Rockets PRIMED To Land Kevin Durant | Will Phoenix Suns CAVE To Houston’s Offer?

Rockets PRIMED To Land Kevin Durant | Will Phoenix Suns CAVE To Houston’s Offer?

on today’s show the Houston Rockets are in prime position to land Kevin Durant But how much is too much to give up for the Sun’s star and how much pressure is Phoenix under to get a deal done soon it’s all coming up right here on today’s crossover edition of Locked on Rockets This is mission control Houston Ignition sequence start 6 5 4 3 2 1 What’s up and welcome to another edition of Locked on Rockets your daily podcast home for everything Houston Rockets basketball As always I’m your host Jackson Gatlin native Houstononian and credentialed media member I’m also the host of Locked on NBA Thursdays Be sure to follow along wherever you listen to your podcast or on YouTube Just search Locked on Rockets where the best way you can help us grow our show is to listen every single day on a podcast platform of your choosing and then like comment subscribe on YouTube Now today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time Download the Game Time app create an account use code locked on NBA for $20 off of your first purchase And as always thanks so much for making Locked on Rock It’s part of your day every single day whether it’s on your way to work on your lunch break in the gym Thank you so much for being an everydayer And let’s go ahead and dive into our Locked Onover Edition episode here as we’ve got Benjamin Garcia from Locked Ons I’m Jackson Gatlin host of Locked On Rockets We’re here to break down and discuss all things Kevin Durant trade rumors reports this entire KD trade saga that has been plaguing the Suns for quite a while and and most recently now the Rockets getting involved with all these rumors and much to the chagrin of Rockets fans seemingly Rockets fans everywhere who have want no part in this KD situation So what we’re going to do here is we’re going to try to dive into the goals and ambitions and desires the hopes and dreams of both of these organizations what both sides are looking to potentially get out of a Kevin Durant trade I’m going to drive the bus here in segment one try and get some insight from Benjamin into kind of the Sun’s motivations and all that stuff and what the Rockets could potentially expect out of KD And then Ben’s going to grill me about the Rockets and kind of you know how much is too much for the Rockets to give up for KD things of that nature And then we’ll just go back and forth a little bit in our third and final segment of this show So Ben you ready to get the ball rolling here man oh dude I can’t wait This has been a long time coming This reckoning for you has been a long time coming I was firing shots at you on on Locked on Suns Did not think you’d see it You saw it And listen man if I had to come all the way down to the deep depths of Hades to meet you here to to uh uh grill you a bit I’m going to do so So on behalf of all Suns fans it might have been a tough season but they’ve also got a tough host here to uh let the Rockets know what’s good And also I just love to mess with I just like to pull on feathers of other teams sometimes So let’s make it happen I my goal is for your fan base to hate me after So hopefully mission accomplished fans Hey well look you’ve already got KD hating on you So you know you’ve already accomplished something there All right So look here’s here’s where I want to start first and you know I want to make sure that we get this from you know directly from you guys kind of what are the motivations here behind a KD trade We know the mid-season right there was you know the Suns kind of blindsided Katie with trying to flip him at the trade deadline Uh the whole Jimmy Butler saga and then Bradley Beal and all the no trade clause and all that mess Kind of what are the goals here right because there’s two avenues right is kind of the idea that you can you know try to tear it down and reset rebuild or try to remain competitive in the aftermath of moving on from KD What are the Suns looking to do with this KD trade well and I don’t expect Rocket fans obviously to know this because they’re not checking out Locked on Suns every day only when they’re coming over to mess with us and tell us that they’re not going to get we’re going to get a ham sandwich at Capri Sun back and maybe the 10 pick and then we’ll just feel good about that and that’s what we’re going to have for lunch But uh uh no when it comes to Kevin Durant I think the Suns understand the needs of Devin Booker It all comes back to Devin Booker That’s what all roads lead back to And Booker had mentioned he’s not going to be part of a rebuild anymore He doesn’t want a rebuild And so there’s a fine line of the Suns need assets picks The Suns need players that can help you win Now it’s what makes the Minnesota Timberwolves offer so appealing And you know we don’t have to get into exact players of like the Rockets We’ll do that here in a second But like what makes the the Timberwolves reported deal may or may not be contingent on a camera extension So interesting is Rudy Gobear Dante Devenzo Rob Dillingham the 17th overall pick This is kind of the framework that the Suns are looking for Two players that can help keep you competitive now And I do think there’s a world where Devin Booker is awesome next year right goes back to 2021 2022 2023 mode when in the playoffs when he was like next to Michael Jordan statistically how great he was And he carries that team into the playoffs with a Gobear with a Venzo with a Ryan Dunn not a one seed not a two seed not a three seed but a competitive six seed maybe a seven eight seed because they get through the the playin tournament and you keep those two guys on your team Rudy Gober is a good defensive stopper although gets ran out of the playoffs and you understand that the Suns have to know they’re not competing for a championship for the next