Kevin Durant Rumors

[thedoper]

Id be shocked if we could pull of a Durant trade. He is definitely still an asset, though high risk. The best thing about trading for him is that it gives us the window to retool for the next iteration of this team with Ant and Jaden leading the way. If we somehow traded a Rudy package for Durant and we play small with KD in Rudy's spot I think we would have a really interesting team. Our D would take a hit but we got steamrolled anyway by the Thunder anyway. We'd be looking at #1 offense potential with KD on this team.

I'm sorry, but with all due respect, this is a terrible idea. You want to run a frontcourt lineup of Durant/Randle or Naz? I don't even know if that team makes the playoffs in the West.

I think Naz may walk. We could get another defensive big for depth. I personally dont think we are a championship team in spite of the significant achievements in the last two years. I dont see the gains of having Rudy out there when we advance further in the playoffs. I dont know that Durant for Rudy would make us a better team immediately. But I think we need to get off of Rudy if we are serious about retooling around Ant and Jaden. This at least gives us a fun transition.

[Wolvesfan21]

Id be shocked if we could pull of a Durant trade. He is definitely still an asset, though high risk. The best thing about trading for him is that it gives us the window to retool for the next iteration of this team with Ant and Jaden leading the way. If we somehow traded a Rudy package for Durant and we play small with KD in Rudy's spot I think we would have a really interesting team. Our D would take a hit but we got steamrolled anyway by the Thunder anyway. We'd be looking at #1 offense potential with KD on this team.

I'm sorry, but with all due respect, this is a terrible idea. You want to run a frontcourt lineup of Durant/Randle or Naz? I don't even know if that team makes the playoffs in the West.

I think Naz may walk. We could get another defensive big for depth. I personally dont think we are a championship team in spite of the significant achievements in the last two years. I dont see the gains of having Rudy out there when we advance further in the playoffs. I dont know that Durant for Rudy would make us a better team immediately. But I think we need to get off of Rudy if we are serious about retooling around Ant and Jaden. This at least gives us a fun transition.

I still think there is untapped upside for Rudy on offense. A very good to great PG could lock into the lob dunk threat, make it pay and get his own when teams drop to cover Rudy. Conley is a bit long in the tooth, no longer the stuff to make it happen and beyond him DDV has found it sometimes, even Ant some, but no one at all consistently.

In order to make Rudy a threat in the lob game though you need that short floater/mid that's on lock, I think thats where Conley has fallen short. Teams would choose option, let him shoot that floater versus giving up the lob dunk.

I wonder if Dilly if given the opportunity could be that guy, he may need a year or two to really develop seemingly likely. So I do think the safest move for the Wolves is to simply get a good to very good PG who can score on his own (18-20 PPG or so), playmake, take care of the ball, and obviously unlock more Rudy easy points (lob dunk action).

I think we all are not a fan of getting the ball to Rudy down low and make him do the work 1 on 1. He's not skilled enough, nor sure enough hands. Easy points is his bread and butter. Our guys simply have not unlocked it nearly enough.

It wasn't too long ago Utah was the #1 offense in the NBA.

[Crazysauce]

My question for Durant is why is his value so much higher than that of Randle? Randle is younger and being paid about 20 million dollars less. He's not as good as KD but he's also not almost 38 years old. If Phoenix doesn't value him then maybe a 3 way deal with Randle going to Miami. It will be interesting to see what exactly they get for him. I suspect it won't be as much as people think. With his age and contract situation I could see this turning into a paul pierce kg trade to Brooklyn situation for anyone wanting to pay anything substantial in trade.

[WildWolf2813]

My question for Durant is why is his value so much higher than that of Randle? Randle is younger and being paid about 20 million dollars less. He's not as good as KD but he's also not almost 38 years old. If Phoenix doesn't value him then maybe a 3 way deal with Randle going to Miami. It will be interesting to see what exactly they get for him. I suspect it won't be as much as people think. With his age and contract situation I could see this turning into a paul pierce kg trade to Brooklyn situation for anyone wanting to pay anything substantial in trade.

Because both guys appear to be short term solutions. I don't think either one is a player teams see as someone they need around for the next 4 years, but that's just it. Randle's 30 and nobody seems to wanna commit that many years to him. If you need someone immediately then it's a no-brainer to want KD.

If Jimmy Butler can still get $55 mil a year, then KD will think he can too.

