The Raptors and KD. Let's discuss.

[slaw]

I still lean toward KD playing in Brooklyn.

The problem is that team is less than the sum of its parts, plus, you have your two best players with one foot out the door, so there isn't much holding that thing together. It will come apart at the seams and then you definitely won't get as much for Durant. That just doesn't seem like a viable option no matter how much Brooklyn pretends otherwise. I understand what you're getting at but it doesn't feasible as an outsider.

[Limited Upside]

The problem is that team is less than the sum of its parts, plus, you have your two best players with one foot out the door, so there isn't much holding that thing together. It will come apart at the seams and then you definitely won't get as much for Durant. That just doesn't seem like a viable option no matter how much Brooklyn pretends otherwise. I understand what you're getting at but it doesn't feasible as an outsider.

Totally agree it’s less than ideal for Brooklyn. Just not seeing a ton of options. In fact, given what you say, it’s even less likely that some other team is going to buckle and pony up the rumoured asking price when everyone knows Brooklyn is desperate. Their price goes down or they keep him for now and hope for the best.

I mean, I know Dan swears it’s on the table already, but Windhorst is saying PHX won’t even include Bridges, let alone 5+ picks.

[DanH]

OK, we'll see, I guess. I still don't see how you see it as a "certainty" that those 6-7 picks+players options are on the table, regardless of your apparent disdain for fan opinion. I think front offices are far more likely to trend conservative than the fan opinions on what KD is worth, so take that for what you will.

6-7 picks + at least 2 good/very good players still seems awfully high for what most can agree is maybe 2 years of "prime KD" barring injury, and that seem to have been roundly rejected league-wide so far. Personally, I don't see that asking price dropping soon, and I don't see PHX or TOR meeting it, esp. when other teams who might be more motivated to make such a radical move don't seem to have the bag to make the offer Brooklyn is apparently holding out for. Again, Brooklyn is soooo not in the driver's seat on this. Buyers can be patient. Brooklyn can't, unless they think they can reel KD back in and keep him happy.

I still lean toward KD playing in Brooklyn.

Yeah, it's not like any teams recently gave up massive pick packages for aging stars that their fans immediately thought was too much to give up.

Those offers of multiple good players and many picks have indeed been roundly rejected - by the Nets, who are asking for legitimate stars PLUS those packages in return for KD right now. The price will drop, it will have to, but they won't sell for a song. A big pick package and a couple rotation pieces is pretty certainly the floor.

[JawsGT]

OK, we'll see, I guess. I still don't see how you see it as a "certainty" that those 6-7 picks+players options are on the table, regardless of your apparent disdain for fan opinion. I think front offices are far more likely to trend conservative than the fan opinions on what KD is worth, so take that for what you will.

6-7 picks + at least 2 good/very good players still seems awfully high for what most can agree is maybe 2 years of "prime KD" barring injury, and that seem to have been roundly rejected league-wide so far. Personally, I don't see that asking price dropping soon, and I don't see PHX or TOR meeting it, esp. when other teams who might be more motivated to make such a radical move don't seem to have the bag to make the offer Brooklyn is apparently holding out for. Again, Brooklyn is soooo not in the driver's seat on this. Buyers can be patient. Brooklyn can't, unless they think they can reel KD back in and keep him happy.

I still lean toward KD playing in Brooklyn.

Well that's just it, prime KD is already in the past, which is probably why a deal hasn't materialized yet. Nobody trading for KD now should expect to get prime or even close to prime KD. That ended with the Achilles tear in GSW. The only ones expecting the big return are BKN and a few foolish talking heads that think siakam, Barnes and the full pick package (4 + 3 swaps) isn't even fair value. Which is absurd of course. That would be a sweet deal if KD was 28, let alone at 34.

It seems to me that PHX should be the desperate ones. They have been a contender the past couple of seasons, but are clearly lacking another piece to take them over the top. Paul is getting older each season, and the clock is ticking. But even they are willing to play the waiting game, because they know if they move all those assets, they have a couple of seasons, maybe 3 to win the title before the inevitable full scale rebuild. If they don't trade for KD, they may at least find a way to pivot off CP3 and continue to be a player in the west.

[G__Deane]

the issue is offering too many picks you risk not having secondary moves to make so you would have to internally be 100% certain that everyone is bought in and willing to make it work even in terms of salary sacrifice if necessary for 3 years. You would have to be fairly certain that THAT move would guarantee you a chip possibly two

The reality is that there are zero moves anywhere that "guarantee you a chip possibly two"

[golden]

The problem is that team is less than the sum of its parts, plus, you have your two best players with one foot out the door, so there isn't much holding that thing together. It will come apart at the seams and then you definitely won't get as much for Durant. That just doesn't seem like a viable option no matter how much Brooklyn pretends otherwise. I understand what you're getting at but it doesn't feasible as an outsider.

Kawhi had one foot out the door the entire season in Toronto… and that worked out kinda okay.

[TrueTorontoFan]

The reality is that there are zero moves anywhere that "guarantee you a chip possibly two"

which is why I wouldn't sell 6 picks.

[Dvdvideo]

Kawhi had one foot out the door the entire season in Toronto… and that worked out kinda okay.

Kd isn't Kawhi, and you have to admit we were lucky he was even healthy enough to help our already very good team.

[slaw]

Kawhi had one foot out the door the entire season in Toronto… and that worked out kinda okay.

No, don’t agree at all. He needed to rehab his image and show he could still play at a high level. He also was in a functioning environment where he could win. Durant has none of that. Plus, he has to deal with Irving and Simmons and the NY media and a public trade request. Toronto was the perfect pit stop for Leonard. Brooklyn is purgatory for Durant.

[Kawhisexual]

No, don’t agree at all. He needed to rehab his image and show he could still play at a high level. He also was in a functioning environment where he could win. Durant has none of that. Plus, he has to deal with Irving and Simmons and the NY media and a public trade request. Toronto was the perfect pit stop for Leonard. Brooklyn is purgatory for Durant.

Toronto is paradiso for durant

[Kagemusha]

Kd isn't Kawhi, and you have to admit we were lucky he was even healthy enough to help our already very good team.

This is why I'm not sold on trading for KD.
Our team isn't on the 2019 Raptors yet,
which means winning even one chip with him is not guaranteed, especially since we will even be losing valuable pieces to get him.

[LJ2]

A championship not being guaranteed is no reason to stop trying to improve the roster.

Are we better with KD or with Trent, OG and a bunch of FRP's that are going to end up being in the 20's?

[Kagemusha]

A championship not being guaranteed is no reason to stop trying to improve the roster.

Are we better with KD or with Trent, OG and a bunch of FRP's that are going to end up being in the 20's?

The only reason we should trade for someone of KD's caliber is to win a chip.
We shouldn't sacrifice our future for a few years of relevance.
There are other ways to draft a bit higher, or strike gold in the 2nd round like we usually do.

[A.I]

The only reason we should trade for someone of KD's caliber is to win a chip.
We shouldn't sacrifice our future for a few years of relevance.
There are other ways to draft a bit higher, or strike gold in the 2nd round like we usually do.

There is never a guarantee you win a championship, but you put yourself in the best position to win one. KD absolutely does that if the trade package is Trent and OG.

[DanH]

Our current core is definitely still developing, but I think maybe we are selling them short thinking they aren't already very good? They nearly hit 50 wins last year in spite of basically every major rotation player missing a quarter of the season. They should project as a low-mid 50's win team this year with no other changes, a team like that is exactly the sort of team you want to add a guy like KD to and think you have a real shot at a chip.