Durant to Suns

[Chaplin]

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.



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.

Again, you don't know that. Could they trade or acquire more picks? Of course.

 

[Covert Rain]

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.



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.

What do you mean? They have picks leading up to those. Even then it's every other pick and not back-to-back picks. Plus, Ishbia is not Sarver. He will be active.

 

[Yuma]

Everyone has been moving Booker out of here since he was drafted. Booker continually says he loves living here. He is attending MORE events locally. He wants to retire with one organization his whole career. He keeps saying it. When will you guys EVER believe it?

 

[elindholm]

Yeah… the “picks will be lotto picks!” Just totally ignores that post KD we will STILL be building around Booker/Ayton

All three of their contracts are up in 2026. Which means either you convince Booker (and maybe Ayton) to re-up for huge dollars once the party's over, or you start from scratch -- with no draft picks.

 

[BirdGangThing]

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

I'm thinking Torrey Craig might best fit with the Ayton/Booker/CP3/KD line up. Craig is serviceable in rebounding and in hitting the three

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm thinking Torrey Craig might best fit with the Ayton/Booker/CP3/KD line up. Craig is serviceable in rebounding and in hitting the three

Gives us length and D also. And athleticism.

 

[Yuma]

I'm thinking Torrey Craig might best fit with the Ayton/Booker/CP3/KD line up. Craig is serviceable in rebounding and in hitting the three

It like to see Londale in there for a few minutes, since he gets so many offensive rebounds. Torrey starting to hit the offensive boards, too! Plus our second team is intact. If Cam ever comes back, he makes our second unit better than it's been playing, too!

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Man we are a battered fan base.

 

[Yuma]

All three of their contracts are up in 2026. Which means either you convince Booker (and maybe Ayton) to re-up for huge dollars once the party's over, or you start from scratch -- with no draft picks.

Barring serious injury, Booker will be resigned. No way they let him go. If we win an NBA Championship, I imagine he gets resigned early.

 

[Hoop Head]

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

Lets not pretend it was cheap or free to bring those guys in. What will we have to bring their replacement or the next guy who wants in? That's where 4 picks hurts. We very well could end up in a situation like the Lakers have been in post bubble. All the money is tied up in 2-3 players and unless another team is willing to give someone away, we can't bring them in because we have nothing to use in a trade.

FTR I've come around on this trade a lot since it happened and I was initially pessimistic but I'm not 100% sold yet. I still worry some about the future and the cost involved here. This has to work or there isn't a viable plan B. The Suns went all in on a full house and usually that will win the pot but nothing is guaranteed and there's still a chance someone else's hand is greater. I don't mean someone else makes a bigger deal, I mean they beat the Suns for the title or the Suns don't make it there for some reason.

 

[GatorAZ]

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.



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.

The Suns basically did what the Clippers did trading everything for Paul George to attract Kawhi. They didn’t win a title so it technically backfired but they’re still relevant b/c the owner spends. I would say our outlook won’t be much different should we come up short the next few years.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Man we are a battered fan base.

I think Ish wants to win, I think he understands winning teams make more money, and I think he's willing to pay for top quality players - it may take a little time for a lot of us to get used to this

 

[Chaplin]

All three of their contracts are up in 2026. Which means either you convince Booker (and maybe Ayton) to re-up for huge dollars once the party's over, or you start from scratch -- with no draft picks.

Well with no picks they won’t start over.

 

[Chaplin]

Lets not pretend it was cheap or free to bring those guys in. What will we have to bring their replacement or the next guy who wants in? That's where 4 picks hurts. We very well could end up in a situation like the Lakers have been in post bubble. All the money is tied up in 2-3 players and unless another team is willing to give someone away, we can't bring them in because we have nothing to use in a trade.

