[Charania] - Durant’s business partner, Rich Kleiman, are sorting through trade options (HOU, SAS, MIN, MIA, NY))

[sidsid]

I wonder if instead of Durant we can be a trade facilitator. If we could get a 2025 frp it would be ideal.

I think a team like Phoenix might want Ochai and IQ as part of a return for Durant.

The cleanest version of the trade for KD is IQ/Jak for salary matching and keeping breathing room/space for follow up trades under the apron. You could match Richards in a separate deal with Grady as an example.

That opens the door for something like RJ for Jrue to give the Celtics the tax savings they're looking for and filling a hole on our end.

Any other move for needs/depth is pretty much up to an Ingram trade.

Things just get real complicated if you're trying to revamp your roster without the initial IQ trade.

[Tripod]

I wonder if instead of Durant we can be a trade facilitator. If we could get a 2025 frp it would be ideal.

I think a team like Phoenix might want Ochai and IQ as part of a return for Durant.

And why do we not want 2 40% 3pt shooters? They are worth more than a 1st.

[LoveMyRaps]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=PSy3Ch7pvG4ybe2MpvWFcw

Any raps mention ?

[Dalek]

I wonder if instead of Durant we can be a trade facilitator. If we could get a 2025 frp it would be ideal.

I think a team like Phoenix might want Ochai and IQ as part of a return for Durant.

And why do we not want 2 40% 3pt shooters? They are worth more than a 1st.

We have a log jam at the position and if we don't see a future with Ochai they may want to move him. IQ is a tougher call, but I think there are many PG reset options in the draft. Never been a huge fan of IQ as a starter here.

[WuTang_CMB]

Durant's list of preferred trade destinations contains three teams. Yet it almost had four.

The Stein Line has learned that the Knicks also would have featured on that list but were ultimately omitted when New York made it clear that it has decided against pursuing a trade for the NBA's No. 8 all-time leading scorer.

The wish list thus only goes three deep, featuring Texas neighbors San Antonio and Houston and the Miami Heat.

Sources say the Suns, meanwhile, are not promising to send Durant to any of those destinations. They are open to a mutually beneficial trade to the Spurs, Rockets or Heat if they end up liking the return, but it appears that Phoenix is prepared to make the best deal it can after surrendering a staggering haul to acquire Durant from Brooklyn in the first place in February 2023.

How staggering? Phoenix, remember, packaged Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder to Brooklyn along with four unprotected first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029) and swap rights on the teams' first-round selections in 2028.

So ...

Minnesota?

The LA Clippers?

Toronto?

Mystery Suitor X?


Yet again we turn to our pals from the PHNX Suns podcast for some graphical assistance.
The Suns know they won't be able to come anywhere close to matching (gulp) what they gave up to get Durant but appear heartened by the level of interest from teams that sound willing to trade for Durant with no assurance that he'll commit to anything beyond the final season remaining on his contract at $54.7 million.


When it comes to Houston and Durant specifically ...

In the wake of the Rockets' first-round exit and their offensive issues against Golden State, there do appear to be certain trade scenarios that would tempt them to scrap the long-held belief that Durant — nearing his 37th birthday in September — is not the proper timeline fit with Houston's impressive core of twentysomethings. My pal Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported Saturday night that Jabari Smith Jr.'s name has begun to circulate as a player who interests Phoenix.

In general, though, I think The People's Insider Jake Fischer put it well Saturday in his comprehensive assessment of The KD Trade Landscape that you definitely are advised to read if you missed it: The greater interest in a Durant-to-Houston deal has always been on the Suns' side.

And it should be obvious why. Houston has already taken possession of Phoenix's top pick in the draft on June 25 (No. 10 overall via Brooklyn) and likewise has control of the Suns' top selection in both 2027 and 2029. The Suns naturally hoped that offering Durant to the Rockets could enable them to reclaim control of at least one of those picks and the Rockets naturally have scant interest in fulfilling that wish.

