Booker to Houston

[R-DAWG]

these 4 paragraphs were DOA as soon as "Orlando gets KD"...why would ORL get KD when they have Paolo and Franz at the forward spots? Lots of teams would...ORL isn't one of them.

Trade perimeters for the 28 swap would be something like:
Houston relinquishes swap rights to Brooklyns 2027 1st in exchange for PHX getting control of their 28 pick (BK swaps with PHX, then WAS swaps, then Mem swaps then PHX swaps back with Brooklyn) - essentially, PHX ends up with the better of PHX, BK (which is better of BK/NYK) in 28 in exchange for Brooklyn getting control of their 27 pick.

The 26 swap is harder. Washington would get something from Houston to relinquish 2026 swap rights - similar pattern where PHX swaps with was, then PHX swaps with Orl, then PHX. Problem is Washington is on track for another top-5 pick making the swap potentially meaningless, so Orlando would need to be involved.

All this stuff is workable, it’s just not simple.

All in, this will be a 5 1’s for Booker kind of package, and frankly it’s what he’s worth.

Sure thing, ORL just happy to help sounds like a LAL fan, presuming the rest of the league is their farm system

I’m a Knicks fan, not a Lakers fan. And Orlando would need to get something that they feel is of value to them to relinquish the swap right. We have no clue what the suns roster will look like after the 2027 offseason when potentially they have Booker, some cost controlled players they got for Durant, and a ton of cap space. Or they could be a dumpster fire.

[LarsV8]

Trade perimeters for the 28 swap would be something like:

Houston relinquishes swap rights to Brooklyns 2027 1st in exchange for PHX getting control of their 28 pick (BK swaps with PHX, then WAS swaps, then Mem swaps then PHX swaps back with Brooklyn) - essentially, PHX ends up with the better of PHX, BK (which is better of BK/NYK) in 28 in exchange for Brooklyn getting control of their 27 pick.

The 26 swap is harder. Washington would get something from Houston to relinquish 2026 swap rights - similar pattern where PHX swaps with was, then PHX swaps with Orl, then PHX. Problem is Washington is on track for another top-5 pick making the swap potentially meaningless, so Orlando would need to be involved.

All this stuff is workable, it’s just not simple.

All in, this will be a 5 1’s for Booker kind of package, and frankly it’s what he’s worth.

Yea, this is a sweetheart deal to bail out Phoenix and Houston simply isn't paying that price for Booker, because he isn't worth that. That would be something like 5 HIGH upside picks. Its a non starter.

My prediction is best case scenario is Phoenix is going to have to use BOTH Durant and Booker to get back to a neutral outlook position, which would be most of thier picks back while being among the worst teams in the league, if they acted prudential.

But even that isn't happening because thier owner is irrational.

[Slim Charless]

Trade perimeters for the 28 swap would be something like:

Houston relinquishes swap rights to Brooklyns 2027 1st in exchange for PHX getting control of their 28 pick (BK swaps with PHX, then WAS swaps, then Mem swaps then PHX swaps back with Brooklyn) - essentially, PHX ends up with the better of PHX, BK (which is better of BK/NYK) in 28 in exchange for Brooklyn getting control of their 27 pick.

The 26 swap is harder. Washington would get something from Houston to relinquish 2026 swap rights - similar pattern where PHX swaps with was, then PHX swaps with Orl, then PHX. Problem is Washington is on track for another top-5 pick making the swap potentially meaningless, so Orlando would need to be involved.

All this stuff is workable, it’s just not simple.

All in, this will be a 5 1’s for Booker kind of package, and frankly it’s what he’s worth.

Yea, this is a sweetheart deal to bail out Phoenix and Houston simply isn't paying that price for Booker, because he isn't worth that. That would be something like 5 HIGH upside picks. Its a non starter.

My prediction is best case scenario is Phoenix is going to have to use BOTH Durant and Booker to get back to a neutral outlook position, which would be most of thier picks back while being among the worst teams in the league, if they acted prudential.

But even that isn't happening because thier owner is irrational.

Hey buddy. How you doing?

Only 1 game but it sure looks like you could use a Kevin Durant like presence in your line up. Perhaps the other games will be different though. Game 1 is always weird and guys will settle in after things roll forward......

[LarsV8]

Hey buddy. How you doing?

Only 1 game but it sure looks like you could use a Kevin Durant like presence in your line up. Perhaps the other games will be different though. Game 1 is always weird and guys will settle in after things roll forward......

Doing well, especially as I set my expectations correctly.

Spoiler:

We could definitely use a Kevin Durant right now, he would be awesome here in this series.

Unfortunately we are more long term focused, which means pain in the short term.

How are you? Gearing up for the draft?

[Slim Charless]

Hey buddy. How you doing?

Only 1 game but it sure looks like you could use a Kevin Durant like presence in your line up. Perhaps the other games will be different though. Game 1 is always weird and guys will settle in after things roll forward......

Doing well, especially as I set my expectations correctly.

Spoiler:

We could definitely use a Kevin Durant right now, he would be awesome here in this series.

Unfortunately we are more long term focused, which means pain in the short term.

How are you? Gearing up for the draft?

I'm doing well. I expect we'll be getting our picks back in the near future. Along with various other assets.

Perhaps I'm wrong. I've been wrong before. No one is perfect.

[Tim Lehrbach]

This may all be stating the obvious, but...

"Leverage" is often overstated. If two GMs both like their side of a deal, they are going to agree to it. Haggling over add-ins undoubtedly happens, but I would bet it is rare that talks get very far and fall apart because one GM isn't satisfied that he's hurting the other team enough. [dannyainge.gif]

I suspect that if Houston wants Booker, and Phoenix wants to move Booker and prizes their picks back or something else the Rockets have to offer as a return, a deal will get done, and no side will take the other to the cleaners. (Stupidity happens, sure, but we can't bank on that when making reasonable predictions.) If Phoenix does not want to trade Booker (or not to Houston), it does not mean Houston gets him anyway but (because LEVERAGE) Phoenix sucks up every last asset Houston has; rather, it means Booker does not move (to Houston, anyway). Likewise, if Houston is lukewarm on Booker or his asking price, it does not mean they get him for cheap (because LEVERAGE); rather, it means Booker goes elsewhere or not at all.

We don't know what a fair exchange is because that's between these two GMs. I'm not saying we can't guess at it (that's the whole point of this board), but I am saying the faux negotiating that goes on between sides doesn't move us any closer to any real, eventual trade. If a trade happens, somebody (or nobody) is right about what the price will be, and everybody else is wrong.

[Xman]

Does anyone have leverage on Phoenix?
Houston, Washington and Brooklyn (or Orlando with that odd swap).

What is Phoenix projection if they keep Booker?
Beal is punishing their cap for next two years so no free agent help. Trading KD has been mentioned but that probably makes the team worse, not better.

Right now, Washington and Houston have to be drooling over those picks.

If either decides they want to keep them, Phoenix is fubar. Looking at four or five years of losing with no reward.
Of course, maybe it all turns around next year and this roster (which is pretty much locked down) becomes a contender. I doubt it though.