Durant to Suns

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I know but this trade was about Bridges for the Nets. Cam J was bound to get traded anyway because I kept saying the Suns are in a tough spot to pay him because of the luxury tax and not being a true PF. The Nets didn't value Cam J like Suns fans. Unless the Suns completely tank those are not going to be great picks.

Suns fans overvalue cam for a simple reason, he’s the anti-Ayton in terms of expectations. E all had enormous expectations of Ayton when he was drafted as an athletic, skilled 7 footer number one overall. We all had negative expectations when we reached for a physically limited older unathletic wing that most projected to go really late when we had the sixth pick. Ayton underperformed our expectations. Cam greatly outperformed our expectations. But Ayton is a vastly superior player to cam, but you wouldn’t know it from reading this board. And I’ve always been a part of that. But it’s because of our expectations. Step back and you’ll note that cam is a terrific shooter but injured often player. The nba is full of these players and these types are growing in number. There’s a reason his name isn’t coming up often in discussion of the trade nationally, he’s a component piece.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

According to who though? The market dictates that. Crowder just got traded for 5 freaking 2nd round picks?!!? The market is crazy. If you are not willing to play you can't win. That looks liks the Suns could have gotten that from the Bucks but then you don't have KD. It's really complex to look at any of these pieces individually.

Not to mention how we each value these assets. You think 5 second round picks is a lot. I think it’s pocket change for a championship contender.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Ishbia looks like he’s cut from the same cloth

And unlike Jerry, Ishbia has stupid money!

A billionaire owner is a shot of adrenaline to the heart of a team. Yes, I HATE losing Bridges, but mostly because he's a great person. He's an excellent player, but Durant is an all timer and appears to still be in his prime. The next couple years should be incredibly exciting.

I'm not too concerned in the long run about the assets surrendered because money solves many problems. Having an owner who is apparently unafraid to take big swings and pay the big bucks is a dream scenario for all of us.

Fair compensation for us living through the Sarver experience.

 

[zett]

Poor Bridges just bought a house in the Valley

he can keep it, and move back in when his current contract expires!

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

The Ishbia’s are definitely hustlers for sure.

 

[Covert Rain]

Part of me is still processing we now have the SLIM REAPER on this team.

 

[TJ]

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

I think people assumed that DA was they key asset in a trade for KD but it turned out to be Mikal.

 

[sdscard4]

DA is the key in all of this. We Get a motivated Ayton and he gets past the Butthurt...man oh man his numbers are gonna be insane. He can literally punish every team we face with these dudes on the floor....but will he? 2 days ago I wanted his ass shipped to China ...today I'm all for DA

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Kevin Durant Blows the Ceiling off the Suns’ System

The Phoenix Suns’ well-designed offense is the perfect landing spot for Durant, and Durant in turn has the ability to propel the Suns further than their infrastructure ever could

www.theringer.com

Enjoy this!

 

[carrrnuttt]

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[Phrazbit]

Don't know if this has been posted yet but Brian Windbag thinks Kyrie is likely to try to join Durant in Phoenix.

I don't want it to happen and I don't see how it is even a possibility unless he is going to play for the MLE.

 

[Dback Jon]

That bottom one - all too real.

 

[carrrnuttt]

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Speak up. Which ASFN member is this?

 

[Bufalay]

The trade is okay. As Bufalay suggested, it has the risk of being more like the O'Neal trade than like the Barkley trade. Durant is better now than O'Neal was then, but this is a highly desperate move that gambles everything on the next season and a half.

Bridges and Johnson were good citizens and valuable players, but neither is a consistent impact player. Neither will ever be more than the fourth or fifth guy on a good team. The Suns will feel their loss now more than they will in the future.

The Suns do not own their own first-round pick in the 2027, 2028, or 2029 drafts, and there's no protection. That's incredibly risky. How do the Suns expect to have a playoff team by then? Booker, Ayton, and G-leaguers? So probably the team gets completely blown up by that point, most likely including Booker, in an attempt to get some picks back. By then, though, no one will be giving up unprotected picks in those drafts, so the Suns will be trying to rebuild around lower picks at best. I can't see any way that this won't be a dismal period.

Of course it's all worth it if they win the title this year or next. But how likely is that? None of the four stars can stay healthy. Furthermore, none is an above-average defender, so even in the one game every six weeks when they're all able to take the floor, they're going to give up 140 points. This trade definitely raises the Suns' ceiling for the short term, but I don't think it makes them better. Basically it's like spending $1000 on lottery tickets because you might get lucky and scratch off $10,000.

I don't blame New Guy for wanting to make a big splash, but the draft situation at the end of the decade is terrifying, and the chances of everything working out as planned are very low.

Also, Durant is a jerk. I loved Barkley even before he came to the Suns. He was a jerk too, but I always felt that his heart was in the right place, and his fire on the court was infectious. Durant is just a pouting baby whose claim to fame is that he road the coattails of a Warriors team that was championship-caliber without him. If he gets the Suns to the promised land, okay, but I'm never going to be enthusiastic about him.

I partially agree with this sentiment. Would've been cool to see the Suns win with Bridges and Johnson who were easy to root for and not front runners like Durant. With Durant, and Paul, the narrative becomes more focused on them and their legacies and less on the Suns as a team.

 

[Bufalay]

As much as I liked cam and he was a pleasant surprise, what he’s brought to the table (when he’s been able to make it to the table) is absolutely replaceable.

Similar to Tim Perry's only good season in Phoenix.

 

[Bufalay]

People kvetching about the draft picks - get back to me when ANY of the franchises stockpiling all of these future picks (i.e., OKC, Orlando, Houston, Utah, Brooklyn) turn into an NBA powerhouse. I'm willing to bet that by 2030, all of the above will likely still be NBA bottom feeders.

The only real way to win big in this league is to heist the stars from someone else. Yes, occasionally you can luck out and get the first pick in a draft with the next Kareem / Shaq / Lebron. That happens about once every 20 years. Most of the other franchise changers are just good scouting and pure dumb luck to have someone like Giannis or Jokic or Lillard fall in your lap.

Boston got Tatum and Brown from picks they got from the Nets.

 

[Bufalay]

How many games has Bridges missed and how many games has Durant missed. Did the Nets win a championship with Durant?

Probably would've won last year if Irving had gotten a covid shot.

 

[Phrazbit]

Probably would've won last year if Irving had gotten a covid shot.

Irving was allowed to play full time well before the playoffs.

They got swept by Boston because Boston was a much better team.

It also didn't help that Ben Simmons pulled one of his lunatic acts and made it seem as though he was just about to finally play and then kept pulling the rug out... all while dressing like a clown and looking like he was perpetually on the brink of tears.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Similar to Tim Perry's only good season in Phoenix.

CamJ is miles better than Tim Perry.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Part of me is still processing we now have the SLIM REPEAR on this team.

How does one pear again?


(Reaper - BIM)

 

[Covert Rain]

How does one pear again?


(Reaper - BIM)

chianti?

 

[JCSunsfan]

Is TJ Warren healthy? He is a useful piece when healthy.

 

[Chaplin]

Is TJ Warren healthy? He is a useful piece when healthy.

Did you watch the last game the Suns played? Warren played pretty well in the 2nd half.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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Speak up. Which ASFN member is this?

That’s awesome!

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Boston got Tatum and Brown from picks they got from the Nets.

You’re right. And the nets still somehow ended up with KD, kyrie, and harden. It didn’t work for them because of the who’s, but if the suns are able to land two more similarly talented players once kd and Paul retire, we keep in trekking along as a very good team. Books a recruiter. Ishbia is a big spender. Nice combo for post-KD/Paul era.