get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Nikola Jovic, Andrew Wiggins, 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State), 2030 first-round pick (via Miami), 2026 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Lakers)
Nets get: Duncan Robinson, Keshad Johnson, 2029 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 second-round pick (via better of Indiana and Miami)

Why it makes sense for both sides

If the other offers here actually come in for Durant, the Heat don't realistically stand a chance. Miami doesn't have premium draft picks or young prospects to offer and must send out more salary than Durant's $53.3 million for 2025-26 to avoid a hard cap at the lower luxury tax apron, necessitating sending some of the pick value to the Nets to take Robinson's $19.9 million salary into cap space. (Some $10 million of Robinson's 2025-26 contract is non-guaranteed, but the Heat would have to guarantee it in order to count fully as outgoing salary in trade.)

Instead, Miami has to hope that Dallas decides not to sacrifice massive amounts of depth for a Durant pursuit and Houston prefers to wait for a younger star player (say, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Booker) who better fits the team's timetable.

In that scenario, the Heat can check multiple boxes for the Suns. This trade cuts about $20 million from Phoenix's 2025-26 payroll, which the Suns could either reinvest in a center or simply take as enormous luxury tax savings. Getting Wiggins, who has bounced back this season as an above-average starter, and Jovic improves Phoenix's forward depth. And the Suns end up with both the first-round pick the Warriors sent Miami in the Jimmy Butler trade and a valuable unprotected draft pick in 2030 to replenish the team's coffers.


New York Knicks
Snellings' trade offer:

Knicks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson

Why it makes sense for both sides

In this deal, the Knicks get Durant after missing out to their crosstown rivals six years ago. The Knicks' offense is strong but requires consistent heavy lifting from Jalen Brunson to create for the other finishers in the lineup. Well, Durant is one of the greatest finishers in NBA history and would pair with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to give the Knicks one of the most efficient and productive offensive cores in the NBA. Their skill sets mesh well and could be enough to help the Knicks take that next leap to join the Celtics and Cavaliers in true contention to win the Eastern Conference. They would need to add more depth and size in the offseason, but their offensive foundation and upside would be tremendous.

In Anunoby, the Suns get a 27-year old impact forward on a similar career timeline with 28-year old franchise player Booker. Anunoby is an elite wing defender, named second-team All-Defense in 2023 and with Booker would form a wing tandem that is excellent at both ends of the floor. The Suns also still need more size and muscle in the middle, and the 26-year old Robinson would give them another young veteran entering his peak seasons capable of contributing to the main rotation of a winning squad. Robinson has had health issues, but when on the court, he is one of the better defensive and rebounding bigs in the league.


The verdict: Durant to the Rockets?
Dallas, Miami and New York make compelling cases, but it is hard to turn down the trade proposal Houston has offered. The Rockets' package checked four boxes Phoenix set off to accomplish in trading Durant: draft picks, controllable contracts, players who can help now and financial flexibility.

The trade recouped two firsts lost in the original Durant trade to Brooklyn and puts Phoenix in control of its first in two out of the next three years (Washington has the right to swap firsts in 2026). The other three trade proposals only had Phoenix receiving one first. Prior to the trade, Phoenix had no control of its own first over the next seven years.

The addition of Sheppard and Whitmore gives Phoenix two controllable contracts for the future and an injection of youth into an aging team. The Suns finished the 2024-25 regular season behind only the Clippers as the oldest team in the NBA. Before the trade, last year's draft picks Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were the only players on the roster who were 23 years old or younger. The Rockets trade is the only proposal that includes two players on first-round rookie scale contracts.

And while OG Anunoby is probably the best "win-now" player included in the trade, the $176 million left on his contract after this season is a hard no. Brooks can give Phoenix the same production at a quarter of what is owed to Anunoby.

The financial component sealed the deal with Houston. By taking back $11 million less than what is owed to Durant and then releasing Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic, the Suns would drop below the second apron in 2025-26, finally allowing the Suns to aggregate contracts and send out cash in a trade.

-- Marks

I think it's pretty clear Houston's offer is the best of the bunch here.

Dallas makes sense and it's more or less along the line of what I had previously proposed but it doesn't beat Houston's offer

I don't like that Miami 3 way with Brooklyn. I don't think Jovic, Wiggins and a couple of meh picks are a good return.

The Knicks trade straight up sucks. OG is a really good basketball player, elite defender but he doesn't stand out as an offensive player, this is his first pretty healthy season since his early career and I'm not betting $175m remaining on his contract that he'll continue to be healthy. And Mitch Rob's played 3 games this season because of injury. Damn good chance we end up with a massive contract for an unhealthy, unavailable player and an expiring contract.

