Watching the Twins succeed from afar.....

[Carolinacacti]

Bridges that should have never been traded.

Don't start this again....

 

[Hoop Head]

Don't start this again....

To be fair this is a thread about watching the Twins. If there is a place to discuss whether Mikal should have been traded, its here. I won't speak for Mainstreet on his meaning but I believe the more KD plays the easier it is to cope with Mikal being dealt. I personally still wish he wasn't traded but I'm used to the Suns not granting my wishes. They also won't hook me up with Lindsey Smith's contact info, such is life.

 

[Mainstreet]

Don't start this again....

Please use full quotes. There is a difference between a problem and symptoms of a problem.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's not about the Nets. It's about the Suns trading a player in Bridges that should have never been traded.

I don't know about shouldn't but that deal as is should never have happened AFAIC. We paid full price for a prime age superstar and what we got was a 34 year old superstar with serious injury risks. We way overpaid.

I think Brooklyn played it as smart as they could and we didn't. Brooklyn wasn't in the same situation they were in last summer. That Brooklyn was dealing with a superstar who had lost a lot of value and trade interest because he'd looked well past his prime in the playoffs. But this season KD (when he played) was once again playing near the top of his game. They knew a fish would bite. We were that fish.

If they insisted on Bridges, the deal should have been no more than Mikal, Cam, an unprotected 2023 pick and maybe a lightly protected 2025 pick. If they were focused more on replacing all the picks they'd given up, the deal should have been contracts (something like Saric, Crowder and Shamet) plus 4 unprotected picks and swaps. IMO either package beats the rumored next best offer even if we had to swap in CamJ for one of the contracts.

And even with the lesser packages it still would have have been a very risky move on our part, trading for a player that has missed more games the past 4 years than AD has without insisting on some insurance. With Kyrie gone and KD's trade value at the highest it could be, IMO Brooklyn simply couldn't wait any longer to move their unhappy star.

And to be clear, if we win 4 championships out of this deal I'll be thrilled but it will still be an overpayment. If you make the shot from 60 feet with your eyes closed and 20 seconds left on the clock it's still a horrible shot, that doesn't change just because you got lucky. And getting anywhere near 3.5 years of play out of KD will be incredibly lucky.

 

[BirdGangThing]

And to be clear, if we win 4 championships out of this deal I'll be thrilled but it will still be an overpayment.

Hey man you gotta give us some type of notice before posting this kinda stuff I just spit out my Cafe Bustelo and my wife is pissed

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't know about shouldn't but that deal as is should never have happened AFAIC. We paid full price for a prime age superstar and what we got was a 34 year old superstar with serious injury risks. We way overpaid.

I think Brooklyn played it as smart as they could and we didn't. Brooklyn wasn't in the same situation they were in last summer. That Brooklyn was dealing with a superstar who had lost a lot of value and trade interest because he'd looked well past his prime in the playoffs. But this season KD (when he played) was once again playing near the top of his game. They knew a fish would bite. We were that fish.

If they insisted on Bridges, the deal should have been no more than Mikal, Cam, an unprotected 2023 pick and maybe a lightly protected 2025 pick. If they were focused more on replacing all the picks they'd given up, the deal should have been contracts (something like Saric, Crowder and Shamet) plus 4 unprotected picks and swaps. IMO either package beats the rumored next best offer even if we had to swap in CamJ for one of the contracts.

And even with the lesser packages it still would have have been a very risky move on our part, trading for a player that has missed more games the past 4 years than AD has without insisting on some insurance. With Kyrie gone and KD's trade value at the highest it could be, IMO Brooklyn simply couldn't wait any longer to move their unhappy star.

And to be clear, if we win 4 championships out of this deal I'll be thrilled but it will still be an overpayment. If you make the shot from 60 feet with your eyes closed and 20 seconds left on the clock it's still a horrible shot, that doesn't change just because you got lucky. And getting anywhere near 3.5 years of play out of KD will be incredibly lucky.

I don't think James Jones makes this trade as constructed. This feels like one of those trades you read about on fan sites.

I hope the Suns new owner and all the fans get very lucky.

 

[sdscard4]

Do we beat the Mavs with Mikal today? I know what if but I think the main reason is KD

 

[AzStevenCal]

Do we beat the Mavs with Mikal today? I know what if but I think the main reason is KD

With Mikal AND CamJ, maybe. With just Mikal, highly doubt it. Mikal is becoming a star but he's not in Durant's class, never will be IMO.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Another 30 burger for Mikal - 57% from the field and 50% from beyond

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[95pro]

To be fair this is a thread about watching the Twins. If there is a place to discuss whether Mikal should have been traded, its here. I won't speak for Mainstreet on his meaning but I believe the more KD plays the easier it is to cope with Mikal being dealt. I personally still wish he wasn't traded but I'm used to the Suns not granting my wishes. They also won't hook me up with Lindsey Smith's contact info, such is life.

Get in line

 

[Raindog]

Do we beat the Mavs with Mikal today? I know what if but I think the main reason is KD

I don't think there is any way we would have won today without Durant... if only because the refs were giving superstar treatment to the Mavericks two guys all day long, and Durant offsets some of that because A) he merits similar treatment, and B) he is talented enough to lift his team beyond that disadvantage. That just doesn't happen if you swap out KD for Bridges/Cam, and we would have been sucker punched because of it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Thank God this board didn’t exist in 1993 because the over the top lamentation about Jeff Hornacek putting up 19/7/3 for a bad Philly team while Charles Barkley played like an MVP for an actual contender would have been almost too much to take.

