Knicks · Lets talk about Kevin Durant (page 5)

LivingLegend wrote:

martin wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

martin wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

martin wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:Both Shams and Windy claiming today that Knicks still in on Durant.

Shams - one of 5 teams in discussions with Suns the last 24 hours.

I say he goes to Minny but Durant should end here in NY.

I legit don’t know how a Durant to Minny trade would work unless Gobert is involved, and you still need to tack on $20M in salary. It’s doable but a weird trade for Wolves.

Was figuring Julius and pieces (Donte?)...but never looked at #s.

Naz and Randle have opt outs. No way Randle opts in to that instead of extending?

I think Randle can opt in and tack on years, and then get traded? But I don’t think thats a plausible type thing?

Minny in a tough spot to try to move Randle, think this is one of the reasons on Knicks favored KAT.

I remembered Naz had the opt out and for some reason blanked on Julius so good catch.

Saw somewhere someone proposing Gobert/Donte/Dillingham -- which sounds yuck for Suns.

I wonder if Knicks might be offering a non-Kat package?

Me - I have severe doubts with Kat - great talent and $0.10 noggin.

Also heard a fan comment today that when you talk about great teammates it's usually something like Shaq/Kobe, Kareem/Magic, Stockton/Malone, Jordon/Pippen --- yet we have Brunson/Kat and those 2 basically can't share the court.

The above comment is one reason I entertain a 2-3 year KD window. His D at the 4 is major upgrade over cement feet Kat.

Bobby suggesting Gobert DDV Conley and pick #17

And that also sounds yuck for Phx - Rudy getting old, Conley already old and DD plus middling pick.

Well it could be ok for Suns but would think if Kat were dangled that could be more interesting to Suns.

Yeah, I think Houston has this.

Houston has the best group of players to offer. They should be perfecly willing to part with Green+Salary match. Green/Durant not gonna work together smoothly anyways. They have enough young talent where losing Green isn't a tragedy and its the right pieces to win them the trade for the SUns, because he's a win now and long term player. Durant upgrades Green significanlty and if you're keeping Sengun and Amen, you're in really nice shape to contend.

Green and Booker? Bit redundant. Green is young and might still blossom.
Drafting is a patience game. Green and Scoot are still super young but these young dudes need time.
KD at 54mil and want an extension? 37 year old can still ball out but those are big numbers but if his eventual decline occurs one has to hope its not steep.
But we talking an all time great here so it might be different and worth it.
Steph and GSW have a lot of good history to warrant some of that risk they running with him but KD has been a bit of a mercenary and not a “Franchise kind of guy”……..

Nalod wrote:Green and Booker? Bit redundant. Green is young and might still blossom.
Drafting is a patience game. Green and Scoot are still super young but these young dudes need time.
KD at 54mil and want an extension? 37 year old can still ball out but those are big numbers but if his eventual decline occurs one has to hope its not steep.
But we talking an all time great here so it might be different and worth it.
Steph and GSW have a lot of good history to warrant some of that risk they running with him but KD has been a bit of a mercenary and not a “Franchise kind of guy”……..

Agree on Green not being a great fit with Booker.

Assume KD is a PF now -- so would think Jabbari Smith would be going to Phx.

Problem for Houston is the only big ticket item on their roster is Van Fleet and if you drop down in low $20Ms Brooks - not sure PHX would love those guys and or if Houston will want Van Fleet gone.

LivingLegend wrote:

Nalod wrote:Green and Booker? Bit redundant. Green is young and might still blossom.
Drafting is a patience game. Green and Scoot are still super young but these young dudes need time.
KD at 54mil and want an extension? 37 year old can still ball out but those are big numbers but if his eventual decline occurs one has to hope its not steep.
But we talking an all time great here so it might be different and worth it.
Steph and GSW have a lot of good history to warrant some of that risk they running with him but KD has been a bit of a mercenary and not a “Franchise kind of guy”……..

Agree on Green not being a great fit with Booker.

Assume KD is a PF now -- so would think Jabbari Smith would be going to Phx.

Problem for Houston is the only big ticket item on their roster is Van Fleet and if you drop down in low $20Ms Brooks - not sure PHX would love those guys and or if Houston will want Van Fleet gone.

Yeah, but Fred is a team option next year. Brooks would cause a little pain for two years, but he could fit in their rebuild on the fly plan. The main thing is Houston has a bunch of Phoenix's pick they can dangle. Houston can give Phoenix back the 10th pick in this draft, possibly their other unprotected first rounder and another young player like Jabari, who could solve the Suns' center problem.

martin wrote:

VDesai wrote:

martin wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:Brunson / Deuce
Bridges / Hart
OG /
Durant /
Robinson /

Hmm. I’m emotionally against the trade but swapping Towns for Durant basically erases 3 years of Towns extension for Durant’s 37 year old season. He’s about as fundamentally sound of a player as has ever existed. He’s can play SF or PF - a fundamental mismatch at either position. His usage is not as high as Giannis (or Brunson) but it begs the question whether he would come in here as a gunslinging rental or would want his own team.