[SunsRback4Good]

Man, **** the Lakers

I hate the Lakers but I’m a huge Luka fan. I want him to do good, but I don’t want lakers to do well. What should I do?

[Calvin Klein]

2025 NBA Worst Contracts Draft with Joe House and Big Wos | The Bill Simmons Podcast

https://youtu.be/Aganp7ZHZn8?si=UuetrXXJR7jC_sqz
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5blCCWi1g4ILXcXT1XpbtP?si=55287dcbd1cd45b7

Wanna guess number 1?

Grayson Allen makes an appearance as well.

[handsome salary]

Man, **** the Lakers

Imagine how bad the Lakers would be if they got traded Booker instead of Luka.

[BobbieL]

Apologies if this has already been posted and I missed it

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/insider/story/_/id/44108357/kevin-durant-trade-proposals-four-deals-suns-star

Four hypothetical trade offers for KD

Dallas Mavericks
Herring's trade offer:

Mavericks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, 2025 first-round pick (via Dallas)

Why it makes sense for both sides

In dealing then-25-year-old Luka Doncic for 31-year-old Anthony Davis, the Mavericks have made no secret that they view their window to contend for a title as the next few years. With that in mind, they would seemingly be of the mind of continuing to push the chips in, even with Kyrie Irving's torn ACL likely affecting their chances next season.

Getting Durant, one of Irving's closest friends and his former Brooklyn teammate, would be a clear way to ensure the team's perimeter scoring and ballhandling stay afloat while Irving rehabs. And it would also give Davis another future Hall of Famer to take pressure off his shoulders night to night. The move would also give Durant a chance to potentially finish his career in the state where he became a one-and-done superstar for the Texas Longhorns.

In this deal, the Suns immediately deepen their rotation, getting not only historic sharpshooter Thompson, but also key win-now players in Washington and Marshall. Most importantly, they would get Lively, who enjoyed a fantastic rookie season on both ends of the floor with Dallas en route to the Mavs reaching the NBA Finals last year. The haul, and the draft pick in a deep selection pool, should be enough to convince franchise player Devin Booker that Phoenix has enough to be competitive.

On the other side, Dallas, like the current Suns roster, would undoubtedly be a thin, top-heavy group as a result of this move -- one with a trio of stars who would ultimately need a decent stretch of good health to give the club a chance at glory. It may seem like a heavy investment and risk for the Mavs. Frankly, it is one. But after dealing away Doncic, isn't that exactly what Mavs general manager Nico Harrison and the club have signed up for at this point?



Houston Rockets
Kram's trade offer:

Rockets get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Dillon Brooks, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, Jock Landale, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks (via Phoenix; the 2025 first is conveyed after the May draft lottery)

Why it makes sense for both sides

The Rockets are a natural trade partner for the Suns for two main reasons. First, Durant slots neatly into Houston's largest hole. Thanks to a shiny young core and ferocious defense, the Rockets are rising in the West. But they lack the go-to scorer required to lead a contender and rank just 25th in half-court offense this season, per Cleaning the Glass.

Even at 36, Durant would represent a major improvement in this area. He has a higher usage rate and much better true shooting percentage than any player in Houston's rotation.


Second, the Rockets control Phoenix's draft picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029, which the Suns had initially sent to Brooklyn when they traded for Durant. Reacquiring some or all of those picks would bring Phoenix's Durant era full circle and also allow the team to make whatever future moves it desired without worrying about the potential loss of lottery picks.

In the meantime, this return could also help Phoenix put together a competitive roster around Devin Booker and avoid a full rebuild. Brooks is a useful 3-and-D wing on a declining contract who could plug one hole in the Suns' porous perimeter defense. Sheppard hasn't found his footing in his rookie season in Houston, but the No. 3 pick offers more upside than any player on Phoenix's roster. So too does Whitmore, an occasionally electric scorer (career 22 points per 36 minutes) who hasn't checked enough other boxes to earn more of coach Ime Udoka's trust.

Phoenix would acquire the young talent and picks it is missing, while Houston would upgrade from Brooks to Durant without sacrificing anyone else from its current core. That seems like a win-win deal.



