The Durant Sweepstakes

Mainstreet

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I would love to see Durant in a Suns uniform although it's a huge risk to take but also a huge reward to receive. The Suns maybe out of the running with that Celtic Jaylen Brown offer. But who knows? Durant just rocked the boat with those latest demands.

I would like to see a scoring & rebounding forward like John Collins to start and an instant offense guard to be added for the bench. Trade away Crowder, Shamet, & Craig.

A little tweaking without signing Durant and then hope Ayton plays out well past January and that the team can run it back with a vengence & some heart.
But the Suns may be still be set on moving Ayton now that they got him under contract and can get more value for him and save some money with a less costly Center. Hope Ayton stays and works hard however.

CP3, Booker, Ayton, Bridges, Collins. Cam Johnson, Cam Payne, Bismack, Kemba Walker, Damion Lee, Dario Saric, Josh Okogie, Jock Landale

I probably would have gone a different direction, but here we are.

As you suggest, a couple of players like Collins and Walker would be very intriguing, plus the Suns keep their core.

That's a lot to like.
 

JCSunsfan

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In a box, yeah, several months ago I would have been interested in a Mikal for Durant trade, but not anymore. He burned his franchise to the ground, he called for his own GM to be fired and we are one of two teams he supposedly is willing to play for.

Any idea that the Nets are flooded with calls from around the league are dead. Durant has radioactive at the moment to any team who he isn't all in for.
Durant treatment of his own team has to be taken into consideration.

Also trading Mikal for Durant is tough. If is was a star for a star it would almost be easier. But a young defensive stud with an improving offensive game as well as perfect health, never misses a game. For an aging superstar with an Achilles history. Well it's a bit more complicated. It is more of a roll of the dice than it first appears.

We do have the luxury of having both Cam and Mikal. So in the end I think I would be OK with giving up one of them in a trade for Durant. Just not both.
 
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Phrazbit

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Not sure why ppl still think this is true. If the Jaylen Brown offer is legit (which has been confirmed by multiple sources) then the Nets have plenty of leverage. Not only is Brown a top notch trade chip but it means KD’s list of teams has either grown or teams are willing to trade for him regardless of his wish list. The Nets aren’t walking away with an underwhelming return if they trade him.

I disagree.

We will see, but I think he will end up in Miami, Boston or here and for a fraction of what has been previously rumored.

Any GM who takes their asking price at face value is incompetent. They are deep deep in the waters of poop creek.
 

JCSunsfan

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I disagree.

We will see, but I think he will end up in Miami, Boston or here and for a fraction of what has been previously rumored.

Any GM who takes their asking price at face value is incompetent. They are deep deep in the waters of poop creek.
He gave them plenty of time to get a good deal. Now the price is dropping.
 
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Phrazbit

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He gave them plenty of time to get a good deal. Now the price is dropping.

Yep.

We've seen this over and over the last few years, it is hilarious that the teams have not learned.

The Rockets wanted a fortune for Harden, sat on him, things went toxic, they settled for picks and filler, the Sixers were not even willing to discuss Ben Simmons trades unless someone blew their doors off... they settled for a broken down James Harden, the Wolves got the shaft trading Butler, the Spurs got shafted in the Leonard trade.

The Nets sat around and are now absolutely screwed.

The talk about the Gobert trade resetting the market is nonsense, Gobert wasn't dumping gasoline on the arena.
 

Covert Rain

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Why do you question that. Everyone reported the Suns were his #1 team when the first news of the trade request came out, and it was never refuted.

If you really doubt that I think you have some kind of inferiority complex going on or something.
That might be he dumbest speculation If not conclusion I have read here in a long time. LOL.

KD could have clearly just demanded a trade to the Suns from the start publicly. He then had another opportunity to do it when he met with the Nets.

Somehow your genius interpreted that as me thinking the Suns are inferior somehow.
 

