The Raptors and KD. Let's discuss.

[Hotshot]

The whole reason that they had to move Allen was KD and kyrie made them sign deandre Jordan and then pouted when Allen was getting minutes over him. They basically were forced to deal a good arrest cause they gave control of team making decisions to 2 fickle prima Donna stars. They gave up on a guy who has been an all star now and will probably be on the verge of making the team a couple more times in his career, cause of KD and kyrie. Something smart executives like masai should be taking into account when thinking about a deal. You gonna let KD come to your team and force you to pay and play one of his old washed up buddies over a young guy who needs reps to break out?

This is why Masai did not want to even attempt to trade half of the team and future assets for Paul George which is what Kawhi wanted as starting price to come back.

So far no rings for the Clippers.

[The Great One]

Yep, full agreement here. The best thing for us to send out in a KD trade is picks and swaps because those don't hurt our chances of winning the NBA title while KD is here. Max those out and minimize the value of outgoing players and we're in great shape.

Nets are demanding excellent players and all the picks and that's just not gonna happen because it defeats the whole purpose of trading for KD.

Trent + OG + picks and swaps is definitely the best situation for us. It's also a pretty damn good fit for the Nets as OG and Trent would go well with Simmons since both can shoot. OG and Simmons would be a nightmare on defense together. The Nets are too worried aboit public perception and not worried enough about basketball. If they keep Irving too that's a playoff team for sure.

Irving
Trent
Simmons
OG
Claxton

That's a pretty damn solid starting 5.

Yep. That's a pretty damn good starting 5.

Irving
Bridges
Johnson
Simmons
Claxton

......also a pretty good starting 5. Nets though want a historical return for KD. Not gonna happen imo because the whole point of trading for him is to build a championship team.

Anyway, that's it for me for this topic, wake me up when sumthin happens.

[The Great One]

One more thing, this dude Jalen Rose really said that if he's the GM of the Nets and Masai offered Barnes, Siakam + 4 first for KD, Masai's call would go straight to the voicemail.

Talk about clueless. Bet you he'd trade KD for Herro.

[Limited Upside]

Yep, full agreement here. The best thing for us to send out in a KD trade is picks and swaps because those don't hurt our chances of winning the NBA title while KD is here. Max those out and minimize the value of outgoing players and we're in great shape.

Yeah, I don’t agree. Why are you throwing in 6 picks (plus 1 excellent young player and a second very good one) when there is no market for KD that suggests anyone else is going to give them that?

Wait. It. Out.

[Hotshot]

One more thing, this dude Jalen Rose really said that if he's the GM of the Nets and Masai offered Barnes, Siakam + 4 first for KD, Masai's call would go straight to the voicemail.

Talk about clueless. Bet you he'd trade KD for Herro.

I don't know why some people have a hard time with the fact that we aren't trading for careers but the player that he is today. A player who is turning 34 whose age is catching up with him as well as injuries and struggled to be himself in the playoffs by Jason Tatum defensive effort (a team the Raptors will likely have to face in order to get to the finals). He may have 2 more seasons of elite basketball in him, if he doesn't get injured but clearly load management will be a thing with him and clearly needs a good support cast around him.

We aren't getting prime Kevin Durant but a player that will show flashes at being unstoppable at times while in other times can struggle and his team-mates will need to pick up the slack.

[DanH]

Yeah, I don’t agree. Why are you throwing in 6 picks (plus 1 excellent young player and a second very good one) when there is no market for KD that suggests anyone else is going to give them that?

Wait. It. Out.

The Suns will absolutely offer Bridges, Cam Johnson, filler and picks from here to eternity. Raps can top that offer because OG/Trent or FVV/Trent are IMO a better player package than Bridges/Johnson, but the picks still need to be there.

[Limited Upside]

The Suns will absolutely offer Bridges, Cam Johnson, filler and picks from here to eternity. Raps can top that offer because OG/Trent or FVV/Trent are IMO a better player package than Bridges/Johnson, but the picks still need to be there.

They will? Why? Again, the market will dictate this, and currently, no one seems to be ponying up what you suggest they will. And if Brooklyn is already saying no to that supposed PHX offer, in hopes of getting a better one from Toronto? Doesn’t seem to be how Masai operates.

[DanH]

They will? Why? Again, the market will dictate this, and currently, no one seems to be ponying up what you suggest they will. And if Brooklyn is already saying no to that supposed PHX offer, in hopes of getting a better one from Toronto? Doesn’t seem to be how Masai operates.

