>>>[Desmond Bane] “This facility is different bro. The one in Memphis we ain’t have not one window… we joked around and called it the Dungeon… this is a breath of fresh air.”<<<
#Williams by far, in this lot. What's not to like? He can shoot with range on C&S, off the dribble, in motion, is good at the stripe. Has a decent handle, gets fouls, looks to have a serviceable first step. Maybe he's a terrible rebounder or lax defender, but those things are learnable. I know it's a highlight reel, but he does a lot of things there I never saw Kennard do in a pro game, for example.
My hot take in the previous series was that Halliburton was a player who might be really really good, but he also disappears in a big game every now and then. This set off a minor debate of the sports chat variety here, the usual and no big deal. Everyone can move on...
But now there's Game 5 of the Finals to consider. I was all set to conclude during the early going that he was disappearing again.
But then again, he was injured.
But then again again, if he's injured, and it's severely affecting his play, he shouldn't even be out there, and maybe what a star also should do is know when to sit.
But then again again, maybe he was sorta injured/sorta not, and he and the coaching staff felt that 3/4 of his best was better than TJ McConnell at his usual 133% effort.
But then again again again, Haliburton didn't *look* injured. He moved like he usually does.
It's confusing. Because then we find that he really is quite injured, no question, and is undergoing an MRI.
But then again again again again, his under-performance can be due to two things at once: he can be injured and at the same time, shrink in a big game every now and then.
But then again again again however many agains I'm on, this is a guy who has showed up HUGE in the clutch, so how can anyone say he disappears?
But then again ad infinitum, going 0-6 in 34 minutes is about as disappeary as you can get.
"He moved like he usually does." That's not what I saw. He looked slower, he didn't seem as explosive, he didn't try to slash as much in the second half. I thought he was clearly not moving right.
"maybe what a star also should do is know when to sit" In theory sure but top players know their team relies on them, and this is the Finals. Everything's on the line. Haliburton said after game 5 that if he can walk, he'll play in game 6. He's far from the only star who has thought that way. Think about all the times Mickey Mantle was taped up all the way from his ankles to his hip but he played through the pain because the Yankees needed him, the fans paid to see him, and he had a lot of pride.
So it's up to the coach and the medical staff to save the guy from himself. I don't know how that works with the Pacers. With the Dubs, Dr Celebrini decides whether a player is okay to go, and Kerr has to respect that. That's the best way because a coach might feel that the Finals win is the important thing but the doctor should be thinking about the player's health first.
>>>According to Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints, the Toronto Raptors are interested in trading for Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.
Monk will make $18,797,619 next season, while Durant will make $54,708,609 in the final year of his contract.
“If a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant doesn’t end up happening, league sources tell ClutchPoints they have other targets in mind. The Raptors have demonstrated interest in acquiring Kings guard Malik Monk in a potential trade, with that interest dating back at least to February’s trade deadline,” Pursiainen wrote.
The Raptors, Kings and Suns missed the playoffs this year.
Phoenix is expected to trade Durant before the 2025 NBA Draft.
“League sources say the Kings have been listening to trade offers from other teams,” Pursiainen wrote. “But that could be Scott Perry simply gathering intelligence on his new roster. The Durant trade saga playing out will allow other pieces of the NBA offseason to fall into place. If Sacramento decides that trading Monk could potentially serve them best long term, they’ll have at least one suitor for him in Toronto.”
Durant has been linked to the Raptors, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA legend prefers to play for the Spurs, but he’s open to getting traded to the Heat or Rockets.<<<
I still think KD is a good fit for the Warriors, and would still trade everyone except Butler and Dray (and Steph ofc) even for a rental (JK would go to a 3rd team in exchange for someone/a pick the Suns want). He's still a 25-30 point scorer pretty much every game, completely breaks most opposing defensive schemes, hits 85+% of his free throws, and has a wingspan longer than most centers (even if his defense probably isn't great anymore). There's even a small chance that we could get something back at the end of next year in a sign-and-trade (or trade him at the deadline if a team decides to YOLO).
He wouldn't be my #1 off-season target by any means, but we're probably going to pay JK+Moody+Podz (in 2 years) at least $60 mil combined soon. I'd rather have a 1st-ballot hall-of-famer (even if it's only for 1 season) and immediate roster flexibility. Because we're not going to be hard-capped this year, and have some room under the apron, we bring back Loon and GPII (at a discount but not the minimum) and still have some room to sign a few ring-chasers (and possibly even a buyout). And as a bonus, it would keep Houston from getting KD.