FTR I've come around on this trade a lot since it happened and I was initially pessimistic but I'm not 100% sold yet. I still worry some about the future and the cost involved here. This has to work or there isn't a viable plan B. The Suns went all in on a full house and usually that will win the pot but nothing is guaranteed and there's still a chance someone else's hand is greater. I don't mean someone else makes a bigger deal, I mean they beat the Suns for the title or the Suns don't make it there for some reason.

Most trades aren’t a slam dunk, and most are made based on potential.

Taken on potential, this trade has a good chance of being spectacular.

 

[Raindog]

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

Yeah, I missed that. Regardless, the Suns still have their own picks in alternate years up until then... and have a pick coming back from the Nets in 28, if they swap.

Everyone who wants to be a Chicken Little about this seems to be positing that somehow by the late 2020s, Booker and Ayton are going to have fallen apart, been dumped for nothing and/or the Suns just stopped trying to sign free agents or make any other personnel moves to improve the team.

Also, when CP and KD do go completely over the hill in the intervening time, the Suns will get back all the salary space they are currently eating up.

 

[Yuma]

Geez! Can we get through THIS season before worrying about rebuilding 3-4 YEARS from NOW? This IS a battered fan base! Already Assuming the worst!!

 

[BirdGangThing]

What are we going to call Wainwright now? Because there's a new Ish in town

 

[elindholm]

Also, when CP and KD do go completely over the hill in the intervening time, the Suns will get back all the salary space they are currently eating up.

If they can find a taker for Durant, yes. His contract goes through 2026, same as Booker's and Ayton's.

 

[Chaplin]

What are we going to call Wainwright now? Because there's a new Ish in town

If we don't acquire or sign anyone, you can call him a player on the active roster, because that will almost certainly happen.

 

[Covert Rain]

Lets not pretend it was cheap or free to bring those guys in. What will we have to bring their replacement or the next guy who wants in? That's where 4 picks hurts. We very well could end up in a situation like the Lakers have been in post bubble. All the money is tied up in 2-3 players and unless another team is willing to give someone away, we can't bring them in because we have nothing to use in a trade.

FTR I've come around on this trade a lot since it happened and I was initially pessimistic but I'm not 100% sold yet. I still worry some about the future and the cost involved here. This has to work or there isn't a viable plan B. The Suns went all in on a full house and usually that will win the pot but nothing is guaranteed and there's still a chance someone else's hand is greater. I don't mean someone else makes a bigger deal, I mean they beat the Suns for the title or the Suns don't make it there for some reason.

Cost has nothing to do with my point at all. My response was simply that players wanted to come here to play with Book. The topic wasn't cost. At the end of the day players like CP3 and Durant GO WHERE THEY WANT. Neither player would be here if not for Book.

 

[Hoop Head]

What are we going to call Wainwright now? Because there's a new Ish in town

A cab to the airport and some movers because he's not needed? Seriously, I'm surprised he's still with the team. I would have cut him and kept Washington but oh well. Two-way players aren't playoff eligible so just a matter of time before his run here is up. I think he's beating 50 games active also so he's about done with us.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Is anyone even posting in the Cardinals forum here because I wouldn't know lol

 

[elindholm]

To be clear, I don't care about the 23 and 25 picks. Those will be late in the round and the Suns will be in win-now mode.

But for a rebuilding team to be without its own pick in three consecutive drafts is extremely dangerous. It's the whole reason the Stepien rule exists in the first place. You have to give up something to get something, but let's be clear -- the surrender of those three picks is the true cost of this trade.

 

[Hoop Head]

Cost has nothing to do with my point at all. My response was simply that players wanted to come here to play with Book.

Which is great but the whole league could want to play with Booker for all it matters. It doesn't help who wants to play with him if the Suns don't have a way to add them.

 

[Raindog]

If they can find a taker for Durant, yes. His contract goes through 2026, same as Booker's and Ayton's.

If his contract expires in 2026 and he is shot by then, we just let him go and use that space to resign our own guys and maybe even what will be at least likely one (if not more) useful player(s) in the FA market at that time.