Kevin Durant Market Down to Miami & Minny? Plus Where Each KD Deal Could Break Down
today on Locked on Phoenix Suns it’s been 24 hours which means throw away everything you thought 24 hours ago about the Kevin Durant trade and we’ll bring you the latest plus what could be holding it up with each team players picks money we’ll go through team by team and the latest nonKD rumors around the Phoenix Suns let’s go you are Locked On Suns your daily Phoenix Suns podcast part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day welcome back in to Locked on Phoenix Suns i’m Brendan Clean a staff writer at Alpha Announcing and a credentialed Suns Media member thank you for making Locked on Suns first listen here on this Tuesday don’t forget Locked On Suns free and available on all platforms including YouTube just click that follow or subscribe button do what thousands of other Suns fans have already done become an everydayer get locked on to the Phoenix Suns right here each and every day today’s episode brought to you by the FanDuel sports book right now new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins more from FanDuel later on in the show we’ve got a lot of offseason talk both KD and non KD related to get to joining me as always to break it down from the Wild West Valley my fellow Suns Credential media member how are we feeling Ben Garcia good man well rested you know you covered for me yesterday things going on in each other’s lives and you’re just like you know what i’ll take the reigns i appreciate that you know I did think for a second cuz I told you I was like if Kevin Rank gets traded I’ll figure out a way to get on we’ll figure it out we’ll do a show i’ll be honest with you I thought when that Sham Shirania notification hit yesterday and I saw like breaking I was like “Oh here it is throw away everything we thought we were going to do today.” It ended up being Desmond Bane so at least he had something to talk about the NBA offseason always delivers and it’s delivering as it relates to the Suns right now so let’s get to it the latest dueling reporting right now Ben where we are seeing uh almost nothing I would say about San Antonio and Houston although we will get to that a little bit uh I think in the next segment but the teams you’re hearing the most about related to Durant are Miami and Minnesota and shortly before we logged on today there was a report from Sham Shirani on Sports Center where he said that Kevin Durant has no desire to be in Minnesota with the Timberwolves despite a lot of noise about them being hot on his pursuit and then Miami right before we recorded John Gadoro here on the radio locally says he doesn’t think it it’s likely to be Miami at least as things are looking right now so like there’s a legit a version of this podcast we could log on and do right now Ben where we go I think Katie’s just going to stay in Phoenix because if you look in all the different directions and read and believe every single thing that’s out there you’d think well there’s no deal for him he doesn’t want to go anywhere and it’s over but obviously that’s not going to happen so where are you at right now as far as these two teams being the front runners and what might be kind of coming next here um 10 minutes ago like before we did the show I would have agreed with you i would have said “Oh yeah it’s down to Minnesota or Miami.” But then Gamble’s reporting comes out and you’re like “Okay so is it San Antonio and Houston?” No one has no one like not any reporter and this isn’t going after any reporter i think in my opinion whether it’s Shams whether it’s Gambo whether it’s Scott from Hoops Hype or whatever Brett Seagull from from whatever clutch points it’s like no one has reported anything tangible in the last I would say four days over the Kevin Durant like Sham Shirania like nothing new I guess I should say like Sham Shirania has put out something that’s like Kevin Durant’s preferred destination locations and it’s like Okay we knew that 3 days ago everyone I feel like is regurgitating the same information just kind of differently every day in hopes that people buy it as new information so I I don’t know man i I don’t know if it is down to Minnesota in the Heat because it feels like that’s that’s Kevin Durant’s party trying to move him or divert him away from Minnesota and then the Heat thing being unlikely i I just don’t get it because the Heat one seems pretty easy to do but just probably unwilling to put wear in the conversation so my head’s I want to go through kind of what the holdup will be in the next segment on each team but as the reason that I think it at least right now where it feels like these two teams might be the front runners is one thing I can say for sure and and you’re right there is like a point in time where you kind of have to separate yourself from all of the 247 news cycle of it and just think what’s true right so what I think is true is that those two teams are the mo would be are likely to be the most um determined to do the deal right because Minnesota was the closest to a championship the past two seasons out of any team we’re talking about miami maybe some of their fans would say “Hey we should just probably be rebuilding.” I mean that’s credible i I I kind of understand that but they’re not doing that they have Tyler Herro who’s a legitimate scorer in the NBA in his prime and Bam Matabayio who is a two-way you know all NBA caliber guy also in his prime and some depth of young players to go ahead and do something and they just had the Jimmy Butler thing completely fall apart on them last season and