two probably next three seasons But can you bridge the gap make yourself an attractive destination with two guys that can help keep you afloat and make other teams go “Oh man that team’s kind of interesting.” And then have a wild card of the 17th overall pick You got to nail that Like there’s no ifands or buts You got to nail that pick Doesn’t mean it’s got to be a number one or number two guy on your team but he’s got to be a four five or six guy consistently And then the Rob Dillingham aspect of like I don’t know what he is He could be awesome Like it’s a lottery ticket right i can buy into that being a second first round pick because he didn’t really play a lot last year He’s kind of a small guy Maybe it’s the backcourt mate Devin Booker needs but that’s the realm the Suns are going after Like the the it might be too rich for the Rockets and I understand that aspect of it but that is what I think Ishbia and Brian Gregory mostly Matt Ishbia are trying to get out of a deal something that can keep them competitive for now but also give them something to look towards to for the future and be like we can build on this and in three years when Bradley Bill’s contract’s gone when you have some assets to trade we’re still Phoenix during the winter We’re going to get a we’re going to get people that want to come here So I I think that would answer your question Okay perfect No that’s that’s great backtory Send over Amen Thompson That’s the Oh man I’ll just hang on How do I do this just just boot him off the stage right there All right bring him back All right so um now that we kind of set the stage there here’s the thing The dilemma that a lot of Rockets fans are facing within you know trying to come to terms with a lot of Rockets fans are like “Okay KD’s Wash He’s 36 He’ll be 37 next year.” And the the argument that I feel like is not a really good faith argument is a lot of Rockets fans like “Oh my god KD couldn’t even lead the Suns to the playing tournament with Devin Booker and this that.” and they’ll make okay first off like just like KD likes to say all the time on Twitter basketball’s a team sport Was it first off first question is KD washed or is he still like a very good player in the NBA and then two how much of the Sun’s issues were not related to KD and more just about roster construction the defense coaching whatever It’s so interesting because if you’ve seen the way that Katie talks to me on social media he would thinks I’m calling him a terrible player In my opinion and this is like an opinion I think these things are subjective He’s a top 10 player of all time He has shown no signs of slowing down I would be incredibly naive to think that if he comes to the Rockets next year there’s not a chance he could just fall off a cliff Like that is 100% a possibility He’s 37 when the season starts All signs point to that’s not the case There is no statistical or evidence in terms of data that the Rockets fans can point to and say this guy’s watch Just last year he averaged 50 40 and 85 from the field The year before that he finished the season 50 40 and 90 That was his first year with the Suns combined with the Brooklyn Nets And then last year only playing 62 games and that’s a obviously a could be a a thing we were worried about but he twisted an ankle The Suns were already out of it I think there was a reason he didn’t come back 52 43 85 on with 26 points And that being the fact that him teams could just score him and Devin Booker I’m watching Kevin Durant every night If there’s a Rockets fan out there that doesn’t think Kevin Durant would have absolutely won them that Warrior series let’s say it takes out one or two players You Kevin Durant that team you guys are winning the Warrior Series In fact I think you guys are going all the way to Western Conference Finals The Thunder like really good team really deep I could say you guys be going to the finals but a Western Conference Finals team and then who knows what if SGA sprains an ankle Like you want to be ready for those moments And it’s what kind of baffles me about Rockets fans They’re like you can have this you know this be a good boy Take it You can’t also say you want Kevin Durant on your team but then say I’m willing to give up nothing for him because he’s not of value to me Pick a lane You either think he’s awesome and you’re willing to give up something in terms of like I get it No Shingun no Thompson but you’re willing to give up something tangible so that you can compete right now We look at the East this time last year You say Celtics are just going to run it And then the Celtics everyone gets injured Uh Jina blows an Achilles and now it’s wide open The Rockets need to to I believe act whether it’s Katie or not man Katie Giannis whatever right it could be anyone But like waiting is not always the best thing And the reason why I think Katie makes so much more sense than Giannis is because like guys I’m not crazy Give up a pick give up a player a salary filler in Dylan Brooks which is actually like way more difficult than we’re even going to be honest Like the cap situation for the Rockets is actually kind of hard to match max contracts It’s going to basically need a third or fourth team But like we we got to be fair here You either want him and you want to be great or you want to do the slow burn And I think that there’s some real worries to that man So no Not washed No not not not even close Very very good player I want him here Like I want Kevin Durant here but this team isn’t going to compete You know he would tell you that I hate him but I like I like he’s an It is a It is a magical experience watching Kevin Durant on your basketball team It’s like oh my god that’s one of the top at worst 15 players of all time on my team Like it’s fun to watch man So no And he’s not he’s not slowing down anytime soon either I wish they could get rid of Beal I’m I’m Look I mean yeah that no trade clause is uh is something