Windhorst: Raptors making noise around the league looking for a “big fish” // Giannis & Toronto "Mutual Interest"/KD too

[DreamTeam09]

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Doesn't Booker have 3 years remaining on his current deal, going through the 2027/28 season? Why are they talking extension so early?

Lock in your player, show loyalty & commitment - keep him happy while you rebuild/retool. Plus if you have to trade in a yr or 2 he's not expiring or approaching expiry

[TorontoBarneys]

75m/year is insane. Is that the highest per season yet?

[djsunyc]

throwing this out there for sh ts and giggles...scottie for anthony davis

[mihaic]

throwing this out there for sh ts and giggles...scottie for anthony davis

Lol.

Well if we were the Lakers, yes, it would have a chance

Edit: how about Luka for Giannis.

[Tor_Raps]

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Doesn't Booker have 3 years remaining on his current deal, going through the 2027/28 season? Why are they talking extension so early?

Probably because the only way Booker doesnt ask out is if they max him out.

[mdenny]

Giannis deal is going to happen it's just about achieving a delicate balance.
He goes to the team he wants, they don't give up enough to not be contenders with him there, and Bucks get enough back to move him with 3 years left.

Giannis for Barnes+picks makes more sense if Toronto can cash in more assets for another legit piece.

However:
IQ
RJ
BI
Barnes
Poetl

is easily Top 4 in the east. Giannis is THAT good to make up for any defensive issues RJ/BI present. Especially with Poetl back there as well being solid AF.

On offence, more 3pt shooting would be nice, but that's still a lot of firepower. Like the offence might be ugly, but they'll get there given the 1-on-1 talent.

IF Giannis says EAST only.
IF Masai actually has some sort of relationship with him.
and IF the Bucks are Scottie fans

.....we could really be in business here.

Disagree, this overlooks how versatile Scottie is on defence. Giannis isn't guarding 1-5, he is a fantastic help defender, but his defence isn't so far beyond Scotties that he can counter how bad those 2 are on defence, add in that IQ is mediocre on defence, and now you've got 1 dude trying to make up for 3 below average to outright bad defenders. That's a lot to ask of any player.

That said, the team is definitely better overall if for no other reason Giannis being a million times the offensive player Scottie is, but that ignores how poorly constructed the team is around him.

If trading Scottie and tons of futures only puts us into top 4 in the east conversation, then you don't make this deal, ever. Trading for Giannis IMO is an ECF or bust situation.

Here's the truth serum: scotty is NOT a versatile defender. He's a great low post team defender and paint controller. Aka charles oakley. Beyond that he is pretty average at everything else defense. And giannis is 5 times the overall defender that scotty is.

[sidsid]

throwing this out there for sh ts and giggles...scottie for anthony davis

Lol.

Well if we were the Lakers, yes, it would have a chance

Edit: how about Luka for Giannis.

Legitimately the Cavs should do this for their Garland/Allen package. They wont get Giannis for it and AD provides more shooting to work with Mobley. Fixing the main problems on both ends. They'll get a SF in that deal, too.

The Mavs just reroute Allen somewhere else and sell Kyrie to the highest bidder.

[mihaic]

throwing this out there for sh ts and giggles...scottie for anthony davis

Lol.

Well if we were the Lakers, yes, it would have a chance

Edit: how about Luka for Giannis.

Legitimately the Cavs should do this for their Garland/Allen package. They wont get Giannis for it and AD provides more shooting to work with Mobley. Fixing the main problems on both ends. They'll get a SF in that deal, too.

The Mavs just reroute Allen somewhere else and sell Kyrie to the highest bidder.

The Mavs manager Nico or what's his name said their roster is set to compete. They will not break the team apart for tanking, imo.

They surely wanted to pair Kyrie with Lively and AD. They may want to give it a try since they couldn't this year, right?

[Scase]

Giannis deal is going to happen it's just about achieving a delicate balance.
He goes to the team he wants, they don't give up enough to not be contenders with him there, and Bucks get enough back to move him with 3 years left.

Giannis for Barnes+picks makes more sense if Toronto can cash in more assets for another legit piece.

However:
IQ
RJ
BI
Barnes
Poetl

is easily Top 4 in the east. Giannis is THAT good to make up for any defensive issues RJ/BI present. Especially with Poetl back there as well being solid AF.

On offence, more 3pt shooting would be nice, but that's still a lot of firepower. Like the offence might be ugly, but they'll get there given the 1-on-1 talent.

IF Giannis says EAST only.
IF Masai actually has some sort of relationship with him.
and IF the Bucks are Scottie fans

.....we could really be in business here.

Disagree, this overlooks how versatile Scottie is on defence. Giannis isn't guarding 1-5, he is a fantastic help defender, but his defence isn't so far beyond Scotties that he can counter how bad those 2 are on defence, add in that IQ is mediocre on defence, and now you've got 1 dude trying to make up for 3 below average to outright bad defenders. That's a lot to ask of any player.

That said, the team is definitely better overall if for no other reason Giannis being a million times the offensive player Scottie is, but that ignores how poorly constructed the team is around him.

If trading Scottie and tons of futures only puts us into top 4 in the east conversation, then you don't make this deal, ever. Trading for Giannis IMO is an ECF or bust situation.

Here's the truth serum: scotty is NOT a versatile defender. He's a great low post team defender and paint controller. Aka charles oakley. Beyond that he is pretty average at everything else defense. And giannis is 5 times the overall defender that scotty is.

Yeah, no.

Someone posted the FG% that Scottie holds guards, forwards, and centres to and compared it to the DPOY mobley, and Draymond, and he trades blows with them, wins some, and loses some.

65 game minimum, Scottie is T-20th in the NBA in BPG, and T-13th for SPG, but yeah, he's just average.

