2022-23 Team Developments: News / Trades / Free Agents / Rumors

Is it rumored or being reported KD is on the outs with Kyrie and wants him gone, as that article says may be the case?

 

Twitter thread from The Athletic on the Russ situation.

 

Few of those quotes from Buha are frightening...


Has he passed a mental examination? How does he think he's anything other than an expiring contract to another team? No wonder he and his agent weren't on the same page.


At least he thinks Russ is gone at some point.


He also mentions he thinks Ham wants Russ to mimic the Holiday role with the Bucks. That's exactly what he's looking for, at least offensively because he said as much in the podcast interview he did with VC that I posted in the Ham thread. The problem is Russ can't allow himself to be that on either side of the ball. Holiday went on Team USA and dominated the game as soon as he stepped off the plane. Without his defense, not sure we win. Russ is a horrid, unwilling defender. Even if he wants to try, he's not going to be willing to see it through and will revert 5 games in. Offensively, Russ doesn't know how or care to learn how to be effective without the ball. The little things, the things that don't get in the stat sheet don't earn him triple doubles. Also, he can't tell reporters to check the stats on a game if his biggest contribution was setting 15 screens.

 

Dense

 

“Face of the Franchise?”

:THT Heart Hands:

 

We didn't need a 5 page letter to know that Russell Westbrook is an unaccountable butthead.

 

Had a thought: KD and Kyrie are close. These reports of KD only wanting to stay if Kyrie is moved is a complete 180 degree turn from why we heard KD wanted out in the first place. It just doesn't add up for me.

What if that is being put out there by KD on Kyrie's behalf?

KD knows that Kyrie wants to be in LA. He knows there is a deal on the table to get him there. He knows that his deal will take longer and maybe even drag into the season. Deals for 8 picks + 2 stars do not exactly grow on trees. We're a long way from a middle ground there. Maybe he wants to do a friend a solid because KD wants to go either way. By saying that he wants Kyrie gone (all of a sudden) that expedites the Kyrie deal and prevents it from dragging out until KD's deal if the Nets don't see through this play.

 

lol. i just don't believe that kd wants kyrie gone. i honestly think it's as simple as first reported: kyrie thought the contract extension was going to be a given, and then it wasn't. this pissed both of them off, because i'm sure they were sold on this being a long-term happy family thing (this is also based on public comments about their role in the franchise from their own mouths). so when bkn management (rightly or not) pulled the power play in trying to incentivize kyrie's contract, they alienated both guys (kd had to be thinking--when will they turn on me?).

now, maybe kd is realizing that they won't just send him to wherever he wants, and he may decide that staying there is better than playing in toronto (it's not, but whatever). but kyrie isn't going to get that full max extension in bkn, so i think he's gone, one way or another.

if durant really wanted kyrie gone, they'd have already dealt with us, imo (i know that's not what you're saying, but it's the latest speculative reporting).

anyway, i'm becoming highly pessimistic on kd getting moved, and i could see the whole thing essentially dragging on until the trade deadline or at least december (when newly signed contracts can be moved).

side note: you know what interests me in bkn? simmons. there have been rumblings that he/they aren't necessarily thrilled to be partnered, i think. we've heard nothing about him, but i wouldn't be surprised to see him moved, maybe even before kd/kyrie.

 

Yeah, just found it all odd and was trying to come up with some possible explanations, as far fetched as they may be.

I think he'll get moved, maybe not before the season, but as soon as January 15th rolls around. Until the next CBA star players always get what they want. I can't think of the last player who asked out who didn't get to go to his team of choice or at least one on the list. If they don't get something done with the Raptors or Pelicans (only two teams that can realistically meet their ask), then I think they told on to him until Ayton can be moved. Then he ends up on the Suns like he wants.

Trading for Simmons really capped them in their potential KD trades. Out of the 15 or so players they'd want a in a KD deal at least half of them can't get included because of the CBA rule. So it wouldn't at all surprise me if he's included in a 3 team move so they can get who they want without being as limited as they are currently.

 

kawhi to toronto and PG to okc are both examples of guys who asked out with a limited set of destinations and went elsewhere.

and one could argue it worked out great for the teams that took the risk, too, as toronto got a title, and okc ended up getting more for PG than NO did for AD!

to me, bkn's insane asking price for durant was designed to keep him there moreso than negotiate a better deal. but we'll see.

 

What’s the consensus on why Harden decided he wanted out all of a sudden …. got to where Kyrie was too much for him with the non availability and weirdness?

 

I’m sure this isn’t directed at anyone in particular…

 

Yeah I think that was it, Kyrie being a part time player. And he probably got bored of the strip clubs there.

What doesn't get brought up enough I think is that they hired Nash as head coach. It was his first time coaching in general and you gave him those 3 to deal with? Don't remember who was available at the time but they should have gone with someone who had more experience and can manage the ego of 3 stars.

 

i don't know; and harden himself is pretty tight-lipped on stuff like that. my read based on his past behavior is that he was clearly the third wheel there, and he wasn't ready for that. i think he thought they'd defer to him on offense, but he ended up not being able to put up his numbers and was pouty because of it (we know about this...).

i think he likes philly more because he'll be able to return to putting up big numbers and thus getting a lot of credit for any success they have. even if bkn had won a title, it wouldn't have meant much for him. if philly gets one now, he gets to be the difference in the eyes of the fans and media.

 

I've heard claims that he wanted out of Houston because he was tired of having to create everything for that team (which is kind of b*******, considering he definitely preferred to play that way) and then got pissed when he had a similar role at the beginning of last season in Brooklyn because Kyrie was sitting out and KD was missing games too.

 

my goodness that was brutal. do we blame petyon manning for kd's joker turn?

 

Lowe brought up some incredible stats on his last pod with McMenamin. In the third game of the year against the Grizzlies, Russ set 8 screens for LeBron and we scored really well on those plays. In the next 8 games he never set more than screen for the ballhandler per game, probably all on called plays from Vogel. He didn't set more than one screen for a ballhandler in a game until March. That is a guy who just refuses to listen to anyone.

 

FLUSH HIM