[KG4Ever]

I'm sorry, but with all due respect, this is a terrible idea. You want to run a frontcourt lineup of Durant/Randle or Naz? I don't even know if that team makes the playoffs in the West.

I think Naz may walk. We could get another defensive big for depth. I personally dont think we are a championship team in spite of the significant achievements in the last two years. I dont see the gains of having Rudy out there when we advance further in the playoffs. I dont know that Durant for Rudy would make us a better team immediately. But I think we need to get off of Rudy if we are serious about retooling around Ant and Jaden. This at least gives us a fun transition.

I still think there is untapped upside for Rudy on offense. A very good to great PG could lock into the lob dunk threat, make it pay and get his own when teams drop to cover Rudy. Conley is a bit long in the tooth, no longer the stuff to make it happen and beyond him DDV has found it sometimes, even Ant some, but no one at all consistently.

In order to make Rudy a threat in the lob game though you need that short floater/mid that's on lock, I think thats where Conley has fallen short. Teams would choose option, let him shoot that floater versus giving up the lob dunk.

I wonder if Dilly if given the opportunity could be that guy, he may need a year or two to really develop seemingly likely. So I do think the safest move for the Wolves is to simply get a good to very good PG who can score on his own (18-20 PPG or so), playmake, take care of the ball, and obviously unlock more Rudy easy points (lob dunk action).

I think we all are not a fan of getting the ball to Rudy down low and make him do the work 1 on 1. He's not skilled enough, nor sure enough hands. Easy points is his bread and butter. Our guys simply have not unlocked it nearly enough.

It wasn't too long ago Utah was the #1 offense in the NBA.

Speaking of short floater game, Tre Jones is about as good as anyone. That's why his field goal percentage is so high. He's also a great passer who has an outside shot that needs to be respected. He can also play pesky defense at the point of attack as he gets a lot of steals. Only knock is he's a bit undersized but so are Dilly and Conley, so he's my top target as he may not cost a lot (similar to his brother last year) as the supply of point guards probably has never been greater. I won't be too upset if NAW leaves if we get Tre Jones as he is a much better ball handler than NAW or DDV and we could also try to add someone like Thybulle/Melton for their 3 D ability or promote Clark to replace the defense that NAW brought. Mike can move to a backup/mentor role and I'd start Tre until Dilly becomes a better option.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I think Naz may walk. We could get another defensive big for depth. I personally dont think we are a championship team in spite of the significant achievements in the last two years. I dont see the gains of having Rudy out there when we advance further in the playoffs. I dont know that Durant for Rudy would make us a better team immediately. But I think we need to get off of Rudy if we are serious about retooling around Ant and Jaden. This at least gives us a fun transition.

I still think there is untapped upside for Rudy on offense. A very good to great PG could lock into the lob dunk threat, make it pay and get his own when teams drop to cover Rudy. Conley is a bit long in the tooth, no longer the stuff to make it happen and beyond him DDV has found it sometimes, even Ant some, but no one at all consistently.

In order to make Rudy a threat in the lob game though you need that short floater/mid that's on lock, I think thats where Conley has fallen short. Teams would choose option, let him shoot that floater versus giving up the lob dunk.

I wonder if Dilly if given the opportunity could be that guy, he may need a year or two to really develop seemingly likely. So I do think the safest move for the Wolves is to simply get a good to very good PG who can score on his own (18-20 PPG or so), playmake, take care of the ball, and obviously unlock more Rudy easy points (lob dunk action).

I think we all are not a fan of getting the ball to Rudy down low and make him do the work 1 on 1. He's not skilled enough, nor sure enough hands. Easy points is his bread and butter. Our guys simply have not unlocked it nearly enough.

It wasn't too long ago Utah was the #1 offense in the NBA.

Speaking of short floater game, Tre Jones is about as good as anyone. That's why his field goal percentage is so high. He's also a great passer who has an outside shot that needs to be respected. He can also play pesky defense at the point of attack as he gets a lot of steals. Only knock is he's a bit undersized but so are Dilly and Conley, so he's my top target as he may not cost a lot (similar to his brother last year) as the supply of point guards probably has never been greater. I won't be too upset if NAW leaves if we get Tre Jones as he is a much better ball handler than NAW or DDV and we could also try to add someone like Thybulle/Melton for their 3 D ability or promote Clark to replace the defense that NAW brought. Mike can move to a backup/mentor role and I'd start Tre until Dilly becomes a better option.

