Phoenix Suns expect to part ways with Kevin Durant this offseason. Could the Spurs be a good landing place?

[sfernald]

but trading for your franchise player is?

If you are talking about Okc, I would say that was pretty organic in that situation. They were in the process of tearing it down and managed to scoop up a promising young player after his rookie season. And then 90% of that team is through draft. Nothing wrong with grabbing a role playing vet or two when you think you are just a piece away like Caruso for example. That’s a lot different than committing 35% of your cap and a bunch of your young talent and draft capital to a “must win now to make it worth it” player like Durant when you haven’t even made the playoffs yet.

[kxs783kms]

OKC = Best player acquired by trade

Wolves = second best player acquired by trade

Pacers = two best players acquired by trade

Knicks = 4 best players acquired by trade

But spurstalk posters want to hang on to the power of friendship so they can go for what a 6th straight losing season

Bingo!🎯🎯 lol

[objective]

Bane trade isn't as expensive as people think given the context

Think of one of those picks as the cost for eating the deal of KCP. Maybe 2 of them, because if they had tried to dump his 2 years and $43 million that's what Brooklyn would have charged for the dump.

KCP turned out to be washed,, thoroughly washed. Regular season was his lowest points average since his rookie year. 8.7 points. He does nothing else in the court, 2 points and 2 rebounds. He's headed into his year 32 season and the defense isn't what it used to be. And he's lost his shot, only hitting 34.2% from 3 in the regular season, and he was coming off of averaging over 40% over the previous 5 seasons.

And the playoffs was where he really stunk it up.

32 mpg, 5 pts, 3 rb, 2 ast, shooting 26.1% from 3 and 26.7% overall.

That dude is donezo.

Unlike the multi year players the Spurs could send out, Vassell and Johnson, those guys are well under 30 and not collapsing into nothingness like KCP

[sfernald]

^^^ true

[ace3g]

[Mr. Body]

Bane trade isn't as expensive as people think given the context

Think of one of those picks as the cost for eating the deal of KCP. Maybe 2 of them, because if they had tried to dump his 2 years and $43 million that's what Brooklyn would have charged for the dump.

KCP turned out to be washed,, thoroughly washed. Regular season was his lowest points average since his rookie year. 8.7 points. He does nothing else in the court, 2 points and 2 rebounds. He's headed into his year 32 season and the defense isn't what it used to be. And he's lost his shot, only hitting 34.2% from 3 in the regular season, and he was coming off of averaging over 40% over the previous 5 seasons.

And the playoffs was where he really stunk it up.

32 mpg, 5 pts, 3 rb, 2 ast, shooting 26.1% from 3 and 26.7% overall.

That dude is donezo.

Unlike the multi year players the Spurs could send out, Vassell and Johnson, those guys are well under 30 and not collapsing into nothingness like KCP

Great point.

I don't even think the picks are that bad. The PHX pick is a swap of a swap. That could be pretty good, but I think Phoenix will be mediocre for a while, not terrible. Late lottery maybe. The Orlando picks and swaps are from a team that may be top half of the EC throughout that duration. So, late teens into the twenties.

Those picks are worth something, but they aren't the juiciness that it first appears.

[RC_Drunkford]

If you are talking about Okc, I would say that was pretty organic in that situation. They were in the process of tearing it down and managed to scoop up a promising young player after his rookie season. And then 90% of that team is through draft. Nothing wrong with grabbing a role playing vet or two when you think you are just a piece away like Caruso for example. That’s a lot different than committing 35% of your cap and a bunch of your young talent and draft capital to a “must win now to make it worth it” player like Durant when you haven’t even made the playoffs yet.

true, but Spurs foundation would also be drafted: Wemby, Castle, Harper and whoever else is staying from the friendship crew

KD and Fox are here to bridge the gap, so we can start contending early.

Bane trade isn't as expensive as people think given the context

Think of one of those picks as the cost for eating the deal of KCP. Maybe 2 of them, because if they had tried to dump his 2 years and $43 million that's what Brooklyn would have charged for the dump.

KCP turned out to be washed,, thoroughly washed. Regular season was his lowest points average since his rookie year. 8.7 points. He does nothing else in the court, 2 points and 2 rebounds. He's headed into his year 32 season and the defense isn't what it used to be. And he's lost his shot, only hitting 34.2% from 3 in the regular season, and he was coming off of averaging over 40% over the previous 5 seasons.

