Durant traded to Rockets

[INFORMER]

I wish I could quit you, Phoenix.

[INFORMER]

The franchise crippling trades already happened…this actually does set us up better than keeping Durant…it’s not great, I don’t like it that much, but it’s far from franchise crippling…

That seems like a valueless game of semantics.

In any event, this deal further cripples the Suns because they are taking another hard to move contract, and have added more guaranteed money to the 26-27 season. And Green's value is further going to depreciate playing in the backcourt with Booker. It's a really awful move. It's one step forward with the 10th pick, three steps backward with retaining Green.

[INFORMER]

Oh it's an absolute heist for Houston. They didn't give up anything of consequence to them, and added a player still playing at a hall-of-fame level. Congratulations to them. Rafael Stone has been putting on a clinic.

[iLLmatic]

It’s like we’ve tried the 2 combo guard backcourt experience before and it didn’t work. Also, how are we going to get Beal to buy into trading for another combo guard. Ownership has shown they have no fucking clue how to build a roster.

[Shabazz]

F--

[INFORMER]

So glad to see a smile on KD's face.

[INFORMER]

I'm trying to figure out why this franchise is so obsessed with making bad trades with Houston.

-Barkley trade
-Dragic/Brooks trade
-Trevor Ariza trade

Hopefully this will go the route of the Barkley trade and we'll realize what hot garbage we got and trade nearly all of it away by midseason.

[Shabazz]

The pit-in-my-stomach feeling I had watching the Brian "George W Bush" Gregory press conference has manifested.

Gregory: “As Mat (Ishbia) said last week, there might be a time a player is available but doesn’t fit what we do. It may look great and I gotta say, ‘Mat, he’s not a Phoenix Sun. That’s not how he lives his life. That’s not how he plays.’ That’s really important.”

[2 months later]

*Trades for Jalen Green*

[INFORMER]

Exactly, 'bazz. Green hasn't put the time in to get better, he definitely has attention on a lot of non-basketball, celebrity living off the court, and I don't know what he does on the court that aligns with this so-called identity they are trying to create.

[Mori Chu]

[Mori Chu]

I would actually be okay with this awful trade if, IF, we controlled our own draft picks. We could just suck and get good lottery 1sts every year and tank and rebuild. It would be fine. But we don't own any of our next 6-7 years of picks, so we're just going to be gifting high lotto picks to other teams for years like the chumps we are.

[Shabazz]

I don't love Cam Whitmore, but how do you not even get Cam Whitmore??? He was miserable there and they don't seem to like him.

How do they not get one of Houston's young forwards??? Houston doesn't have room to play all of them.

[SunsSince92]

Would anyone hold it against Booker if he asked for a trade now? Things have gone from bad to worse since Ishbia took over and there's no sign whatsoever that they're learning from their mistakes.

There's a slim chance we nail the 10th pick and Ott gets the likes of Green and Dunn playing to their full potential but I'm really not that confident.

[INFORMER]

I don't love Cam Whitmore, but how do you not even get Cam Whitmore??? He was miserable there and they don't seem to like him.

I thought the same thing, but it's probably because the Suns wanted Brooks, which essentially brought the deal to the limit in turns of salary the Suns could take back.

Three players came to mind when this grit and grime crap got trumpeted: Draymond Green, Dillon Brooks, and Julius Randle. So not at all surprised that's who the Suns prioritized in dealing with Houston, just disappointed.

[INFORMER]

Would anyone hold it against Booker if he asked for a trade now? Things have gone from bad to worse since Ishbia took over and there's no sign whatsoever that they're learning from their mistakes.

I think Book is comfortable for now. He is looking forward to the massive payday coming his way, and he likes being in Phoenix. I think summer of '27 will be the fork in the road for him.

[BKinSJC]

Are we absolutely sure it's not MarShon Brooks that's part of this trade?

[Mori Chu]

I don't love Cam Whitmore, but how do you not even get Cam Whitmore??? He was miserable there and they don't seem to like him.

How do they not get one of Houston's young forwards??? Houston doesn't have room to play all of them.

Exactly. You have to get one of the young prospects, you just have to. You don't make the trade with them without it.

This return makes me think that our FO is actually naive enough to think that this new roster will actually be competitive. I think they think that Green/Booker is actually a good backcourt pairing, and that Dillon Brooks will give us some much-needed toughness. If they do think that, they are in for a rude awakening.

[The Bobster]

C Nick Richards, Oso Ighodaro
PF Ryan Dunn
SF Dillon Brooks, Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen
SG Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Bradley Beal
PG Collin Gillespie

#10 pick, #29 pick

They pretty much have to get some size somewhere. Allen probably has the most value of the players they want to trade, but he's not going to bring a starter-quality center. They also need to find a point guard again.

Durant was never really invested in the team - he's got a hired gun mentality, and isn't really a leader, but you can say the same for Booker to a degree. They'll certainly miss his offensive efficiency, because they won't be getting that from Booker and Green.

There should be some size available at #10 - Derick Queen, Joan Beringer or Khaman Maluach may be the best beig men available there. Hoipefully there'll be a decent PG prospect around when they pick 29th. The 52nd and 59th pick are a crapshoot. Maybe you find a long-term project, maybe not.

I do think they have to be realistic about their near future now and just strip it down and rebuild, Booker included. If you can Beal to Milwaukee for Lilliard and a couple of #2s, do it.

[The Bobster]

"It's better to trade a player a year too early than a year too late." - Branch Rickey

[Wally_West]

lol I mean kinda…