I don’t know if KD and the Rockets are at an endpass. The Rockets need to be aware of options and shouldn’t be afraid to take one.
Get ready for some panic moves from these two lovebirds. They’re about to do whatever it takes to save their jobs.
Few nights ago, was in a chat with some Celtics fans. (and a few NBA credentialed beat writers). Topic was Jaylen trade possibilities. One guy floated KD +Amen for JBrown. Others didn't hate the idea. They could go the Giannis route or they can go young. The whole Brown confiding in Tmac, and Tmac saying stuff could end up being a nothing burger, but if it is 'main character' requirement Brown is looking for. He would be the clear #1 on the Rockets.
I don't hate it... I think I'd ask for the Celtics #27 FRP. Definitely would need to tweak the roster to reflect the trade.
Amen is nearly untouchable and a non franchise superstar is not the asking price. Wemby level (not happening) #1 or #2 pick in the draft (possible but unlikely) (Peterson being the target, Washington obviously more likely to bite because Utah is fiending for AJ) SGA level (if not youth) (not happening) The Rockets are not moving Amen and they definitely aren't moving him for a non world beater.
Hope he’s taking some meetings with Toronto ownership and/or that Drake is in his ear abiut becoming a raptor
Me too - but who do we even want off of their roster? I guess Quickley? Barrett? Not sure those guys are gettable for KD.
CMB? Draft picks? 3-team deal? I just want to convert KD into meaningful future assets. I don’t want to go through another yr of KD. I don’t think we get lucky twice with the injury luck and I don’t think he had a good impact on the young guys. Given that we are not contending next year I don’t understand any argument for keeping him next season.
Quickley, while a solid player, is on a 5-year $175m deal. One of the overpays currently. Not a fan of RJ but his value improves a bit in his time here. We should not be asking for Raptors' bad contracts, those were the bad moves that tip the scale and didn't get Masai extended. If media does a list of top 25 current worst NBA contracts, few of Raptors (Quickley, Poeltl) will be on there. They have TEMU KD in Brandon Ingram, they would love to have KD over there. I know some ppl don't like KD here, but if trading him, at least ask for positive stuff back.
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: +15.9 ppg, +4.3 rpg, and +7.5 apg. Incoming Players Tyler Herro 26 year old, 6-5, 195 lb SG from Kentucky 20.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.1 apg in 31.3 minutes in 2025-2026 Andrew Wiggins 31 year old, 6-6, 197 lb F from Kansas 15.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.7 apg in 30.3 minutes in 2025-2026 Davion Mitchell 27 year old, 6-0, 202 lb PG from Baylor 9.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 6.5 apg in 28.6 minutes in 2025-2026 Outgoing Players Kevin Durant 37 year old, 6-11, 240 lb SF from Texas 26.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.8 apg in 36.4 minutes in 2025-2026 Dorian Finney-Smith 33 year old, 6-7, 220 lb SF from Florida 3.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 apg in 16.8 minutes in 2025-2026
I think it’s absolutely crazy how people under rate Thompson. yeah, he can’t shoot the three-pointer, but to be fair his form looked better this year, and I really expected a few more of them to go in. he was figuring out ways to score from pretty much every other area to my satisfaction. his defense took a step back because he was playing the most minutes in the league. which is just stupid from a coaching standpoint. if you put the right players around him, he is going to get to the rim at a much higher rate, and I still believe that the three-point ball is going to fall. take him down to about 36 minutes and the defense will take an uptick. I would say that the list of players in the NBA that I would trade Thompson for is about 8 and it might even be less than that. Wemby Flagg PROBABLY -Cade -Edwards -Doncic I am thinking I’m missing a couple players, but I am just high on the guy. I think he is going to be a generational player.
While it could be fluff, on the ryen russillo podcast, KD was brought up and Stone said he hopes he finishes his career here. KD isn't going anywhere unless he asks out. Sengun seems to be the player the most on the trade block and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Houston Rockets Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: +0.2 ppg, -0.5 rpg, and +4.1 apg. Incoming Players Darius Garland 26 year old, 6-1, 192 lb G from Vanderbilt 18.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 6.7 apg in 29.9 minutes in 2025-2026 Bogdan Bogdanovic 33 year old, 6-5, 225 lb SG from KK Partizan (Serbia) 7.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.2 apg in 19.7 minutes in 2025-2026 Outgoing Players Kevin Durant 37 year old, 6-11, 240 lb SF from Texas 26.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.8 apg in 36.4 minutes in 2025-2026
There are fanbases that still look at KD's numbers and say "are yall crazy how can you pass on that we need that sort of production". So...thank god for that. Please trade him to one of these deluded fanbases (I am vividly aware we were one of these deluded fanbases a year ago).
There's nothing underrated about Thompson - he's potentially an All-NBA defender but on offense, he's a guy with no jump shot, no post moves and limited driving /finishing abilities. He's at best a complimentary offensive piece who's benefitted enormously from having other guys with offensive gravity (same goes for Jabari). Amen basically is a Shawn Marion 2.0, which is a great player but not one you build around. I'm largely against trading any of our young talent for vets in the last laps of their careers, and that goes for Amen as well. But if the Rockets were offered young talent with more advanced offensive skills (think Trey Murphy III level) and picks, I'd buy Amen the plane ticket to his new team myself. You can't build around a perimeter player with no offensive game other than dunks and fast breaks unless they have unicorn size, and Amen doesn't for a 3 or 4 (and it's clear by now he doesn't have the ball-handling or shooting to be a guard).
We all watched the same playoffs right? How anemic was that offense in the first round? Say KD 'as a bridge' for the Rockets ends. Any of the money freed up is likely going to Amen and Tari's extension, maybe reserve some for Reed in the future. Basically same roster but minus KD. With Ime as coach, is offense really going to look better? The book on how to play against the Rockets has been out. More teams will be doing it, even in the regular season. In game threads, we can't even say 'save us Dickerson' because aint nobody is going to bail us out.
I just disagree, I see a player that is extremely effective around the rim and a person that has improved his mid range jumpshot, and that is backed up by the fact that he drastically improved his free-throw percentage. I really have no idea in hell why his parents raised both twins to be basketball stars, but didn’t emphasize shooting, but I do have faith that he will get it to a reasonable level. it may be a super controversial concept, but we could play him a few minutes less per game and his output might be better. He did what he did this year with a shitty offensive system and spacing that was not always ideal.
