The Suns’ pursuit of Jimmy Butler has been big news for weeks in NBA circles. They also acquired center Nick Richards last week and made a draft-pick trade with Utah this week, seemingly with an eye toward additional deals.
The best thing the Phoenix players can do is tune out all the trade chatter, Kevin Durant told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
“It’s just a part of the game now,” Durant said. “We know it’s important. The locker room is sacred. The bus is sacred. Hotel, walkthrough, all that stuff is sacred. It’s stuff we don’t talk about. It’s a brotherhood in here, but we know the noise is going to always be going on around us. As much as we can bunker down and focus on one another, the better we are as a group.
“It’s a business, though. We understand it’s a business. Anything can happen in this business. We traded one our brothers, Josh (Okogie) to Charlotte and that happened pretty quickly. We’ve just got to focus on in one one another and keep grinding.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers almost defeated the Celtics without four of their starters on Wednesday. Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac all sat out, yet they took the Celtics to overtime (story via The Associated Press). Leonard sat out due to right knee injury management but he has shown flashes of his old self in recent games. He scored 19 efficient points in 24-plus minutes against the Lakers on Sunday. “I’m happy with the progress,” Leonard told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “For me, it’s just about how I’m feeling and I’m coming out of the games feeling great. But I still got work to do and we’re going to keep taking each step.”
- Zubac, who missed Wednesday’s game due to an eye injury, is averaging a career-best 15.0 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. He’s been a steadying force with Leonard sidelined most of the season. “I’ve been confident in my game. I always knew what I could do. It was just not my role (previously),” Zubac told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.
- Warriors two-way player Quinten Post got some court time on Wednesday, contributing five points and six rebounds in 15 minutes, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. Coach Steve Kerr says he’ll continue to hunt opportunities to play Post, as he gives the offense a different look with his ability to help spread the floor. Kerr moved Dennis Schröder to the bench in favor of Buddy Hield, who contributed 17 points in 25 minutes. Schröder, who had started in his first 17 games since being acquired from Brooklyn, had seven points and five assists in 21 minutes. Kerr wants Schröder on the floor when Stephen Curry is getting a rest and also likes the chemistry between Curry and Hield, Youngmisuk adds in another tweet.
Time for the warriors look for a good lottery pick and give up on the playoffs. You can’t win many games down 5 players playing your third string players. There is no trade out there that will make them a contender.
Arc, who would you want them to draft in the 1st round (pending its a top 10-11 selection)?
they could use a young PG or a PF that is about 6’9″. Think about replacements for Curry and Green. Player needs to be athletic. They lack athletic athlete besides Wiggins and Kuminga.
If they can slide into the top 5, Ace Bailey would be nice. They need the shooting.
I think Edgecombe would fit better for them alongside Steph. He can move off the ball and is an excellent perimeter defender with athleticism and motor.
Post looked pretty good last night so he has potential as the center.
He’s 24 so I think he’s a little bit older than most big men out there. Do you want to do a total rebuild? I think they need an impact guy in the draft. Queen has nice skillset and offensive game that GSW hasn’t had in YEARS.
arc89 ,
Think Mike Muscala.
IMO, the best case for post is as a 2nd or 3rd string C, used primarily based on matchups. For a late 2nd round pick, that’s a win.
Not mobile or athletic enough to be more than that.
Raz – One possibility is to use the pick (and possibly Draymond) to get some high quality youth that’s already in the league. This way, GSW gets younger, but without the high risk a draft pick doesn’t work out and the 2 year wait for the pick to get experience.
Detroit, Houston, and Orlando are teams flush with young talent that can’t all be retained with rookie extensions because of the cap. Those teams can be open to trading a young player for a high draft pick and/or a veteran that puts them over the top.
These young players are prized, but are playing less than they should because of talent logjams:
1. Detroit: Ausar Thompson, Stewart
2. Houston: Eason, Whitmore
3. Orlando: young bigs Bitadze, Carter, Isaac (crowded by Banchero and 2 Wagners)
A lottery pick and Draymond should return 2-3 high quality young players that would help GS immediately.
Aristotle –
I don’t see Detroit giving up on Ausar just yet. His defensive ceiling is All NBA 1st team defense potential. I know he can’t shoot the side of a barn but he has huge potential alongside Cade and doesn’t need the ball. Stewart wouldn’t be a bad fit for GSW. I wonder if they would be interested in taking back Tobias though for shooting purposes?
Eason should be untouchable. He’s another strong defender that has alot of potential. Whitmore struggled early on but he is making strides as of late as evidence around his 27 point 4 rebound game on 12/26 and backed it up with a 17-8 game the game after that. I think Houston wants more offense back though at this point. They struggle to score and pace of play they are only 19th and that’s an issue considering how well they defend and should be getting more transition baskets.