[TimeForChange]

Read on Twitter

[Tripod]

I wonder if instead of Durant we can be a trade facilitator. If we could get a 2025 frp it would be ideal.

I think a team like Phoenix might want Ochai and IQ as part of a return for Durant.

And why do we not want 2 40% 3pt shooters? They are worth more than a 1st.

We have a log jam at the position and if we don't see a future with Ochai they may want to move him. IQ is a tougher call, but I think there are many PG reset options in the draft. Never been a huge fan of IQ as a starter here.

PG's often take a few years to become positive players. If we are trading Durant we will need a starting level PG.

[sidsid]

I just don’t see this happening. He’s going to get moved, probably to Miami, where it makes sense as a one last hurrah type of thing. I just don’t think it makes as much sense here though, mostly because I just can’t see us moving Poeltl. You can’t easily just get a starting caliber center - look at how badly Phoenix struggled with that this year.

This also isn’t a Kawhi situation where the team was close and you could take that risk. That team was older, KD is older, and we’ve been bad for a few years now.

I would be all over this if we had the same team we had for Kawhi. But this team just has way too many question marks to become a contender overnight. We would need a lot to go right even if we got KD.

Just doesn't seem like a trade the old Masai would do. Adding an old deprecating asset to a team with a lot of question marks.

Unless Masai decides to gut the team and trade everyone for pieces that fit the timeline of gunning for a ring in the next two years with KD.

Masai crossed a fork in the road when he bailed on the Wemby lotto draft for the Jak trade. The chance to accumulate assets and build that cupboard to make trades isn't there, and the BI trade cemented it. The team isn't tanking and it's already expensive.

Masai would absolutely do this, and potentially other follow-up consolidation trades, to go for it. The team doesn't have the asset runway of the chip team, but that's his fault for a lack of patience.

[Scase]

would u guys do this?
I think this is the most we would go. We are not giving up #9 for 1 yr of KD
ur basically swapping RJ and Agbaji for BI and KD ... super upgrade in talent but Alex Mckecknie would have to work overtime.

That defence would be historically bad lol. I wouldn't send out Ochai over RJ, so RJ and like GD or JKW.

[Scase]

Read on Twitter

If for no other reason, this makes sense from a financial POV, RJ is in no way 22mil/yr more productive than Gradey.

[LoveMyRaps]

Read on Twitter

If for no other reason, this makes sense from a financial POV, RJ is in no way 22mil/yr more productive than Gradey.

I like RJ but would prefer to sell high and trade him ASAP, rather than waiting till next summer when he’s nothing more than an expiring contract.

[TGM]

Charlotte Hornets Get:
No. 2 pick
2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Oklahoma City or Philadelphia, via San Antonio)
Minnesota’s 2028 second-round pick (via San Antonio)

Phoenix Suns Get:
Harrison Barnes
Keldon Johnson
Jeremy Sochan
Mark Williams
No. 14 pick
San Antonio’s 2026 first-round pick
2027 first-round pick (second-most favorable of Charlotte, Dallas or Miami, via Charlotte)

San Antonio Spurs Get:
Kevin Durant
No. 4 pick


This is an interesting deal proposed on bleacher. Not bad for all parties. Maybe Charlotte needs a bit more.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Read on Twitter

If for no other reason, this makes sense from a financial POV, RJ is in no way 22mil/yr more productive than Gradey.

I like RJ but would prefer to sell high and trade him ASAP, rather than waiting till next summer when he’s nothing more than an expiring contract.

No where else has dick been talked about in this context. I think RJs on the block, but this guy is unserious.

[LoveMyRaps]

If for no other reason, this makes sense from a financial POV, RJ is in no way 22mil/yr more productive than Gradey.

I like RJ but would prefer to sell high and trade him ASAP, rather than waiting till next summer when he’s nothing more than an expiring contract.

No where else has dick been talked about in this context. I think RJs on the block, but this guy is unserious.

ya Sidery isn't a credible source. just some random guy throwing sh*t out there.

