POLL: The KD Trade

[Split T]

I think you guys forget CP3 was not the same player anymore.

[Flagrant Fowl]

People are forgetting a lot of things right now.

[JeremyG]

I think you guys forget CP3 was not the same player anymore.

Fine, let's go back and draft Haliburton and then keep the team together.

[Split T]

I think you guys forget CP3 was not the same player anymore.

Fine, let's go back and draft Haliburton and then keep the team together.

That one I’m fully on board with

[Mori Chu]

I voted "Yes it was a mistake" and still feel that way. The team before the KD trade had issues that needed fixing, but we gave up too much to get KD. We didn't put together a title contending team. And now we're hamstrung for a decade with few draft picks and other assets while being up at the 2nd apron. I would have much preferred keeping the KD assets (especially Mikal), trading Ayton, maybe trading CP3, but for pieces that fit together better.

[Kryptonic]

I voted "Yes it was a mistake" and still feel that way. The team before the KD trade had issues that needed fixing, but we gave up too much to get KD. We didn't put together a title contending team. And now we're hamstrung for a decade with few draft picks and other assets while being up at the 2nd apron. I would have much preferred keeping the KD assets (especially Mikal), trading Ayton, maybe trading CP3, but for pieces that fit together better.

Summed up nicely…. It’s nothing personal against KD… honestly, he’s been fantastic and played more than I anticipated.

[Mori Chu]

KD is an awesome player, but he doesn't do a lot to make other players better. Book has a similar issue. That's not a huge knock on either guy; not every player's job is to elevate other players. But if you basically have no guys on your roster who do that, you won't get far, because your team will never be more than the sum of its parts.

[The Bobster]

KD is an awesome player, but he doesn't do a lot to make other players better. Book has a similar issue. That's not a huge knock on either guy; not every player's job is to elevate other players. But if you basically have no guys on your roster who do that, you won't get far, because your team will never be more than the sum of its parts.

You really need someone who is a great passer/playmaker or a great defender to fill that role and the Suns have neither.

[Superbone]

KD is an awesome player, but he doesn't do a lot to make other players better. Book has a similar issue. That's not a huge knock on either guy; not every player's job is to elevate other players. But if you basically have no guys on your roster who do that, you won't get far, because your team will never be more than the sum of its parts.

You really need someone who is a great passer/playmaker or a great defender to fill that role and the Suns have neither.

The Suns brass didn't think so and were burned. I'm getting hints that maybe they'll adjust from that position. I mean, how could they not? It's pretty obvious.

[INFORMER]

I don’t know if that’s true

Winning percentage by year:

21-22: .780
22-23(before KD): .539
22-23(after KD): .577
23-24: .598

In the regular season at least we’ve been getting better.

I think sometimes we remember the finals team and the 2021-22 regular season team and forget the 2022-23 regular season team before the KD trade. Those guys weren’t good. That Dallas series broke them.

Nothing was broken. Everything can be fixed. Celtics just showed how continuity is king.

Yeah, that is not really true.

First, the Celtics haven't gone with continuity. Yes, they've kept Tatum and Brown, but they changed their team drastically over the last few years, bringing in Porzingis and Holiday. Plus they had a major coaching change.

Secondly, Chris Paul was done. So just keeping him around doesn't accomplish anything. Ayton was continuing to regress. The team wasn't just coming up short; multiple players were giving you compelling evidence that it was time for change. The Suns just made the wrong changes.

[INFORMER]

Summed up nicely…. It’s nothing personal against KD… honestly, he’s been fantastic and played more than I anticipated.

The problem with KD is that he isn't a guy you go all in on, pair him with another star, and then say, "we'll figure the rest out." He just isn't that player. Few are. But that's exactly what the Suns have done.

[Superbone]

I don’t know if that’s true

Winning percentage by year:

21-22: .780
22-23(before KD): .539
22-23(after KD): .577
23-24: .598

In the regular season at least we’ve been getting better.

I think sometimes we remember the finals team and the 2021-22 regular season team and forget the 2022-23 regular season team before the KD trade. Those guys weren’t good. That Dallas series broke them.

Nothing was broken. Everything can be fixed. Celtics just showed how continuity is king.

Yeah, that is not really true.

First, the Celtics haven't gone with continuity. Yes, they've kept Tatum and Brown, but they changed their team drastically over the last few years, bringing in Porzingis and Holiday. Plus they had a major coaching change.

Secondly, Chris Paul was done. So just keeping him around doesn't accomplish anything. Ayton was continuing to regress. The team wasn't just coming up short; multiple players were giving you compelling evidence that it was time for change. The Suns just made the wrong changes.

I might have been a little off on the continuity thing for the Celtics but as far as fixing our issues, I stand by that. You just described a way not to fix them. Not everybody has to stay around. As far as Chris Paul, you keep him on to teach and backup a young up and coming point guard ala SGA/Haliburton. (Yeah, I know, not that easy to find but bring in somebody with promise.) Sure, get what you can for Ayton, which we did. Too late but at least we got some decent value for him and a career best playing Allen. But the biggest mistake, and most agree, was trading the farm and the soul of the team, for KD. So, do those three things and we end up in a much better place than where we are at presently.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Summed up nicely…. It’s nothing personal against KD… honestly, he’s been fantastic and played more than I anticipated.

The problem with KD is that he isn't a guy you go all in on, pair him with another star, and then say, "we'll figure the rest out." He just isn't that player. Few are. But that's exactly what the Suns have done.

I think pre-injury KD was that type of player and maybe even the first year in Brooklyn.