I don't think you can get to KD's salary without Steph/JB/Dray, can you? Or would the end result literally be those 4 and a clean slate with JK getting 30M+ on another team? It would be kinda intriguing in a vacuum, but I can't see it.
Talent-wise, I'd even consider trading Dray for KD, but unhappy KD removes a lot of the joy of basketball if you remember the 2019 regular season. And joy is really what I want from my Warriors watching experience.
I think KD to the Bay would work only for sports pundits who could squeeze endless columns and podcast minutes out of interpreting facial expressions and gestures of Dray/Steph/Jimmy indicating any sort of tension or drama with KD. Why would it be anything less than a really depressing soap opera? I'd have to fully curtail sports media consumption.
I don't really understand the fascination with KD, TBH. He's said he doesn't want to come here, and he's got leverage, since he doesn't need to sign an extension.
As with other fan bases, there's a contingent of Dubs fans who are emotionally attached to former Dubs, whether we realistically can or should get them back or not. Of course KD is a great player, so it's defensible on those grounds. But we hear calls for bringing back other former Dubs where it's not so clearly advantageous. I am not sentimental about such things. For me, it's a matter of who can help us win.
Still, if we were going all in for one or two seasons, damn the torpedos, and KD wanted to come here after all, I'd be down with that because he could fit and help us win. Defenses can't entirely focus on Steph with the Slim Reaper on the court, and KD would give us spacing that would open things up for Jimmy. KD's defense might improve playing with Dray and Butler, as well. BUT... I agree that deal is not going to happen.
If you listen to what he actually said, it's not that he doesn't want to come here, it's that he wanted to finish out the season in Phoenix last year and be more in control of where his options were to get traded.
You may not believe him, which is fine, but that is what he actually said.
OK, but have you heard anything that says he wants to come here? I haven't. From what I've heard, we're not on the list of teams he's willing to sign an extension with.
What I read at the trade deadline was a little different. What I heard is that he didn't want to go anywhere, because the team trading for him would have to gut their roster to match salaries. I assume that in the offseason, he figures whatever team he goes to has a little more freedom to maneuver.
But, admittedly, I'm relying on reports. I didn't go look for his quotes (if there were any).
[Charania] While KD has shown that he wants to go to the Spurs, they aren’t as interested in him as Minnesota and Houston. They want to save their valuable assets to trade for a star more on their timeline
"[Charania] Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is believed to have suffered a strained right calf and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the strain, sources tell ESPN."
- "6-foot-7 shooting guard who’s crafty in the paint and will stress defenses in transition"
- "son of former NBA player"
- "raised in North Carolina"
Staahp it! Sold. #WILLIAMS
Is he going to get a third contract in the NBA? Probably not, maybe not even a second above 1-yr vet min, but he should be a useful and affordable rotation piece in Steph's twilight career years. That's not so likely with the others on this list.
#WILLIAMS I was looking at his shot too. Looks like he loads up for a fraction of a second on his distance shots, not sure if that's an issue, as he still gets it off reasonably quickly and with a nice arc, release point looks high enough, and he has NBA range. I like that Williams is patient and knows when to pump fake or hesitate to throw off a close-out and when to go straight into his shot. He seems crafty inside and a decent passer. He's plenty big enough for a SG. Can't tell about his defense, that's a problem with most highlight videos, but at 6'7" if he has a decent wingspan, maybe he could develop on the defensive end. If you're right about him being slow, that's an issue. But as we keep saying, it's the second round.
I don't want any of the other three, including Luis. I doubt any of 'em stick in the league for long. Watch them all make me look clueless!
OT: When we did the 2020 draft tournament, EA managed to grab some interview videos, and it was the interview with Haliburton that sold me on him. Without that, we don't have a sense of who these guys are. Highlights have value of course, and nobody's showing lowlights, but those interviews really helped.
>>>NBA draft deal: The Indiana Pacers are trading their No. 23 pick and the rights to Mojave King to the New Orleans Pelicans for Indiana's own 2026 first-round pick back which the Pelicans had previously acquired<<<
So the Pacers are deferring this year's FRP to next year, for what is quite possibly going to be a worse pick? They must really hate this year's non-lottery field.
Don't think it's that. I suspect they don't even want to pay a FRP salary this year. They have a largish-payroll, and are looking at having to re-sign Myles Turner (in a couple of weeks).