Covert Rain

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I think the Suns were Durant's preferred destination until the Celtics became involved. They seemed to scramble everything up. Now another team or two is involved.

We really do not know what is on the table for Durant, but a lot of it could be speculation. It's still hard for me to believe the Celtics would give up Jaylen Brown for Durant.

As far as improving the Suns, I wouldn't mind including some expiring contracts and draft picks for the right trade if the Suns go a different direction.
Based on what? It’s all speculation. Especially, with what KD has wanted. KD could have made this easy on everyone just the same.
 

Mainstreet

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Based on what? It’s all speculation. Especially, with what KD has wanted. KD could have made this easy on everyone just the same.

I'm not sure how Durant would have made it easy on everyone, unless he is content to stay with the Nets.

I haven't read quotes from Kevin Durant nor the Nets owner on recent conversations. I'd like to hear more than sources.
 

Covert Rain

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I'm not sure how Durant would have made it easy on everyone, unless he is content to stay with the Nets.

I haven't read quotes from Kevin Durant nor the Nets owner on recent conversations. I'd like to hear more than sources.
What I mean is at the start if he had just said he has a list of teams and gave those name or named the Suns it would have been easier on everybody. If in his meeting with the Nets said look, that’s the only team I am willing to go to that would have made things easier.
 
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Phrazbit

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What I mean is at the start if he had just said he has a list of teams and gave those name or named the Suns it would have been easier on everybody. If in his meeting with the Nets said look, that’s the only team I am willing to go to that would have made things easier.
He also could have given an indication that he wanted the GM fired before the team gave the GM an extension.

I think this is just his way of giving them an "option"... it is an untenable option that he knows they can't take but it's an option. It is a real douche move but I have no sympathy for the Nets, they built that roster through dumb luck and incompetence.

I also expect that if a team like the Raptors were to emerge as the highest bidder he would choose that late hour to let the Raptors know that he also won't play for them unless they fire their GM, their coach, trade for another superstar and move to somewhere far warmer.
 

overseascardfan

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I am pass on Durant at this point. He is going to cost to much and is showing how toxic he really is. We gut this team and he doesn't play 82 games I could see the Suns barely sneaking into playoffs and if we get ousted, Durant is going to want out and do to PHX what he is doing to BRK.
 

95pro

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I swear I saw a report on facebook saying that Durant demanded a trade to the suns. This was the first report that came out before it broke out. I have yet to see that report be re-posted.
 

boisesuns

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I am pass on Durant at this point. He is going to cost to much and is showing how toxic he really is. We gut this team and he doesn't play 82 games I could see the Suns barely sneaking into playoffs and if we get ousted, Durant is going to want out and do to PHX what he is doing to BRK.
I agree although If we added him don’t think we’ll barely sneak in the playoffs. If everyone is healthy we’d be a way better team, just not very deep. Our offensive potential would be scary. That’s the allure of KD but the attitude and longevity are equal concerns.

Plus if we keep the other guys we can still move them and adjust down the road and they have a lot longer years of good basketball left
 

Chaplin

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IMO the Nets are hurting themselves by dragging this out. I know we missed out on some potential signees at the start of the free agent period, but if the Suns are in fact zeroed in on KD, this is going very well for them. As each day goes by, the asking prices drops.

The downside is that other teams are now able to afford trading for him, but again, we are still the only contending team that has all its draft picks for the foreseeable future, and a lot of teams covet that, even if we don't.
 

Covert Rain

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I am going back to something @cheesebeef said earlier in this process. This has echoes of the KG scenario. Mainly for me because he could have forced the issue with Phoenix and it appears he just wants to be traded to any contender.
 

Mainstreet

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What I mean is at the start if he had just said he has a list of teams and gave those name or named the Suns it would have been easier on everybody. If in his meeting with the Nets said look, that’s the only team I am willing to go to that would have made things easier.