Miami Heat
Pelton's trade offer:

Heat get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Nikola Jovic, Andrew Wiggins, 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State), 2030 first-round pick (via Miami), 2026 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Lakers)
Nets get: Duncan Robinson, Keshad Johnson, 2029 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 second-round pick (via better of Indiana and Miami)

Why it makes sense for both sides

If the other offers here actually come in for Durant, the Heat don't realistically stand a chance. Miami doesn't have premium draft picks or young prospects to offer and must send out more salary than Durant's $53.3 million for 2025-26 to avoid a hard cap at the lower luxury tax apron, necessitating sending some of the pick value to the Nets to take Robinson's $19.9 million salary into cap space. (Some $10 million of Robinson's 2025-26 contract is non-guaranteed, but the Heat would have to guarantee it in order to count fully as outgoing salary in trade.)

Instead, Miami has to hope that Dallas decides not to sacrifice massive amounts of depth for a Durant pursuit and Houston prefers to wait for a younger star player (say, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Booker) who better fits the team's timetable.

In that scenario, the Heat can check multiple boxes for the Suns. This trade cuts about $20 million from Phoenix's 2025-26 payroll, which the Suns could either reinvest in a center or simply take as enormous luxury tax savings. Getting Wiggins, who has bounced back this season as an above-average starter, and Jovic improves Phoenix's forward depth. And the Suns end up with both the first-round pick the Warriors sent Miami in the Jimmy Butler trade and a valuable unprotected draft pick in 2030 to replenish the team's coffers.


New York Knicks
Snellings' trade offer:

Knicks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson

Why it makes sense for both sides

In this deal, the Knicks get Durant after missing out to their crosstown rivals six years ago. The Knicks' offense is strong but requires consistent heavy lifting from Jalen Brunson to create for the other finishers in the lineup. Well, Durant is one of the greatest finishers in NBA history and would pair with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to give the Knicks one of the most efficient and productive offensive cores in the NBA. Their skill sets mesh well and could be enough to help the Knicks take that next leap to join the Celtics and Cavaliers in true contention to win the Eastern Conference. They would need to add more depth and size in the offseason, but their offensive foundation and upside would be tremendous.

In Anunoby, the Suns get a 27-year old impact forward on a similar career timeline with 28-year old franchise player Booker. Anunoby is an elite wing defender, named second-team All-Defense in 2023 and with Booker would form a wing tandem that is excellent at both ends of the floor. The Suns also still need more size and muscle in the middle, and the 26-year old Robinson would give them another young veteran entering his peak seasons capable of contributing to the main rotation of a winning squad. Robinson has had health issues, but when on the court, he is one of the better defensive and rebounding bigs in the league.


The verdict: Durant to the Rockets?
Dallas, Miami and New York make compelling cases, but it is hard to turn down the trade proposal Houston has offered. The Rockets' package checked four boxes Phoenix set off to accomplish in trading Durant: draft picks, controllable contracts, players who can help now and financial flexibility.

The trade recouped two firsts lost in the original Durant trade to Brooklyn and puts Phoenix in control of its first in two out of the next three years (Washington has the right to swap firsts in 2026). The other three trade proposals only had Phoenix receiving one first. Prior to the trade, Phoenix had no control of its own first over the next seven years.

The addition of Sheppard and Whitmore gives Phoenix two controllable contracts for the future and an injection of youth into an aging team. The Suns finished the 2024-25 regular season behind only the Clippers as the oldest team in the NBA. Before the trade, last year's draft picks Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were the only players on the roster who were 23 years old or younger. The Rockets trade is the only proposal that includes two players on first-round rookie scale contracts.

And while OG Anunoby is probably the best "win-now" player included in the trade, the $176 million left on his contract after this season is a hard no. Brooks can give Phoenix the same production at a quarter of what is owed to Anunoby.

The financial component sealed the deal with Houston. By taking back $11 million less than what is owed to Durant and then releasing Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic, the Suns would drop below the second apron in 2025-26, finally allowing the Suns to aggregate contracts and send out cash in a trade.

-- Marks

I think it's pretty clear Houston's offer is the best of the bunch here.

Dallas makes sense and it's more or less along the line of what I had previously proposed but it doesn't beat Houston's offer

I don't like that Miami 3 way with Brooklyn. I don't think Jovic, Wiggins and a couple of meh picks are a good return.

The Knicks trade straight up sucks. OG is a really good basketball player, elite defender but he doesn't stand out as an offensive player, this is his first pretty healthy season since his early career and I'm not betting $175m remaining on his contract that he'll continue to be healthy. And Mitch Rob's played 3 games this season because of injury. Damn good chance we end up with a massive contract for an unhealthy, unavailable player and an expiring contract.