You may be right, but the roster spot has to be filled. A minimum contract for a player with only 2 years of experience is not even $1M less than the rookie salary for the 23rd pick. They must be right up against some apron with their projections.
The coverage I’ve consumed about the Bane trade seems largely to interpret it as MEM getting out in front of what will be a massive extension for JJJ, and acknowledging that a Big Two is more sustainable in the current NBA than a Big Three.
Makes sense, but “step one of a fire sale” would have been more exciting.
A Kevin Durant trade with the Houston Rockets or the Miami Heat is “a piece or two away” from happening, per @ShamsCharania on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN.
If I'm KD I want no part of going to a gutted Miami team. KD for Jalen Green, a bunch of picks, and salary filler is great for him and moderately terrifying for the non-OKC west.
And, well... that's the reality of things for KD. He's kinda stuck, and so are the (stifles laugh) Suns. He could have gone to GSW, but seems like he didn't want to relive that part of his life, and instead here he is... in limbo.
>>>[Desmond Bane] “This facility is different bro. The one in Memphis we ain’t have not one window… we joked around and called it the Dungeon… this is a breath of fresh air.”<<<
https://old.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1le7n8i/desmond_bane_this_facility_is_different_bro_the/
#Williams by far, in this lot. What's not to like? He can shoot with range on C&S, off the dribble, in motion, is good at the stripe. Has a decent handle, gets fouls, looks to have a serviceable first step. Maybe he's a terrible rebounder or lax defender, but those things are learnable. I know it's a highlight reel, but he does a lot of things there I never saw Kennard do in a pro game, for example.
Greater Dynasty: Warriors circa 2015-2022 OR this current iteration of the Florida Panthers?
Why is this even a question?
The Panthers have gone to three finals and won 2.
The Warriors went to 6 finals in 8 years and won 4 championships. It’s not even close.
Hush your mouth
Who?
Ew.
My hot take in the previous series was that Halliburton was a player who might be really really good, but he also disappears in a big game every now and then. This set off a minor debate of the sports chat variety here, the usual and no big deal. Everyone can move on...
But now there's Game 5 of the Finals to consider. I was all set to conclude during the early going that he was disappearing again.
But then again, he was injured.
But then again again, if he's injured, and it's severely affecting his play, he shouldn't even be out there, and maybe what a star also should do is know when to sit.
But then again again, maybe he was sorta injured/sorta not, and he and the coaching staff felt that 3/4 of his best was better than TJ McConnell at his usual 133% effort.
But then again again again, Haliburton didn't *look* injured. He moved like he usually does.
It's confusing. Because then we find that he really is quite injured, no question, and is undergoing an MRI.
But then again again again again, his under-performance can be due to two things at once: he can be injured and at the same time, shrink in a big game every now and then.
But then again again again however many agains I'm on, this is a guy who has showed up HUGE in the clutch, so how can anyone say he disappears?
But then again ad infinitum, going 0-6 in 34 minutes is about as disappeary as you can get.
"He moved like he usually does." That's not what I saw. He looked slower, he didn't seem as explosive, he didn't try to slash as much in the second half. I thought he was clearly not moving right.
"maybe what a star also should do is know when to sit" In theory sure but top players know their team relies on them, and this is the Finals. Everything's on the line. Haliburton said after game 5 that if he can walk, he'll play in game 6. He's far from the only star who has thought that way. Think about all the times Mickey Mantle was taped up all the way from his ankles to his hip but he played through the pain because the Yankees needed him, the fans paid to see him, and he had a lot of pride.
So it's up to the coach and the medical staff to save the guy from himself. I don't know how that works with the Pacers. With the Dubs, Dr Celebrini decides whether a player is okay to go, and Kerr has to respect that. That's the best way because a coach might feel that the Finals win is the important thing but the doctor should be thinking about the player's health first.
On a side note, the second round prospect that I was high on Bogo Marković participated in the combine doing well at a far more acceptable 213 pounds.
That’s a vast improvement over the 190 pounds that had me so concerned.
>>>According to Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints, the Toronto Raptors are interested in trading for Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.
Monk will make $18,797,619 next season, while Durant will make $54,708,609 in the final year of his contract.
“If a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant doesn’t end up happening, league sources tell ClutchPoints they have other targets in mind. The Raptors have demonstrated interest in acquiring Kings guard Malik Monk in a potential trade, with that interest dating back at least to February’s trade deadline,” Pursiainen wrote.
The Raptors, Kings and Suns missed the playoffs this year.
Phoenix is expected to trade Durant before the 2025 NBA Draft.