I'm certain those offers are currently on the table.

Brooklyn just wants more. It's the Scottie/Pascal level offers that don't exist out there that they are chasing.

[Limited Upside]

I'm certain those offers are currently on the table.

Brooklyn just wants more. It's the Scottie/Pascal level offers that don't exist out there that they are chasing.

How are you certain of that? Over on the west coast, they’re having the same discussions we are here - not wanting to give up both Johnson and Bridges, not wanting to send any more than 3 picks, sending too much out and not having more than a great starting 5 remaining, etc… I really think people are overestimating the market right now.

[slaw]

They will? Why? Again, the market will dictate this, and currently, no one seems to be ponying up what you suggest they will. And if Brooklyn is already saying no to that supposed PHX offer, in hopes of getting a better one from Toronto? Doesn’t seem to be how Masai operates.

Everybody is waiting (or on vacation) and then it will all happen at once. I would be surprised if teams had made their absolute best offers as of yet and, of course, no team is going to want to give up anything more than it has to for Durant but......

My question in all this is whether the Nets are working on the assumption that the offers are going to get materially better. Sure, maybe they get an extra pick here or there but are they convinced that young potential superstars not on the table now will be in the fall or at the deadline or next offseason? And, if so, can they actually wait it out that long? I'm not so sure on either front - at some point they are going to hit the gas pedal on getting this done.

[Limited Upside]

My question in all this is whether the Nets are working on the assumption that the offers are going to get materially better. Sure, maybe they get an extra pick here or there but are they convinced that young potential superstars not on the table now will be in the fall or at the deadline or next offseason? And, if so, can they actually wait it out that long? I'm not so sure on either front - at some point they are going to hit the gas pedal on getting this done.

They might be waiting to see if offers get better, but waiting is a huge risk for Brooklyn, and not a risk at all for either PHX or TOR. It's far more likely that the Nets get desperate than it is that the potential buyers do. Way more pressure on them to either make it work with Kyrie, KD and Simmons. Much less pressure on the Suns (already returning a Finals-worthy team without KD) or Raps (returning a young building team that had no 2023 championship aspirations to begin with).

If they decide to "hit the gas pedal and get this done", it's much more likely the cost for KD goes down, not up.

[Hotshot]

My question in all this is whether the Nets are working on the assumption that the offers are going to get materially better. Sure, maybe they get an extra pick here or there but are they convinced that young potential superstars not on the table now will be in the fall or at the deadline or next offseason? And, if so, can they actually wait it out that long? I'm not so sure on either front - at some point they are going to hit the gas pedal on getting this done.

The Nets are also working on the assumption that they can tell KD "Hey sorry man, but the offers to your trade request weren't good enough to make, in the meantime please show up to training camp and don't pull a Ben Simmons on us"

Things might escalate more quickly once management is sure that KD 100% not going to play ball. I do believe that the Suns might be the team to crack and give the Nets that big package of picks they desire because that team has reached their plateau and the urgency is there to do something.

[DanH]

How are you certain of that? Over on the west coast, they’re having the same discussions we are here - not wanting to give up both Johnson and Bridges, not wanting to send any more than 3 picks, sending too much out and not having more than a great starting 5 remaining, etc… I really think people are overestimating the market right now.

They being fans? Irrelevant.

I am certain of it because it is Kevin Durant and both teams will make their best we-can-still-win offer, the exception being the Raptors wanting to hold onto their blue chipper.

If the price drops, it will be to the deals we've been describing. Because the current price is way higher, hence the deal not happening yet.

[Primer]

Yeah, I don’t agree. Why are you throwing in 6 picks (plus 1 excellent young player and a second very good one) when there is no market for KD that suggests anyone else is going to give them that?

Wait. It. Out.

Swaps aren't picks my friend. If we have a better record than them they are absolutely nothing, and that's nearly assured if we have KD. 4 picks is the most we can trade, literally can't trade more than that because we don't have anyone else's picks.

[Limited Upside]

They being fans? Irrelevant.

I am certain of it because it is Kevin Durant and both teams will make their best we-can-still-win offer, the exception being the Raptors wanting to hold onto their blue chipper.

If the price drops, it will be to the deals we've been describing. Because the current price is way higher, hence the deal not happening yet.

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.