Phoenix/Brooklyn/Houston

[louc1970]

When life gives you lemons, squirt them in someone's eye.

Suns are rumored to be looking for center.
Rockets want KD.
Nets just want to survive.

Nets send Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton and #19
Nets receive Landale, Whitmore, Jabari Smith, Jalen Green, #10.
Nets start over with young players on low salaries (except Green).

Suns send KD.
Suns receive Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, #19.
Suns get a center and a return of their shooter. Gain a draft pick allowing them to take a PG (Traore).

Rockets send Landale, Whitmore, Jabari Smith, Jalen Green, #10
Rockets get KD
Looks like an overpay but Houston needs to shed some players, get additional playing time for Eason, Sheppard, and go all in next year. Should have one of the better starting lineups next year.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Seems way too good for Brooklyn (You don't have #19 outgoing for them, which changes the calculus some).

Rockets shouldn't include Jabari Smith Jr in a KD deal.

[Mamba4Goat]

I don’t think Johnson+Claxton have the same value as KD and the Nets should be getting the entire Rockets package for him.

[louc1970]

Seems way too good for Brooklyn (You don't have #19 outgoing for them, which changes the calculus some).

Rockets shouldn't include Jabari Smith Jr in a KD deal.

#19 should head to Phoenix.

[LarsV8]

Take Jabari out and its fine.

[louc1970]

Take Jabari out and its fine.

Instead we leave Smith in but send Clowney to Houston.

[LarsV8]

Take Jabari out and its fine.

Instead we leave Smith in but send Clowney to Houston.

No thank you, no Jabari in any Durant deal.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Take Jabari out and its fine.

Instead we leave Smith in but send Clowney to Houston.

No. Houston has all the assets in order to get KD without trading Jabari Smith Jr.

[dremill24]

Am I really crazy in thinking Jabari is one of the most likely pieces to go out if a KD-to-HOU were to go down?

His minutes have been going down already, Amen/Tari are super promising, he's due for an extension without being a no-brainer max, and KD fills his minutes & then some.

Im a big Jabari fan and wouldnt want to give him up either, but is that really realistic?

[louc1970]

Take Jabari out and its fine.

Instead we leave Smith in but send Clowney to Houston.

No. Houston has all the assets in order to get KD without trading Jabari Smith Jr.

What are those assets?

[louc1970]

Am I really crazy in thinking Jabari is one of the most likely pieces to go out if a KD-to-HOU were to go down?

His minutes have been going down already, Amen/Tari are super promising, he's due for an extension without being a no-brainer max, and KD fills his minutes & then some.

Im a big Jabari fan and wouldnt want to give him up either, but is that really realistic?

That is the way I see it. No one takes Jalen Green at $35m without getting a prize of Jabari.

[Texas Chuck]

Am I really crazy in thinking Jabari is one of the most likely pieces to go out if a KD-to-HOU were to go down?

His minutes have been going down already, Amen/Tari are super promising, he's due for an extension without being a no-brainer max, and KD fills his minutes & then some.

Im a big Jabari fan and wouldnt want to give him up either, but is that really realistic?

I think this too. If Jabari is the desired prize here, then let Houston keep 10. I don't think its a deal breaker for Houston especially since I would expect a KD extension to be part of any deal. If its just a rental, then yeah maybe they really want to hold Smith.

[LarsV8]

Guys, Jabari got injured, and while he was out Amen started being Amen....that isn't a knock on Jabari, he is still very good, and on track to be a great high end role player.

The minutes and money come when FVV, Adams and Brooks leave.

[Netaman]

I think there is something here but Nets probably dont have a ton of interest in Green with Cam Thomas also needing an extension. is there a way to solve for that? if there needs to be salary filler could FVV fit? i think nets might prefer an expiring veteran leader.

[Texas Chuck]

Guys, Jabari got injured, and while he was out Amen started being Amen....that isn't a knock on Jabari, he is still very good, and on track to be a great high end role player.

The minutes and money come when FVV, Adams and Brooks leave.

The problem is the extension discussion is now. And even if you tick him off and make him get to restricted free agency, are those guys all gone? Isn't the plan a new deal for FVV? And again this is in light of a KD trade which almost certainly comes with an extension.

I like him as a player too, but looking at Houston someone is going to have to go at some point and Thompson and Eason make him a pretty logical choice. This isn't an insult to the guy its looking at some financial realities.

[Netaman]

so how's this? if phoenix doesn't want 2 picks this year, the nets could swap 1 of this year's picks for a future protected pick. maybe the philly pick that's protected?

[LarsV8]

The problem is the extension discussion is now. And even if you tick him off and make him get to restricted free agency, are those guys all gone? Isn't the plan a new deal for FVV? And again this is in light of a KD trade which almost certainly comes with an extension.

I like him as a player too, but looking at Houston someone is going to have to go at some point and Thompson and Eason make him a pretty logical choice. This isn't an insult to the guy its looking at some financial realities.

We still have numerous years of players on rookie deals. I personally believe free agency is mostly dead due to the new CBA and moratorium, so RFA is a card they could play. I simply don't see cap space teams sitting out the moratorium waiting to "maybe" sign a RFA, and possibly being left with no one to spend cap on, if the RFA gets matched.

I see many opportunity / options of cutting salary, and Jabari is one of the last ones I would relinquish due to salary concerns.

FVV 44m - will likely be drastically cheaper, no one has cap space, what is the competition. I think he gets a Brooks size deal (+25m). You could also just give him another option year, and opt out next year, let Reed take over, and essentially pay both Tari and Baris extensions.
Brooks 20m - want to keep, but easily can be dumped for free (+20m). Or rolls off when Amen's deal will start.
Adams 12m - want to keep, but probably neutral in cap YoY, can certainly put options in his deal (+12m)
Green, Landale, Tate all 8m - all can go, (+25m)
Holiday 5m - can go, (+5m)
Cam 3.5m - like, but can go (+4m)

Organic cap growth - ~10m

And you could dump Green (+30m)..when Amen's deal starts he will be an expiring contract.

I have always been a fairly hard no on Durant without a sweetheart extension, and I still am. How can I afford Durant, but I have to trade Jabari for salary concerns? The answer is pretty simple....don't sign up for Durant on a silly deal, that he isn't worth. That isn't hard?

Long story short, I think this "they can't pay everyone" narrative is not really true.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Instead we leave Smith in but send Clowney to Houston.

No. Houston has all the assets in order to get KD without trading Jabari Smith Jr.

What are those assets?

Whitmore
Dillon
Sengun
Amen
Reed
Eason
#10
Multiple Future Suns 1sts besides their own

[louc1970]

No. Houston has all the assets in order to get KD without trading Jabari Smith Jr.

What are those assets?

Whitmore
Dillon
Sengun
Amen
Reed
Eason
#10
Multiple Future Suns 1sts besides their own

So you are trading all of that for KD. An easy yes by Phoenix or the third team.

[ReggiesKnicks]

What are those assets?

Whitmore
Dillon
Sengun
Amen
Reed
Eason
#10
Multiple Future Suns 1sts besides their own

So you are trading all of that for KD. An easy yes by Phoenix or the third team.

I am providing a list of assets. Houston doesn't need to include Jabari in order to acquire KD.