Yeah, maybe a team that wants to blow it up trades for him and eats the 15 mil. Maybe they trade Durant and stick with homegrown Booker and fill out the team better. I can't see them keeping Ayton either, so this could be an entire implosion. Or they could run it back and get more help behind CPdeuce.
Honestly, I don't think either finish next season in Phoenix. Ayton to NY for Fournier, Robinson, and Toppin makes some sense. Dallas could be an option for either of both like you listed.
at this point it's starting to be become Insanity to think he can make it through a season/playoffs healthy
so trading all your depth for one guy didn't work? huh, i'm shocked not sure why any team would trade any notable assets for soft a** ayton. if he's quitting on a contender like phoenix, imagine what he'll do on a non-playoff team. paul should fetch them something decent at least, but even he's ancient and injury prone. they're screwed to say the least, and all their future picks belong to the nets
nobody will give much value for ayton, imo, but he's an interesting reclamation project/buy-low guy. i think he wants a role bigger than is justified, so maybe a bad team that has no center might take a flier.
I feel like we should have learned by now there are some guys you just don't want on your team. I think he'd have a terrible time taking a back seat to anyone, and I don't think his durability would outweigh his douchiness factor. We have good chemistry. I don't think that's a guy you add seamlessly.
I wouldn't want him as a backup. He can't stay healthy, older, slower, big ego who can't back it up with his play. I rather go a different direction
Have any reclamation projects worked out for talented guys that appear to have no heart? Ben Simmons' reclamation has been a failure. What other high profile case studies have there been?
This was my initial response too, but looking back, they didn't trade that much depth, just a lot of picks. They gave up Bridges, Johnson, and Crowder for Durant and Warren. Crowder never played for Pho this year. Johnson only played 17 games. Durant > Bridges and Johnson > Warren, but it's 2 guys for 2 guys, and on balance KD+Warren should be better than Bridges+Johnson. I think the real answer is that Phoenix just isn't that good and never really was. I mean, sure, regular season good, but not serious contenders in the playoffs. Lakers were beating them in 2021 before AD got injured, and Phoenix should have been out in the 1st round. Last year they lost to Dallas in the 2nd round including getting blown out in the last 2 games. They're paper tigers.
maybe webber and rasheed wallace back in the day? porzingis had a good year after two teams claiming he didn't care enough. i don't know; i think people underestimate fit/context sometimes. i don't think ayton will live up to the #1 pick status nor his contract number, but he'd be a huge upgrade at center for a bunch of teams, even as is. and a new role and circumstance might bring out a little more energy/dedication from him, too. if i'm a bad team that everyone ignores in free agency, i'd certainly kick the tires here. or if i'm desperate like dallas is.
Durant is soft. Did he EVER take on guarding Jokic when Jokic was dominating? Maybe I missed it but I did not see it. Jokic is currently the better NBA player.