“League sources say the Kings have been listening to trade offers from other teams,” Pursiainen wrote. “But that could be Scott Perry simply gathering intelligence on his new roster. The Durant trade saga playing out will allow other pieces of the NBA offseason to fall into place. If Sacramento decides that trading Monk could potentially serve them best long term, they’ll have at least one suitor for him in Toronto.”
Durant has been linked to the Raptors, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA legend prefers to play for the Spurs, but he’s open to getting traded to the Heat or Rockets.<<<
https://hoopswire.com/report-raptors-interested-in-trading-for-kevin-durant-malik-monk-nba-suns-kings/
Who will the Raptors trade? Brandon Ingram?
RJ Barrett
Emmanuel Quickly
Jakob Poeltl
#9 pick
https://www.reddit.com/r/suns/comments/1le0oc0/if_gambo_is_right_send_this_in_what_are_we/
A combination of assets taken from the list above, not *all* of the above, I believe.
I still think KD is a good fit for the Warriors, and would still trade everyone except Butler and Dray (and Steph ofc) even for a rental (JK would go to a 3rd team in exchange for someone/a pick the Suns want). He's still a 25-30 point scorer pretty much every game, completely breaks most opposing defensive schemes, hits 85+% of his free throws, and has a wingspan longer than most centers (even if his defense probably isn't great anymore). There's even a small chance that we could get something back at the end of next year in a sign-and-trade (or trade him at the deadline if a team decides to YOLO).
He wouldn't be my #1 off-season target by any means, but we're probably going to pay JK+Moody+Podz (in 2 years) at least $60 mil combined soon. I'd rather have a 1st-ballot hall-of-famer (even if it's only for 1 season) and immediate roster flexibility. Because we're not going to be hard-capped this year, and have some room under the apron, we bring back Loon and GPII (at a discount but not the minimum) and still have some room to sign a few ring-chasers (and possibly even a buyout). And as a bonus, it would keep Houston from getting KD.
*hides*
I don't think you can get to KD's salary without Steph/JB/Dray, can you? Or would the end result literally be those 4 and a clean slate with JK getting 30M+ on another team? It would be kinda intriguing in a vacuum, but I can't see it.
Talent-wise, I'd even consider trading Dray for KD, but unhappy KD removes a lot of the joy of basketball if you remember the 2019 regular season. And joy is really what I want from my Warriors watching experience.
I think KD to the Bay would work only for sports pundits who could squeeze endless columns and podcast minutes out of interpreting facial expressions and gestures of Dray/Steph/Jimmy indicating any sort of tension or drama with KD. Why would it be anything less than a really depressing soap opera? I'd have to fully curtail sports media consumption.
I don't really understand the fascination with KD, TBH. He's said he doesn't want to come here, and he's got leverage, since he doesn't need to sign an extension.
It's not going to happen.
As with other fan bases, there's a contingent of Dubs fans who are emotionally attached to former Dubs, whether we realistically can or should get them back or not. Of course KD is a great player, so it's defensible on those grounds. But we hear calls for bringing back other former Dubs where it's not so clearly advantageous. I am not sentimental about such things. For me, it's a matter of who can help us win.
Still, if we were going all in for one or two seasons, damn the torpedos, and KD wanted to come here after all, I'd be down with that because he could fit and help us win. Defenses can't entirely focus on Steph with the Slim Reaper on the court, and KD would give us spacing that would open things up for Jimmy. KD's defense might improve playing with Dray and Butler, as well. BUT... I agree that deal is not going to happen.
Nothing to see here, move along.
If you listen to what he actually said, it's not that he doesn't want to come here, it's that he wanted to finish out the season in Phoenix last year and be more in control of where his options were to get traded.
You may not believe him, which is fine, but that is what he actually said.
OK, but have you heard anything that says he wants to come here? I haven't. From what I've heard, we're not on the list of teams he's willing to sign an extension with.
What I read at the trade deadline was a little different. What I heard is that he didn't want to go anywhere, because the team trading for him would have to gut their roster to match salaries. I assume that in the offseason, he figures whatever team he goes to has a little more freedom to maneuver.
But, admittedly, I'm relying on reports. I didn't go look for his quotes (if there were any).
Adding KD while keeping Draymond and JB makes us a very old team. If not the oldest in the league.
OT:
r/nba
•
4 hr. ago
WEMBY_F4N
emoji:sas-2: Spurs
[Charania] While KD has shown that he wants to go to the Spurs, they aren’t as interested in him as Minnesota and Houston. They want to save their valuable assets to trade for a star more on their timeline
KD is of aging vet age and some of these young teams don't think he's the aging vet that's a fit for their team?
