What is up, fellow thermonuclear a effort. I am a damn valley coming
at you with some Kevin Durant breaking news. But first and foremost, before
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Kevin Durant breaking news here. Shan Sharania is reporting from The Athletic that a
new team has entered the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. He writes, recently a new
team has shown interest in Drant, the Memphis Grizzlies. Least league sources tell
the Athletic, fresh off of fifty six win season, the Grizzlies have made
new increase to the nets about Durant. Those sources added Memphis has five first
round picks available, four unprotected selections of its own and one protected via Golden
State in twenty twenty four to utilize in a trade, as well as young
players like Jaren Jackson Junior, Desmon bain Z, I hear Williams, Brandon
Clark, Kennedy Chandler, and David Roddy. Also, Sham's added that after
Kevin Durant's trade request officially became official, that John Rant had tweeted easy money,
which everyone knows that easy money sniper is Kevin Durant, so they make
those ties to it. And finally, Shania said that the Grizzlies so far
been unwilling to include Bayne and Jaren Jackson Junior in any trade talks and prefer
instead to flip their bevy of bath draft picks. Other teams were mentioned in
this. The Raptors, the Celtics, the Heat, and the Suns are
all kind of tangentially involved. The Raptors still won't trade Scotty Barnes. The
Celtics offer jam And Brown, Derek White and a first. The Hawks offer
John Collins, DeAndre Hunter and a first. The ask Bryces that are being
reported are like rather low. There are very good players involved, John Collins
all star caliber, but I think this leads me to believe that some teams
think Drant is eventually going to be sent out for less than Brooklyn wants,
which I would probably agree with. Some of these packages are two low and
look to jail and Brown offer if that was on the table, Brown White
and a first, like that's a real that's a real offer. But for
the Grizzly specifically, should they be involved and can they even pull off a
deal? I don't find in a coincidence that this is being reported two days
before Danny Green can be aggregated in another trade. This report's coming out in
August twenty second. Danny Green can be aggregated with other players as part of
a bigger deal August twenty fourth, and his expiring salary matters even if he's
not going to play next season, because it's a nice salary anchor. If
you're Memphis, though, you need to copple together like between thirty five point
two and thirty five point three million dollars to take Kevin rampack. That's like
if you're not including jarn Jackson junior, that's challenging, I will say,
but it's not impossible. You have to give up Steven Adams basically, So
you have Steven Adams making that big number at seventeen point nine million, and
then you have Dylan Brooks. That gets you to almost you know, thirty,
you're at twenty nine point four million, and if you include Danny Green
and there, you're at thirty nine point four. So those three larger contracts,
because if you're not trading Jaron Jackson junior, you can't trade Tis Jones
right now. You're not trading John Moran. Clearly he also signed an extension,
so it'll be tough to trade him right now. So you have the
meat and potatoes. It would probably have to be Steven Adams and then Brooks
or Green, if not both, depending on what other money's going out.
If they just want it to be picks like you're probably looking at, this
would be the offer. If they're willing to uncork all their draft equity,
you'd go Steven Adams, Dylan Brooks, Danny Green, Zaire Williams, and
then Jake Lavia, David Roddy and then all the picks, So four of
your own would be twenty three, twenty five, twenty seven, and twenty
nine, and then you have Golden States twenty twenty four pick that's top four
protected, so you could go five first round picks plus let's say Zaire Williams
and then Jake la Ravia and David Roddy plus salary filler. Basically, I
mean Dylan Brooks is good. Maybe the Nets value him for his defense,
and he does have like some off the dribble pizzazz on on certain nights.
But the crux of the offer would be, you can give the Nets five
first round picks, up to four of them are unprotected, plus that Golden
State pick, and then can you are they willing to accept that? Plus
Zaire Williams has to be in this deal if you're not getting Desmond Baine or
Jaren Jackson junior, like the Nets have failed there, or Kevin Durant just
has all the leverage and they're trying to get rid of him. I don't
think that the Nets would do that. It's a it's a real offer.