Yep. I think the Wolves end up with either T. Jones or T. Jones...

[FNG]

I still think there is untapped upside for Rudy on offense. A very good to great PG could lock into the lob dunk threat, make it pay and get his own when teams drop to cover Rudy. Conley is a bit long in the tooth, no longer the stuff to make it happen and beyond him DDV has found it sometimes, even Ant some, but no one at all consistently.

In order to make Rudy a threat in the lob game though you need that short floater/mid that's on lock, I think thats where Conley has fallen short. Teams would choose option, let him shoot that floater versus giving up the lob dunk.

I wonder if Dilly if given the opportunity could be that guy, he may need a year or two to really develop seemingly likely. So I do think the safest move for the Wolves is to simply get a good to very good PG who can score on his own (18-20 PPG or so), playmake, take care of the ball, and obviously unlock more Rudy easy points (lob dunk action).

I think we all are not a fan of getting the ball to Rudy down low and make him do the work 1 on 1. He's not skilled enough, nor sure enough hands. Easy points is his bread and butter. Our guys simply have not unlocked it nearly enough.

It wasn't too long ago Utah was the #1 offense in the NBA.

Speaking of short floater game, Tre Jones is about as good as anyone. That's why his field goal percentage is so high. He's also a great passer who has an outside shot that needs to be respected. He can also play pesky defense at the point of attack as he gets a lot of steals. Only knock is he's a bit undersized but so are Dilly and Conley, so he's my top target as he may not cost a lot (similar to his brother last year) as the supply of point guards probably has never been greater. I won't be too upset if NAW leaves if we get Tre Jones as he is a much better ball handler than NAW or DDV and we could also try to add someone like Thybulle/Melton for their 3 D ability or promote Clark to replace the defense that NAW brought. Mike can move to a backup/mentor role and I'd start Tre until Dilly becomes a better option.

Yep. I think the Wolves end up with either T. Jones or T. Jones...

Wow, I know we’ve gotten used to the unexpected from TC, but Terrence Jones, really? Hasn’t he been out of the league for almost a decade?

[Lipoli390]

Speaking of short floater game, Tre Jones is about as good as anyone. That's why his field goal percentage is so high. He's also a great passer who has an outside shot that needs to be respected. He can also play pesky defense at the point of attack as he gets a lot of steals. Only knock is he's a bit undersized but so are Dilly and Conley, so he's my top target as he may not cost a lot (similar to his brother last year) as the supply of point guards probably has never been greater. I won't be too upset if NAW leaves if we get Tre Jones as he is a much better ball handler than NAW or DDV and we could also try to add someone like Thybulle/Melton for their 3 D ability or promote Clark to replace the defense that NAW brought. Mike can move to a backup/mentor role and I'd start Tre until Dilly becomes a better option.

Yep. I think the Wolves end up with either T. Jones or T. Jones...

Wow, I know we’ve gotten used to the unexpected from TC, but Terrence Jones, really? Hasn’t he been out of the league for almost a decade?

lol. Nice one, FNG.

[60WinTim]

I still don't think there is anything cooking on the KD front right now. However, TC made the comment about avoiding the 2nd apron, with this caveat: "But if we’re going to be in it, we’re going to be in it for a good reason."

It hit me like a ton of bricks: Is KD a good reason?!?

If Randle merely picks up his player option, why not consider trading Randle, DDV and Garza for KD? You would bring back NAZ, and even re-sign NAW to replace DDV!

Anyway, just sayin'... Carry on.

[DNatagal]

I still don't think there is anything cooking on the KD front right now. However, TC made the comment about avoiding the 2nd apron, with this caveat: "But if we’re going to be in it, we’re going to be in it for a good reason."

It hit me like a ton of bricks: Is KD a good reason?!?

If Randle merely picks up his player option, why not consider trading Randle, DDV and Garza for KD? You would bring back NAZ, and even re-sign NAW to replace DDV!

Anyway, just sayin'... Carry on.

Nah, the rumor is saw was KD to NY for KAT straight up. Oh and Rudy and Rob and Shannon for KD...wait, no, Ant and Jaden for KD...no wait, Rudy and Naz to Lakers for Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent. Love how any person can be a league insider and post this outrageous shit on the interwebz. Hilarious. We should have a thread just for weird trade ideas.