Suns Off Season Changes for 2025: Trades, Buyouts, GM, Coaches, etc.

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
21,082
Reaction score
12,591
Swap Steph for Book at we are at least a guaranteed playoff team. Comparing Book's impact to a team verses Steph is inane.

I am not making that comparison, you are, you brought up Curry, acting like Booker should be that good or that Durant joining the Warriors caused them to do anything they couldn't do without him.

Durant coat tail rode with the Warriors, he failed in Brooklyn, failed in OKC and left each situation on terrible terms... also, while surrounded by MVP level teammates.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
38,388
Reaction score
17,962
Location
Arizona
I guess you must have forgotten Durant's supporting cast at Golden State.

How many players are as good as Curry? He is a generational talent.

The Suns made it to the Finals with Booker and Paul. I don't recall anyone named Durant on that team.
Totally acknowledge they have a great defender but GS has lost lots of supporting cast and replaced them over the years. I seem to recall Booker struggling during the playoffs at times too.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
38,388
Reaction score
17,962
Location
Arizona
I am not making that comparison, you are, you brought up Curry, acting like Booker should be that good or that Durant joining the Warriors caused them to do anything they couldn't do without him.

Durant coat tail rode with the Warriors, he failed in Brooklyn, failed in OKC and left each situation on terrible terms... also, while surrounded by MVP level teammates.
28.8 points per game. He also averaged 10.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks that season. Was he an embarrassment of riches? Sure. For the Finals Durant was the Golden State's top scorer in every game, averaging 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 55.5 percent from the field, 47.4 percent from three-point range, and 92.7 percent from the free throw line. He was subsequently named the NBA Finals MVP. He was their best player.

STOP.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
21,082
Reaction score
12,591
28.8 points per game. He also averaged 10.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks that season. Was he an embarrassment of riches? Sure. For the Finals Durant was the Golden State's top scorer in every game, averaging 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 55.5 percent from the field, 47.4 percent from three-point range, and 92.7 percent from the free throw line. He was subsequently named the NBA Finals MVP. He was their best player.

STOP.

They won without him before, they won without him after, they were' literally, coming off the greatest season of all time before he joined them and they had just crushed him in the playoffs.

He was a coat tail rider and there are a ton of guys who could have ridden those coats.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
20,082
Reaction score
16,184
Location
Tempe, AZ
28.8 points per game. He also averaged 10.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks that season. Was he an embarrassment of riches? Sure. For the Finals Durant was the Golden State's top scorer in every game, averaging 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 55.5 percent from the field, 47.4 percent from three-point range, and 92.7 percent from the free throw line. He was subsequently named the NBA Finals MVP. He was their best player.

STOP.

Posting stats doesn't prove your argument. Durant is a "me first" player. Leading Golden State in scoring doesn't make him a necessity, as history proves with a championship before and after his time there. Durant is a cupcake who bailed on his team, the Thunder, to ride with the team who beat him, the Warriors, and managed to get a couple championships there. You have made zero case for Golden State needing him or that Booker, or someone like Harrison Barnes or Jonathan Kuminga, could play and win championships with Steph in Golden State.

Stop pivoting.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
38,388
Reaction score
17,962
Location
Arizona
They won without him before, they won without him after, they were' literally, coming off the greatest season of all time before he joined them and they had just crushed him in the playoffs.

He was a coat tail rider and there are a ton of guys who could have ridden those coats.
Being the best player on their team is the opposite of writing a code. Writing a cocktail is joining an already deep team and coasting while you’re playing for them which he didn’t do. You’re ridiculous.

Did he take pressure off himself from going to a loaded of team? Sure. Did he take an easier path again sure. He wrode nobody’s coattails.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
21,082
Reaction score
12,591
Being the best player on their team is the opposite of writing a code. Writing a cocktail is joining an already deep team and coasting while you’re playing for them which he didn’t do. You’re ridiculous.

Did he take pressure off himself from going to a load of team? Sure. Did he take an easier path again sure. He wrote nobody’s coattails.

lol, no. They literally could have done it without him, they had already proven it, he was not a necessary part of that roster, he was a luxury, a luxury they only got because he is completely gutless. It only "worked" in Golden State because they didn't need him.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
38,388
Reaction score
17,962
Location
Arizona
lol, no. They literally could have done it without him, they had already proven it, he was not a necessary part of that roster, he was a luxury, a luxury they only got because he is completely gutless. It only "worked" in Golden State because they didn't need him.
According to Kerr he went after Durant to extend their title window. You are acting like he didn't give 100% when he was with GS. You are acting like he went from an almost 30 point scorer to a 15 point scorer and watched the other guys on GS due is their thing. LOL.

THAT is riding coattails. They got the same Durant that he always was. Could Durant have gone to a younger team and taken the harder route? No doubt. He is always going to get criticized for that.
 
Last edited:

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
21,082
Reaction score
12,591
According to Kerr he went after Durant to extend their title window. You are acting like he didn't give 100% when he was with GS. You are acting like he went from an almost 30 point scorer to a 15 point scorer and watched the other guys on GS due is their thing. LOL.

THAT is riding coattails. They got the same Durant that he always was. Could Durant have gone to a younger team and taken the harder route? No doubt. He is always going to get criticized for that.

And yet they won without him after he left, if Curry were not injured they would probably be one of the favorites to win it again, this year.