Orlando just gave WCJ a nice extension as well. They have the same problem as Houston, they struggle to score and granted that’s because injuries to Franz/Mo and Paolo but I think they’re more about adding offensive talent to already a well coached defense team.
Dark horse for Draymond could be San Antonio who likely would have to give up Sochan or Keldon Johnson in any deal. I think they can add Draymond and give up either Sochan/johnson plus a decent lottery pick since they possess so many. He would help out Wemby and have the team communicate more on defense. Question is would CP3 and him be coexisting on that team?
raz427 –
First, the appeal of Draymond to any of these up-and-coming teams is not just defense. It’s the winning brand and intangibles that he brings to young teams trying to win for the first time.
Second, I agree that all these players are highly valued by their teams, but the problem is that their respective teams cannot keep all of their highly valued young players because of the cap. It’s that simple. All these teams MUST move some of these valuable young players over the next 16 months.
Detroit is about to give max deals to Duren and Ivey, in addition to Cade. That makes 3 huge rookie extensions, the maximum any small market team can handle. Detroit is now playing Ron Holland, a more recent top 5 pick, above Ausar. Ausar doesn’t start anymore, and his minutes are significantly down from last year. One of Ausar or Holland must eventually be the odd man out. The decision can be made in 1 year from now, maybe even 2, but so will Ausar’s trade value decline in the process. If Detroit wants to contend this year, like they are saying, a trade could make sense.
The same calculus applies in Houston, who must address it by June. They have already extended Sengun and Jalen Green. And, they absolutely intend to max Amen Thompson next summer, which makes three big rookie extensions by 2026. Dillon Brooks has a long-term deal at $21M/yr, so there is no more more money available for wings.
Like Whitmore, Eason is behind Brooks, Amen, and Jabari Smith. Both Eason and Whitmore are eligible for extension this summer, but both players cannot be extended, and there may not be enough cap to extend even 1 of them. At least 1 of Eason and Smith aren’t likely to be in TX next season. Rockets are also currently trying to re-sign Van Vleet, so $ is going to be very, very tight this summer.
Smart money says Rockets look like this in 2026-27:
STARTERS:
VanVleet, Green, Smith (5th yr, extended), Brooks, Sengun
BENCH:
Thompson (4th yr, extended), Whitmore (4th yr, not extended)
As for Orlando, assuming they could retain them all, these members of their front-line current front-line would be making $170M/yr two seasons from now.
– Wendell Carter $25M/yr (just signed)
– Jonathan Isaac $25M/yr (just signed)
– Goga Bitadze $9M/yr (just signed)
– Mo Wagner $11M/yr (just signed)
– Frans Wager $55M/yr (just signed
– Paolo Banchero $55M/yr (estimated)
That’s why everybody expects the Magic to make a move within the next 16 months.
Did you forget that Rockets hold a $44M team option on FVW? Also, Jabari is probably the odd man out on that rotation. I think Rockets will ideally like to trade him for any package for a superstar.
Issac’s deal is $14M the next 4 years. WCJ is making $10M next year and $18M the year after that. They hold a $13M option on Cole Anthony for 2026/27 and only have $135M committed to 2026/27. That doesn’t exclude holding team option for Cole Anthony and KCP’s $21M team option. They also hold $11M team option on Mo Wagner as well. Where did you get your number for Franz? I don’t see $55M anywhere? Hoopshype has his salary at $38M next year and 41/47 the years after?
I personally wouldn’t give up anything meaningful (picks or young players) for Draymond unless I know my team is addressing offense first. Both Houston and Orlando are mirrored in each other, with the exception that Paolo/Wagner >>> Green/Sengun. Houston has the better collection of other talent but Orlando has the more dynamic 1/2 punch. I don’t think Draymond will get traded, that’s more wishful thinking from Warriors fans who all have agreed that a reset needs to happen. The best I think is they run it back one more year with Kuminga in the role and Draymond’s role becomes more of a bench player/6th man role.
Raz – I appreciate the facts offered in return, although we differ on interpretation!
I do think Orlando signed several bigs to trade-friendly contracts with the plan to trade at least one of them, but we’ll see.
I take it that you don’t see Draymond’s winning intangibles as appealing to young teams, as I do. If I’m Detroit, I’m on the phone with the Warriors right now enquiring about Draymond.
No worries I love interacting with guys who love the sport. You’re one of the better posters I see on here from DubNation with a select few. It’s not that I don’t take Draymond’s winning intangibles lightly. I appreciate what he has done for the game of basketball as a competitor minus his antics which are questionable at times. I just have a hard time thinking they are SERIOUS of letting him go. I think he would be better fit for a position alongside LeBron when he can just cut all the time and Lebron being one of the greatest passing players of all time will give him some YOUNG energy back in those old legs. I think another team that would possibly fit for Draymond would be the Sixers. He wouldn’t need the ball to be effective and he can play the 4 while Embiid has boo-boo issues. He still has alot of value left I just don’t think it’s plausible for it to happen and expect young cheap talent in return. If he was 30 instead of 35 then yes I would agree with any of your potential desired returns.
trading Green is a option. Kerr is stubborn and using him as a center is why he been getting injured so often now. Even Green said he is too small to play center all the time. Green would be good for a team needing that extra push to be a top 4 defensive team.