 

[Phrazbit]

Thank God this board didn’t exist in 1993 because the over the top lamentation about Jeff Hornacek putting up 19/7/3 for a bad Philly team while Charles Barkley played like an MVP for an actual contender would have been almost too much to take.

Did that team trade Hornacek along with most of their draft assets over the next decade... I don't recall?

And I could swear, that Barkley was 29, not 34, and in his prime, durable as hell to that point in his career... but maybe I'm mistaken.

Thank god they won a title.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Did that team trade Hornacek along with most of their draft assets over the next decade... I don't recall?

And I could swear, that Barkley was 29, not 34, and in his prime, durable as hell to that point in his career... but maybe I'm mistaken.

Thank god they won a title.

We overpaid for Durant. That is my opinion. But it was either overpay or no deal. It was a gamble we had to take.

 

[Mainstreet]

We overpaid for Durant. That is my opinion. But it was either overpay or no deal. It was a gamble we had to take.

I think this has been the crux of the whole conversation. Every Suns fan I know wanted to add Durant to the team.

The discussion has been about where you draw the line.

Now that it's done we need to move on yet respect each other's opinion.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think this has been the crux of the whole conversation. Every Suns fan I know wanted to add Durant to the team.

The discussion has been about where you draw the line.

Now that it's done we need to move on yet respect each other's opinion.

The problem is it's impossible to know where that line is. If the team wins a title, clearly that line was never crossed. It's impossible to know right now.

 

[Jakester]

Thank God this board didn’t exist in 1993 because the over the top lamentation about Jeff Hornacek putting up 19/7/3 for a bad Philly team while Charles Barkley played like an MVP for an actual contender would have been almost too much to take.

Yeah not sure why people are still hung up on this trade. Bridges is a good player might make an all star game or two in the near future but Durant is a top 25 player all time still playing at an incredibly high level and under contract for 3 more years. Easy decision to trade every time. Cam Johnson meanwhile probably wouldn't even have been on this team next year since he is very likely to get overpaid in free agency.

 

[Mainstreet]

The problem is it's impossible to know where that line is. If the team wins a title, clearly that line was never crossed. It's impossible to know right now.

If the Suns win a title with Kevin Durant during his first four seasons with the team, I'd rule it a success, much like when the Lakers won a title after adding Anthony Davis.

Anything less will leave room for second guessing.

 

[sdscard4]

Cam is getting paid he was just trade filler cause we weren't paying him. Mikal definitely is stepping up. He can score 30 for the next 757 games but I'm trading him for Kevin Freaking Durant every single day of the week.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yeah not sure why people are still hung up on this trade. Bridges is a good player might make an all star game or two in the near future but Durant is a top 25 player all time still playing at an incredibly high level and under contract for 3 more years. Easy decision to trade every time. Cam Johnson meanwhile probably wouldn't even have been on this team next year since he is very likely to get overpaid in free agency.

This owner is willing to cut checks so I don't believe Cam would have been able to walk in free agency, certainly not for anything in return. We're paying more for Durant than Cam and Mikal combined so saying we couldn't or wouldn't resign Cam is the Sarver effect still lingering about.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Thank God this board didn’t exist in 1993 because the over the top lamentation about Jeff Hornacek putting up 19/7/3 for a bad Philly team while Charles Barkley played like an MVP for an actual contender would have been almost too much to take.

this. And to answer another question I saw...... We 100% lose the Mavs game without KD.

 

[Chaplin]

This owner is willing to cut checks so I don't believe Cam would have been able to walk in free agency, certainly not for anything in return. We're paying more for Durant than Cam and Mikal combined so saying we couldn't or wouldn't resign Cam is the Sarver effect still lingering about.

That’s unfortunately pure speculation and not really a good reason to not do the trade.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yeah not sure why people are still hung up on this trade. Bridges is a good player might make an all star game or two in the near future but Durant is a top 25 player all time still playing at an incredibly high level and under contract for 3 more years. Easy decision to trade every time. Cam Johnson meanwhile probably wouldn't even have been on this team next year since he is very likely to get overpaid in free agency.

For some here, yes, but obviously not for all of us. And it's not because we don't care about winning a championship (as has been stated) or because we are unwilling to take risks (also stated) or because we love or overrate Bridges (also stated). It's because KD is only great when he plays.

Starting with the 14-15 season KD has missed 40% of his team's games, which is concerning. Since the Achilles rupture, counting his recovery season he's missed 53% of his team's games, which is alarming. Especially given that KD is 34 and athletes with his Achilles injury are likely to have shortened careers and to suffer additional lower limb injuries as a result of the achilles damage even with surgical repair.

 

[Hoop Head]

That’s unfortunately pure speculation and not really a good reason to not do the trade.

Did I say that's a reason not to do the trade? No. I was pointing out it's speculation that Cam J wouldn't be kept simply because he's due for a new contract.

 

[Covert Rain]

Did I say that's a reason not to do the trade? No. I was pointing it's speculation that Cam J wouldn't be kept simply because he's due for a new contract.

I agree. They were not keeping Cam. He wasn't our answer at the PF position and they would have had to pay him a ton of money for a guy that wasn't the long term answer for that spot. This trade took them out of a really tough spot with Cam J.