I swear I saw a report on facebook saying that Durant demanded a trade to the suns. This was the first report that came out before it broke out. I have yet to see that report be re-posted.

It has been reported for several months that Kevin Durant wants to be traded and the team supposedly at the top of the list has been the Suns. The thought is he wants to play with Devin Booker.

This has been reported by Zach Lowe of ESPN, Shams Charania of The Athletic and others.

To his credit, Kevin Durant has not gone public with his trade demands. Until he does, we may have to be satisfied with secondary sources for the information.

Here is a tweet from Sham Charania dating back to July 5th and a link to an article by Rick O'Donnell of SB Nation who does a nice summary about the subject.

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Covert Rain

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It has been reported for several months that Kevin Durant wants to be traded and the team supposedly at the top of the list has been the Suns. The thought is he wants to play with Devin Booker.

This has been reported by Zach Lowe of ESPN, Shams Charania of The Athletic and others.

To his credit, Kevin Durant has not gone public with his trade demands. Until he does, we may have to be satisfied with secondary sources for the information.

Here is a tweet from Sham Charania dating back to July 5th and a link to an article by Rick O'Donnell of SB Nation who does a nice summary about the subject.

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Yeah, I read all of these. Most IMO are pure speculation. There is a difference between floating out there or leaking a few teams you would like to play for verses saying you want to go to team X. If KD really wants to play with the Suns, that's where he would go. This is a player's league.
 

Mainstreet

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Yeah, I read all of these. Most IMO are pure speculation. There is a difference between floating out there or leaking a few teams you would like to play for verses saying you want to go to team X. If KD really wants to play with the Suns, that's where he would go. This is a player's league.

It's not that simple, as Durant is under contract for four seasons. Now we are seeing recent talks between Durant and the Nets owner play out in the media.
 

Covert Rain

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It's not that simple, as Durant is under contract for four seasons. Now we are seeing recent talks between Durant and the Nets owner play out in the media.
When is the last Superstar traded to someplace, he absolutely didn't want to go?
 

Covert Rain

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Kawhi Leonard.
The question was partly being facetious. Nobody said it NEVER happens but it's rare. Out of the last 10 Superstar trades? It's an exception not the rule. Superstars in this league go where they want the vast majority of the time.
 

Covert Rain

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Channel surfing New York sports radio. So, evidently, teams have shown little to no interest being a 3rd or 4th team to help out the Nets. This would seem to align with why many think the Suns might be out of it and nobody is coming close to the Nets demands. No one team has their asking price, and the Suns can't make the best individual team offer.

Sounds like this trade is completely dead for the Suns unless Durant says trade me to the Suns or I am not playing (which is what I have been saying needs to happen). I guess there is a chance JJ can work some multi-team magic but that sounds like a pipe dream. Don't know who these guys are but they are saying they are hearing the same from multiple "teams".
 

1tinsoldier

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i'm glad all the Nets silly demands have now bit them in the arse
and anyone else's arse who added to that hype about how much you must offer to get a Durant

the Nets clearly played their hand wrong by waiting until Durant pulled the pin on the grenade
 

Big Al

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I probably would have gone a different direction, but here we are.

As you suggest, a couple of players like Collins and Walker would be very intriguing, plus the Suns keep their core.

That's a lot to like.
Yes just a couple of needed players for Suns.
Suns front office wants Durant greatly but not bad enough to completely gut the present & future of the Club.
I didn't know that Kemba Walker was in that bad of shape until it was posted by someone here. As Kemba used to break opposing guard's ankles trying to keep up with him.
 

Covert Rain

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i'm glad all the Nets silly demands have now bit them in the arse
and anyone else's arse who added to that hype about how much you must offer to get a Durant

the Nets clearly played their hand wrong by waiting until Durant pulled the pin on the grenade
The funny thing is if this was a 24 year old Durant? Teams would be moving mountains (which is what the Nets want). This is a 34 year old Durant. The Nets are crazy.
 

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