The Kevin Durant Problem

[JeremyG]

It’s depressing to think about how we would have been so much better off if KD had just not demanded to come here.

[TOO]

It’s depressing to think about how we would have been so much better off if KD had just not demanded to come here.

It's the Beal deal that's hamstrung everything, not the KD deal.

[Split T]

One complication that I haven't seen mentioned is that a first apron team can't take back more salary then they are sending out. So if Houston doesn't decline FVV's team option, I don't see how they can be an eligible trade partner with the Adams, Green, and Sengun's extensions kicking in.

Ya I think they’d need to decline the option and re-sign him at a lower number

[Split T]

It’s depressing to think about how we would have been so much better off if KD had just not demanded to come here.

Where do you think we’d be? I think we probably end up trading for Lillard and now we’d be sitting here with ruptured Achilles Lillard…of course Beal wouldn’t have come, so there’s that.

[Charlie Smithy!]

Remind me, which one was the good one?

Robin Lopez?

Jake Tsakalidis!

Dolph Schayes' son

They didn't draft that one, but it was cool to see his dad at the games!

Who was the better player in our Schleine line, Danny or Joseph?

[Charlie Smithy!]

Also, speaking of bball history, I was quite surprised to learn that Joe Kleine was drafted as high as he was. I found that out today when I was watched a youtube video on/about Keith Lee

[The Bobster]

Also, speaking of bball history, I was quite surprised to learn that Joe Kleine was drafted as high as he was. I found that out today when I was watched a youtube video on/about Keith Lee

If you were a pretty good college center, like Kleine, Kent Benson, Jon Koncak, Chris Washburn, William Bedford, Benoit Benjamin, Mel Turpin, Rick Robey, Steve Johnson, Leon Douglas, etc. you went high in the draft. Centers were at such a premium back then.

Kleine was pretty good his senior year at Arkansas (22 points, 8 rebounds), but he was never athletic enough to be anything more than a journeyman. Looking back it's crazy that he got chosen before Karl Malone, Detlef Schrempf, Chris Mullin and Charles Oakley that year. Mullin was a fantastic college player, winning several Player of the Year Awards, and was one of the best shooters ever.

[The Bobster]

Who was the better player in our Schleine line, Danny or Joseph?

Schayes was pretty decent in Denver and still probably a little better than Kleine the one year he was here. But those guys never should have been starting 69 games that year.

[JeremyG]

[JJ Slim]

Accommodate him if you can but take care of the team first. Seems reasonable. It sounds like it is going to happen and is likely imminent. The question is once a trade happens do we discuss here or start a new thread?

[SunsRIt]

Accommodate him if you can but take care of the team first. Seems reasonable. It sounds like it is going to happen and is likely imminent. The question is once a trade happens do we discuss here or start a new thread?

Definitely new thread. It won’t just be about KD at that point. We will have new players to discuss.

[Split T]

3 teams on the list is very good for us…also Minny and Toronto still interested apparently as well.

[Superbone]

Accommodate him if you can but take care of the team first. Seems reasonable. It sounds like it is going to happen and is likely imminent. The question is once a trade happens do we discuss here or start a new thread?

Definitely new thread. It won’t just be about KD at that point. We will have new players to discuss.

Yup, new thread please.

[TOO]

3 teams on the list is very good for us…also Minny and Toronto still interested apparently as well.

I'm just hoping somehow we pull like a JJJ outta nowhere in 3/4 team deal.

[Superbone]

Who dis?

[JeremyG]

It’s depressing to think about how we would have been so much better off if KD had just not demanded to come here.

Where do you think we’d be? I think we probably end up trading for Lillard and now we’d be sitting here with ruptured Achilles Lillard…of course Beal wouldn’t have come, so there’s that.

Well I guess with Ishbia running the show you’re probably right, but at least we would have had one more run with the same team in 2023. And we may have given up way less than we did in the three trades combined that year.

[Charlie Smithy!]

Also, speaking of bball history, I was quite surprised to learn that Joe Kleine was drafted as high as he was. I found that out today when I was watched a youtube video on/about Keith Lee

If you were a pretty good college center, like Kleine, Kent Benson, Jon Koncak, Chris Washburn, William Bedford, Benoit Benjamin, Mel Turpin, Rick Robey, Steve Johnson, Leon Douglas, etc. you went high in the draft. Centers were at such a premium back then.

Kleine was pretty good his senior year at Arkansas (22 points, 8 rebounds), but he was never athletic enough to be anything more than a journeyman. Looking back it's crazy that he got chosen before Karl Malone, Detlef Schrempf, Chris Mullin and Charles Oakley that year. Mullin was a fantastic college player, winning several Player of the Year Awards, and was one of the best shooters ever.

I can only think it was this kind of logic, that even though I say this with 40 Years of hindsight, led the Portland Trail Blazers to pick Sam bowie? Coz I'm pretty sure he'd already had a broken foot in college.

And since this is a Durant thread, I'm also reminded of another Trail Blazers draft choice. But at least Greg Oden didn't have the pre-existing issues of Sam Bowie, at least I don't think he did.

[JeremyG]

[TOO]

Gimme.

[The Bobster]

I can only think it was this kind of logic, that even though I say this with 40 Years of hindsight, led the Portland Trail Blazers to pick Sam bowie? Coz I'm pretty sure he'd already had a broken foot in college.

And since this is a Durant thread, I'm also reminded of another Trail Blazers draft choice. But at least Greg Oden didn't have the pre-existing issues of Sam Bowie, at least I don't think he did.

Bowie was a talented player and an excellent prospect, it was just that he had already had a lot of injury problem at Kentucky, and they just continued into the NBA.

Picking him ahead of Jordan was a mistake of course even if there wasn't any health questions, but he was one of the most talented players in a very deep draft. However, as they say - "the most important ability is availablility."

Bowie's per-36 minute stats for his career weren't bad considering how he was always hobbled by leg injuries - 511 games, 14.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks

Bowie's injury history -

KENTUCKY
1979-80 - Played 34 games
1980-81 - Played 28 games
1981-82 - Stress fractures in his left tibia - 0 games played
1982-83 - Stress fractures in his left tibia - 0 games played
1983-84 - Played 34 games

TRAIL BLAZERS
1984-85 - Played 76 games
1985-86 - Fractured left tibia - played 38 games
1986-87 - Fractured right tibia - played 5 games
1987-88 - Fractured right tibia - played 0 games
1988-89 - Played 20 games

NETS
1989-90 - Played 68 games
1990-91 - Played 62 games
1991-92 - Played 71 games
1992-93 - Played 79 games

LAKERS
1993-94 - Left knee surgery - played 25 games
1994-95 - Played 67 games