embarrass themselves for months on end so they want to you know get the wheels turning quickly again and and put that in the into the distance so I think that those team versus like you know the Spurs the Rockets they’re kind of roughly in the same spot where they have a many years ahead of them where they can expect to be in the mix you would probably say the same about Toronto i don’t know how urgently they really want to do something unless they just want to make a splash to make a splash and then maybe the Clippers are more in the Minnesota camp but not quite as desperate cuz they just got ousted in the first round are they really close are they really a KD away so that’s why I say Minnesota and Miami but I thought that this this tweet from uh this Heat fan account called Heat Culture I don’t know who they are but it was a good way of putting it he said Shams: Miami has been talking to the Suns kevin Durant doesn’t want to play in Minnesota gambo: Heat trade is unlikely hyping up the T-Wolves package you guys see what’s going on here right and so yesterday Ben when I logged on and and did the show I said I think the fact where you’re seeing Miami be the one team that nobody is pouring cold water on in terms of the pursuit and then the Sun saying “Hey we could just trade him wherever.” That tells me a Miami deal is pretty close that tells me that there is a Miami deal that is probably getting closer but the Suns want more so then the Suns go out and leak we could trade him to Saskatchewan we’ll trade into the Edmonton Oilers for all we care right who it does it whatever we’ll do whatever we need to do to get the best deal and then same thing same thing happened today minnesota i take the sudden report from Shams of he doesn’t want to be in Minnesota well the hell are we talking about Minnesota for where did that even come from to say he doesn’t want to be there well he he doesn’t probably want to be I with the you know expansion Las Vegas whatevers in a few years either but we’re not talking about that so why are we talking about Minnesota well that would probably tell me that a Minnesota deal there was some momentum to it katie’s camp caught wind and for one reason or another whether that’s the extension coming up or whatever Katie’s camp wanted to say “Hey hey hey hold on we’re not interested in going there let’s not get that deal done.” So that’s where my mind is coming from that those two teams are the ones that appear to be closest now again that could change any minute but that that’s where I’m at right now um it still feels like to me that all roads potentially might lead back to San Antonio and the Houston Rockets because we haven’t heard anything of them right now and because listen we all have favorite reporters we all have guys that we lean on i I think Gamble’s been spot on with a lot of it doesn’t mean he can’t be played either so I think what you’re kind of saying is is everyone is leaking out whatever they want into the public hoping that it gives them more leverage a different way you know man I just I I I know you’re saying that potentially maybe maybe a Miami deal is close and that maybe a couple of days ago a Minnesota deal was close but Gamble’s also saying there’s there’s could there’s potentially better deals out there than Miami so again maybe he’s getting played i don’t see right now that anything is close in my opinion and I’ve seen a couple people report out like “Oh it’s getting close.” And then Shams will tweet out “Eh it’s actually not close at all.” Winhorse will tweet out “It’s not really close at all.” I I don’t see a definitive leader right now i I You’re going to see a leader but I I do I would say the opposite i think the fact that we’re hearing so much so consistently tells me that the talks are pretty hot i I I’m not saying which team i I I know which team it’s going to be i we’ll talk in a second about what players might be going back and forth that that could be the reason that teams are up and down in the pecking order so to speak but I don’t it’s I I don’t think it’s far away because otherwise we’d be hearing nothing if it if it was far away we wouldn’t know anything and there’d be nothing out there like there was for Mosa May right in May it wasn’t close now it’s close yeah here’s my thought process man as of this morning as of yesterday right and then all the way into this morning I’m thinking this team is going to get three first round picks i’m being a little facicious but two first round picks where Wiggins maybe three first round picks in the Heat like it seems like the Suns are going to fleece whoever it is they trade with or going to be seen as or perceived as a really high package and like right now I’m like well if the Heat are unlikely it’s sounding like they’re not adding wear to that equation because I don’t know what else would hold it up except for three first round picks and the Minnesota Timberwolves if KD doesn’t want to go there we’ll get to there in a second about if that’s really the right thing to do to to send someone there if they don’t want to be there i just I don’t I maybe you’re right maybe something is close but it feels like last week right this is why the betting Well this is why the betting odds are so stupid so when people keep on tweeting out the betting odds it doesn’t mean anything we’ve seen the Spurs go to the top we’ve seen the Heat go to the top we’ve seen the Timberwolves go to the top none of it means anything and to me it seems like no one actually knows what’s happening so like when I text you I was like “Who do you think right now KBD will end up with you