Uh look I I’ve been I’ve been in that camp I wanted to you know have Rockets fans be able to hear it from you right somebody who’s watched him play every single game who watches him play every single night Um and hearing that you know that it doesn’t really appear that he has any signs of slowing down right that’s the biggest concern is oh my god you trade for Katie and then he signs that extension and you have him for three more years Is he you know yes and I I agree with you maybe there’s a chance he falls off a cliff but all signs point to that skill set is going to age gracefully beautifully and he’s going to be on the on the LeBron trajectory of still being a a confident player and probably still a quality number one option for at least the next you know two couple seasons maybe all all three years depending on that extension situation all that good stuff Um I just want to say man just really quickly like the the athleticism aspect of it too Like Kevin Durant’s game is not predicated on athleticism It’s based on jump shooting being incredibly long playmaking He doesn’t even go to the rim anymore Like the the the free throws are down over year-over-year Last year he got to the line got to it a little bit more but the year before that it was he got to the line less given the fact that he he mentioned an article he was done dealing with crash tests He didn’t want to get injured anymore This guy’s game is not based off athleticism It’s not Russell Westbrook It’s not Derrick Rose It’s not John Morant You know it’s not one of those guys that like once the athleticism takes a dip he’s done Kevin Rant’s going to know how to shoot a basketball till he’s 50 Now can he stay up on the court with the younger guys maybe But what I for that long maybe but probably not And then defensively man he’s the best defensive player on the on the team last year outside of Ryan Dunn and it wasn’t close Granted that team defensively sucked So low bar low bar but sounds like and that was that was another concern right is does Katie fit in with the defensive identity and I I was trying to tell Rockets like he’ll fit in just fine under Emodoka That shouldn’t even be a remote concern So I appreciate you kind of uh assaging assaging a saging I can’t ever say that word right Um some of those worries from Rockets fans But coming up Ben’s going to grill me about the Rockets How much is too much to give up for KD in a potential trade scenario we’re going to get there in just one moment First today’s episode is brought to you by O Lollipop Look Lollipop is a new kind of soda made for people who love the classic taste of soda but want something that actually supports their health with just 2 to 5 grams of sugar and 9 g of prebiotic fiber in every can Lollipop is reimagining soda in a way that’s better for your gut Traditional sodas are loaded with sugar like 39 g in a regular Coke or 44 gram in an orange Fanta Lollipop flips that script with just a fraction of the sugar no artificial sweeteners and gut- friendly ingredients like Olly Smart a blend shown to support digestive and overall health It’s soda that tastes like the real thing but actually does something good for your body Look I have been a soda fan most of my life just just pounding Cokes and Dr Peppers left and right As soon as I found out about Lollipop got my hands on a few different flavors tried some of them I found my replacement I got the vintage cola right here This is the perfect replacement for traditional Coke It tastes great and knowing that it’s actually good for me is all the push that I need to make it the replacement in my day-to-day life You can get a free p can of lollipop Just buy any two cans in store and they’ll reimburse you for one Head to drinkllipop.com/lockedonba to claim your free can and find lollipop near you That’s drinkallipop.com/lockedonba Welcome back into locked on Phoenix Suns I I think that that at this point this segment makes it locked on Phoenix Sun’s no longer locked on rockets It’s a locked on crossover How dare you Benjamin Well listen I will cross you over And that’s that’s just that’s just the the the darn truth right there I can already tell this segment is going to go downhill so quick Well you listen you should have thought Listen I’m a man with not much to lose This team has gone off a cliff I mean listen man I’m an all Arizona fan We haven’t had a title since 2001 What do you want me to do you want me to be There’s a reason why I’m as crazy as I am have taken a toll mentally with these teams I want you I want you to accept the ham sandwich and pick number 10 That’s what I want you to do I listen that’s what it seems like it’s going to be You know there is a point where if you’re the Suns I think you do think about potentially running it back with Kevin Durant next year with the absolute thought of you’re trading him at the deadline And and it gets to it like this If you’re a Suns fan I think you can get everything that you’re getting right now in terms of like I think the Spurs would be willing to part with Devin Vel at the deadline for Kevin Durant and a first round pick If that’s all the deal is going to be and Harrison Barnes why is it teams like the Spurs and the Rockets are in on Kevin Durant until it comes into giving up like let’s just throw out a deal out there Jabari Smith Jr Tyreek Een the number 10 overall pick and salary filler which is probably going to come from Dylan Brooks Why is it when we talk about someone who we think definitely would have at least pushed you past the Warriors last year and probably even the second round as well why is it that Rockets fans look down on Kevin Durant like “Ah we don’t need him.” Where where is the concern there well I think part of it is obviously some of the factors we talked about in segment one the age the injury history thinking about giving up you know a chunk of the young core for an aging player who again at best probably has