The Houston trade is really good

Would still need to trade Booker as why go halfway . Ishbia went all in to try to e
In- can’t half ass a rebuild

[They_Them_Hatin]

Read on Twitter

Am I wrong that the wolves will be below the second apron if they Randle opts out?

If so, Gobert + Donte for KD would benefit both teams IMO.

Suns get a defensive anchor and structure their offense around Booker/Beal.

Minnesota creates a 5 out team around Edwards by bringing in KD and re-signing Read.

We need some actual value though. Gobert and McDaniels is doable. We don't need another SG off the bench with Royce plus Beal.

We'll send them Greyson to make the money even.

Minnesota is not trading Gobert + Mcdaniels for Booker. Y’all are so unrealistic with any of these trades. I mean Castle, Ware?

[Ghost of Kleine]

Am I wrong that the wolves will be below the second apron if they Randle opts out?

If so, Gobert + Donte for KD would benefit both teams IMO.

Suns get a defensive anchor and structure their offense around Booker/Beal.

Minnesota creates a 5 out team around Edwards by bringing in KD and re-signing Read.

We need some actual value though. Gobert and McDaniels is doable. We don't need another SG off the bench with Royce plus Beal.

We'll send them Greyson to make the money even.

Minnesota is not trading Gobert + Mcdaniels for Booker. Y’all are so unrealistic with any of these trades. I mean Castle, Ware?

This is a KD trade premise man (per the tweet above).

Having said that, I do agree with you that Minnesota would have absolutely no intent in trading Gobert and McDaniels for KD and that their actual intentions would be to trade Randle as he's been a poor fit with them.

But none of this should have been surprising to anyone as Randle not being a floor spacing big next to Gobert only creates even more floor spacing issues.

But for us it'd not be as bad because BOTH Booker and Beal being shooter/ scorers could play off of Randles' physical post play/ gravity. And also his being a 30 million expiring contract could be used in other trades in this CBA restrictive climate.

Minnesota would want KD at the 4 flanked defensively by McDaniels at the 3 and Gobert at the 5 allowing KD to focus completely on offense with ANT.

This is why I'd demand at least additional value included in the MINNE package because Randle isn't viewed as a positive asset and as a centerpiece of the trade would make this trade a low key salary dump for us. So significant value would have to be added in the form of:

Randles' 30 million expiring/ Conleys' 10 million expiring/ DiVencenzo/ Dillingham/ Detroit's 25' 1st (19th pick) / and MIN 31' 1st.

And anything less than this, there'd be no KD to Minnesota deal. And as for the Castle and Ware incusions, I don't expect the Spurs to include Castle at all for KD, for me it's a package of Vassell/ Barnes expiring/ Sochan/ 2 decent to great 1sts (ATL 25' 1st (15th pick)/ MIN or DAL 31' 1st.

But the for a KD to Miami package Ware would be the centerpiece of the trade, and if he's not included, then the package would have to become a Rozier 25 million expiring/ Robinson 19 million expiring/ Jovic / Jacquez / GS 25' 1st ( 20th pick)/ MIA 29' 1st/ MIA 31' 1st. I'm not eating Wiggins salary and if not getting those two young players and 3 1sts back, there absolutely not getting KD at all.

[SunsRback4Good]

Am I wrong that the wolves will be below the second apron if they Randle opts out?

If so, Gobert + Donte for KD would benefit both teams IMO.

Suns get a defensive anchor and structure their offense around Booker/Beal.

Minnesota creates a 5 out team around Edwards by bringing in KD and re-signing Read.

We need some actual value though. Gobert and McDaniels is doable. We don't need another SG off the bench with Royce plus Beal.

We'll send them Greyson to make the money even.

Minnesota is not trading Gobert + Mcdaniels for Booker. Y’all are so unrealistic with any of these trades. I mean Castle, Ware?

Especially since McDaniels is having a breakout season he has beeen lights out in his past 25+ games. I believe we need a goods package from either Rockets or possibly Mavs in the offseason.

[BobbieL]

Am I wrong that the wolves will be below the second apron if they Randle opts out?

If so, Gobert + Donte for KD would benefit both teams IMO.

Suns get a defensive anchor and structure their offense around Booker/Beal.

Minnesota creates a 5 out team around Edwards by bringing in KD and re-signing Read.

We need some actual value though. Gobert and McDaniels is doable. We don't need another SG off the bench with Royce plus Beal.

We'll send them Greyson to make the money even.