set a team.” And I was like “Yeah that sounds about right.” And you’re like “But who actually knows?” And then immediately after you get the Gambles reporting like “Yep it’s probably not the Heat.” And I I I don’t see a definitive leader right now but again bring it all back together i would say as of right now it’s probably Miami or Minnesota with the Rockets and the Spurs being weirdly quiet just strangely quiet but they’re not quiet the the Rockets and the Spurs we’ve heard specific things that would indicate why with reasoning they’re not in the pursuit anymore so you say quiet it’s not like we’ve heard nothing we’ve heard that San Antonio is is being pretty judicious with its offers which would signal that there’s a limit to how aggressive they’re going to be and we’ve heard with Houston uh the same but especially related to I would say you keep hearing this rift between their coach and their front office that that’s been the the main substantive detailed reporting that we’ve gotten about Houston is Emeoka because he had a relationship with Durant dating back to Brooklyn would really like to try this whereas the GM less so but their GM is a former guy who was like the general counsel lawyer of the team it’s a little bit of an interesting setup over there where there there’s an open question as to like maybe it is a situation where the coach has a little more sway than some other places so I think that that th because I’m seeing stuff that is specific and detailed about why those teams may not be aggressive right now that’s why I’m saying let’s take them down a peg yeah maybe I say that they’re being a little quiet because the packages that we’ve heard very minimally leaked especially from the Spurs side are so I think like embarrassing offers and since we haven’t heard anything since then we’ve seen some maybe correct maybe not reporting of like them not even want to include Jeremy Sohan it’s like those are such embarrassing offers it sounds like to me they’re not big players at all or they’re lurking waiting for the Suns to get a better offer i thought you were saying suspiciously quiet like they could come out of nowhere and get him no no like their offers have sucked so much that they That’s not suspicious then i just I’m just thinking they’re not going to get him right yeah yeah i mean I think we’re on the same page then yeah yeah i I mean as of right now as of right now it doesn’t feel like they’re they’re one of the teams consistently working the phones and Yeah that’s why we do a daily podcast 10 minutes let’s get to what could be holding up the trade team by team what’s the the negotiating piece that’s back and forth back and forth we got some intel on that today we’ll break it down next first today’s show brought to you by FanDuel the NBA finals are in full swing and every night delivers highlightworthy performances major momentum shifts and can’t miss moments whether it’s a game-winning shot or a breakout player there’s never been a better time to get in on the action fanduel makes it easy to stay in the game before tip off and even live with player props performance trends and same game parlays fans have more ways than ever to play smart and win big the WNBA is off on Monday night so I’m going to hammer the same suggestion that I did on Monday’s show indiana Favor hosting the Connecticut Sun fresh off of Caitlyn Clark’s 32point return from the quad injury they’re minus 30,000 Tuesday night so go to FanDuel.com it’s the perfect time to sign up place your first $5 bet i would suggest the Fever if you want to get $200 in bonus bets and if it wins that’s exactly what will happen $200 in bonus bets straight to your account make every moment more with FanDuel the official sports betting partner of the NBA all right Ben so uh Mike Scott who you mentioned a moment ago had some good uh intel today on a lot of things we’ll get to some of his stuff in terms of the big man market to close the show but he had a piece where he basically broke down the entire state of affairs with regards to the Suns and the Kevin Durant sweepstakes so I think we can just go team by team and kind of say what do we think is the thing that’s standing in the way of getting a deal done all right so let’s start with the two teams that you and I both were downgrading in that last segment because they were at the top of the pack and now all of a sudden they are a little lower why do you think that is let’s start with Houston i think Houston doesn’t I think Houston sees the Suns pack the Suns picks as so valuable that there’s no world where they want to get rid of those things they have two plus or minus one that other one is a little is got a little conditions on it before it can be super valuable but also the Rockets we’ve talked about this a billion times there’s a million it’s really tough to get a one forone swap with those two teams which means getting another team involved without gutting your roster for Kevin Durant dylan like yes would you and I take Een Jabari Smith like the 10th overall pick and like just that in hindsight sure but I don’t think that that is that’s not it’s obviously not the way you can do business with the way the CBA goes you got to make uh salaries match and when you’re adding the players that the Suns want combined with Dylan Brooks like then the Rockets are just getting their team for 36-y old Kevin Durant so I get why that makes it tough and then with think it’s gonna be Well look no let’s just start with you okay go for it go for it go for it i think with the Rockets it’s not about I don’t think Dylan Brooks is on the table i think