You would need to focus any remaining assets to obtain both a backup PF and a C - hard to rely on either Durant or Robinson being healthy for more than 60+ games.

You risk losing Durant after this season which puts the team core at Brunson/OG, since Bridges is also a potential free agent after this year.

I’d be worried they approach a “starphuch” situation to make the most of KD’s season (also worried that they extend him, though players do seem to last longer now then they used to.

Fundamentally, I think the starting 5 would be more productive on paper with KD instead of KAT. I just don’t really like the team’s competitive window with this move.

I wouldn’t run screaming like I thought I would. It just messes the timeline up a bit

For me, if you are lining up a KAT-KD swap, you need to already establish and have a KD extension ready to be signed for an additional 2 years, that would be my assumption. As well, you would need to have a pretty good idea on another C back up, like Al Horford or Steven Adams.

Leon would cover it like that I'd assume.

Don't love KD, but I would stomach this move. KD one of the few players that represent a true offensive upgrade on KAT, but you likely move back to having a traditional 5 in the lineup under this configuration - Mitch+whomever else.

Think a move like that puts even more pressure on next year being the year. KD at 36 can still put up 27 in his sleep, but with all the severe injuries he's had in his in last 8 or seasons, I'm not sure what his remaining shelf life is.

Yeah I'm the same, don't love it but could almost understand it.

It's a solid 2-3 year window. It gives you another elite ball handler. Forces something a bit more traditional at the C position but that could be a strength with something like Horford, Mitch, Huk for first year.

Brunson Mikal OG Durant Mitch
Kolek Deuce McCullar Hart Dadiet Huk Horford
vet min PG, vet min shooter

It's not horrible.

Can’t believe you gave up on Herb? Jones that is.
So we get the upgrade at PF I have asked for all year.
But what’s the price? Which is what I am worried about

VDesai wrote:

martin wrote:

VDesai wrote:

martin wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:Brunson / Deuce
Bridges / Hart
OG /
Durant /
Robinson /

Hmm. I’m emotionally against the trade but swapping Towns for Durant basically erases 3 years of Towns extension for Durant’s 37 year old season. He’s about as fundamentally sound of a player as has ever existed. He’s can play SF or PF - a fundamental mismatch at either position. His usage is not as high as Giannis (or Brunson) but it begs the question whether he would come in here as a gunslinging rental or would want his own team.

You would need to focus any remaining assets to obtain both a backup PF and a C - hard to rely on either Durant or Robinson being healthy for more than 60+ games.

You risk losing Durant after this season which puts the team core at Brunson/OG, since Bridges is also a potential free agent after this year.

I’d be worried they approach a “starphuch” situation to make the most of KD’s season (also worried that they extend him, though players do seem to last longer now then they used to.

Fundamentally, I think the starting 5 would be more productive on paper with KD instead of KAT. I just don’t really like the team’s competitive window with this move.

I wouldn’t run screaming like I thought I would. It just messes the timeline up a bit

For me, if you are lining up a KAT-KD swap, you need to already establish and have a KD extension ready to be signed for an additional 2 years, that would be my assumption. As well, you would need to have a pretty good idea on another C back up, like Al Horford or Steven Adams.

Leon would cover it like that I'd assume.

Don't love KD, but I would stomach this move. KD one of the few players that represent a true offensive upgrade on KAT, but you likely move back to having a traditional 5 in the lineup under this configuration - Mitch+whomever else.

Think a move like that puts even more pressure on next year being the year. KD at 36 can still put up 27 in his sleep, but with all the severe injuries he's had in his in last 8 or seasons, I'm not sure what his remaining shelf life is.

Yeah I'm the same, don't love it but could almost understand it.

It's a solid 2-3 year window. It gives you another elite ball handler. Forces something a bit more traditional at the C position but that could be a strength with something like Horford, Mitch, Huk for first year.

Brunson Mikal OG Durant Mitch
Kolek Deuce McCullar Hart Dadiet Huk Horford
vet min PG, vet min shooter

It's not horrible.

Far from horrible, if you land a Brogdon/Horford bench to add to Deuce and Hart, that's a top notch rotation.

I’ll take Brogdon and Horford instead of KD.
If we are committed to the “process” then just add a younger better shooting PF and deeper bench pieces.

However, firing Thibs seems to be the first sign that Dolan/Rose are in win now mode. So KD move would make sense. So much for give the young core time to develop talk.
Question is how much of it and who are we giving up for KD?

