Would you trade Jalen Green and the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft for Kevin Durant? Let's discuss it with Payne & Pendergast.
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00:00So Sham Sharanya, who is now with ESPN, formerly of The Athletic and Yahoo, he's the go-to guy now for breaking news in the NBA.
00:08He was on ESPN yesterday and said that the KD, the Kevin Durant trade talks, are about to heat up.
00:14The conversations will now begin to pick up on a potential trade of Kevin Durant out of Phoenix.
00:20Over the next two to three weeks, conversations will begin to heat up.
00:24I'm told the Suns will work with Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, on a trade home.
00:30There's expected to be a robust market for him, four to 16, potentially ahead of the NBA draft.
00:37But between now and that NBA draft later this month in June, there's going to be serious conversations about moving Kevin Durant
00:44and still one of the great players in the NBA right now, an all-NBA caliber player,
00:49still at the prime stages, really, of his play in terms of as a scorer.
00:54So we'll see where Kevin Durant ends up this offseason.
00:57Okay, so there's a deal that was thrown out there by Sam Quinn, who's a basketball writer for CBS,
01:02that I'll lay out in just a second.
01:05But the tease into this segment was, would you do this deal for Kevin Durant?
01:09And I'm about to say what the deal is.
01:11I just laugh at the text.
01:12The answer is no, and I don't need any details of the deal.
01:16We've got a few of those.
01:17No deal for Durant.
01:19The Rockets need Devin freaking Booker.
01:20Get the fingernail polish wearer gone.
01:22That's about Jalen Green.
01:23Okay, easy, easy.
01:25All right, so that's actually a good lead-in.
01:28Sam Quinn's proposed trade is, he says,
01:34I would do Jalen Green and the number 10 overall pick for Kevin Durant and see if Phoenix will do it.
01:40He says that if they start, if Phoenix wants to, I'll read the exact tweet.
01:44My feeling on KD and the Rockets, if you can get him for Jalen Green and the number 10 pick, do it.
01:50I don't think Green is a part of their future anymore, and they don't have minutes for a rookie anyway.
01:55But the future Suns picks that the Rockets have, Amin Thompson, Shangoon, Jabari Tari, Reed Shepard, are all off limits.
02:02This is how I feel most similar to Sam Quinn in terms of a deal for Kevin Durant.
02:09You're going to have to give up something to get him.
02:11So we know that.
02:14The Suns, Shania points out, there's enough teams that want Kevin Durant on their team that there will be a market for him
02:20where you're going to have to give up something to get him.
02:23Totally agree with the part where Sam says they don't have minutes for a rookie anyway,
02:27and that's how I feel about these first-round picks just to draft another guy who rots on the bench.
02:31No thanks.
02:32No thank you.
02:34The part where he says, I don't think Jalen Green is part of their future anymore,
02:39I definitely think the Rockets, I don't think the Rockets would do this deal.
02:43Let me put it that way.
02:44I think the Rockets want to try really hard to keep Jalen Green.
02:47I'm saying if I were Raphael Stone and the Fertitta family, I would do this deal.
02:51Jalen Green and the number 10 pick for Kevin Durant.
02:54You would.
02:54I would do this deal.
02:55Just the one pick, yeah.
02:56And I think that's the part, too, where how much do they,
02:59what do they really feel about Reed Shepard and all the other options in the backcourt,
03:03but also the fact that Kevin Durant provides you an opportunity to play more positionless basketball as a team.
03:09It gives you a lot of versatility in a way that Nanteta Kupo might not.
03:13And if that's because of his age, he's going to be 37 years old this year,
03:17that's where the compensation, you know, they can say that the thing is,
03:22like, it's not about what Phoenix is looking for.
03:27It's what are those other three or four teams willing to give up?
03:31Because it's not, like, Phoenix is up against it.
03:35Like, Phoenix does not have a whole lot of leverage.
03:37It becomes more just Houston versus those other teams.
03:41And all of them are looking at Phoenix and thinking, like, ah, they got their,
03:45we got their back, we got them backed into a corner.
03:49That's a, that's appetizing to me.
03:52And because Jalen Green does have a future,
03:56this is where it gets complicated.
03:58I, I'm fine with Jalen Green right now,
04:01as long as I'm not thinking about him,
04:03who's going to be a guy who becomes a superstar in the NBA.
04:08That's right.
04:08I like, I can't watch this whole season and act like Jalen Green
04:12wasn't a huge part of them getting to where they eventually did.
04:16Sure.
04:16And, but you watch in the playoffs and it's hard to envision that, man,
04:20other great players, even if they struggled in the playoffs,
04:23or even if they struggled when they got blitzed and double teamed in the playoffs,
04:28they still, by and large, produce more than single digits, you know, in the,
04:33in playoff games.
04:34So I don't think, like, I'm skeptical that he'll ever be a superstar,
04:38but I can't sit here and act like he's, he's not a valuable part of the team.
04:41Right.