KD dealing with the reality of being an aging vagabond, huh?
I hope some of you data analysts enjoy this
https://youtu.be/zAYSK34W1qk?feature=shared
"[Charania] Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is believed to have suffered a strained right calf and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the strain, sources tell ESPN."
Welp.
He and Steph can commiserate with "what ifs."
- "spark-plug scoring skills" ... "elite 3-point shooter"
- "6-foot-7 shooting guard who’s crafty in the paint and will stress defenses in transition"
- "son of former NBA player"
- "raised in North Carolina"
Staahp it! Sold. #WILLIAMS
Is he going to get a third contract in the NBA? Probably not, maybe not even a second above 1-yr vet min, but he should be a useful and affordable rotation piece in Steph's twilight career years. That's not so likely with the others on this list.
Torn between Luis (who seems very Gui-ish) and Williams.
#WILLIAMS
To me his shot looks a little odd, but I can't put my finger on why. But, he's got range and can move without the ball, and he makes them.
Can't say I feel super-strong about it, though. He looks a little slow compared to Luis and Johnson.
#WILLIAMS I was looking at his shot too. Looks like he loads up for a fraction of a second on his distance shots, not sure if that's an issue, as he still gets it off reasonably quickly and with a nice arc, release point looks high enough, and he has NBA range. I like that Williams is patient and knows when to pump fake or hesitate to throw off a close-out and when to go straight into his shot. He seems crafty inside and a decent passer. He's plenty big enough for a SG. Can't tell about his defense, that's a problem with most highlight videos, but at 6'7" if he has a decent wingspan, maybe he could develop on the defensive end. If you're right about him being slow, that's an issue. But as we keep saying, it's the second round.
I don't want any of the other three, including Luis. I doubt any of 'em stick in the league for long. Watch them all make me look clueless!
OT: When we did the 2020 draft tournament, EA managed to grab some interview videos, and it was the interview with Haliburton that sold me on him. Without that, we don't have a sense of who these guys are. Highlights have value of course, and nobody's showing lowlights, but those interviews really helped.
>>>NBA draft deal: The Indiana Pacers are trading their No. 23 pick and the rights to Mojave King to the New Orleans Pelicans for Indiana's own 2026 first-round pick back which the Pelicans had previously acquired<<<
https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3lrt2espljs2s
So the Pacers are deferring this year's FRP to next year, for what is quite possibly going to be a worse pick? They must really hate this year's non-lottery field.
Don't think it's that. I suspect they don't even want to pay a FRP salary this year. They have a largish-payroll, and are looking at having to re-sign Myles Turner (in a couple of weeks).
Another 2nd apron salary decision.
You may be right, but the roster spot has to be filled. A minimum contract for a player with only 2 years of experience is not even $1M less than the rookie salary for the 23rd pick. They must be right up against some apron with their projections.
The coverage I’ve consumed about the Bane trade seems largely to interpret it as MEM getting out in front of what will be a massive extension for JJJ, and acknowledging that a Big Two is more sustainable in the current NBA than a Big Three.
Makes sense, but “step one of a fire sale” would have been more exciting.
OT:
r/suns
phoenix_suns_logo_2
2 hr. ago
YujiDomainExpansion
A Kevin Durant trade with the Houston Rockets or the Miami Heat is “a piece or two away” from happening, per @ShamsCharania on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN.
Miami might have the better offer for Phoenix if they're trying to compete now plus get some draft capital for the future.
Andrew Wiggins, Kel'el Ware, Duncan Robinson, 2025 1st #20 pick and a Top 10 protected 2028 1st rounder works for KD
If I'm KD I want no part of going to a gutted Miami team. KD for Jalen Green, a bunch of picks, and salary filler is great for him and moderately terrifying for the non-OKC west.
And, well... that's the reality of things for KD. He's kinda stuck, and so are the (stifles laugh) Suns. He could have gone to GSW, but seems like he didn't want to relive that part of his life, and instead here he is... in limbo.
Sitting here in limbo /
But I know it won't be long /
Sitting here in limbo /
Like a bird without a song /
Well, they're putting up a resistance /
But I know that my faith will lead me on
Nice one.
Not enough picks there imo.
#WILLIAMS
Shooting props....really liked the end of game clutch 3 to go to OT in the highlight reel
also has enuf length to be OK defender