[Dalek]

And why do we not want 2 40% 3pt shooters? They are worth more than a 1st.

We have a log jam at the position and if we don't see a future with Ochai they may want to move him. IQ is a tougher call, but I think there are many PG reset options in the draft. Never been a huge fan of IQ as a starter here.

PG's often take a few years to become positive players. If we are trading Durant we will need a starting level PG.

I think this team can live without IQ. RJ and Scottie initiate the offense a lot and Shead is good in spurts and hopefully the draft pick could be a steal. My dream of Traore and Beringer must happen.

[RaptorPride]

I just don’t see this happening. He’s going to get moved, probably to Miami, where it makes sense as a one last hurrah type of thing. I just don’t think it makes as much sense here though, mostly because I just can’t see us moving Poeltl. You can’t easily just get a starting caliber center - look at how badly Phoenix struggled with that this year.

This also isn’t a Kawhi situation where the team was close and you could take that risk. That team was older, KD is older, and we’ve been bad for a few years now.

I would be all over this if we had the same team we had for Kawhi. But this team just has way too many question marks to become a contender overnight. We would need a lot to go right even if we got KD.

Just doesn't seem like a trade the old Masai would do. Adding an old deprecating asset to a team with a lot of question marks.

Unless Masai decides to gut the team and trade everyone for pieces that fit the timeline of gunning for a ring in the next two years with KD.

Masai crossed a fork in the road when he bailed on the Wemby lotto draft for the Jak trade. The chance to accumulate assets and build that cupboard to make trades isn't there, and the BI trade cemented it. The team isn't tanking and it's already expensive.

Masai would absolutely do this, and potentially other follow-up consolidation trades, to go for it. The team doesn't have the asset runway of the chip team, but that's his fault for a lack of patience.

Masai and lack of patience in the same sentence is crazy.

I think Masai was hoping one of OG, Pascal or Fred would turn into a number one option after we won our ring. He just didn't want to break these guys up.

He probably kept that group together a bit to long. He also didn't really add any shooting or solid players to help those guys.

I would have no problem with the current team but it's just way to expensive for what it is.

[Reeko]

would u guys do this?
I think this is the most we would go. We are not giving up #9 for 1 yr of KD
ur basically swapping RJ and Agbaji for BI and KD ... super upgrade in talent but Alex Mckecknie would have to work overtime.

That defence would be historically bad lol. I wouldn't send out Ochai over RJ, so RJ and like GD or JKW.

We can't send out Yak in any hypothetical trade scenarios that don't involve a big man coming back, unless you want to run Scottie into the ground having him play center for an entire season. Unless you think that Ulrich Chomche is ready to take up the majority of minutes at C, which let's be real, he's probably not.

[LoveMyRaps]

Today seems like a good day for KD to become a Raptor

[Scase]

would u guys do this?
I think this is the most we would go. We are not giving up #9 for 1 yr of KD
ur basically swapping RJ and Agbaji for BI and KD ... super upgrade in talent but Alex Mckecknie would have to work overtime.

That defence would be historically bad lol. I wouldn't send out Ochai over RJ, so RJ and like GD or JKW.

We can't send out Yak in any hypothetical trade scenarios that don't involve a big man coming back, unless you want to run Scottie into the ground having him play center for an entire season. Unless you think that Ulrich Chomche is ready to take up the majority of minutes at C, which let's be real, he's probably not.

Much like the first time KD was in the news, and Lillard, we cannot get these guys, without gutting incredibly important roles on the team. If we ship out Jak and we rely on a young guy like Chomche or Malauch etc. then we are just wasting time.

I'm only somewhat pro KD trade, because I think the current core is pretty crappy, and if we're gonna make short-sighted moves like trading for BI, why not go all in. At least that would be entertaining vs some weak 1st round exit team year in and out. But there is no way to bring in KD, and manage a roster that will be anything but fodder for the real teams.

[SurgeIblocka]

Time to pounce on trading for Ja i would rather have him