Why I don't want Durant

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
63,614
Reaction score
58,062
Location
SoCal
Ishbia hadn't even owned the team for 48 hours... I don't think there was much analysis. It was pretty knee jerk.



There were quite a few posters who imagined this playing out exactly like this.
You think ishbia didn’t know anything about the team he was dropping billions of dollars in prior to that 48 hours? Again, cmon…
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
63,614
Reaction score
58,062
Location
SoCal
Could we trade KD now for what we got? Call up Brooklyn and say, please give back Mikal, Cam, and the picks and we'll give you back KD. Call the other pieces a wash. Deal? Brooklyn would laugh at us and so would any other team where we ask for 1 borderline All-Star in his mid 20's on a great contract and another mid to late 20's starter on a fair contract plus 4 1st round picks. No one would give that. So what happened to KD's market value? I thought it was set? He's playing great, so why couldn't we do that?

Sports aren't the same as regular business.
Couldn’t do it for a team that’s resetting like nets. But a contender, maybe. If sixers don’t win it and kd was last years age, I could see them swinging maxey, another injury-prone starter and a bunch of picks to layer alongside embiid.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,316
Reaction score
11,395
You think ishbia didn’t know anything about the team he was dropping billions of dollars in prior to that 48 hours? Again, cmon…

I'm not saying he didn't know anything, but, and this has my own bias behind it, I think the "cost/benefit" analysis was either ignored or terrible.

I lean towards ignored, because the Nets said that the same deal could have been done during the Summer but we wouldn't do it. That says to me, JJ was firmly against the deal and Ishbia pulled the trigger anyway.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,165
Reaction score
58,451
You are mixing appraisals and estimates with market value. Again the market value for something is established at the time of the trade/sale. If someone wants to buy my soda for $100 for whatever their reasoning is, and I can just go buy another one for $2, and I sell it for that $100, the market value of that soda is $100.

I don't think there was an open competitive market for Kevin Durant. The Suns gave the Nets exactly what they wanted for him.

Mat Ishbia reportedly wanted to get the trade done wheras James Jones was still in negotiation mode.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
63,614
Reaction score
58,062
Location
SoCal
I don't think there was an open competitive market for Kevin Durant. The Suns gave the Nets exactly what they wanted for him.

Mat Ishbia reportedly wanted to get the trade done wheras James Jones was still in negotiation mode.
There doesn’t need to be an active market if the nets wouldn’t take anything less and you were deadest on obtaining kd.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
91,471
Reaction score
68,716
Plus you sort of kill any open market when said superstar makes it clear where he wants to go. Some teams are going pass for that reason alone.
And for everyone that says “The Nets had no choice” and we could have held out and gotten him for cheap, prey tell… how did that work out for Miami this year when they held out trying to get Lillard for peanuts like y’all think we could have done with Durant?
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
Plus you sort of kill any open market when said superstar makes it clear where he wants to go. Some teams are going pass for that reason alone.

Stars get traded to different teams all the time. Lillard last offseason. Donovan Mitchell the year before wanted to go to New York and ended up in Cleveland. Paul George in the past when he ended up in OKC when he wanted to go to LA, and he didn't request out of there to go to LA later that was a different scenario entirely as he was happy in OKC. Kawhi ended up in Toronto when they weren't on his list of destinations either.

Stars make requests but ultimately the team does what's best for them as the star is leaving and they need to move on as best they can. Unless there's a no trade clause like Beal had or Carmelo had years back, the stars have no real leverage. They report or they lose a lot of money.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
36,519
Reaction score
15,604
Location
Arizona
Stars get traded to different teams all the time. Lillard last offseason. Donovan Mitchell the year before wanted to go to New York and ended up in Cleveland. Paul George in the past when he ended up in OKC when he wanted to go to LA, and he didn't request out of there to go to LA later that was a different scenario entirely as he was happy in OKC. Kawhi ended up in Toronto when they weren't on his list of destinations either.