You're acting like they needed him... and it is empirically clear, they didn't, the never did. He only went there because they were the best team in the league and he wanted a ring and Durant always is looking for the path of least resistance... he is the definition of coat tail riding.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
94,020
Reaction score
74,073
They won without him before, they won without him after, they were' literally, coming off the greatest season of all time before he joined them and they had just crushed him in the playoffs.
They had just crushed him? They barely got by KD after OKC took a 3-1 lead and GS barely weird by in Games 6 and 7 to win the series.

I think what he did was totally lame, but no reason to throw out false stuff to make your case stronger.
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
37,684
Reaction score
17,959
They had just crushed him? They barely got by KD after OKC took a 3-1 lead and GS barely weird by in Games 6 and 7 to win the series.

I think what he did was totally lame, but no reason to throw out false stuff to make your case stronger.
Yeah I started to say something similar to him and then decided he just meant they crushed him in a different sense, as in breaking his heart.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
21,082
Reaction score
12,591
They had just crushed him? They barely got by KD after OKC took a 3-1 lead and GS barely weird by in Games 6 and 7 to win the series.

I think what he did was totally lame, but no reason to throw out false stuff to make your case stronger.

It was a 3-1 series lead, those collapses, as we know, are rare, it was a crushing defeat... and then Durant followed it up by joining the enemy. It was an unprecedented level of gutlessness.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
20,082
Reaction score
16,184
Location
Tempe, AZ
They had just crushed him? They barely got by KD after OKC took a 3-1 lead and GS barely weird by in Games 6 and 7 to win the series.

I think what he did was totally lame, but no reason to throw out false stuff to make your case stronger.

Going to take exception to someone saying Golden State crushed the Thunder when you're the loudest voice who backed blowing up a finals reaching Suns team after losing to Dallas despite a 3-1 lead? Yes, game 7 was ugly. That's the modern NBA. Lots of huge blowouts now, as we've seen this postseason.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
38,388
Reaction score
17,962
Location
Arizona
And yet they won without him after he left, if Curry were not injured they would probably be one of the favorites to win it again, this year.

You're acting like they needed him... and it is empirically clear, they didn't, the never did. He only went there because they were the best team in the league and he wanted a ring and Durant always is looking for the path of least resistance... he is the definition of coat tail riding.
Maybe you should talk to Kerr then. He thought the window would close and wanted Durant. You are making up your own definition to fit your narrative. The definition of coattail riding is benefiting from someone else's popularity or success, without making significant efforts of your own. Again, nobody is denying that he took in easier route than he could have.
 

GatorAZ

feed hopkins
Joined
Oct 17, 2011
Posts
26,794
Reaction score
20,235
Location
The Giant Toaster
It was a 3-1 series lead, those collapses, as we know, are rare, it was a crushing defeat... and then Durant followed it up by joining the enemy. It was an unprecedented level of gutlessness.
1. Was it gutless? Yes
2. Was he their best player those three years? Yes
3. Do they win anyway in 17’ and 18’ without him? There’s no way to know
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
37,684
Reaction score
17,959
1. Was it gutless? Yes
2. Was he their best player those three years? Yes
3. Do they win anyway in 17’ and 18’ without him? There’s no way to know
I agree but I think the argument is really whether another good player could have had similar success with that same roster. And I think there are several players that could have won a championship in place of KD despite the great numbers he put up.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
38,388
Reaction score
17,962
Location
Arizona
I agree but I think the argument is really whether another good player could have had similar success with that same roster. And I think there are several players that could have won a championship in place of KD despite the great numbers he put up.
There are likely a few. That is a reasonable take. At the end of the day, Book, IMO, doesn't need a player equal to him. He needs a player a tier above him to have a shot at a title. That's why I think the Suns should trade him. It doesn't appear that is going to happen. I love Book but I want him to have a legit shot at a title before he hangs it up and the Suns need assets. To me it's a win win.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
66,234
Reaction score
62,246
Location
SoCal
They won without him before, they won without him after, they were' literally, coming off the greatest season of all time before he joined them and they had just crushed him in the playoffs.

He was a coat tail rider and there are a ton of guys who could have ridden those coats.
Perhaps. But not a ton of guys who could have done what he did and win finals mvp. Twice.
 

clyde2tw

All Star
Joined
Jan 27, 2023
Posts
771
Reaction score
772
Location
abroad
Get Brunson to replace Booker on this team, with a better GM than JJ who screwed almost everything building a proper supporting cast, we can be contender. KD is not the alpha mate type like Curry, LBJ etc. but he is still one of best alltime.
 
OP
OP
Mainstreet

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
123,749
Reaction score
64,172
Put Durant in the role of a clutch shooter, he is elite, but he is not going to pull the wagon to get there.
 

Phrazbit

ASFN Icon
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Posts
21,082
Reaction score
12,591
Neither is Book. CP3 pulled that wagon.

But the entire logic of that awful trade was that Booker is a 2nd tier star and Durant was going to carry the team... but Durant can't... because he isn't that guy, he never has been and never will be.
 

Carolinacacti

Hall of Famer
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Posts
2,460
Reaction score
1,433
Location
Charlotte NC
I like Beal, but let's face facts, he didn't play like a future HOF and definitely didn't play up to his contract. Beal was a good role player -- maybe even great if he wasn't injured so much, but the big 3 was never a big 3 this season.
The Big three never played to many games together, and when they did Book or Beal underperform. Hate to say it but I see a run back next year. I don't like the idea of buying Beal out, your not going to get enough for a good Max player like Durant. And the ******** running the show will not trade Booker.
 
Top