that what it is is it’s Jaylen Green and I think what is probably most likely standing in the way i think the picks are a big a big hinge point i I agree with you it’s kind of this weird like not to be too nerdy but like everybody knows about Schroinger’s cat where like is it alive or is it dead until you open the box and find out it’s like is the Suns pick going to be good or bad you actually it’s going to be better if the Suns get it back because then they’ll be more willing to be in the lottery those seasons if the Suns cannot get those picks and Houston keeps them I actually think that they go down in value because then the Suns know okay we don’t have those picks so we got to stay good we got to we can’t bottom out we can’t tank so it it’s a weird thing where they’re uniquely valuable to the Suns for exactly a trade like this i don’t expect Evan Booker to be available in the next year or so but maybe after that maybe that’s what they’re holding him on to the Green part of it though I think is is my actual answer which is in Mike Scott’s piece phoenix has done background on Green to gauge his value around the league in case Green is acquired and it’s worthwhile to then flip him again via trade that’s what I think is holding on up the Houston trade is Jaylen Green going to a third team who wants him how much can you get what are the options there uh that’s my answer what about San Antonio for you yeah San Antonio i think it’s pretty simple i think the Suns are asking for too much i think they’re asking for Castle or the two pick like this is me just assuming because I I just don’t get the if it’s Jeremy Sohan Vel the first round pick like maybe they get the Suns get another pick like I still don’t think that and Harrison Barnes i don’t think that that is a large price to ask for Kevin Durant which leads me to believe the Suns are pushing for much more Stefon Castle or the number two pick and I it has to right the number two pick is ridiculous they’re not getting the number if the Suns are asking for that I don’t even blame the Spurs for saying get off my damn phone you’re wasting Man that’s Man you and I don’t agree there because I just We know what Castle is i thought you backed off on this i convinced you that the two pick is absurd to get back for Kevin Durant you don’t agree with me no no no no no no to be fair I think that they’re both absurd to get back for Kevin Durant okay sure sure sure i think that two pick is more valuable than Castle so that’s why I’m saying I I just value you could ask for Castle but I wouldn’t give it up if I’m the Spurs i value both absurdly high like I think they’re both absurdly high and the Spurs do too clearly yeah and I think that that’s a lot for to like asking for another first round pick down the line sure but I I think the Suns are I think the Suns are in the wrong in that one yeah and I just think like Yeah there’s been some noise about like is So Hannah a hinge piece and I don’t even know if that was from a real person to be honest with you i don’t I don’t remember where I saw that um I just think if if the offer of if the Suns were okay with Barnes Sohan Vel and 14 I think that KD would be a spur right now so I think that the Suns are probably asking for more and maybe that’s the fallback offer that they’re going to rest on if if it comes down to it because I don’t think any of those things would be untouchable from San Antonio’s standpoint and again maybe even within that Vel might be similar to Green a guy that they would want to swing over to a third team as well uh let’s get to Minnesota so this one is you talk about tangible and and new reporting something that I think has been reiterated in multiple places I want to say by Mark Stein as well as in this piece at hoops hype that we’re that we’re referencing here is that Jaden McDaniels is off limits that has been reported multiple spots now and I tend to believe that it’s true so um especially because if you think like Minnesota may have to lose Nquille Alexander Walker this summer regardless of what happens with Kevin Durant and you lose Jaden McDaniel suddenly your your strength of your perimeter defense has just evaporated and you’re a whole different type of team now so I I think that’s true so I don’t think that that’s even like where where the trade is maybe breaking down obviously the big thing is money you know that that’s that’s the clear one but where do you think it is with Minnesota is it is it just the the aprons or do you think that there’s a an asset a piece that is being bickered over right now no I think it’s Well I think there’s a third factor in it now which is the Kevin Durant aspect the fact that he doesn’t want to go there which I did find kind of interesting that he wasn’t that he wasn’t going to do that but I just if you’re not getting McDaniels back who are you getting back are you getting back Rob Dillingham and a first and then Gobear like I I just like is the package yeah you’re probably looking at Goar Danchenzo 17 and 31 and not even Dillingham yeah man that’s not good enough like that’s not a good enough because I look at those two guys is a really good player i I know that it doesn’t make sense for where the Suns are in in terms of their their trajectory as a team they’re trying to reset but like I that that valuewise like that’s not crazy but maybe that just speaks to there might not be a fit between these two particular teams a yes agreed and just really quickly I don’t think Goar sucks it’s just what let’s say he’s awesome the Suns are in in a place right now to go win a championship so who cares and so