Phx-Suns.Net

Tsai’s ass is showing. The price for Durant only goes down. My hot take is the longer he waits, the more it causes KD to have to react. GMs love a good dumpster fire. As much as I’d love KD, he has the wheelhouse to get himself paid and punish a team passive aggressively when unhappy. I’d be cautious of trading him somewhere he doesn’t want to go or forcing him to play his contract. My $ is he goes somewhere where he wants to play. Tsai is just going to run thru his feels over this publicly.
If I were Tsai, I’d take my lumps. You know what you’re getting yourself into when you trade for KD and hitch your wagon to Kyrie. It’s a good time to build through the draft. I’d be trading for only top shelf personalities with high ceilings.

Wally_West wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:18 am

Reading on Twitter that Shams did an interview with Pat McAfee where he said there is no traction on Kyrie or KD trade process and could last well into the season. That’s crazy man. That just can’t be true.

Shams and Woj get their access by doing the bidding of GMs/owners. If it is "news" being reported by Woj/Shams, it is coming from a front office or a big agent. So just read into each rumor as "how could this help one of the front offices" to figure out which side intentionally leaked it to them.

The Suns had better have a good plan B or this summer will be a complete clusterfuck.

Report: Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges Package Not Enough For Kevin Durant
The Brooklyn Nets are not interested in a Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges deal for Kevin Durant and are willing to keep their team together into next season

https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/news/tor ... al-bridges

"So can Phoenix go and take Deandre Ayton and take these other players on their roster, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, can they go trade them to other teams and go get another type of elite player that they could then use with Mikal Bridges to ship to Brooklyn."

Even putting aside my DA bias, that's just too much to give up for KD, even if you can find that third team with a star. Ayton, Johnson, Crowder, Bridges, and control of the next 7 years of first round draft picks? Forget it!

Some of us have long been skeptical of Ayton receiving a max contract offer, but I can't say I expected it to play out like this. It seems like no one wants to pay him close to his demands.

Flagrant Fowl wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 1:29 pm

Some of us have long been skeptical of Ayton receiving a max contract offer, but I can't say I expected it to play out like this. It seems like no one wants to pay him close to his demands.

I'm sure Jeremy would be happy to cut him a check. Jeremy, where you at man? We need you!

Who’s got $ to offer Ayton a $100 million contract and blow up our KD deal? I don’t see Nets playing chicken for too long. If Ayton doesn’t playball and signs and offer sheet, suns will have to match and move on.

Drewsprocket wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 2:11 pm

Who’s got $ to offer Ayton a $100 million contract and blow up our KD deal? I don’t see Nets playing chicken for too long. If Ayton doesn’t playball and signs and offer sheet, suns will have to match and move on.

After tomorrow I think only the Pacers have the money to offer him even that much. But David/IVPointPlay has said the Pacers owner has publicly said he thinks signing an RFA to a deal is a shitty move by an owner and he doesn't do them. (But they have done S&Ts)

Ayton + Mikal + picks isn't enough for them? Fine, they can take a hike. That's a handsome return; in fact, I don't even want to give them that much. I'd rather just bring our team back along with a re-signed DA (who could potentially be traded midseason if it isn't working out).

Mori Chu wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:52 pm

Ayton + Mikal + picks isn't enough for them? Fine, they can take a hike. That's a handsome return; in fact, I don't even want to give them that much. I'd rather just bring our team back along with a re-signed DA (who could potentially be traded midseason if it isn't working out).

Yeah, there's a point where you're just asking too much. I think I'd hold firm keeping Bridges, and say it's got to be Ayton and some combination of others and picks not named Bridges, Booker, or Paul. I really think Ayton and picks is a nice base consolation for losing an all star, but on the decline and iffy injury history. Add in Cam J and it's more than a fair trade.

He is a top 5 player in the league, guys.

KD would be the best player to ever put on a Suns uniform and he's still an MVP candidate. I don't get the hesitation.

Flagrant Fowl wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:08 pm

KD would be the best player to ever put on a Suns uniform and he's still an MVP candidate. I don't get the hesitation.

I get *some* hesitation because he could have something crazy happen and never play a game for us at his current level.

BUT he played last year and scored 29.9 ppg on 57.0% eFG. This is after he recovered from an Achilles injury!

If that's all it takes, then why were the Lakers and Nets not contenders last season? How did the Nuggets do with the reining MVP?

The Suns are a contender without him. Don't gut the team.

Carno wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:20 pm

If that's all it takes, then why were the Lakers and Nets not contenders last season? How did the Nuggets do with the reining MVP?

The Suns are a contender without him. Don't gut the team.

Did you see how this season ended? We need more than 2 guys that can dribble and create their own shots and create shots for others.

Indy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:20 pm

Flagrant Fowl wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 5:08 pm

KD would be the best player to ever put on a Suns uniform and he's still an MVP candidate. I don't get the hesitation.

I get *some* hesitation because he could have something crazy happen and never play a game for us at his current level.

BUT he played last year and scored 29.9 ppg on 57.0% eFG. This is after he recovered from an Achilles injury!

He's no more or less of an injury risk than any other player in the league, so I really don't get that part.

Indy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 05, 2022 4:52 pm

He is a top 5 player in the league, guys.

He’s turning 34 years old. That means he has to prove he’s a top 5 player each year. You can’t just assume he will be this season just because he (arguably) was last season.