Minnesota is not trading Gobert + Mcdaniels for Booker. Y’all are so unrealistic with any of these trades. I mean Castle, Ware?

Why in the hell would the Suns even want Gobert. That trade makes no sense.

Randle is on an expiring next year -- I get why he would be added to make the math work

[Ghost of Kleine]

Apologies if this has already been posted and I missed it

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/insider/story/_/id/44108357/kevin-durant-trade-proposals-four-deals-suns-star

Four hypothetical trade offers for KD

Dallas Mavericks
Herring's trade offer:

Mavericks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, 2025 first-round pick (via Dallas)

Why it makes sense for both sides

In dealing then-25-year-old Luka Doncic for 31-year-old Anthony Davis, the Mavericks have made no secret that they view their window to contend for a title as the next few years. With that in mind, they would seemingly be of the mind of continuing to push the chips in, even with Kyrie Irving's torn ACL likely affecting their chances next season.

Getting Durant, one of Irving's closest friends and his former Brooklyn teammate, would be a clear way to ensure the team's perimeter scoring and ballhandling stay afloat while Irving rehabs. And it would also give Davis another future Hall of Famer to take pressure off his shoulders night to night. The move would also give Durant a chance to potentially finish his career in the state where he became a one-and-done superstar for the Texas Longhorns.

In this deal, the Suns immediately deepen their rotation, getting not only historic sharpshooter Thompson, but also key win-now players in Washington and Marshall. Most importantly, they would get Lively, who enjoyed a fantastic rookie season on both ends of the floor with Dallas en route to the Mavs reaching the NBA Finals last year. The haul, and the draft pick in a deep selection pool, should be enough to convince franchise player Devin Booker that Phoenix has enough to be competitive.

On the other side, Dallas, like the current Suns roster, would undoubtedly be a thin, top-heavy group as a result of this move -- one with a trio of stars who would ultimately need a decent stretch of good health to give the club a chance at glory. It may seem like a heavy investment and risk for the Mavs. Frankly, it is one. But after dealing away Doncic, isn't that exactly what Mavs general manager Nico Harrison and the club have signed up for at this point?



Houston Rockets
Kram's trade offer:

Rockets get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Dillon Brooks, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, Jock Landale, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks (via Phoenix; the 2025 first is conveyed after the May draft lottery)

Why it makes sense for both sides

The Rockets are a natural trade partner for the Suns for two main reasons. First, Durant slots neatly into Houston's largest hole. Thanks to a shiny young core and ferocious defense, the Rockets are rising in the West. But they lack the go-to scorer required to lead a contender and rank just 25th in half-court offense this season, per Cleaning the Glass.

Even at 36, Durant would represent a major improvement in this area. He has a higher usage rate and much better true shooting percentage than any player in Houston's rotation.


Second, the Rockets control Phoenix's draft picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029, which the Suns had initially sent to Brooklyn when they traded for Durant. Reacquiring some or all of those picks would bring Phoenix's Durant era full circle and also allow the team to make whatever future moves it desired without worrying about the potential loss of lottery picks.

In the meantime, this return could also help Phoenix put together a competitive roster around Devin Booker and avoid a full rebuild. Brooks is a useful 3-and-D wing on a declining contract who could plug one hole in the Suns' porous perimeter defense. Sheppard hasn't found his footing in his rookie season in Houston, but the No. 3 pick offers more upside than any player on Phoenix's roster. So too does Whitmore, an occasionally electric scorer (career 22 points per 36 minutes) who hasn't checked enough other boxes to earn more of coach Ime Udoka's trust.

Phoenix would acquire the young talent and picks it is missing, while Houston would upgrade from Brooks to Durant without sacrificing anyone else from its current core. That seems like a win-win deal.



Miami Heat
Pelton's trade offer:

Heat get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Nikola Jovic, Andrew Wiggins, 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State), 2030 first-round pick (via Miami), 2026 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Lakers)
Nets get: Duncan Robinson, Keshad Johnson, 2029 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 second-round pick (via better of Indiana and Miami)

Why it makes sense for both sides

If the other offers here actually come in for Durant, the Heat don't realistically stand a chance. Miami doesn't have premium draft picks or young prospects to offer and must send out more salary than Durant's $53.3 million for 2025-26 to avoid a hard cap at the lower luxury tax apron, necessitating sending some of the pick value to the Nets to take Robinson's $19.9 million salary into cap space. (Some $10 million of Robinson's 2025-26 contract is non-guaranteed, but the Heat would have to guarantee it in order to count fully as outgoing salary in trade.)