you’re you’re doing them a favor by absorbing his contract this is the question I wanted to ask you man is is cuz you mentioned this a second ago the Suns are telling the the Heat in the last segment well we don’t really care we’ll send the guy to freaking Lithuania we’ll send him to Canada we’ll send him anywhere do you think it’s good business because there’s a argument of this i saw Charles Barkley talk about this on Pickle Morau the other day it’s like send Kevin Durant to where the best offer is i think there’s a fine line between sending him for the best offer and sending him to a team he really doesn’t want to go to because I think especially with a guy Ishb who’s trying to earn some goodwill back around the league and not be so annoying is if people around the league players in the league know that you won’t send them to the destination they want to that they want to go to or at least help them that those players might not want to come here where are you really quickly when it comes to like Miami that he would want to go to Minnesota and sending him to Minnesota to go freeze his ass off for 7 months well let’s just start by saying it didn’t seem to really hurt Portland that bad sending Dame somewhere else right i mean we haven’t talked about that at all no one’s saying the Portland has the black mark of death on them so I I I don’t know how much it really sticks so I I understand somebody like Barkley making a point like that however I just don’t understand the logic it really falls apart uh to me because I don’t see a world in which you would ever get the best offer from a team who is only using and viewing KD as a rental so I don’t even understand what the what I like I I heard that segment too or I I saw the comments the clips whatever of Barkley saying that Charles Barkley’s not exactly a cap guru i don’t understand what he meant for sure well I think it’s just tell me what the team would be that would offer the best package better than anything we’ve talked about with the places he would extend if they are a team where he would not extend what What does that even look like i I I didn’t even think about that until before the show when you opened my assets it’s like why would a team give you their best offer if they know he doesn’t want to be here it’s a really good point that’s why team That’s why players leak that stuff it’s not just to to give us content it’s because they want the other competing competing offers the other teams pursuing them to say “Oh crap well if he’s not going to sign here our offer goes down.” That makes it less enticing to the team and then the player gets to go where he wants to go that’s why they do that so I guess before we go over to Miami really quickly I just would say do you think Minnesota then wants him because they can get off on his contract like it sounds like like they don’t have to get I think Minnesota’s calling his bluff i think he would extend there if they offered the full extension to him when they got him is he going to not sign it i agree with you i agree with you i think it Okay I just I would I put this out the other day too like Kevin is 37 plus this is a guy that practices his jumper i think someone said this the other day like in the club like this dude is dedicated to basketball he’s he’s not going to sit out i would 100% agree with you that Kevin Durant will sign a contract wherever he goes and that it is a little bit of leverage but it is a good free agent he he wouldn’t sit out he’s on he’s under contract next season he wouldn’t make it difficult the dude is going to play basketball that’s my point he isn’t he this isn’t a Jay Crowder situation where he’s okay with not playing basketball the dude is in love with it and he’s going to sign a contract wherever he goes he’s not young enough anymore to where he’s not he’s going to actively push away that money this might be his last payday like it might be so I I would agree with you it’s just an interesting thought toronto would be the one team that we’ve talked about where I could actually see him potentially not signing an extension but everything else they’re all good teams they’re all decent markets places he either has a connection to or are big cities and and prominent places in the NBA map i just have a hard time yeah so the Minnesota thing to me it’s like maybe they were offering something short of the max because they obviously just got rid of towns they don’t want to go back into purgatory you know capwise they have this Randall thing looming over them maybe they were just saying “Hey we’ll give you two years 80 million.” And he’s saying “No nothing short of 122 my max.” That could be what it is so yeah but what Barkley was saying it’s like those things don’t go together you’re not going to get the best offer from a team that’s not going to extend it because then they’re not going much it’s a good point all right let’s get to the big man market oh well no let’s go to Miami let’s go to Miami let’s round it out with that one because I think it’s KL Wear yeah it’s it’s what I was just going to say i was like just really quick it’s Khalil it’s Kel Wear they don’t want to give him up they want to give the Suns Wiggins and who’s the guy that’s Terry Rosier Duncan Robinson and a first round pick like they want to give them or even just their other young guys who aren’t where like Hawkins yeah I’m not interested in either of those guys it’s It’s having an in addition to wear but yeah i Well sure sure but if like another thing too if the Suns can get Wear but they don’t get Wiggins I I don’t care go get I’ll take the Rosier