Durant to Suns

[Chaplin]

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.

We have two open spots right now, if we don't sign anyone, we'll convert him. He's not done, not by a long shot. And he's actually played pretty well for us recently, even taking major defensive assignments late in games.

 

[Covert Rain]

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.

The reverse is also true. It doesn't matter if the Suns have all the cap room in the world if you don't have Booker to want to play with.

 

[MadCardDisease]

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

that's what I was thinking. This elevates DA's game as well.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

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.

First of all, with hindsight that CP trade was a steal for the Suns. We traded two decent role players for a guy that immediately turned us into contenders. Secondly the original point was that those guys ended up here because they wanted to play with Booker. It's unlikely that either KD or CP are Suns right now if they didn't specifically ask to be routed to Phoenix.

 

[Hoop Head]

I swear we need like 3-4 threads for all this.
1 for those who want to celebrate the trade
1 for those who are coming to terms with it
1 for those who don't like it
1 for those who want to discuss the fallout as far as who else we can add around this core.

Probably forgetting 1 as well. It seems like the narrative here is constantly shifting though and its hard to keep up and reply to certain takes.

 

[Proximo]

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

Yeah, it's him or Okogie, and Okogie has been awful shooting lately.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

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.

Yes, but if we are at the point of rebuild at that time there is a good chance that we traded or are going to trade away guys like Booker and Ayton which would net us plenty of picks in return. This is also likely to be a free agent destination and thus I just don't see this team being bad a few years from now.

 

[BirdGangThing]

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.

The great teams, the teams who consistently win, they tend to do it with owners who pay for talent, not lottery picks. Sure there could be a rebuild at some point, but if we can win a ring or two before that point... that should be the goal. I want to win it all, not worry about who we draft 5 years from now

 

[Germz249]

I don’t know why everyone is acting surprise.. if you would have listen to Flex he called this 8 or 9 months ago.

 

[Hoop Head]

I don’t know why everyone is acting surprise.. if you would have listen to Flex he called this 8 or 9 months ago.

I hope this was sarcastic. With a new owner and the pieces involved, its safe to say Flex was full of it before and didn't call this anymore than someone claiming they had the winning lottery numbers and then finally seeing those numbers come up after 206 other lotto drawings.

 

[Yuma]

Steven A: "This is the best chance for the Suns to win the title in my lifetime!"

 

[Krangodnzr]

Yes, but if we are at the point of rebuild at that time there is a good chance that we traded or are going to trade away guys like Booker and Ayton which would net us plenty of picks in return. This is also likely to be a free agent destination and thus I just don't see this team being bad a few years from now.

That's what you do.

Screw the picks. Picks are for losers.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I swear we need like 3-4 threads for all this.
1 for those who want to celebrate the trade
1 for those who are coming to terms with it
1 for those who don't like it
1 for those who want to discuss the fallout as far as who else we can add around this core.

Probably forgetting 1 as well. It seems like the narrative here is constantly shifting though and its hard to keep up and reply to certain takes.

1 for who want to talk actual basketball impact

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I don’t know why everyone is acting surprise.. if you would have listen to Flex he called this 8 or 9 months ago.

I think the one thing he did absolutely nail was that resigning Ayton didn't eliminate KD. There was a path.

He has some source but it's not particularly reliable

 

[Germz249]

I hope this was sarcastic. With a new owner and the pieces involved, its safe to say Flex was full of it before and didn't call this anymore than someone claiming they had the winning lottery numbers and then finally seeing those numbers come up after 206 other lotto drawings.

Yea it was sarcastic lol. I am never one to be serious on here. I just enjoy reading the debates, learning and getting info from the members here. I am not knowledgeable enough so I figure I can at least try to contribute with my crappy humor.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yea it was sarcastic lol. I am never one to be serious on here. I just enjoy reading the debates, learning and getting info from the members here. I am not knowledgeable enough so I figure I can at least try to contribute with my crappy humor.

I appreciate your humor. I was afraid you were becoming a Flex defender though since there are a couple of those here.

 

[Germz249]

I appreciate your humor. I was afraid you were becoming a Flex defender though since there are a couple of those here.

Lol no. I don't know if Flex is a good source but everyone seems to not be high on him.

I texted my coworker last night to tell him we traded for Cam J, Crowder, Mikal and picks for TJ Warren and some thrown in guy. He was mad and thought it made no sense.. then asked who was the scrub they threw in.

 

[Raindog]

I don’t know why everyone is acting surprise.. if you would have listen to Flex he called this 8 or 9 months ago.

Actually, Flex called it ten years ago... he just didn't tell anybody about it until 8 or 9 months ago.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Actually, Flex called it ten years ago... he just didn't tell anybody about it until 8 or 9 months ago.

Yeah he got that from Santos.

 

[Krangodnzr]

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.

Trade Booker and Ayton. That replaces picks.

 

[dscher]

no, plenty of people who arent blinded by the short term excitement realize they mortgaged a massive chunk of their future for this jerk.

You liking anyone lately?

 

[Yuma]

You liking anyone lately?

Plus we just got a young first round pick in a trade! With no draft pick? How did we do that?

 

[BirdGangThing]

Not sure if it was on the phone or in person I'm guessing Ish has already talked with Booker

And I'm also guessing Ish asked something along the lines of "What do you think would make this team a contender?" Or "What can I do as an owner to help the team?"

Here's my speculation. I think Booker may have mentioned KD, how close we were to getting KD earlier, and perhaps what a difference KD would make

I looked at Book's twitter. As far as I could find, he's only quoted one NBA player on his feed, which speaks volumes to me. I think at the very least Booker was consulted before the trade and he okay'd it

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[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Ishbia will keep this team in the hunt in the coming years.
.

This can’t be stressed enough.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This can’t be stressed enough.

Yup. This was a move Jerry would have made. Doesn’t mean it always worked out, but Colangelo was always swinging for the fences. Ishbia looks like he’s cut from the same cloth… one day into the job.