Instead, Miami has to hope that Dallas decides not to sacrifice massive amounts of depth for a Durant pursuit and Houston prefers to wait for a younger star player (say, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Booker) who better fits the team's timetable.

In that scenario, the Heat can check multiple boxes for the Suns. This trade cuts about $20 million from Phoenix's 2025-26 payroll, which the Suns could either reinvest in a center or simply take as enormous luxury tax savings. Getting Wiggins, who has bounced back this season as an above-average starter, and Jovic improves Phoenix's forward depth. And the Suns end up with both the first-round pick the Warriors sent Miami in the Jimmy Butler trade and a valuable unprotected draft pick in 2030 to replenish the team's coffers.


New York Knicks
Snellings' trade offer:

Knicks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson

Why it makes sense for both sides

In this deal, the Knicks get Durant after missing out to their crosstown rivals six years ago. The Knicks' offense is strong but requires consistent heavy lifting from Jalen Brunson to create for the other finishers in the lineup. Well, Durant is one of the greatest finishers in NBA history and would pair with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to give the Knicks one of the most efficient and productive offensive cores in the NBA. Their skill sets mesh well and could be enough to help the Knicks take that next leap to join the Celtics and Cavaliers in true contention to win the Eastern Conference. They would need to add more depth and size in the offseason, but their offensive foundation and upside would be tremendous.

In Anunoby, the Suns get a 27-year old impact forward on a similar career timeline with 28-year old franchise player Booker. Anunoby is an elite wing defender, named second-team All-Defense in 2023 and with Booker would form a wing tandem that is excellent at both ends of the floor. The Suns also still need more size and muscle in the middle, and the 26-year old Robinson would give them another young veteran entering his peak seasons capable of contributing to the main rotation of a winning squad. Robinson has had health issues, but when on the court, he is one of the better defensive and rebounding bigs in the league.


The verdict: Durant to the Rockets?
Dallas, Miami and New York make compelling cases, but it is hard to turn down the trade proposal Houston has offered. The Rockets' package checked four boxes Phoenix set off to accomplish in trading Durant: draft picks, controllable contracts, players who can help now and financial flexibility.

The trade recouped two firsts lost in the original Durant trade to Brooklyn and puts Phoenix in control of its first in two out of the next three years (Washington has the right to swap firsts in 2026). The other three trade proposals only had Phoenix receiving one first. Prior to the trade, Phoenix had no control of its own first over the next seven years.

The addition of Sheppard and Whitmore gives Phoenix two controllable contracts for the future and an injection of youth into an aging team. The Suns finished the 2024-25 regular season behind only the Clippers as the oldest team in the NBA. Before the trade, last year's draft picks Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were the only players on the roster who were 23 years old or younger. The Rockets trade is the only proposal that includes two players on first-round rookie scale contracts.

And while OG Anunoby is probably the best "win-now" player included in the trade, the $176 million left on his contract after this season is a hard no. Brooks can give Phoenix the same production at a quarter of what is owed to Anunoby.

The financial component sealed the deal with Houston. By taking back $11 million less than what is owed to Durant and then releasing Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic, the Suns would drop below the second apron in 2025-26, finally allowing the Suns to aggregate contracts and send out cash in a trade.

-- Marks

I think it's pretty clear Houston's offer is the best of the bunch here.

Dallas makes sense and it's more or less along the line of what I had previously proposed but it doesn't beat Houston's offer

I don't like that Miami 3 way with Brooklyn. I don't think Jovic, Wiggins and a couple of meh picks are a good return.

The Knicks trade straight up sucks. OG is a really good basketball player, elite defender, but he doesn't stand out as an offensive player, this is his first pretty healthy season since his early career, and I'm not betting $175m remaining on his contract that he'll continue to be healthy. And Mitch Rob's played 3 games this season because of injury. Damn good chance we end up with a massive contract for an unhealthy, unavailable player and an expiring contract.

fully agree with your assessment here man! The Houston and Dallas trades are plenty good! The Miami trade is pizz poor having us at Wiggins' salary and only getting back Jovic and the GS 25' 1st (19th pick) and will likely finish in the early to mid 20s' at best! very poor value return if not getting Ware back in the deal. instead (with the declining value of the GS 1st, the trade should instead be KD for Rozier (25 million expiring)/ Robinson (19 million expiring)/ Jovic/ Jacquez/ GS 25' 1st/ MIA 29' 1st/ MIA 31' 1st. And this would be the absolute lowest value offer I'd consider from Miami.