And the playoffs was where he really stunk it up.

32 mpg, 5 pts, 3 rb, 2 ast, shooting 26.1% from 3 and 26.7% overall.

That dude is donezo.

Unlike the multi year players the Spurs could send out, Vassell and Johnson, those guys are well under 30 and not collapsing into nothingness like KCP

3 picks for Bane

1 pick + 1 swap to offload KCP

still an overpay for today's market, where most teams are short on draft assets

[LeBowen]

OKC = Best player acquired by trade

Wolves = second best player acquired by trade

Pacers = two best players acquired by trade

Knicks = 4 best players acquired by trade

But spurstalk posters want to hang on to the power of friendship so they can go for what a 6th straight losing season

Yeah, let's corner ourselves into cap like the Knicks and Timberwolves without being good enough to win championships.
The only reason they made conference finals is that everyone else was either or got injured.

[ace3g]

[Leetonidas]

Just trade this ing guy already dammit

[SupremeGuy]

The 14, Vassell, and a bunch of 2RPs tbh.

Take it or leave it.

He'd be a one year rental, right?

[benefactor]

The 14, Vassell, and a bunch of 2RPs tbh.

Take it or leave it.

He'd be a one year rental, right?

He would extend tbh

[AFBlue]

I'm assuming the initial trade offers and maybe a "final" counter were provided days ago. All of this is just positioning in the media for each side, including Durant. As with any deal, the first to speak loses. Good on the Spurs for moving in silence.

[CGD]

We probably don’t keep Vassell if Durant comes, so Champagnie will be in the 5

That's what I mean by the price. Is it wise to decapitalize the picks stores? If its a player focused trade, whats the plan from replacing the bench production? Is getting 2 years of KD worth it with what roster remains? etc. etc. etc.

[Rocalcio]

damn, this would be a weird coincidence He's probably posting the wrong location on purpose

[Rocalcio]

damn, this would be a weird coincidence

He's probably posting the wrong location on purpose

I can totally see him doing that, so funny !

[Uriel]

Care to share what’s behind that paywall?

[ace3g]

Care to share what’s behind that paywall?

[thOOdee]

Heard an interview of durant’s in depth understanding of what teams would have to sacrifice to acquire him. And after his okc, nets, and suns attempts, I’m sure he fully understands the player landscape of what is needed to win, and optically look good by pulling out a ring. Houston would look solid on the resume, but i think is the more uphill battle. As some have said high floor, low ceiling. The spurs i think have the perfect sauce. This is telling durant may think so too.

[sfernald]

Care to share what’s behind that paywall?

Theres actually a good amount of stuff in there so I signed up for one month for $10 (for draft and free agent coverage)

Here is a ChatGPT summary (the article had many more details thet make it interesting tho)

Certainly! Here’s a detailed but clear summary of the main points in the article, capturing all the key NBA developments, rumors, and context:








1.
Major Trade: Magic Acquire Desmond Bane

• Orlando Magic made a blockbuster trade on Father’s Day, acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies.
• Orlando gave up four unprotected first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Cole Anthony.
• This is a dramatic move for the usually-conservative Magic.
  
  
  • Part of the motivation was to shed Caldwell-Pope’s contract (he signed for $66 million last summer but struggled).
  • The Magic needed to clear salary space to fit Bane’s $40M/year contract alongside Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Paolo Banchero (who will soon be due a big extension).
  
  

2.
Kevin Durant Trade Watch

• Momentum is building around a potential Kevin Durant trade from Phoenix.
• Durant’s list of preferred destinations includes three teams: San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Miami Heat.
  
  
  • The Knicks were nearly on the list but opted out of pursuing Durant.
  
  
• Phoenix Suns aren’t guaranteeing Durant will go to a team on his list; they’ll take the best overall offer.
  
  
  • Reminder: Phoenix paid a huge price to get Durant (Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected firsts, and a swap).
  
  
• Other teams possibly interested: Minnesota, LA Clippers, Toronto, and mystery suitors.
• The Suns are open to trading Durant to a team even if he doesn’t commit long-term—he has only one season left at $54.7M.

3.
Durant and Houston Rockets

• Although Houston has long been seen as an odd fit due to their young core and Durant’s age (he turns 37 in September), Phoenix is interested in dealing with Houston.
  
