KD to the Rockets w/Zion

[jredsaz]

Rockets receive Kevin Durant

Houston upgrades their current primary scorer from Green to Durant and presumably raises their current ceiling in the process. It’s clear they want to upgrade Green and use his contract as a ballast. Other salary combinations involving Sheppard, Smith and/or Tari could be substituted for Cam/Landale.

Top 8: VanVleet, Brooks, Thompson, Durant, Sengun, Smith Jr., Eason, Sheppard

Pelicans receive Jalen Green, Jock Landale, Cam Whitmore, 2025 CLE 1st via PHX, Future 1st via HOU

New Orleans moves on from Zion with two younger guys. Green pairs very well with Dejounte. Move off of CJ and draft a top five draft pick and the Pels reset in good position.

Too 8: Murray, Green, Jones, Murphy, Hawkins, Missi, (Lottery Pick), Landale

Suns receive Zion Williamson

Phoenix takes another big swing with Zion. This feels just about the perfect level of reckless for Mat Ishbia. If Zion can get his commitment and fitness in line this could be an incredible 1/2 punch with Booker. If he continues to be out of shape and miss games it’s a continuation of the Ishbia ownership boondoggle.

Top 8: Booker, Beal, Dunn, Williamson, Richards, Allen, O’Neale, Ighodaro

Edit: Screwed up the picks going to Pels. Fixed now.

[JRoy]

This would be a disaster.

Ishbia will not be able to stop himself.

[jredsaz]

This would be a disaster.

Ishbia will not be able to stop himself.

Right!

[LarsV8]

I mean, the price is fine for Houston, but why wouldn't we just take Zion for ourselves?

[jredsaz]

I mean, the price is fine for Houston, but why wouldn't we just take Zion for ourselves?

1000% that’s an option and depending on how Houston does in the playoffs I think taking a risk on Zion will make more sense than taking a risk on KD.

[Darren]

Zion does not have this kind of value. I double PHX gets both Green and Ben with two 1sts. That's an overpay for a 36yo rental.

[Donkedave]

Rockets receive Kevin Durant

Houston upgrades their current primary scorer from Green to Durant and presumably raises their current ceiling in the process. It’s clear they want to upgrade Green and use his contract as a ballast. Other salary combinations involving Sheppard, Smith and/or Tari could be substituted for Cam/Landale.

Top 8: VanVleet, Brooks, Thompson, Durant, Sengun, Smith Jr., Eason, Sheppard

Pelicans receive Jalen Green, Jock Landale, Cam Whitmore, 2025 late 1st via PHX, 2028 late 1st via PHX

New Orleans moves on from Zion with two younger guys. Green pairs very well with Dejounte. Move off of CJ and draft a top five draft pick and the Pels reset in good position.

Too 8: Murray, Green, Jones, Murphy, Hawkins, Missi, (Lottery Pick), Landale

Suns receive Zion Williamson

Phoenix takes another big swing with Zion. This feels just about the perfect level of reckless for Mat Ishbia. If Zion can get his commitment and fitness in line this could be an incredible 1/2 punch with Booker. If he continues to be out of shape and miss games it’s a continuation of the Ishbia ownership boondoggle.

Top 8: Booker, Beal, Dunn, Williamson, Richards, Allen, O’Neale, Ighodaro

How is pick 10/11 a late first? Clearly it’s a trade after the Financial year with greens poison pill?

[Astaluego]

I understand that the board doesn't like Green at all, but I'm crazy to think that on his own he's more valuable/younger and cheaper than KD and more useful than Zion... it must be a coincidence (I don't watch them much) but Green (along with Sengun and in no specific order) seems to me to be the best player on the Rockets... at this point, I would even hesitate to send him for Booker if there was a lot of value to add...

KD It seems to me like a target for the Heat or maybe the Mavs... I wouldn't understand that the team that benefits the most from the Suns doing poorly would somehow be the one that rescues them.

[SA37]

I mean, the price is fine for Houston, but why wouldn't we just take Zion for ourselves?

1. Because Durant is better, for starters.

2. There is a non-negligible chance Zion misses half of next season (and every season going forward).

3. It is questionable how much Zion actually cares about basketball. I'd say it is closer to 0 than 100.

4. People get enamored with fantasies of getting 3-5 guys who are 22 and spend a generation destroying the league. The reality is young cores tend to get broken up, and fast. Pick your cautionary tale: Shaq/Penny; Juwan Howard and Chris Webber; Beal/Wall; Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, and Jamal Crawford ; Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce ; KG and Starbury ; Kidd, Mashburn, Jackson ; Mourning and Larry Johnson ; Simmons, Embiid, and Fultz ; Harden, KD, and Russ ; Ingram, Randle, and Ball....etc.