two three more years at like this level of peak And and like we kind of already addressed right there is a world where KD does regress right maybe next year is the first year where he starts to show some signs of regression where maybe the efficiency does drop a little bit Now again for the reasons that we pointed out I don’t think that’s going to happen I think his g his game is going to age pretty pretty gracefully But those are the concerns right and that’s what Rockets fans are looking at and they look at a team that just won 52 wins in the Western Conference a brutal Western Conference You could have won more games They punted on the last three games of the season So realistically if they had tried in those last three games they could have finished with a record as you know 55 and 27 Um they were largely one of the top four or five teams for pretty much the entire NBA season They’re one of the youngest teams in the NBA And they still have lots of room to grow right still lots of room for growth and improvement for guys like Jaylen Green Alpar Shingun Amen Thompson only just finished year two Um so there’s a lot of reason for optimism There’s a lot of reason to buy into the idea that continuity is the way to go for this team And that’s why there’s not necessarily the pressure on Houston to make this kind of a deal where I think you get hung up too from a lot of Rockets fans And this is where we’re going to get into I’m sure we’ll get into the you know the whole how much is too much But because Dylan Brooks largely has to be included from a salary perspective unfortunately he isn’t just salary right dylan Brooks was an integral part of this team And from what it sounds like right from what the Suns want to get back it’s not like oh Dylan Brooks is just a throwin because of his salary Dylan Brooks is a very good piece of any return that you’re getting just like a player like a Jabari or Atari is a really good piece And so the the the fact of the matter comes down to how many good pieces are you willing to ultimately give up and even stomaching the idea of a Dylan Jabari and pick 10 and then filler for KD then you start to look at it man like okay yes KD could be that piece that puts you over the top but you’re also giving up two of your starting caliber wings and so you’re losing some of that depth right you’re losing some but you’re gaining topend talent and that’s where you start to get into the whole argument of like back and forth like which which package makes most sense for Houston what are the Suns willing to accept right if it is a Jaylen Greencentric package and they don’t want Jaylen Green can you reroute Jaylen Green to a third team and get the pieces that Phoenix would actually want to be able to still compete with Devin Booker or get some more assets back to them in a trade that kind of situation sure So I guess I would ask this If you’re the Rockets do you believe let’s say let’s say Amen Thompson does turn into a number one it’s very possible he doesn’t In fact I would say it’s more likely a men Thompson is anything else but a one because there are so few ones in the NBA You are eventually going to have to trade however many assets You’re going to have to do something to go bring a number one star in here if you don’t have that Maybe you give it another year man But maybe Amen Thompson and Shenon never turn into the one and two options like you hope they do right maybe they’re never SGA and Jaylen Williams You’re going to have to push those chips on the table at some point My my question to Rockets fans is do you want to do it for Giannis Anko maybe next year maybe this year And you’re going to have to give up Brooks Smith Een four first round picks Do you want to do that gut the roster bring in a elite level guy whoever that looks like or do you want to do it for a fraction of the cost do you want to bring in Kevin Durant who’s still a one in my opinion in the NBA i would still call him a superstar I think him Steph Curry and LeBron James are just grandfathered into that because they’ve been awesome for so long Are you willing to part with Jabari Smith the 10 pick potentially if you don’t want to give up Tari Smith the Suns 2027 first round pick and then like what is too far like what is where is it for you is it picks is it players or are you willing to spin the chamber and hopefully next time you’re getting uh Amen Thompson’s awesome and it all works out for you and you’re the Oklahoma City of now But I just don’t think that that is something that you can hang your hat on I think if we I think we know by now if Amen Thompson or Shingoon were absolutely going to be ones although I won’t push it to the side I think Amen Thompson could still be that dude But where is the line yeah I I’ll say just on that last point I think Amin Thompson he only just finished year two right you know I by the end of SGAA year two like there were hopes that he’d be like a really good player but I don’t think anybody knew that he’d become like the leaguewide MVP like that kind of stuff So I think Amen needs a little bit more time and he’s grown exponentially in just these two years So I I I do think he has like future top 15 top 10 player written all over him Um I think the line for me at least in all these discussions right is I think you got to look at it as kind of I’m going to say three assets three good pieces coming back to Phoenix And so those three good pieces could be any combination of some of the pieces that are available right so one package right could be uh Jaylen Green salary filler and this would be but this would be the reroute right because Phoenix there’s reporting right phoenix doesn’t want Jaylen Green So either either it’s Phoenix takes Jaylen Green and they’ve got a secondary trade lined up or you bake it into a three-teamer deal and you loop in somebody like I don’t know Charlotte you add you have Mark Williams coming back to Phoenix or something