I want to make that clear. If you're including five first round picks and
you're trading picks into the distance for twenty twenty nine, that's a real offer.
I just think Brooklyn wants more of an immediate bump from the package and
having Dylan Brooks and Zaire Williams than maybe a couple of rookies in there.
I don't think that's gonna qualify as an immediate pump. I'm a big believer
that the Nets are eventually going to have to concede on that front, and
that if they really want the fringe all star talent, they need to circle
back to the Hawks with John Collins or the Celtics with Jalon Brown. And
to this point, it seems like New Orleans won't trade Brandon Ingram for Kevin
Durant. What this also all says because and I'll use Desmond Bayane. I
kind of get, we understand why John Rant's untouchable, and I kind of
get why Jaron Jackson juniors untouchable. You'd want to pair him with Kevin Durant
and then Desmond Bayane. Yeah, it'd be ideal to keep him, But
if you're not including Baine, and also if you're not including Brandon Ingram,
if you're New Orleans, and if you're not including Scotty Barns for sure if
you're Toronto, and maybe you wouldn't anyway, this also tells me that Durant
has yet to expand his list of preferred destinations from Miami and Phoenix, and
that's a big deal. There have been some rumblings that he would welcome the
opportunity to play in Boston, and that might sort of explain why Jalen Brown
is on the table. So it does. Let's just throw those three teams
in. Say he's Boston, in Miami and Phoenix. I think Phoenix would
be the like the the destination that benefits most, like they might be the
championship favorite with him. You probably make the same case with the Heat or
the Celtics even but I would my own personal bias, I'd rather just see
him in Phoenix. That would be the most entertaining landing spot for me.
But Memphis is like super intriguing. If you have Jared Jackson Junior when he's
healthy, John Morant and Kevin Durant, and then you're somehow able to keep
Desmond Baine, that's like an absurd top four. And as part of this
deal, like you know, you're not obliterating your entire depth because Tias Jones
is not included in the deal. You could get away in theory with the
nets if you're including enough draft that could be in young players. Would they
let you keep Dylan Brooks just because he's extension eligible. He's going to be
a free agent. I just don't know. Like, let's just say it's
five first round picks and the Grizzlies say, hey, we're gonna give you
jakel Ravia, Zayer Williams, even Brandon Clarke he's extension eligible too. I
don't I don't envision the Nets having I want to make this clear, and
I know I think Grizzlies fans will take exception to this. The Nets are
not going to have supreme interest in Brandon Clark or even maybe maybe Kennedy Chandler.
I think they'll really like David Roddy. He's super intriguing. Is sort
of this uh like he's smaller, but he can play up really big.
And if he hits his threes like he did during his final year at school,
I think that's intriguing. But they would do this for the picks and
Zayer Williams. And then if you're including you know, David Roddy, and
like, if you're just including the rookies you took this year in David Roddy
and Jake la Ravea specifically or two of Kennedy Chandler, David Roddy, Jake
la Ravia plus Yer Williams plus five first round picks. I know, I
know, I'm talking fast. There's a lot to work through here, but
let's say that's the meat and potatoes of the offer is it's five first round
picks, two of David Roddy, jakel Ava and Kenny Chandler and then Zier
Williams. That's like you can get to the money without including Dylan Brooks.
Still, you might have to move some other players involved in this on the
roster, but you could then have Dylan Brooks, Tyas Jones, Kevin Durant,
John Morant, John Morant, Jaren Jackson Junior, Desmond Baine. That's
an absurd team. I don't know if I've called him the favorite in the
West still, but the Grizzlies would become like one of the with Durant next
season. Specifically, if you tell me Jaren Jackson Junior gets to playing,
give me sixty games, give me fifty five games, jar just tell me
he's healthy for the playoffs. That's a team that's going to be scary and
one of the foremost title favorites. If I'm Memphis, would I give up
the draft equity to get Kevin Durant without knowing whether he wants to stay.