contract on if I can get seen in this same piece that um Wiggins and Norm Powell are two other guys that the that other teams have kind of heard the Suns are saying could we flip them could we flip them so everybody who’s married to the Wigan side of it I understand he was the second best player basically on a championship team three years ago but the Suns are not valuing him as a key part of that trade it’s where it is it’s if you can get where and I don’t care what else comes along with it but I do need a pick or two with him you do the deal and I think that’s why that that report came out from Miami or from Gambo today because they’re not willing to include where which by the way is just ridiculous you you have a core of BAM hero and and I would agree with you the Heat in any other year probably need to start doing the rebuilding thing at least for a second they’ll figure it out very quickly they’re a smart organization but if you put Kevin Durant on that team they could win the East I don’t know if they can win the championship but they can win the East Pacers just won the East Pacers are a good team but still like it’s just a small price to pay to be really relevant but whatever and it is crazy it is it would be a little bit silly I I don’t know how many picks they’ll get I think wear might be the main like young piece value coming back but uh it sounds crazy to trade a promising rookie for a 37y old but you’re ready you are sort of ready to win now so Miami has to look themselves in the mirror and say are we willing to miss out on another superstar Donovan Mitchell KD the first time Dame they’ve swung and missed multiple times because they’ve been willing to go all the way in yeah potentially be would have gone there so I I just think like they they got to say are we finally really being serious about this and if they are then I think where comes across and maybe that deal gets done let’s switch over to the big man market it could be related to a Kevin Durant deal but it could also be something separate two names that popped up on Monday that the Suns might be interested in pursuing next all right Ben let’s close it out with some big man talk so this is courtesy of uh who who did this come from i believe Jake Fischer he named two options that the Suns have poked around on as far as big men that are on other teams right now that they might be able to get via trade chris Daps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics ahead of an expected fire sale by Boston and Miles Turner who has had a down finals unfortunately for him and them but is obviously a team a player that’s been good in the league for a very long time and who the Suns almost signed and trade DeAndre for in the summer of 2022 um these are both stretch bigs both vets everything we’ve heard the Suns are pursuing this summer now getting them is probably the part that is more interesting so where are your where are you at with with these two options in terms of like realistically getable and who fits and all the stuff the actual practical things of getting this done not just Yeah both those sound good yeah way to take the words right out of my mouth uh Miles Turner is sure awesome you know what man i got another report for you sources tell me the Suns are interested in Nicole Jokic like yeah you can be interested in Miles Turner and heck I’d even pay Miles Turner we kind of talked about this briefly before the show started but what are you going to give up for Miles Turner like the Pacers just made the finals and they’re just going to be like “Yeah so we’ll take uh like let’s just say they do the the KD deal we’ll take Wiggins uh and whoever and then do like a sign and trade for Miles Turner or whatever.” Like you can’t even sign the guy out right so we should say because Exactly he he’s about to be a free agent i I didn’t mention that so whereas Porzingis is under contract for this upcoming season and that’s it he’s expiring uh at $31 million um Turner is going to be a free agent and I like I understand right because with Turner there’s nobody with cap space unless he wants to go to Brooklyn and you know play pick and roll with Cam Thomas after making the conference finals and the finals for the only team he’s ever played for like that that’s irrational that’s not going to happen yeah so he’s if he’s going to change teams he’s going to have to participate in a sign and trade and Indiana’s going to get something back for him and if you were at Miles Turner’s agent for instance you would be thinking pretty hard about how do I drum up a market when there’s no literal market in free agency right so I get that all this is happening and and I totally see why you know the Suns would be a team linked they need a center i’ve said that they should go after a floor spacer first and foremost and and he is that but yeah they they don’t have I mean it’s already far-fetched the people talking about Jiren Jackson as a as a guy and he doesn’t even seem like he’s going to be available now that we’ve seen some some post Desmond Bane trade reporting if that’s crazy for a team that is kind of resetting in Memphis it’s even more insane for a team that’s in the finals to to get rid of their center and send him to Phoenix for what for for Jaylen Green jaylen Green and and a a a 2030 first round pick yeah it’s it’s goofy it doesn’t really stack up so let’s get to the one that does stack up much more understandably which is Chris Hapsboringis and I got to say like off the top I need to know what the hell happened to him physically this past season they haven’t really ever given a full you know