Durant to Suns

[Chaplin]

Yep. Would have loved to see top 1 or top 3 protection.

Again how do you know? You are predicting something 4 years from now. And again, 4 years ago did anyone think we'd be in the position we are now? In 2017, did anyone think that 4 years later we'd get Chris Paul? Or that we'd be in the Finals?

 

[AzStevenCal]

An even trade is going to be panned. I love Bridges, but I can see how the Nets wanted him. I had hoped we could have kept CamJ out of the trade if Bridges had to go. I hate that the Suns traded away picks with no protection again. At least top 1 or top 3 or something.

It's a gamble. It's rolling the dice. This team was gelling nicely. Who knows if the combo of Paul, Book, Ayton, and KD will work? You don't have the role players. Maybe we can add them in the buyout period.

I get both sides. I will miss Mikal. We will see.

I'm not at all worried about the fit, KD can play with anyone and his presence will make the game easier for everyone else including role players.

 

[Proximo]

Damn, we cut cable in our house and I've been watching Suns games on my phone through a semi-shady(?) website on my phone

Looks like a Ballsy Sports subscription is in my future, it's like $20 a month right??

Yes, $20 a month.

 

[Finito]

Okay I want to line up this Barkley and KD comparison.

Barkley: Career PER 24.5 with 177.2 win shares.

All star 11x
All NBA 1st team 5x
All NBA 2nd team 5x
NBA Rebounding Leader x1

Durant: Career PER 25.3 (26.5 this year) 161.1 Win Shares (he will blow by Barkley here)

NBA Champion 2x
FInals MVP 2x
League MVP 1x
All Star 13x
All NBA 1st team 6x
All NBA 2nd team 4x
NBA Scoring Champ 4x

He is much better than Barkley and he isn't remotely done.

Barkley is on that top 50 all time list but KD legitimately might be one of the 10 most talented players in the history of the NBA.

I don’t think people really understand how good KD is

 

[Covert Rain]

The picks in 27, 28, and 29 won't be late in the first round. They're likely to be in the lottery.

No way Ishbia lets the team fall to those lows IMO.

By the way, anybody know the rule for trading those picks from a "how far out" you are allowed to do it? I don't recall a team trading picks this far out.

 

[elindholm]

Okay I want to line up this Barkley and KD comparison.

Barkley: Career PER 24.5 with 177.2 win shares.

All star 11x
All NBA 1st team 5x
All NBA 2nd team 5x
NBA Rebounding Leader x1

Durant: Career PER 25.3 (26.5 this year) 161.1 Win Shares (he will blow by Barkley here)

NBA Champion 2x
FInals MVP 2x
League MVP 1x
All Star 13x
All NBA 1st team 6x
All NBA 2nd team 4x
NBA Scoring Champ 4x

He is much better than Barkley and he isn't remotely done.

Why did you leave out Barkley's MVP?

Regardless, I don't see how one list is "much better" than the other. The big difference is Durant's two championships, which he won with a Warriors team that was so absurdly stacked that the outcome was pretty much a forgone conclusion. Plus Durant didn't have to get through Jordan.

 

[Chaplin]

Barkley is on that top 50 all time list but KD legitimately might be one of the 10 most talented players in the history of the NBA.

I don’t think people really understand how good KD is

FOR SURE. Everyone is focusing on the loss of Mikal and some middling draft picks and ignoring what we got in return.

 

[Proximo]

I'm not at all worried about the fit, KD can play with anyone and his presence will make the game easier for everyone else including role players.

I'm not worried about it either.

We should be damn good when he is playing - the key phrase there is when he is playing.

 

[elindholm]

I don't see how a guy posting above career averages across the board is on the downside

What's his career average for games played per season?

 

[GatorAZ]

Remember when this was a thing haha:
.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm not worried about it either.

We should be damn good when he is playing - the key phrase there is when he is playing.

Yeah. My concern is solely about risk management, nothing to do with Durant WHEN he plays.