That’s untrue. If Kerr finally wakes up and figures out playing more than 1 big at a time is how you win in this league, like Kenny is doing, then we turn this around pretty quick. If they get Vooch and another big, they become a force again.
Too many injuries to be a force. Kuminga is not even co lose to being ready. Vuc would only make them so so. they are not beating a top team in the west in the playoffs. time to live in reality and see there are too many holes to fix on this team
All GSW has to do is make top 8 and then its all bets off.
Yo are always claiming they are 1 player away from a championship. They are not. they are not going to get by the top 4 teams in the west. They would be lucky to win 1 game against OKC. Why do you refuse to accept that they need a lot of help?
Arc keep in mind that only one team seeded below 4th has ever won the title and that was the 1995 Houston Rockets. Lol this team isn’t a championship contender and without Curry they would be in the top 3 for the Flagg sweepstakes.
Let’s be straight up brutally honest,
The main issue of Warriors is not injury. It’s about trade.
If your team is in the play-in games, you are in the worst place. And you lose in the play-in. You get my Grade F.
Warriors get my Grade F in 2 straight years.
If you look at how many players down at the same time you would understand its injuries. last night if Green and Kuminga playing they win. When a team has been as dominate for 10 years they lack young assets to trade or keep winning. It was bound to happen just like the spurs dominated then after te run they had to reload. So tell me what trade would make them a top 4 team?
Sure you can just bench Schroeder… That dude has cost them like 5 in the last 20 by just being so so f***ing awful.
Big game tonight Chicago at Golden State. GSW is only 2.5 GB Chicago for 9th selection, if we lose this one and next three are Philadelphia/Denver/Boston. Easily can move up to 7th slot possibly by the All Star game.
Losing to Philly is difficult for most teams this year though lol
I agree but they still have more talent than us so I expect a L for the Bulls. Atleast I can hope. Lmao
Kerr never ever plays Looney, TDJ and Post together. He only ever plays 1 big at a time – that’s not now you win in this league in 2025. Kenny Atkinson’s 3 bigs method is how you win in 2025.
“He only ever plays 1 big at a time – that’s not now you win in this league in 2025.”
Someone ought to let Mark Daigneault know about this.
To be fair Taco, he’d be playing two if he had two healthy bigs at any one time this year, lol.
Davey, we talked about this.
Did you forget already?
Evan Mobley shoots the 3 and has handles at 7 foot. He can play beside Allen at 7 foot.
Can Kevon Looney shoot the 3 or does he have handles? No.
Does Trayce Jackson Davis shoot the 3 or have handles? No.
Try not to forget these VERY IMPORTANT FACTS when you post your comments.
Gary not to mention Mobley is taking more approach to expand his offensive game. Shooting at 42% 3PT clip (2.8 3PTA). Nobody wants Looney unless it’s for an expiring contract filler. The Warriors just do not have the modern day big to help Steph out on offense. Wiseman was supposed to be that guy he was oft injured and at times not ready for the NBA.
Warriors could get a 2nd round pick for him because he would still be a good back up center for a playoff team. He still rebounds well and has a high IQ to play. there are a few teams out there that could use him as a back up center for the playoffs.
Also where tf are the *three* bigs coming from? Dean Wade is a combo-forward, not a true big. Niang, same deal, except he’s not a big period. JT Thor and Tristan Thompson don’t play much. The Cavs literally don’t have 3 starting-caliber big men. They barely even have a backup 5. *Mobley* plays most of the Center minutes when Allen is on the bench.
Hope all the Warriors fans take a close look at Vooch today, he’s about to destroy them.
arc, you’re right. If GSW loses against CHI tonite, raise the white flag, go all-in on draft. Too much bad news.
1. Schroeder’s 19 games a massive disappointment. Terrible fit. Pace too slow, turnover-prone, waiting for ball screens that don’t happen. Now coming off bench.
2. Bad news that Kuminga is likely 3 weeks away from return. Offense was weak already, this makes it awful.
3. More Injuries. Draymond, Podz, SloMo, now Looney.
Without band-aid trades like for Vucevic, this team can finish 7th from bottom, and get a nice pick. If front-office decides on this path, Draymond also gets traded for young talent/picks.
I think we’re already there Ari. The Warriors need to find takers for every single vet they have including Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins and everyone else not named Steph Curry. The whole lot of them. Bye-bye.