like that right just I’m just I’m spitballing here but point is right Jaylen and then salary filler and the number 10 pick and that 2027 right so the three assets going back to Phoenix are Jaylen the 10 and the 27 another version right Jaylen Jabari and the 27 And in this iteration like if you’re getting rid of Jabari you try to hold on to that 10 pick because then you could if you’re the Rockets you could draft potentially your Jabari replacement this year with you know Carter Bryant or Cedric Coward or somebody at 10 Um if it’s the Dylan Brooks package right so if it’s Dylan Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr then I think the most you’re going to get is maybe one more asset on top of that So either the 10th pick or the 2027th pick I don’t think there’s a world where the Rockets go so far as to include a fourth asset And that’s kind of where I’m breaking it down from is is if you consider each one of those pieces regardless of how high or low you might be you know on Jaylen or on Dylan whatever I think we can I think at least you know there’s enough value there for for Jaylen Green might be the most appreciated asset of the bunch unfortunately given his playoff performance most recently and all that stuff But there’s probably still some teams out there you know like you know some of the lower seated teams some of the the lottery teams that might still be willing like taking a look at Jaylen hey yeah we we we like him We’ll we’ll we’ll give him a shot Um and we’re willing to give up some assets for him right and that could be the way you turn some assets for the Suns uh to kind of complete what they want out of that trade But it sounds like they’re kind of maybe one piece short of the Minnesota offer right minnesota’s giving you two you know if if that offer is on the table which if if Yeah Right And it I mean it kind of sounds like from some of the reporting from like John John Krosinski and like a couple other guys that like their base offer is like go bearenzo No Dillingham no pick yet Like they’re just kind of like that’s like and that’s why Phoenix is so underwhelmed by these offers because they’re like okay well we’re getting we’re getting the players back that can help us right now but we’re not recouping draft assets We’re not getting younger And so that’s where like the Rockets and these other teams right the Spurs the Heat even the Wolves to a lesser degree right because we don’t it doesn’t really feel like Dillingham and and the pick are on the table yet You know none of these teams have any incentive to bid against themselves because it’s Phoenix They’re the ones that have the pressure They’re the ones kind of on the clock wanting to try and get this deal done maybe by draft night so that they can if they get a draft pick in this year’s draft maybe it’s the number 10 pick their own pick that they get back whatever Then they can make their own selection as opposed to having to try and strike this deal after the draft and then you know oh well we want to trade with this team but they picked the we don’t really want this guy but like this is the young guy that they picked on draft night that kind of thing Last question and it’s very very simple because we already talked about Jaylen Green I I I mean I think the guy is a god a great value version of Devin Booker Like I I don’t like his deal I don’t like the way he plays basketball I think he’s a so- so defender Uh I think there honestly I don’t really like the guy as a character fit on the Suns team that needs some real culture Like I don’t know the guy personally but I don’t think that kind of guy fits here culturally and something that they’re trying to build Would you do a deal that includes Green who I think eating his salary is a bit of an asset to Jabari Smith Jr both first round picks Green goes somewhere else Kevin Durant goes to the Rockets and maybe the Rockets recoup something back that would make you feel better about Jabari Smith Jr But I guess I would ask am I at least close to the line there if that deal happened today two first round picks Jabari Smith go back to Phoenix And the reason why as well man those Suns picks those that 2020 the 2027 pick Suns aren’t going to be incentivized to tank I don’t think it’s going to be a top five pick They’re probably still going to have Devin Booker Is that too much well the I think the thing with that 2027 pick right is that’s that’s almost like the the insurance policy of like if this if this plan of like building around Booker and trying to remain competitive if it goes sideways if it looks like awful in the next year or two then guess what then if you have that pick back you can tank If you have that 2027 pick you can decide you know what we tried two years We gave it a good faith try the old college try We tried to put these pieces around you book Sorry Now we’re going to trade you right now we’re going to you know ship you off to the highest bidder and now we get to bottom out and actually like you know control our destiny and maybe we land you know top pick whatever that kind of thing That’s where I think this the intrinsic value is of that 2027 The issue that you in in the the trade that you just proposed is the Rockets just can’t take back more salary is the problem They can’t it’s already so hard matching salaries with with KD and the 54 million coming back in the first place So that’s why I said it you know in in that version if Jaylen and Jabari are both going out regardless of if Jaylen gets rerouted I think the Rockets have to be able to keep that 10th pick because that’s their avenue for adding the the extra rotation piece to make up for losing two rotation guys basically And that’s where I come away thinking like I I don’t know It’s it’s it gets so hard trying to balance these pieces And you know I know I know what we want to do here in our final segment is we want to kind of weigh some of these offers against each other