And the Knicks offer without any picks at all does absolutely nothing for me unless it's Bridges coming back instead of Anunoby! The package would have to instead be Bridges/ Robinson/ Achiuwa/McBride / Dadiet/Huktpori (for matching purposes within 1 million).
But I sure as heck wouldn't do this New York trade unless we're getting back Bridges instead of Anunoby.

But perhaps we could instead do this (costly but maybe worth it)???

Minnesota/Denver/ New York/ Phoenix (4 way trade);

Minnesota- Durant.

Denver- Randle $30 million expiring / Martin $8 million expiring/ 2 CLE 1sts.

New York- Michael Porter Jr.

Phoenix- Bridges/ DiVencenzo/Achiuwa/ Dillingham Jr/ McBride/ Dadiet/ DET 25 1st (20th pick from Minnesota)/ MIN 31' 1st.

**The money matches dollar for dollar from New York getting MPJr and us getting back Bridges/ Achiuwa/ McBride and Dadiet. I'm following this trade up with Dillingham/ O'neale/ Dadiet/ DET 1st (20th pick) to San Antonio for Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (15th pick) and UTA 26' 2nd/ POR 26' 2nd. Then I'm trading Allen to Orlando for Bidatze/ Josephs' 3 million expiring.

After these 3 trades, we've traded KD/ Allen/ O'neale for:

Mikal Bridges/ Bidatze/Achiuwa/ Sochan/ DiVincenzo/ McBride/ 15th pick/ MIN 31' 1st/ two 26' 2nds. And in this draft we'd also have the 15th pick/ 29th pick/ 54th pick. I'm trading the 15th pick to Brooklyn for the 22nd and 23rd picks.
22- Sergio de Larrea. 6'7 PG
23- Danny Wolf. 7'0 PF/C
29- Jo'an Beringer. 6'11 (7'5 wingspan) center.
54- Kob Brea. 6'7 SG.

Booker/ Beal/ Bridges/ Bol/ Bidatze.
McBride/ DiVincenzo/ Dunn/ Achiuwa/ Richards.
Larrea/ Brea/ Sochan/ Wolf/ Ighodaro.

G League two-way contracts (development).
1- Colin Gillespie.
2- Jo'an Beringer.
3- Trevon Brazile.

[RaisingArizona]

Man, **** the Lakers

I hate the Lakers but I’m a huge Luka fan. I want him to do good, but I don’t want lakers to do well. What should I do?

switch to Geico

[RaisingArizona]

God help me if JJ is making the KD trade

[They_Them_Hatin]

We need some actual value though. Gobert and McDaniels is doable. We don't need another SG off the bench with Royce plus Beal.

We'll send them Greyson to make the money even.

Minnesota is not trading Gobert + Mcdaniels for Booker. Y’all are so unrealistic with any of these trades. I mean Castle, Ware?

This is a KD trade premise man (per the tweet above).

Having said that, I do agree with you that Minnesota would have absolutely no intent in trading Gobert and McDaniels for KD and that their actual intentions would be to trade Randle as he's been a poor fit with them.

But none of this should have been surprising to anyone as Randle not being a floor spacing big next to Gobert only creates even more floor spacing issues.

But for us it'd not be as bad because BOTH Booker and Beal being shooter/ scorers could play off of Randles' physical post play/ gravity. And also his being a 30 million expiring contract could be used in other trades in this CBA restrictive climate.

Minnesota would want KD at the 4 flanked defensively by McDaniels at the 3 and Gobert at the 5 allowing KD to focus completely on offense with ANT.

This is why I'd demand at least additional value included in the MINNE package because Randle isn't viewed as a positive asset and as a centerpiece of the trade would make this trade a low key salary dump for us. So significant value would have to be added in the form of:

Randles' 30 million expiring/ Conleys' 10 million expiring/ DiVencenzo/ Dillingham/ Detroit's 25' 1st (19th pick) / and MIN 31' 1st.

And anything less than this, there'd be no KD to Minnesota deal. And as for the Castle and Ware incusions, I don't expect the Spurs to include Castle at all for KD, for me it's a package of Vassell/ Barnes expiring/ Sochan/ 2 decent to great 1sts (ATL 25' 1st (15th pick)/ MIN or DAL 31' 1st.

But the for a KD to Miami package Ware would be the centerpiece of the trade, and if he's not included, then the package would have to become a Rozier 25 million expiring/ Robinson 19 million expiring/ Jovic / Jacquez / GS 25' 1st ( 20th pick)/ MIA 29' 1st/ MIA 31' 1st. I'm not eating Wiggins salary and if not getting those two young players and 3 1sts back, there absolutely not getting KD at all.