  
  • Phoenix wants to regain control of at least one of the picks it sent Houston (Houston controls the Suns’ top picks in 2025, 2027, 2029).
  • The Rockets, however, are reluctant to help Phoenix get their picks back.
  • Jabari Smith Jr.’s name is surfacing as someone Phoenix wants.
  
  

4.
Orlando’s Risky Gamble

• Many see Orlando’s Bane trade as an overpay, but it helped offload Caldwell-Pope’s salary and enabled the Magic to land a high-impact player.
• Orlando is shifting away from its conservative approach, loading up on talent around Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs.

5.
Memphis Grizzlies Coaching Search

• Memphis is looking for a top assistant coach to pair with new head coach Tuomas Iisalo.
  
  
  • Candidates include former Bucks coach Adrian Griffin, Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley, and Magic assistant Dale Osbourne.
  
  
• The big Bane trade raises questions about Memphis’s direction: Are they still building around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., or considering a retool/rebuild?
  
  
  • Jackson’s contract extension is still considered a top priority.
  
  

6.
Coaching Carousel: Assistant Coaches in Demand

• Jared Dudley (Mavericks assistant) is a top target for both Memphis (to connect with Morant) and Cleveland (Coach Kenny Atkinson is interested).
• Sean Sweeney (top Mavericks aide) is being pursued by San Antonio for Mitch Johnson’s staff.
  
  
  • Corliss Williamson (from Minnesota) is also joining the Spurs.
  
  
• God Shammgod (Mavericks player development) is of interest to Orlando, where coach Jamahl Mosley has worked with him before. Shammgod has played a big role in helping Kyrie Irving settle in Dallas.

7.
Other Notes

• Jason Kidd (Mavericks head coach) was reportedly the Knicks’ top choice to succeed Tom Thibodeau, but Dallas didn’t allow talks.
• Multiple Mavericks assistants are in demand across the league.

In summary:

• The NBA offseason is off to a dramatic start with blockbuster trades and active coaching searches.
• Orlando made a bold move for Desmond Bane, while trade talks around Kevin Durant are intensifying.
• Multiple assistant coaches are being courted by other teams, highlighting a league in motion both on the court and behind the scenes.

Let me know if you’d like more detail on any specific part or need a more concise bullet-point version!

[Mnky]

That's what I mean by the price. Is it wise to decapitalize the picks stores? If its a player focused trade, whats the plan from replacing the bench production? Is getting 2 years of KD worth it with what roster remains? etc. etc. etc.

Spurs are twos seasons away from the worse team in the NBA with largely the same players. The bench can be replaced and likely needs to be.

[cjw]

Spurs are twos seasons away from the worse team in the NBA with largely the same players. The bench can be replaced and likely needs to be.

When you have the draft capital the Spurs still do in coming years, a transcendent superstar, another all star, a guy who was just ROY, and the #2 pick in the coming draft who would be #1 some years…

You can afford to trade your depth to upgrade. Your bench matters less when you’ll get vets coming in to eat minutes who want to play with this core. The fact that the Spurs are on Durant’s list should tell you a lot about being able to fill spots 9-15 on the roster.

[rascal]

so? Y‘all said organically than define organically to me. Getting your #1 option via trade is not organic no matter how you slice it and last time I checked we‘re not trading for KD to make him the #1 option. The spurs have aquired 1/10 rotation players via trade. If they get KD it‘s 2/10.

Typical Spurs fan argument: „I‘d rather draft all my players and trust in the power of friendship“

There are different ways to build a championship team. You can acquire your core through Trades/ Free agency or through the draft or a combination of them.

The Spurs were lucky to get the 1, 4 and 2 picks in consecutive drafts so makes sense for them to build with those picks.

[poopbox]

Yeah, let's corner ourselves into cap like the Knicks and Timberwolves without being good enough to win championships.
The only reason they made conference finals is that everyone else was either or got injured.

Instead you have all this cap space, all these extra 1st round picks, and your not even good enough to make the play in game for going on 5 years

Doesn't matter why you make it, it just matter that you make it.

"The only reason why he got a million dollars is cause he won the lottery", cries the person barely able to cover rent in their efficiency apartment

[skin27]

Personally i dont like dunrant on the spurs. Simply because he will overshadow wemby on and wemby’s numbers will go down instead of going up. If im the spurs gm ill rather pick harper at number 2 and go on from there.