explanation which you know HIPPA and everything else like I get it they’re not they’re going to be careful it it’s um you know if information if too specific information gets out that can be kind of messy but if he has recovered if it was long COVID if it was some other kind of weird long-lasting viral thing then hopefully he’s just better from it by October you would hope and he can just be just injuryprone which is already bad enough but not always sick and out of breath and fatigued at that price if it’s still just regular old Porzingis who’s dominant when healthy and probably is only going to play 50 or so games and he’s only under contract for one season and then you get to maybe pay him a little less i don’t know i I kind of like the idea if you can make the trade happen yeah in his 10 seasons of in the NBA like if he were to have done like if the 65 game rule would have been a thing since he started being in the NBA he would have been eligible three times like the dude is never healthy but what I like about Chris Dos Porzingis is a floor spacer dec I mean I think he’s a decent defender as well and he’s someone that we just haven’t seen Kevin Kevin Kevin Durant Devin Booker play with in his career so I would absolutely do that the thing that makes him so interesting is Boston is so willing to get rid of money like that could be someone that like if you get Jaylen Green you could move over maybe to maybe to Boston in some form or fashion or whatever make up the money somehow andrew Wiggins whatever it looks like right to bring Christo Sports is here so it’s much more tangible and I don’t think it’s going to cost you anything i legitimately just think it’s going to cost you a second round pick like I don’t think it’s going to cost anything because Boston’s willing to shed that much money and I think he’d be great with Booker so if if you could if you could get Chris Stops here as if you can get over the fact that he’s gonna play 50 gamesish then yeah absolutely perfect guy for the Suns to go get Miles Turner though just crazy town but I don’t think it’s it’s absurd at all it almost feels like Robert Williams a few years ago where it’s like obviously different players defensive mastermind but he’s probably not going to play more than 45 50 games a year this one feels like it might have to be a trade that um includes three teams uh because there’s just not a trade i mean the Suns can’t make a trade for him and because Boston is up against it they Yeah you know 17 million Grayson Allen that’s not working the Suns don’t have anybody who makes exactly 30 or so million they just have cheap guys and three max guys and then may maybe somebody that they get back you know like Jaylen Green okay that that he makes 33 that fits but he’s not Boston doesn’t want him he also makes more money this year than Boston that doesn’t cut salary for them so that you know does he go to Brooklyn and then maybe you the Suns get Porzingis and then Boston gets the salary relief like that’s kind of what it would probably have to be like but I see this as a backup plan for the Suns potentially where maybe it becomes a fourth team in the KD trade maybe later in the offseason if they don’t have any takers on Porzingis the Suns try to figure out a way to make something happen that kind of thing but I think the draft and the Durant trade are probably the first two paths toward getting a big and this would be kind of a fallback would be my would be my take because you can’t count on him even even if he’s a fit and you can get him for cheap you’re back to Nick Richards starting 40 games for you potentially i think that I think though that this might be where the Suns are at right now taking chances on guys why you’re not trying to play out that way that’s what I just That’s kind of where I lean but I would I would welcome Chris Stops here with open arms because I think I would have right expectations for 50 games a year but he’s going to be pretty good when he does it and hopefully the dude’s healthy because that was so weird very weird that’ll wrap us up hit follow or subscribe if you have not already we’re be we will be with you all week as the KD trade heats up we’ll get you something as soon as we possibly can when the buzzer sounds on that deal enjoy your Tuesday we’ll catch you next time
The Phoenix Suns might be down to two partners for Kevin Durant — the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat.
Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia break down the latest KD reports as well as why players like Kel’El Ware, Stephon Castle and Jalen Green could be in the way of trades. Then, a look at two bigs the Suns are reportedly interested in this summer.
š² Follow Locked On Suns on TikTok
Locked On Suns https://www.tiktok.com/@lockedonphxsuns?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
š² Follow Locked On Suns on Instagram
Locked On Suns https://www.instagram.com/lockedonphxsuns/
š² Follow Locked On Suns on X
Locked On Suns https://x.com/LockedOnPHXSuns
Brendon Kleen https://x.com/BrendonKleen14
Ben Garcia https://x.com/BenGarciaShow
Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platformsā¦
š§ https://link.chtbl.com/LOSuns?sid=YouTube
Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
š§ https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA
š¢ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Robinhood
Robinhood Gold provides the privileges of a high net worth for any net worth. These generous benefits are now available for only $5/month. The new Gold Standard is here with Robinhood Gold. Sign up at robinhood.com/gold.