That's the question here. I probably wouldn't. I need to know that Kevin
Durant's gonna be committed to not request to trade again after next season. And
let's just say Kevin Durant's open to playing with John Morant, open to playing
in Memphis. Members a great market by the way, Mempis is a great
place, great food there, fantastic fan base. Hopefully Grizzlies fans are watching
this and the way that John Morant has bought into and built up the culture
around that organization and just inside the city, maybe they're sort of like the
day Me esque ness there where if Kevin Durant came, maybe he would just
love it because John Morant is so ingrained there and that team was fucking fun
last season, and that's where fucking miserable the Grizzly These were fucking fun.
So I would absolutely want to see it. If you're the Grizzlies. You
have to ask yourself though, if you're really trying to keep baying like you're
gonna include some swaps and there as well, Like it could be a situation
where it's five are you going five? First round picks and a couple of
swaps plus some of the youngsters. I still think I would do it,
because if you're getting to like Decor, this isn't like the Suns, and
they would have to go up all the picks. Anyway, I'm trying to
make a good example. It's not a young it's not a team that would
be left without upside if Durant came here, because let's just say they keep
Desmond Bane, I still I'd be shocked. But let's say they keep Desmondaine
and Jaron Jackson Junior John Morant. Those guys haven't even entered their prime yet,
and so there's like a nice more natural segue here to Durant maybe taking
on a smaller role or as he ages and perhaps not being as good.
Like the team is still going to be able to not lift him up,
but they're gonna be able to be one of the foremost contenders for the duration
of Durant's contract because they're kind of already tracking in that direction. So I
favor this idea. Color me skeptical that it happens just because the asking pri
I imagine the Nets will demand Jaron Jackson Junior or Desmond Maine in this If
one of those players isn't sent out in this deal, I would be shocked.
I understand the Grizzlies not including either one in this deal, though I
also remained skeptical that they would go as far as four first round picks,
four or five first round picks excuse me, plus their full vote of youngsters
that don't include Maine or Triple J. If they don't think Kevin Durant wants
to come, so let's monitor this. They're an interesting team to throw into
the mix. That's enough out of me about this. The Athletics, Sham
Sharania and Tony Jones are reporting that the Nixon Donna Mitchell. We know that
they were continuing to talk after apparently weeks of not talking, which I think,
just as execs run vacation, they do frame it as a deal is
not considered imminent, but we have details of what the actual offer is.
They write, quote, New York made a recent offer of Evan Fournier,
Obi toppin additional salary and two unprotected first round picks five total, so five
total first round picks, and they know what the Jazz is asking. Price
has been more significant than that. Here are the Keys. Here are a
few things. One, I would be surprised if the Knicks make it out
of this deal without including Quentin Grimes. Two, it feels like the gap
is closing because we know the Jazz. It's been reported they wanted between six
and seven first round picks. Five is up there like five is a real
haul. Five is Rudy Gobert territory. The question is what are those first
round picks? If there's two unprotected, we know that they're Knicks picks.
And if you're getting two Knicks picks and you're the Jazz, that makes sense
like you've shorted the Timberwolves future. Why not short the Jazz the Knicks's future
because the Knicks become exponentially better with Donovan Mitchell. But historically, the Timberwolves
and Knicks are two franchises that have struggled to get out of the middle for
a longer period of time, at least since the you know, the Kevin
Garnett era for Minnesota and then I guess the Carmelo Anthony era in New York.
But even that was touch and go. So those five first round picks
a lot. But if we're talking about two Knicks picks, and then the
three conditional one is the Knicks hired from Washington from Detroit, and then there's
the Milwaukee two twenty five pick. I don't know how much appeal that's going
to have to Utah. They're gonna want more Knicks picks. They're gonna want
those out into the distance, and so I think the sweet spot here is
going to be probably three unprotected first round picks, so that you're ensuring if
you're the Jazz, yeah, you get two thousand and twenty three, and
then you're also going to get twenty five and twenty seven. If you're the
Knicks, you try and keep two thousand and twenty nine out of there.