 

[Yuma]

I disagree on those late year picks. Booker will be a life long Sun. If Ayton is still here, and we add ANYONE worthwhile to the Suns, those will be low round picks, too. Maybe mid round at best. Plus the Nets have to hit on them, or whoever gets them. I agree we were going to trade them getting guys to build around Booker anyway. You guys really believe we keep them. Putting a top three protection on them is like peeing in black pants, it gives you a warm feeling and nobody notices.

 

[Raindog]

No way Ishbia lets the team fall to those lows IMO.

Another good point.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Spacing for Ayton is going to be fantastic. You have two guys that draw doubles.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yeah… the “picks will be lotto picks!” Just totally ignores that post KD we will STILL be building around Booker/Ayton AND that Booker has no shown himself to be someone who can lure superstars to the Valley.

 

[Covert Rain]

Spacing for Ayton is going to be fantastic. You have two guys that draw doubles.

Ayton likely is going to get less of those outside jumpers but who is going to crowd him at the bucket? You can't leave Book and KD?!!?!?

 

[puckhead]

Can Ish buy the Cardinals and Dbacks too?? Pretty please??

Yotes too, please?

 

[Chaplin]

Think about it, how are teams, even the good ones, going to defend us?

 

[Proximo]

I disagree on those late year picks. Booker will be a life long Sun. If Ayton is still here, and we add ANYONE worthwhile to the Suns, those will be low round picks, too. Maybe mid round at best. Plus the Nets have to hit on them, or whoever gets them. I agree we were going to trade them getting guys to build around Booker anyway. You guys really believe we keep them. Putting a top three protection on them is like peeing in black pants, it gives you a warm feeling and nobody notices.

You really so sure Book is a life long Sun when the roster is barren after KD retires?

Trading Book in 3 years to rebuild is probably going to be a reality.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I wonder what the plan with Warren is. Six man?

 

[Covert Rain]

You really so sure Book is a life long Sun when the roster is barren after KD retires?

Go back and check what I have been saying about Book. If this roster ever reaches the lows it did before? He will want to be gone. That was also predicated on who our owner was. No way Ishbia follows Sarver's path and lets this team get to those lows as long as Booker is here.

 

[Yuma]

Yeah… the “picks will be lotto picks!” Just totally ignores that post KD we will STILL be building around Booker/Ayton AND that Booker has no shown himself to be someone who can lure superstars to the Valley.

Totally depends. If KD helps us get a Championship, then Booker will be an NBA Champion. That makes him more desirable to play next to. Plus Book has been under the Sarver regime. Now we have new ownership. That affected guys wanting to play here, too!

 

[elindholm]

There is absolutely no way to know that. Come on Eric. That is 4 years from now.

But be realistic. Where is the next round of talent coming from? Not from the draft, since they don't have picks. Not in free agency, since Booker, Durant, and Ayton will combine for $145 million in salary in 2025-26 -- that's the actual number! Not in other trades, because the Suns no longer have quality tradeable assets, unless you plan to completely blow it up by moving Booker and Ayton, which would be a weird thing do without holding any of your own draft picks.

The Suns are absolutely mortgaging their future. No reasonable person can deny that. The question is whether it turns out to be worth it.

4 years ago in 2019, did you think we'd have KD 4 years later?

No, but I did expect them to have a roster with assets on it, including future picks. Which in a few years they won't.

 

[Covert Rain]

Totally depends. If KD helps us get a Championship, then Booker will be an NBA Champion. That makes him more desirable to play next to. Plus Book has been under the Sarver regime. Now we have new ownership. That affected guys wanting to play here, too!

Yet both CP3 and KD both wanted to come here to play with Book even without a title.

 

[elindholm]

Only picks in 27 and 29. They traded alternate years, as per NBA rules.

No, the trade also includes a swap in 28. They gave up all three (plus 23 and 25, which I agree have less value).