and kind of try and explore you know what some of these other teams are potentially putting up The Spurs the Heat We’ll talk more about the Wolves offer here Um and we’re definitely going to get there in just one moment First today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time Look when it comes to buying tickets there’s nothing like Game Time and there’s nothing like the NBA Finals The finals have been absolutely fantastic So far uh I mean you got buzzer beaters you got fans losing their minds It’s the kind of atmosphere that you have to experience live and this finals has absolutely lived up to the hype between the Pacers and Thunder And if you want in if you’re trying to go to game six maybe a possible game seven game time makes it fast and easy to get seats even for the biggest games Prices on the app actually drop closer to tip off And with killer last minute deals panoramic seat views and no surprise fees game time is a total gamecher Plus the NFL schedule just dropped and you already know that I was checking out some Houston Texans games Got to check out my boy CJ Strad See what he’s got going on this season And with zone deals and all sorts of discounts you’ll find great seats for as low as $100 So take the guesswork out of buying your tickets with Game Time Download the Game Time app create an account and use code locked on NBA for $20 off of your first purchase Terms apply Again create an account redeem code locked on NBA for $20 off Download the Game Time app today Last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed All right final segment here at our Locked on Rockets Locked on Suns crossover edition episode Now Ben you know kind of going back and forth there a little bit in in that second segment about the the value for the Rockets here And this is where I think again from a negotiations standpoint you know all the all the reporting coming out of you know Phoenix and all the teams that are you know so closely you know you know paying attention to this KD trade saga and everything it very much feels like the Suns want to strike a deal before draft night hits which is you know going to be about a week away Um you mentioned earlier on about the idea of potentially just running it back with KD It feels like we haven’t seen any language like that because usually in these types of situations teams start to leak the idea of like you know what we don’t like these offers We’ll just we’ll just keep him you know and then they try to try you know they try to put that pressure on the other teams We haven’t seen any of that language yet from any of the reporting And that kind of l leads me to believe that they really do want to get something done and that they really kind of are under pressure both internally wanting to get something done and also under pressure from KD to want to get something done I don’t think this is going to be a thing that gets better the longer you hold out if you wait if you try to wait past the draft or drag it through the offseason or drag it into training camp or even next season I don’t think it gets better I don’t think the offers are going to get better In fact I think they get worse if you take it out all the way to next trade deadline I don’t know if it gets worse because I got to be honest with you the offers are pretty bad right now And I can’t think of a world where Kevin Durant doesn’t go for a first round pick and a player Like I don’t think Devin Vel or Jabari Smith Jr would be taken off the table in a trade for Kevin Durant if it just ended up being one first round pick and one of those guys in salary Well well part but part of it is that it makes it harder in mid-season right to do the salary component too because you got to have the available roster spots and you know that’s the other part is like for the Rockets using their package for example right even if you’re like super not enthused by like let’s let’s use their most bare bones package right which is Dylan Brooks Jabari and salary filler No picks Like you’re you’re getting Jabari back as the cornerstone for a KD trade and that’s it And you’re getting Dylan Brooks who is still he’s filler but he’s also still a very serviceable player right so you get a a win now serviceable player and you get Jabari who’s also a win now player but also some upside there right that’s like one of the most barebones framework packages from the Rockets problem is for them to be able to swing that trade they also have to include Jock Landale and they have to include Aaron Holiday to get up to the salary floor to get to KD And that four for one is like damn impossible to make happen mid-season without rolling in you know a third or a fourth team to absorb a couple of those other contracts and then you got to fork over some second round picks and grease the wheels for those teams So I do think it becomes a lot harder to make one of these deals happen mid-season which is why it feels like there’s just so much pressure on Phoenix to get it done now Well yeah man If you’re asking me if it’s going to get done I think it gets done from the rumblings here And like I’m not gonna like one thing I’m not is Evan Cidery and just faking like I have sources Like I I’m pretty clear that like I don’t have king of aggregation Yeah dude I cannot believe that some that dude is always on my case about telling him that he’s just lying But it’s whatever Um it was really funny today as well when he tried to say Memphis was in on KD and then a guy with real sourcing Brett Seagull said “Nope it’s not true.” Um that that was really great But I I’m just I hate did the I want hard workers not people who try to take shortcuts So that’s why I name drop him often or some of the other people but we’re not talking about the NFL Um like the offers for Kevin Durant like it has to happen right you have to make a deal for Kevin Durant sometime this week If you’re telling me if I think it’s going going to go