But it does feel like the Knicks are gonna have to include at least three
unprotected first in this deal, especially if you don't want to move RJ.
Barrett to Quentin Grimes. The other thing here is I think it's pretty clear
that the Jazz don't want RJ. Barrett. Maybe they would take him,
but the Knicks probably value Barrett in a way that they're gonna take first round
picks off the table if they include him. And if you're the Jazz,
you see RJ. Headed for this upcoming extension that will kick in in twenty
three twenty four. Do you want to pay him that much money overall or
so early into your rebuild. You probably would rather have Quentin Grimes, maybe
even Emmanuel Quickly who was two years left on rookie scale. Quentin Grimes has
three years left on his rookie scale. What's interesting is that The New York
Post reported Tom Thibeau would prefer to trade RJ Barrett rather than Quentin Grimes because
he views Grimes as the better three point shooter and defender long term. I
mean that might be fair. RJ has more levels to his game, more
dimensions when you're looking at putting the ball in his hands than Grimes does.
Unless we buy a lot in the Summer League, and you're not gonna need
as much of a ball dominant r J, who has proven he could play
offf the ball. Let's make that clear. But you're not gonna need as
much of a ball dominant RJ when you have Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell,
and then Julius Randall has not been mentioned in any of these trade talks.
So unless you have another trade lined up for him, that's something you need
to consider. It does feel like we're getting closer here because Obi toppin plus
five first round picks. It feels like it's a matter of the Knicks need
to include one more young player and then do they need to include another draft
pick for six? Do they need to unprotect one of their own and you
know, sub out. Let's say they're trying to do up the Dallas twenty
three pick, but instead and who'd wanted their own that's super loosely protected or
lightly protected. Danny Age is not an executive that has ever been rushed into
a deal. For all the jokes he has about almost like he is someone
who's drawn hard lines in the sand and then stuck to them. Quite frankly,
I still think that he's going to have more of the leverage here because
Mitchell has not requested out yet and like the Knicks really want Donovan Mitchell.
With that being said, the lack of other teams being involved. They keep
mentioning Charlotte and Washington as potential destinations, and Miami has been sort of lurking
on the perimeter. The lack of other teams involved here, like the scope
of the Donna Mitchell talks at least publicly, have not been as large as
the Kevin Durant talks, where I guess teams are taking a stab in the
dark, and so that might cost the Jazz a little bit of leverage.
I ultimately think though, that the team that's moving the star is always going
to have more leverage, even when they ask for out, even when they're
sending them to where they want to go. We've seen it in the past.
James Harden wanted to go to Brooklyn Locood, Brooklyn gave up for him.
You know, Anti Games wanted to go to Lakers. There was a
market of one team there. Look what the Lakers gave up for him.
This is a little bit different because the Knicks need another star after Donovan Mitchell.
They don't already have that star in place, but you need to get
one, and I think they're a team that really buys into We just need
to get one and figure out the rest later. The line that they have
to straddle is can we give up X amount for Donovo Mitchell and still have
enough to go out and trade for another star when he becomes available, when
that right player becomes available. Because to be a championship team, if you're
the Knicks. You need Donovan Mitchell's either equal or functional superior, a better
player than him. That's not a hot take, It's just a fact right
there. And I do think the Knicks, you know, we don't say
this much about trade negotiations, but I feel like both the Jazz and the
Knicks have played this perfectly, and maybe the Knicks this could be like a
gradual sort of bend to where they eventually break and meet Utah's asking price.