ToddTT wrote:Do we all just root for orange and blue?

I have zero desire to see KD wearing it, and would not take much pride in seeing us win a championship with him.

I'd say that pure starphuckery was the reason, but I think I'd feel different about say, Giannis in a Knicks jersey.

I heard several of the Suns cheerleaders would be included in the deal.

nyvector16 wrote:The Center position will be one of the most sought after this free agency period.
I would not trade Mitch for anything other than a center... like in a package for Walker Kessler or something similar.

If we trade Mitch for a forward or a Guard and do not end up with a solid center pickup this offseason, I don't think we would even make it out of the 2nd round in 2026 playoffs if we even make it that far.

Ironically if Mitch had KAT's offense or if KAT had Mitch's defense we would have the leaque MVP shoe-in. It is so hard to find solid two-way players, especially at the center position.

See several suggesting Kessler.
Besides having a cute girlfriend , don’t think he is better than MR.
Specially foul shooting. Hard to believe.
He is a big guy and young but we saw how Mitch can change a team’s entire approach with his impact.
Also, let’s not forget who we would be dealing with at the bargaining table.

HofstraBBall wrote:

ToddTT wrote:Do we all just root for orange and blue?

I have zero desire to see KD wearing it, and would not take much pride in seeing us win a championship with him.

I'd say that pure starphuckery was the reason, but I think I'd feel different about say, Giannis in a Knicks jersey.

I heard several of the Suns cheerleaders would be included in the deal.

Hoff, you are a man of culture.

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martin wrote:

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Very satisfying and poetic

Still would like to see KD chucking jumpers in Knicks uniform.

Anyone catch the video of The Greek training with Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper?

It really makes you appreciate the Greek and the seriousness he seems to train with. One segment he was trying to tell the kids that they have to have KILL SPOTS on the floor - spots the can get to where they are confident they can knock down shots at a high rate.

As he was explaining the concept the Greek talked about KD and he started pointing to about 15 spots on the floor and said these are ALL kill spots for KD.

For those still devoting mindspace to the Knicks getting Kevin Durant

VDesai wrote:For those still devoting mindspace to the Knicks getting Kevin Durant

Watched and kept getting the sense that NAH was the right decision on trading for Durant.

The only logical move is KAT and min filler for Durant and that really depends on how Bearish you are on KAT and how Bullish you are on Durant. And it also depends on how willing you are to shorten your window based on that move putting you over the top right now

VDesai wrote:The only logical move is KAT and min filler for Durant and that really depends on how Bearish you are on KAT and how Bullish you are on Durant. And it also depends on how willing you are to shorten your window based on that move putting you over the top right now

The guys above concluded best move would be OG, Mitch and Wiz pick and we use MLE to replace MITCH —- BUT —- they didn’t like any of the trades they proposed just said one above would be most palatable.

lol

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KD can ask.
But the market will deterine his value.
He wants an extension and “Respect”. Not saying he has not earned it. He has.
What other teams want to do and pay him is their business.
We might be able to second guess Leon as fans do. But Leon is not stupid.

LivingLegend wrote:

VDesai wrote:The only logical move is KAT and min filler for Durant and that really depends on how Bearish you are on KAT and how Bullish you are on Durant. And it also depends on how willing you are to shorten your window based on that move putting you over the top right now

The guys above concluded best move would be OG, Mitch and Wiz pick and we use MLE to replace MITCH —- BUT —- they didn’t like any of the trades they proposed just said one above would be most palatable.

Only one ball, yes you get more offense, but I think you lose too much on defense. The Mitch/OG combo can wreck games - we have seen it far too infrequently.

I really question whether there is a way to maximize 3 scorers. Who do you want taking a step back among Jalen, KAT and Durant?

VDesai wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

VDesai wrote:The only logical move is KAT and min filler for Durant and that really depends on how Bearish you are on KAT and how Bullish you are on Durant. And it also depends on how willing you are to shorten your window based on that move putting you over the top right now

The guys above concluded best move would be OG, Mitch and Wiz pick and we use MLE to replace MITCH —- BUT —- they didn’t like any of the trades they proposed just said one above would be most palatable.

Only one ball, yes you get more offense, but I think you lose too much on defense. The Mitch/OG combo can wreck games - we have seen it far too infrequently.

I really question whether there is a way to maximize 3 scorers. Who do you want taking a step back among Jalen, KAT and Durant?

That wasn’t my proposal but to answer your question I’d prefer to see Jalen/KD maybe get less mins/volume and allow Kat to flourish. Jalen/KD can turn it in at end of games.

If that trade went down we’d need to hope Huck is ready to emerge plus maybe add a vet big.

Plus still need a vet ball handler who makes good decisions to limit Hart touches.

Flip side of losing OG/Mitch defense impact is you also lose the butter fingers.