The reality is teams are lucky if they get a 3-year window to win a championship, and Houston would have that acquiring Durant while still maintaining the majority of their young players for the post-KD era.

[Skybox]

This, imo, puts NOLA in purgatory…I’d take another swing with Zion before marrying Green, who will put up numbers but not at a star level. If DJM were healthy, KD to NOLA might make more sense…there’s still a lot of supporting cast 2-way talent on that team, along with solid vet firepower and leadership in CJ…they could make some noise quickly…KD might only be 2 or 3 years, but he’s still capable of MVP play.

[Skybox]

I DO like KD to HOU too…with a 3rd team supplying better fitting vet support for Book & Beal, who’s untradable. If Amen is ready to play PG, then FVV is the big salary going out.

[Kiss of Death]

Too much for Durant from Houston’s standpoint.
I doubt the Rockets are interested in a 37 year old at all and even less interested at this cost.

[jredsaz]

Rockets receive Kevin Durant

Houston upgrades their current primary scorer from Green to Durant and presumably raises their current ceiling in the process. It’s clear they want to upgrade Green and use his contract as a ballast. Other salary combinations involving Sheppard, Smith and/or Tari could be substituted for Cam/Landale.

Top 8: VanVleet, Brooks, Thompson, Durant, Sengun, Smith Jr., Eason, Sheppard

Pelicans receive Jalen Green, Jock Landale, Cam Whitmore, 2025 late 1st via PHX, 2028 late 1st via PHX

New Orleans moves on from Zion with two younger guys. Green pairs very well with Dejounte. Move off of CJ and draft a top five draft pick and the Pels reset in good position.

Too 8: Murray, Green, Jones, Murphy, Hawkins, Missi, (Lottery Pick), Landale

Suns receive Zion Williamson

Phoenix takes another big swing with Zion. This feels just about the perfect level of reckless for Mat Ishbia. If Zion can get his commitment and fitness in line this could be an incredible 1/2 punch with Booker. If he continues to be out of shape and miss games it’s a continuation of the Ishbia ownership boondoggle.

Top 8: Booker, Beal, Dunn, Williamson, Richards, Allen, O’Neale, Ighodaro

How is pick 10/11 a late first? Clearly it’s a trade after the Financial year with greens poison pill?

I was referencing the late first the Suns own via Cleveland. Should have just wrote that. This trade would be agreed to on draft night and executed in the new league year. I fully expect the Rockets/FVV to void the last year of his current deal and extend at a lower number giving them a lot of flexibility.

[jredsaz]

I DO like KD to HOU too…with a 3rd team supplying better fitting vet support for Book & Beal, who’s untradable. If Amen is ready to play PG, then FVV is the big salary going out.

FVV is too important to the Suns winning in the short term to let him go. If Houston trades for KD there is no way FVV is leaving. His gets extended at a lower number.

[jredsaz]

Zion does not have this kind of value. I double PHX gets both Green and Ben with two 1sts. That's an overpay for a 36yo rental.

The deal from Houston is Green, Landale, Whitmore, 27 first for KD. The other first comes from the Suns. I’ll edit the post. Screwed that one up.

What is Zions value at this point?

[LarsV8]

I thought both picks were the bad ones they got from Utah, coming from PHX, if the intention was for it to be the phx 2027 via Houston, that is a non starter.

[jredsaz]

I thought both picks were the bad ones they got from Utah, coming from PHX, if the intention was for it to be the phx 2027 via Houston, that is a non starter.

Yeah, feel like Houston’s needs to add value. Open to a different future pick but Green/Cam/Landale? Need something else.

[Frankie]

I thought both picks were the bad ones they got from Utah, coming from PHX, if the intention was for it to be the phx 2027 via Houston, that is a non starter.

Yeah, feel like Houston’s needs to add value. Open to a different future pick but Green/Cam/Landale? Need something else.

I feel like the price is already too high. Green, Whitmore and 1 PHX pick is more than I would give up for KD.

[jredsaz]

I thought both picks were the bad ones they got from Utah, coming from PHX, if the intention was for it to be the phx 2027 via Houston, that is a non starter.

Yeah, feel like Houston’s needs to add value. Open to a different future pick but Green/Cam/Landale? Need something else.

I feel like the price is already too high. Green, Whitmore and 1 PHX pick is more than I would give up for KD.

That’s fair. Maybe it’s not a PHX first? A future Houston first?

[LarsV8]

The unknown here is how much much Durant demands in an extension.