I don't think Utah's gonna get seven first round picks for Donovan Mitchell. I
will be absolutely floored if that happened. Could I see them getting this package
Obie topping five first round picks and then either an additional youngster and an additional
first round pick while taking on some other just salary filler and Evan Fourier as
Derek Rose involved here, who knows TIBs would probably fight to keep him over
emmanual quickly. Quite frankly, that feels like the setup what it could be,
where if the Knicks just throw in Grimes, is this done? Or
if they threw it in Grimes and one of their own picks, or like
loosing their protection on one of their own picks. Again, we don't know
how many of the Knicks picks aren't included here. We know there's at least
two because it's to unprotect them, it has to be their own, so
at least two. Let's like, if there's already three of their own in
there, let's just assume three of the Knicks picks. Do they unprotect one
and include Grimes? Does that get the deal done? It feels like that's
kind of where we're headed. I need to see the final package before I
judge like a winner or a loser there. But I do think ultimately the
team that's trading the star is always going to have more of the leverage,
especially when if the Jazz want to, they can make this super awkward and
wait at least another year before it becomes like terribly urgent to move Mitchell since
he has three years left on his deal. But if you're the Knicks,
you also have to look at the guy who's on the right side of twenty
seven, probably only entering his prime, hasn't even entered his prime yet three
years left on his deal. You've shown a sense of urgency with the Jalen
Brunson contract. They do feel like the team that I don't think that there.
I will also be equally shocked if they get bamboozled here, like this
isn't the you know, it doesn't feel like James. No one's going to
insert himself into these talks. Allah Kamara Lanton in twenty eleven. You could
also argue that the Knicks in hindsight, didn't really give up that much from
Mellow, even if the trade didn't pan out as they wanted. But you
don't want to be seen universally is given up too much. And the fact
though that they've now included five first round picks, that doesn't feel like it
was the baseline offer, but it does feel like they're trying to haggle over
Well, if we're giving you all these picks, we want to keep certain
young players. My final thing here, if you're the Jazz, I've already
said you're playing this perfectly, you need to try and get another, at
least the third Knicks pick. I think that's the key here, is that
you don't want all of these conditional picks. It's kind of cool if they
convey in the distance, because you don't want to have too many coming in
at once. But you need, like the other teams have protections on there
is even if they get looser as time goes on. You need that third
Knicks pick. And I think I would want if I'm the Jazz, the
third Knicks pick over Quentin Grimes, and so like, if that's what's stopping
this deal, if the Knicks really want to keep Grimes, we know they
kind of want to keep RJ, and we know the Jazz don't really want
r J. If it's going to take an additional you know, six first
plus Topping and Fourier, maybe that's the middle ground and there could be more
money that needs to be included there. The Jazz just based entirely on picks
and topping? Is it quickly? And I'm protecting one of those picks?
There are plenty of different permutations here. I still would be fairly taken aback
if the Knicks get out of this without moving Quentin Crimes, because so much
of the jazz Is rebuild is based in the theoretical right now, Jared Vanderbilt,
good young player, Walker Kessler intriguing, but just having your rebuild tied
to picks right off the bat, yeah, I guess it's more fine.
For a season. I think they've had a great offseason actually, but you
want to have like a young long term keeper there that you can point to
and say, hey, here's where we're headed, and to only be left
with sort of as my nose is running here apologies Obi Toppin and Walker Kessler
in that situation, that's something I think they're going to push more for two
to have an additional body. Maybe it's an Emmanual Quickly or Acquentin Grimes instead.
Maybe it's two sping Pride for all we know. But that's where the
Donovan Mitchell trade talks stand. I think that this deal is engining closer,
even though it says no deal is iminent yet. The fact that we're at
five first round picks unless they're really shitty first round picks, in addition to
the like if the MIxS are only giving up twenty three and twenty five of
their own. But I think the deal's engine closer. I still think it
gets done before the start of the season. I actually think it probably behooves
the Jazz to let this leak into the regular season and just see if other
teams get desperate because of the way they start and enter the mix but I
still think this deal gets done before opening night. Let me know what you
think. What would you give up for don Van Mitchell? If you're the
mix, what would you give up? What do you demand from the mix?
If you're the jazz? What you just think about all of this?
Do you think he ends up somewhere else? Let me know in the comments,
and please, if this is your first time here, give me around
these parts. Subscribe to the channel, and as always I give you with
the shout out to one the only, Frank Lakina