Stars make requests but ultimately the team does what's best for them as the star is leaving and they need to move on as best they can. Unless there's a no trade clause like Beal had or Carmelo had years back, the stars have no real leverage. They report or they lose a lot of money.
Total bunk they have no leverage. Most of these guys submit a list that’s not even known to the public they are willing to go. They also make it clear most of the time where they won’t go. Not to mention I said “some”. Some teams will not bother making offers if they know there is no shot of getting said player.

Teams always say they will do what is best for them but there is a reason MOST of these players don’t end up in the dregs of the NBA when they express they want to go to a winner.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,316
Reaction score
11,395
And for everyone that says “The Nets had no choice” and we could have held out and gotten him for cheap, prey tell… how did that work out for Miami this year when they held out trying to get Lillard for peanuts like y’all think we could have done with Durant?

I mean... if that is the cost, you don't pay it.

It is as simple as that.

No one else was stepping to the plate and it is clear that we made a huge mistake in doing so.

I still believe the Nets were in a position where they had to move him, the relationship was completely broken, decent chance he was never going to play for them again, and we were really stupid for caving and the only reason we did cave was because an owner, only a few hours into his tenure, forced the deal.

But even if I am wrong about that speculative point... it doesn't matter, it is beside the point.

It was a bad trade on it's face... if they were actually going to hold firm on that price point then... screw 'em, let them sit on it and fester or let some other imagined team ruin their franchise.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,686
Reaction score
12,438
Location
Laveen, AZ
You think ishbia didn’t know anything about the team he was dropping billions of dollars in prior to that 48 hours? Again, cmon…
Also, it has been noted by Ishbia that Sarver let him in on the day to day weeks prior.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,686
Reaction score
12,438
Location
Laveen, AZ
Saying that was true, and everything played out the same. People here are waiting for the next KD injury. We would be doing the same with Cam J. Also, would Cam J added to what we have now actually move the meter to the way this team is playing now? I don't think so.
I notice everyone skipped by the part where I noted that Cam J probably would not be the difference right now in this team winning. Heck, I'd go as far as saying having Bridges or BOTH of them wouldn't change how this team is playing. It's not the skill of the players. It's coaching, the mix of guys, something else. Anyone think adding those two guys to our current mix would suddenly make this team a top tier team hasn't been watching the games.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
63,614
Reaction score
58,062
Location
SoCal
Stars get traded to different teams all the time. Lillard last offseason. Donovan Mitchell the year before wanted to go to New York and ended up in Cleveland. Paul George in the past when he ended up in OKC when he wanted to go to LA, and he didn't request out of there to go to LA later that was a different scenario entirely as he was happy in OKC. Kawhi ended up in Toronto when they weren't on his list of destinations either.

Stars make requests but ultimately the team does what's best for them as the star is leaving and they need to move on as best they can. Unless there's a no trade clause like Beal had or Carmelo had years back, the stars have no real leverage. They report or they lose a lot of money.
You don’t think teams look at a single Paul year in OKC and a single kahwi year in Toronto and maybe think twice about making such big trades?
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,165
Reaction score
58,451
Stars get traded to different teams all the time. Lillard last offseason. Donovan Mitchell the year before wanted to go to New York and ended up in Cleveland. Paul George in the past when he ended up in OKC when he wanted to go to LA, and he didn't request out of there to go to LA later that was a different scenario entirely as he was happy in OKC. Kawhi ended up in Toronto when they weren't on his list of destinations either.

Stars make requests but ultimately the team does what's best for them as the star is leaving and they need to move on as best they can. Unless there's a no trade clause like Beal had or Carmelo had years back, the stars have no real leverage. They report or they lose a lot of money.

