[Charania] KD To Rockets For Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, #10 And 5 Second Round Picks

[DreamTeam09]

That's all it took?

Suns best hope they can reroute Jalen Green for more than a salary dump because this is kind of pathetic unless they nail that 10th overall pick or reroute it and Green or Brooks for someone better.

KD is an expiring, anything is better than nothing*,(sometimes) they got a 20ppg scorer and a top 10 pick and a 3+D vet, they did well considering it's a blow up situation

*Edit

[iBall101]

Whewwwww! Glad this situation is over.

[Raps in 4]

Looks like the Rockets wanted to get out of Green's contract. It was still an overpay though.

[WuTang_OG]

The second-round picks from Houston are the Rockets 2032, Boston's 2030, the #59 this year and 2 second-rounders for 2026

[ForeverTFC]

i think it makes 2nd rounders less of a gamble as there will be more upperclassmen. teams will have a bigger body of work and will be able to get guys that can help much sooner.

Eventually yes. But it’ll take 2-3 years to get there.

We likely are already there. 2nd rounders a lot of the time were seniors already, so this really doesn't impact the pool that much. NIL has been a thing for a few years already, so it likely has already normalized.

Yeah I’m not sure and don’t have a strong opinion. I remember reading an article that a lot less players are entering the waters (which definitely isn’t good for talent) and that execs expect a shallower 2nd round for a couple years. But I can’t find it so maybe I imagined it?

[Tor_Raps]

Any interest in gambling on Green? He shows flashes of being an elite scorer but then more flashes of being useless when that particular skill isnt working lol.

[djsunyc]

RJ Yak 9 is definitely a better package but glad we didnt give in

if that was the offer, kd would be a raptor. yak not on the table is my guess.

[WuTang_OG]

Read on Twitter

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

If Durant wanted to be Raptor he would be, imo. Too bad.

[Pointgod]

Read on Twitter

The Suns engaged in serious talks to move Durant this week, primarily focused on the Heat, Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, sources said. Several other wild-card suitors emerged as well -- including the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets, sources said. But with Durant on an expiring, $54.7 million contract and eligible for a new two-year extension after the trade, the league's market for him clearly showed his ability to dictate whether he wanted to play for a franchise long term.

The Suns' conversations focused on the Rockets and Heat in recent days, but both teams showed an unwillingness to part with young cornerstones such as Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard (Houston) and Kel'el Ware (Miami) in a Durant deal, sources said. The Heat made multiple offers for Durant but ultimately turned down the opportunity to place Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and other draft assets in a deal, sources said.

Green averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season while shooting a career-best 35.4% from 3-point range. The 23-year-old -- who was the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA draft -- played all 82 games in each of the last 2 seasons. He made 234 3-pointers this season, the most in a campaign by a Rockets player since James Harden in 2019-20. He now teams with All-NBA star Devin Booker to form a high-powered backcourt in their 20s.

Brooks shot a career-best 39.7% on 3-pointers this season and ranked third in total defensive matchups against 2025 All-Stars this season, according to ESPN Research. Whitmore, who turns 21 in July, averaged 0.46 points per touch, the fourth-best among players to record 1,000 touches this season. For a Suns team that has stated they want to preach toughness and grit moving forward, with owner Mat Ishbia preaching a new culture of "toughness," Brooks has embodied such attributes throughout his career.

Durant arrived to the Suns in a February 2023 deadline trade, and his 26.8 points per game as a member of the franchise as the most in Suns history. The Suns now have three first-round picks and eight second-rounders eligible to be traded, resetting and replenishing most of the assets they traded when they moved four firsts for Durant.

The Suns went 36-46 this season and finished in 11th place in the Western Conference with the highest payroll in NBA history, leading to organizational changes in the hiring of executive Brian Gregory as general manager and Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as the new head coach.

Wait did Suns get Cam Whitmore as well or did Chams post another version of the trade lmao?

[LoveMyRaps]

Would be hilarious if Siakam wins the title this year, then Fred wins it next year, then OG the following year.

[DreamTeam09]

How does NIL have any impact? lol

Quality of second rounders since would rather stay in college and earn more + improving their draft stock to become 1st rounders in the future

Eventually all those players will need to declare so NIL is just delaying the inevitable for a few years. Drafts will just be stacked with more known talents since most will be older when declaring.

Yeah I expect drafts to be deeper in like 2-5yrs from now + with 2 new teams eventually / more prospects will be available because more positions are available

[WuTang_OG]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=0YpMScWXY2zRUqR8fH-usg

[Raps in 4]

Raptors the bridesmaid yet again

Except the bride is getting married to a 70 year-old with no money.

[PushDaRock]

How does NIL have any impact? lol

Kids are staying in school for a few million rather than entering the draft early if they're a projected SRP, so the talent pool depth is much worse than it used to be in the second round.

So it impacts maybe 1 or 2 drafts until all those guys come out.

It really makes no difference. If anything, over time it would lead to more data on players being available and increasing the value.

I don't think we have seen the real impact yet from NIL.

Assuming every kid outside of surefire FRP's start staying in school for 4 years. In the Second Round, you get stuck picking from one recruiting class vs in the past where you got to pick from the senior class but also have a lot of early entrants to pick from as well. The talent pool is always going to be less because there are less draft entrants than in the past.

[douggood]

Suns actually managed to increase payroll with this trade (when you factor in the salary of the 10th pick)

[Syd-TK3]

Can we get that pick from them somehow

[Merit]

Please stop saying that Giannis is gonna take 50 first round picks. That’s is that’s all.

[PushDaRock]

i think it makes 2nd rounders less of a gamble as there will be more upperclassmen. teams will have a bigger body of work and will be able to get guys that can help much sooner.

Less of a gamble but also less talented

I don't agree. you are hoping to get a good backup with 2nd rounders and that will still be the case. they will just be older so i think your hit rate of finding that player goes up.

Assuming every kid starts staying 4 years because they make more in NIL money than as a SRP, you are essentially only picking from one recruiting class. That's going to be less talent available than having multiple recruiting classes entering like in the past. The hit rate should improve with more of a body of work to evaluate but that doesn't matter much if there isn't enough NBA talent available in the second round.

[Gavin_TDThree]

5 second round picks are useless with NIL deals

How does NIL have any impact? lol

there's been an increase in players who aren't guaranteed a certain spot in first round who are opting to go back to school because they'd make more with NIL

https://businessofcollegesports.com/name-image-likeness/nil-impacting-student-athletes-decisions-to-return-or-go-pro/

So if you're projected to go in the 2nd and you have a good NIL deal, you may choose to stay in school another year. In turn reducing the depth/quality of the 2nd round