Of course I know this is about KD and it went over your head because it’s so absurd they wouldn’t even trade it for Booker.

Spurs are not including Sochan either. It’ll be Johnson. Vassell+Johnson Hawks picks

Miami is the only realistic trade that works for both sides with the Rozier, Robinson, Anderson, Jaime, Jovic, GS 1st & 1 more 1st. Maybe a swap. It’s not a bad trade at all. Robinson can be cut and further under the 2nd apron.

They aren’t getting a Jimmy/Kuminga picks like package in the summer. KD is choosing his team and made it clear he doesn’t want them to gut their team for him. Now the few teams you might could’ve pawned Beal off on will probably refuse the calls and make a mediocre KD offer. James Jones is such a genius!

[They_Them_Hatin]

Phoenix really put themselves in a Jimmy 2.0 situation but luckily KD won’t throw games and act like a toddler like Jimmy. You either accept a mediocre package for him or burn assets trying to fix the hot mess of a roster you created for no reason.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Read on Twitter

[Ghost of Kleine]

We need some actual value though. Gobert and McDaniels is doable. We don't need another SG off the bench with Royce plus Beal.

We'll send them Greyson to make the money even.

Minnesota is not trading Gobert + Mcdaniels for Booker. Y’all are so unrealistic with any of these trades. I mean Castle, Ware?

Especially since McDaniels is having a breakout season, he has been lights out in his past 25+ games. I believe we need a good package from either Rockets or possibly Mavs in the offseason.

those two teams currently offer the best value return for us in any KD trades and I'd go as far as to say that these 3 teams would be my top 3 choices for overall package returns as their picks are still very decent, and their player packages fit our needs and/or interests.

1- OKC.
KD for Hartenstein/ Caruso/Dieng/Topic/ MIA 25' 1st (16th pick)/ LAC 25' 1st (17th pick).
OR
KD for Dort/ Joe/ Wiggins/ Topic/ Dieng/ Philly 25' 1st/ (7th pick)/ MIA 25' 1st (15th pick/ DEN 27' 1st (top 5 protected). **Because
In a Hartenstein-centric package, Hartenstein is so versatile at 7'1 that he'd give us a great frontcourt option for Booker and Beal to play off of, Caruso would give us an ideal elite POA defensive point guard, Dieng would give us much needed size/ versatility at 6'9 on the wing, and Topic would b a very intriguing lottery prospect for PGOTF with size at 6'11. I also might just look to package O'neale/Topic/Dieng/LAC 25' 1st/ CLE 29' 1st to Toronto for the 5th pick to draft Kasparas Jakucionis (young Dragic/ Podziemski).

2- Dallas.
Thompson/ Washington/ Marshall/ Lively/ Powell/ Dinwiddie/ DAL 25' 1st ( 13th pick).
OR
Thompson/ Washington/ Gafford/ Exum/ Prosper/ DET 25' 1st (13th pick)/ DAL 31' 1st.
**Because Washington/ Gafford/ are good young vet pieces to surround Booker, I'd flip Thompson to San Antonio for Sochan/ SAS 25' 2nd ( 39th pick)/ UTA 26' 2nd/ NOP or POR 26' 2nd. Or to Charlotte for Grant Williams/ CHO 25' 2nd (32nd pick)/ NOP 25' 2nd 34th pick). ** G Williams would replace O'neeal sent out to San Antonio for future 2nds! Allen would get traded to Orlando for Bidatze. I'd use the 32nd and 34th picks on Carter Bryant (32) and Maxime Raynaud (34) because Raynaud can play the 4 or 5, is 7'1 and extremely skilled (Pau Gasol 2.0), interchangeable to Ighodaro defensively.

3- San Antonio.
KD for Vassell/ Barnes/ Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (15th pick)/ ATL 27' 1st.
OR
KD for Vassell/ Johnson/ Sochan/ ATL 25' 1st (15th pick)/ 26' ATL swap/ SAS 29' 1st (top 8 protected).
**Because I can see Vasseell being a much better KCP. And Sochan is a Rodman/ Vanderbilt type high end defender. And Barnes' $20 million expiring helps reduce our overall cap, OR could be combined in trade with Martins' or Milicic's $8 million TO (expiring) and 1-2 1sts (CLE) to Denver for MpJr (KD replacement) or to Portland for Jerami Grant and (two 1sts) for Camara??