Mint Mobile
To get the new customer offer and your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to mintmobile.com/lockedonnba. See Mint Mobile for details.
Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.
FanDuel
You can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and youāll get started with ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS – if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#PhoenixSuns #KevinDurant #DevinBooker #NBA #BradleyBeal
27 Comments
didnt they say the warriors were out on butler and a few days later boom he was traded there
Tyler Herro is a guy that gets Totally Exposed Yearly ā¼ļø 14 point a game in the Playoffs… You definitely don't really watch Tyler š
If no decent trade offers develop for Durant, it may be beneficial to keep Durant and market Booker. Since Beal holds all the cards with his untradeable contract, might as well play him next season.
KD is washed and turnover king. Suns not getting much for him.
Id take prozingas. Thats why i say the KD trade is gonna be a multi team trade. Kd goes to like the heat maybe allen and o'neal are moved in the trade too. We should be getting picks back and then the 3rd 4th teams come in whatever players from heat go there with like allen etc and the 3rd team gives from both teams or we give ip like 2nd round picks.
Durant not the same player to get a haul, just keep him. He had two super teams and nothing happened. Suns should be trying to move Beal.
Im not giving you ware sorry heās 21 years old
Sorry but heās a spur and the suns will get fleeced
That Portland comparison was dumb. Not a single nba player ask to go to Portland regardless.
I donāt believe he will sign it in Minnesota because he doesnāt want to live there for 3 years.
Suns asking price and kd's's expectations are delusional
You all are overlooking that he can play 1 year in MIN, not resign and then go to Miami and sign for 2 years + until retirement
Come on,if Durant will be traded to somewhere he will go 1 year later. No non stupid franchise would give assets for just 1 year
Im not repeat not doing any deal with Minn unless McDaniel's is in the deal period. We need to get younger and more athletic and sorry Rudy isn't going to help us there and he's slow AF and a major liability on the offense side of the ball. Booker wants to play faster and not going to happen with Rudy. Sorry im a 62 yr old white guy whos faster up and down the court the he is. Hard pass on any deal with him in it. If the Heat arent giving up Ware and and at least 3 #1s im not dealing with them at all. Ship him to the Raptors for Poeltl, Quickley and the #9 pick . You get a PG and Center and have 9 and 29 this year.
KD on the way down hill ain't no team winning a championship with him! Houston needs to hold what they got for a younger star!
Iāve been telling you guys KD is washed up nobody going give a lot for that guy š š
the suns targeting potzingis and turner shows me that jordan ott wants a floor spacing big and has an idea of how to frame an offense around book.
Funny because it was Miami, Spurs, Houston and Minnesota was absolutely positively not somewhere Durant wanted to go to.
tingus pingus would be legitimately great with booker, with the caveat that he gets an inhaler
What if miami gives you claxton from nets instead of ware?
You Two Goofballs, Are So Funny, First When Giannis Called Shams A LIAR Publicly Shams Has No Credibility Left At All, Miami Is Not Giving Up A Bag Of Poop For A Old, 1 Year Rental, Knowing As All Teams In The NBA Knows, Next Summer They Can Sign KD As A FA, And Give Nothing To The Suns Nothing By Waiting.
KD Showed His Overall Stupidest Decision He Will Ever Make, Vetoing The Suns Trading KD To The Warriors.
Pheonix has no leverage thats the reality of it all
Iām a Heat fan, I want absolutely nothing to do with KD, I donāt want Ware or Jovic to end up on your team, with your clown of an owner, but Iāll say this:
There hasnāt been any reporting on them working out anyone for pick 20, which is a little unusual, even as they are tight lipped about most things.
Instead of Kelel Ware,
The Heat can do a 3-team trade with Nets (Nic Claxton) or Hornets (Mark Williams) to help the Suns get their much needed Center
You guys are overvaluing KD like crazy, no team is willing to sell the farm for a 37 year old.
Drugs. Nobody is giving that haul for a 1 year rental for a 37 yr old.
The Heat is your best offer and they aren't giving ware.