I think they need to trade KD now and Sengun now if you can get a haul, or later if he can re-set his value. It’s not as black and white as you paint it. What is the use of hanging on to KD, FVV, or Adams if you cannot compete next year, which I think is obvious? You get what you can for them and then look at how to rebuild the roster around at a minimum Amen and Jabari. We’ve had this argument before. It just comes down on how you value FVV, KD, Amen, and Sengun and how I value those players. We’ll never agree.
You only keep KD if you are limiting his minutes to preserve him for crunch time/preserve him for the playoffs. You still have to solve a functioning offense without him AND you only keep KD if you are finding other ways to mitigate a clear over reliance on aging players. That Adams, Fred, KD, and DFS were all either unavailable or ineffective in the playoffs because of injury residuals is not bad luck - it's the standard risk of aging players. When we rely on those players to win 52 games, we miss their role in team facilitation. If you only go as far as Fred or Stevo or DFS can take you, then this isn't really a young core we are building around is it?
If it is obvious that the Rockets can't compete with Amen, why not trade him? Black and white? Black and white implies absolutes like assuming absolutely no chance to win in Amen's 4th and 5th seasons. If accepting the black and white position that Amen in not good enough in his 4th and 5th seasons to contend, I think it is obvious that one should be for a black and white total rebuild. I believe in grey areas and uncertainty. Yes, we value players differently. That said, I think hanging onto FVV and Adams is obvious as they likely have zero or negative trade value. Proposing to trade them or mocking hanging onto to them is just spite. Trading KD makes the Rockets worse for the next 2 seasons and just isn't a big enough move by itself towards a rebuild. Sengun gets traded for picks, then trading KD is fine. Trade Sengun straight up or with picks for Giannis or another star, keep KD. If Sengun is the one traded, what the Rockets get for him is needed information to determine to trade KD or not.
Trading KD just seems really out of spite instead of actually understanding ownership. I guarantee you, KD will only be trading this offseason if he asks out.
Stone's the GM and ultimately responsible but I really believe Ime has / had a lot of input / control over the roster. That DFS signing when you already had 7 forwards on the roster was kinda telling to me, very redundant piece and then you only had 3 real guards on the entire roster, and this was before the FVV injury. Ime - I don't need no stinkin guards. Ime has a player type - long, defensive wings able to guard multiple positions. Defense comes first or you won't see the floor. I also think this is why Tari wasn't moved at the deadline and why Ime kept running him out there during that shooting slump - I don't care if you miss every shot you take as long as you defend ..... I really feel like that DFS signing was Stone giving Ime what he said he needed / wanted .... Not what he actually thought the team needed and it bit him in the ass. Those two decisions handcuffed Stone, making in season moves incredibly difficult, likely costing premium draft capital or players you'd rather not move to get a deal done. I really think as a GM, you want to be as accommodating as possible to your coaches' needs, but roster composition has to come first. I don't think he would make the same mistake again.