into the season no But I can’t rule out the possibility because the offers are not great now Ultimately man like I think it’s better to talk about what the best offer is right now And if you’re talking about like let’s say the Minnesota Timberwolves one isn’t on the table Let’s say it’s Gobear Steven the 17th 17th pick and I think is I think it’s Terrence Sha Shannon or whatever Again not who cares Like I’d rather just take the Rockets deal because Jabari Smith Jr I don’t think he’s going to be a superstar I don’t think he’s even going to be a star But I do think he’s going to be a capable role player in the NBA And at that point you just got to find someone for Jaylen Green My colleague Brendan Clay pointed this out like Brendon or I’m sorry Jaylen Green Jabari Smith Jr and a first round pick And I don’t know we’ll we’ll figure it out somewhere else for the 13 The problem is as you go through the standings a lot of these teams already have their shot chucking shooting guard right now So it makes it kind of tough I just you you you can’t bring Jaylen Green here under any circumstance That is a recipe for disaster pairing him with Devin Booker But like you just look at Jabari Smith in the 10 pick Like you’d rather that out of out of everything else because would I rather Deon Vel well I kind of already have younger Devin Vel and Jabari Smith Jr who I think could possibly be better And I have to move back one pick Okay draft is already a crapshoot as it is but like it’ll get done I think it gets done And this is the scuttleb butt around this week What I was getting to before with what I was dunking on an insidery is people believe the deal is going to go down sometime this week The guy that does most of the reporting here out in Phoenix and I would encourage people to believe him and I is John Gamadoro who does a lot of the Phoenix stuff Dude is spot on all the time when it comes to Sun stuff and he has it early He thinks it’s going to go down this week and then he mentioned a I’ll take this through the weekend but if it’s next week I I mean I guess that could happen as well but it’s going to happen before the draft Man we got to know who we’re taking next week And I do think it will If you want my honest opinion though which kind of sucks I think the Suns are bracing for impact waiting for the last second and just taking the best deal that’s on the table because like you could When you say best deal do you mean do you mean that if another like do you think they’re going to disregard KD’s wishes and send him to like a non-preferred team or do you think they’re going to send him to So Bren my my buddy Brendan my co-host Brendan brought this up I can’t take someone else’s smart idea for my own But he had mentioned the Suns can trade Kevin Durant to anyone right and like who cares and honestly I I don’t really care But he made a really good point of how are you going to get the best deal back sending Kevin Durant to a destination that he doesn’t want Normally you’re going to get more backstation that he has won because the team that’s giving him up is going to say “Well if he doesn’t want to be here we can’t take that much of a risk We’ll give you Joa Purle RJ Barrett and whoever the third guy was in the ninth pick for Katie And you’re like uh okay I think I just rather have Javari Smith Jr in the 10th overall pick Like that’s kind of the that’s kind of the aspect that you go through We’re like yeah you can’t send him anywhere but like come on Are the Detroit Pistons going to send you a Sore Thompson for Kevin Durant when he doesn’t want to be there like probably not Dude that’s why I keep coming back to that Wolves offer I if if the Suns can squeeze one more piece out of that Wolves offer whether it’s Dillingham or the pick I think that offer is going to trump whatever the Rockets are willing to put on the table because you get Go Bear and Dvenzo those are your win now players You get one young either a young player in Dillingham or the pick asset to be able to draft another young guy That might be the best thing that you’re actually going to get But the problem there in lies right that’s a team that KD doesn’t want to go to But it doesn’t matter if the Wolves are content with it if they’re fine with it if they’re like you know what he might bounce after one year We don’t care We’ll be the the 2026 version of the Toronto Raptors and we’ll just we’ll try to win with KD for one season and if we do win then maybe we’ll just try to convince him to stay here long term and Aunt loves him and they’re you know their best buds Maybe Aunt puts in a phone call Who knows let’s just let’s let’s call Katie’s bluff a little bit though He’s going to sign a deal whoever he gets traded to Now do you want a negative Nancy there like dude he’s 30 Dude he’s like dude he’s 37 Like you’re telling me he’s going to turn down i don’t know what the max extension is for the over 36 rule but I know it’s well over a hundred million dollars I’m sure it’s probably close to what $50 million a year Two years $110 million I think is what it would be Come on He’s turning that down Potentially having risking an injury like it’s not happening If he was 27 like yeah this what Kawhi Leonard did Kawhi Leonard went one year and then bailed This could be Kevin Rance’s last payday I think he signed an extension with whatever he wants to go to but it still makes you feel apprehensive and gives you leverage if you’re a team that is a preferred destination to say I don’t know if this guy’s going to sign with me so we’ll give you uh what’s I used the Pistons and I can’t remember Isaiah Stewart and Tobias Harris and a first round pick And you’re like “Okay uh let’s just go back to the Rockets and take Jabari Smith Jr and the 10th overall pick and Jaylen Green and we’ll figure out what to do with him later on But I think like if you want my prediction I think he ends up I think he ends up in San Antonio I think Oh you