Everyone on the board knows how much you hate Scottie, move it along already.

[DreamTeam09]

RJ + Jakob + picks for KD makes sense for both sides. I'd give up a future first and keep this 9th pick tho.
Suns want a C, they get RJ who fits the bill as a young 20pt scorer and some future compensation.
KD comes to Toronto out East to compete next year. 3 yr deal which lines up with BI being a FA.

[WWSRD]

RJ + Jakob + picks for KD makes sense for both sides. I'd give up a future first and keep this 9th pick tho.
Suns want a C, they get RJ who fits the bill as a young 20pt scorer and some future compensation.
KD comes to Toronto out East to compete next year. 3 yr deal which lines up with BI being a FA.

Then Scottie + 9 + more picks + salary for Giannis.

[DonDoolie]

throwing this out there for sh ts and giggles...scottie for anthony davis

Lol.

Well if we were the Lakers, yes, it would have a chance

Edit: how about Luka for Giannis.

Legitimately the Cavs should do this for their Garland/Allen package. They wont get Giannis for it and AD provides more shooting to work with Mobley. Fixing the main problems on both ends. They'll get a SF in that deal, too.

The Mavs just reroute Allen somewhere else and sell Kyrie to the highest bidder.

Do you guys even try to use logic in these trades or just pull them out the ass? Why would the Mavs give up Davis for Garland and Allen when they just gave up a superstar player to get Davis not to mention they already have Lively and Gafford in the front court and a PG that is a million times better than Garland

[mtcan]

Stats are one thing...but overall success is another. I get it...it's not all his fault the Suns have disappointed for the last 3 seasons but I can't get myself to reward a guy who's been bounced from the playoffs in the first and second round, despite playing with an all-time great and future first ballot hall of famer.

Seems a shallow approach to the player IMHO, to be honest, especially given the competition they faced and then the missteps of the franchise, and some untimely injuries. If Paul hadn't been injured versus Denver, that would have been an interesting season. Same same if KD hadn't forgotten how to shoot a 3 in that series.

And then the Bradley Beal trade, issues with DeAndre Ayton...

Like, no one really wins without help and some luck, bit of an injury-riddled donut team... and they were still a 49-win team in 2024. Didn't really tank out into this year. Lots of roster turnover at the 5 this year.

Is Booker prime Lebron? No, but Booker is an extremely good player. And he WAS 15th in the league in O-EPM this year, for what it's worth.

He is a very good player. Stats are there, no doubt about that. However...the Devin Booker experience is still leaving me a bit hollow. This Suns team needed a more vocal leader. We know KD isn't that. Don't even look at Beal. On a team with such great talent but also with so much infighting and locker room drama...I want my best player to lead not only in points and assists...but also to take on a bigger leadership role. Not saying he is the cause of all that was wrong in Phoenix...but I'm hoping for the longest tenured Suns player on the roster and the guy to be making 75 mill/year...that he try to be more vocal and keep that locker room together. I don't that he's that kind of guy.

[PhilBlackson]

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Doesn't Booker have 3 years remaining on his current deal, going through the 2027/28 season? Why are they talking extension so early?

Probably because the only way Booker doesnt ask out is if they max him out.

There’s a certain irony if Booker takes that deal to follow Beal’s path of getting paid and not caring about winning.

[mtcan]

Read on Twitter

Doesn't Booker have 3 years remaining on his current deal, going through the 2027/28 season? Why are they talking extension so early?

Probably because the only way Booker doesnt ask out is if they max him out.

They don't usually ask out until AFTER they get their next big pay check.

[OakleyDokely]

Suns should do what the Nets did and trade Booker for all their picks back so they can actually do a proper reset.

Booker's going to be 29 before the season starts. He isn't that young anymore and he alone isn't going allow them to compete for anything meaningful. Get the most for him now, before he's in his early-mid 30s tied up in a monstrous deal.

[Shakril]

RJ + Jakob + picks for KD makes sense for both sides. I'd give up a future first and keep this 9th pick tho.
Suns want a C, they get RJ who fits the bill as a young 20pt scorer and some future compensation.
KD comes to Toronto out East to compete next year. 3 yr deal which lines up with BI being a FA.

This makes no sense whatsoever. The Suns are in a rebuilt, if they want or not. They want assetts or young talent,
KD with the Raps is such a no-go- Not only is he a curse, but he is constantly injured. He also is not in his prime anymore. He doesnt move the needle for us to win. And what do we do witout a center?

[OakleyDokely]

Over the last 2 years, KD played 75 and 62 games, which is more than a lot of other younger stars.

Last season, he put up 26 PPG on shooting splits of 53/43/84 and a 64 TS%. He's still one the very best offensive players.

If you can get him and keep your core intact, that's a big win because you're likely getting a legit #1 option who will play around 65 games.

He's a rental though, with only a year left on his deal so a lot will depend on the cost to acquire him.

[anotherhomer]

Doesn't Booker have 3 years remaining on his current deal, going through the 2027/28 season? Why are they talking extension so early?

Probably because the only way Booker doesnt ask out is if they max him out.

They don't usually ask out until AFTER they get their next big pay check.

if suns can get all their picks back by trading booker to rockets, they should honestly do it

[iBall101]

RJ + Jakob + picks for KD makes sense for both sides. I'd give up a future first and keep this 9th pick tho.
Suns want a C, they get RJ who fits the bill as a young 20pt scorer and some future compensation.
KD comes to Toronto out East to compete next year. 3 yr deal which lines up with BI being a FA.

No it doesn't. Our team finally has a legit 5 and we're going to ship him away for a frail veteran that's clearly on the decline. Wouldn't be a wise move