The bottom line, the Suns were bidding against themselves.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,686
Reaction score
12,438
Location
Laveen, AZ
The bottom line, the Suns were bidding against themselves.
True. I still notice no one is addressing what I am saying. Adding Cam and Bridges to this team now is unlikely to solve our problems we are having now.
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
36,760
Reaction score
16,531
True. I still notice no one is addressing what I am saying. Adding Cam and Bridges to this team now is unlikely to solve our problems we are having now.
We have several problems but it's a lack of talent that truly dooms us IMO. We have two stars but beyond that we have a well below average rotation. Mikal and CamJ would change that dramatically IMO. Now, if you mean, subtract Durant while adding those two, you'd be closer to correct. We'd be better but we still wouldn't be a championship contender unless Beal came back fully healthy and even then, it's debatable.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
You don’t think teams look at a single Paul year in OKC and a single kahwi year in Toronto and maybe think twice about making such big trades?

Kawhi won a title in Toronto. You wouldn't rent a player for a year for a title?

Not sure why you mention Chris Paul since I was talking about Paul George, who signed an extension in OKC.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
91,471
Reaction score
68,716
We have several problems but it's a lack of talent that truly dooms us IMO. We have two stars but beyond that we have a well below average rotation. Mikal and CamJ would change that dramatically IMO. Now, if you mean, subtract Durant while adding those two, you'd be closer to correct. We'd be better but we still wouldn't be a championship contender unless Beal came back fully healthy and even then, it's debatable.
Our lack of talent likely would have been just as bad, if not worse without Durant. Yes, you’d have Mikal and Cam… and literally nothing else. Gordon never comes here for the minimum and likely neither do most of the already weak minimum level guys because this team would have had ZERO shine going into this season without the hopium that an as of yet untested KD/Book provided. Which also means no Bradley Beal. He ain’t forcing his way to this team. The bloom was already coming off the rose and another quick exit from the same bunch who’d had two consecutive playoff meltdowns and we would have been in real trouble. And before you say we still would have been a FA destination with little cap room who could have gotten good guys here, let me show you our absolutely pathetic FA haul of Jock Landale and crew from the off-season right after our second of back to back playoff meltdowns.

Then you’re looking at a season where we probably bring an even older/worse and perpetually injured Paul back, Cam who’s been injured, the same kind of poo poo platter for Ayton who we wanted out and wanted out himself. So, you’d be looking at a season so far of Booker/Bridges trying to carry the full load of a season… with the requisite Booker injuries thrown in too. In other words… a season that likely would have looked a lot like the first 3rd of last season when we were below .500.
 
OP
OP
elindholm

elindholm

edited for content
Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Posts
27,495
Reaction score
9,715
Location
L.A. area
I agree that the Suns probably would not have been any better this year if they had stood pat. The only advantage would be that they'd have some tradeable assets and the possibility of high draft picks down the road.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,316
Reaction score
11,395
I don't see anyway we'd be worse with Bridges and Cam... the defense and chemistry bump alone would probably make us better... and we'd have all our picks to work with and the #21 pick from last year.

I can understand supporting the trade at the time, but I don't see how anyone can look at it right now and think it was the right move.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,374
Reaction score
12,554
Location
Tempe, AZ
I notice everyone skipped by the part where I noted that Cam J probably would not be the difference right now in this team winning. Heck, I'd go as far as saying having Bridges or BOTH of them wouldn't change how this team is playing. It's not the skill of the players. It's coaching, the mix of guys, something else. Anyone think adding those two guys to our current mix would suddenly make this team a top tier team hasn't been watching the games.

It's crazy to think having Cam Johnson wouldn't help. I'm not sure what else there is to address. Adding a 6'8 stretch forward who is averaging 15 & 5 while shooting 40% from 3 would definitely help this team. We have no reliable forwards beside KD. That gives us another starter, allowing Grayson or Gordon to get acclimated into a bench role.

Tell me how he wouldn't help, please.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
20,316
Reaction score
11,395
It's crazy to think having Cam Johnson wouldn't help. I'm not sure what else there is to address. Adding a 6'8 stretch forward who is averaging 15 & 5 while shooting 40% from 3 would definitely help this team. We have no reliable forwards beside KD. That gives us another starter, allowing Grayson or Gordon to get acclimated into a bench role.

Tell me how he wouldn't help, please.

He is also a 2 way player, something we have 0 of right now.
 
Top