think the Spurs up their offer a little bit you think they give something better the Spurs The Spurs are the dumbest team ever man They are the only organization who was a 12 seed who has 25 untouchable players you have a chance to get Kevin Effing Durant on your team and Jeremy Sohan is what’s is what’s holding it up Like you’re stupid I already said last week like I would take Jeremy Sohan Devin Vel Harrison Barnes and the 14th overall pick because Harrison Barnes can hit a three veteran guy good culture guy He’s won a championship before Devin Bell is kind of the main piece to help kind of maybe keep you afloat Pair him with Ryan Den You got some real wings And then Jeremy Soan someone off the bench that can come be an extra wing be a good defender high flyer not a super great shooter the 14th overall pick And Spurs fans are like “Under no circumstances are we sending Jeremy’s Are you crazy have you seen his hair we’re not getting rid of Jeremy Sohan.” And like the reason why I don’t make fun of Rockets fans as much as I do Spurs fans is like I I I totally see it why it might not work out You have a lot of guys that make a lot of money but it’s not like a bad contract Like Dylan Brooks is a good player Before it looked like a bad contract And the main the main difference is the Rockets are also coming off 50 win season right they they they like they’re on the up the Spurs are still in irrelevancy Like they they’re still they haven’t even sniffed the playoffs yet in Wimby’s first two years and like he’s supposed to be like the future goat So like what’s going on right so like there’s there’s a level like the Spurs might be in a position where they need that extra offensive That’s so stupid So stupid that that one that and like here’s here’s what I’ll just say is like listen at the end of the day the Rockets want to tease the Suns fans That’s fine We have the same amount of series wins this year So I don’t know what you want me to say Like I do think it’s kind of nuts Here’s the one thing where I will make fun of Rockets fans because I want to poke the bear before I leave It’s like yo you were the two seed and then what and then Steph Curry the real superstar on the floor stepped on your throat Like I was there I thought Devin Booker was going to be awesome All right and that’s gonna do it for our No here I’ll bring it back I was just saying like I was there 2021 I thought Deon Booker was awesome I didn’t think we need to make moves You know what Jianniso did promptly scored 50 points on us and went like 13 for 13 for free throws Like don’t be scared to go big star hunting But I do understand doing it conservatively Like if you have to give up the 2027 first round pick Smith and Tyrie Een and you feel off the cap fillers elsewhere like if you can do it tangibly where you’re not giving up too much like just do it Like I’m trying to help you here The one thing I will say lastly is like hey man if you guys do get Kevin Durant have fun with his fans Have fun with his fans because his little goons will take you guys to town He they will blame everything on Amen Thompson They will blame everything on Al Princ and Goon I have heard more times this year that Deb Booker is a ball hog and doesn’t care about winning than from Kevin Durant stand So you’ve been promptly warned about them They are a crazy bunch Don’t don’t worry We we have our own subsection of like Shingun only stands and Jaylen Green stands and they go they go to war with each other every other day you know eight different ways to Sunday It’s already a mess So like that if anything that was the appetizer for the uh the KD stands But uh Oh it’s it’s it’s pretty funny I can’t lie to you It’s actually pretty funny Sometimes I just tweet things to agitate them because I think it’s hilarious All right Wii with with that we want your thoughts on our crossover edition episode here Share your thoughts in the YouTube comments whether it’s on the Locked On Rockets channel whether it’s on the Locked Ons channel Uh give us your thoughts on what you would like to see look a KD trade look like Whether it’s you know with the Rockets awesome If it’s not if it’s one of the other offers drop your best KD trade scenarios in the YouTube comments But from Ben and myself we appreciate you being here for our locked on crossover Uh and we look forward to having you back right here That’s going to do it for another edition of Locked on Rockets As always thanks so much for checking out the show Remember the best way to help us grow the show is to listen every single day on a podcast platform of your choosing and then like comment subscribe on YouTube But as always thank you so much for watching Thank you so much for listening We look forward to having you back right here at Locked on Rockets your daily podcast home for everything Houston Rockets basketball

Rockets PRIMED To Land Kevin Durant | Will Phoenix Suns CAVE To Houston’s Offer?

Kevin Durant trade rumors continue to fly as Houston Rockets emerge as possible favorites. Is the former MVP the missing piece for Houston’s championship aspirations?

Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by Locked On Suns host Benjamin Garcia (@BenGarciaShow) analyze the pros and cons of a blockbuster Durant deal, exploring its impact on the Rockets’ young core and the Suns’ motivations for moving their superstar. The hosts break down potential trade packages, including players like Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., while weighing the long-term implications for both franchises. Garcia offers insider perspectives on Durant’s fit with the Rockets and warns about the intense scrutiny that comes with acquiring a player of his caliber.

Tune in for an in-depth discussion on how a Kevin Durant trade could reshape the Western Conference landscape and alter the future of the Houston Rockets.

#Rockets #NBA #KevinDurant

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