04:42The, but if you bring in Kevin Durant, it's such a huge boost immediately.
04:47And you do have this other huge core of young players that you feel good about
04:51developing over time.
04:52I'd be good with that trade.
04:54Yeah, I would too.
04:54I would be good with that trade.
04:56I think one of the, I think one of the Trump cards that the Texans,
05:00that the Rockets have in this competition for Durant,
05:04because there will be multiple teams, as Shams points out,
05:07four to six teams that are going to be in the market for Durant.
05:10And it was the same group of teams that were in the market at the trade
05:12deadline.
05:12The heat are in there.
05:14The Spurs were being bandied about last night on social media as the place
05:17Durant wants to go there.
05:20According to the reports, Phoenix is going to, as Shams said,
05:23going to work closely with Durant's representation.
05:25So this is not going to be something where Durant wakes up and looks on social
05:28media and sees he's been traded.
05:29Like he's going to be heavily involved and manipulate this thing.
05:35Because Durant would come into Houston from a Phoenix perspective.
05:38The one thing the Rockets have that there's some emotion attached to,
05:41evidently, are Phoenix's picks.
05:44They have Phoenix's picks in this draft, in the draft in two years,
05:49in the draft the year after they got a pick swap in there or something.
05:54There's something about getting your own draft capital back.
05:58It feels like you're buying something back of your own that you've got an
06:01emotional attachment to.
06:03And so I do think that that's material.
06:07I don't know that it's a difference maker in a trade,
06:09but it is a slight advantage that the Rockets might have over some of these
06:13other teams that are in the mix for Durant.
06:15This is what I really just don't want out of it.
06:18I don't want it to be,
06:19I don't need it to become such a show like it was with Kevin Durant's free
06:23agency back in whenever it was when he first went to the Warriors.
06:26Remember he,
06:27he hosted those meetings out in the Hampton.
06:29Hampton five, man.
06:30Yeah.
06:30And it was,
06:31and it was,
06:32this is what bothered me about it was it,
06:34it was a pain in the ass for every single team that went out to meet with
06:37him because it was in the middle of,
06:38it was in the middle of peak tourism season where everything's booked out in
06:42the Hamptons.
06:43They had the Warriors staff or all sharing a room in some squatty motel
06:47somewhere because they couldn't find a place to stay.
06:50Yep.
06:50And just could you at the very least just do it in an office building in
06:55Phoenix or,
06:55or somewhere just don't,
06:57don't make a huge production out of that part of it.
06:59I just want to wake up one morning and find out what happened.
07:01Yes,
07:02exactly right.
07:03Um,
07:04the other big story yesterday was that,
07:07and it's quickly got cold water poured on it from many,
07:10many different angles,
07:10but it just goes to show you like the kind of the,
07:15you know,
07:15I don't know the conceitedness of the,
07:17of the new,
07:18of the,
07:18uh,
07:18the classic New York sports entity.
07:21Um,
07:22this is from Ian Begley who covers the covers the,
07:26the,
07:26uh,
07:26the Knicks for SNY and talking about their head coaching opening.
07:30They fired Tom Thibodeau a couple of days ago.
07:33He says this,
07:34my early read is that Dan Hurley isn't at the top of New York's initial
07:37list.
07:37That's the Yukon coach.
07:39So who is Mark Stein reported late Tuesday that email,
07:44Doka and Jason kid are two coaches who are said to intrigue,
07:48the Knicks.
07:49Udoka is a name that I'd heard as that I'd heard as well.
07:52Ian says this to hire Udoka.
07:54The Knicks would have to get permission from Houston and give the
07:56Rockets compensation to let Udoka out of his deal.
07:59And I'm going to tell you this right now.
08:00There is not a single player on the Knicks roster.
08:02And that includes Jalen Brunson,
08:04who I love.
08:05I think Jalen Brunson is outstanding.
08:07There's not a single player on the Knicks.
08:10And I don't even know if you're allowed to trade player for coach with the
08:12bargaining.
08:12I mean,
08:13usually it's draft compensation,
08:14but just in a hypothetical world where you could trade a coach for a
08:18player,
08:18there's not a single player on the Knicks.
08:19I would trade email.
08:20Don't go for no.
08:22And to hear that the Knicks are interested in Udoka who's under contract
08:27for two.
08:28It feels like it's like,
08:29you might as well tell me Steve Buscemi hopes he's going to be sexiest man
08:32alive this year.
08:33You know,
08:34like,
08:34all right,
08:34great.
08:35You're interested in him.
08:36Like what?
08:37Cool.
08:38Yeah.
08:38Cool.
08:38Welcome to the club.
08:40Right.
08:40Listen,
08:41Udoka,
08:42and especially,
08:43you know,
08:44like Udoka,
08:44obviously you trade for a coach or something.
08:47A coach is going to have a big say into whether or not he wants to go
08:49there.
08:49Yeah.
08:50No,
08:51no.
08:52I got to want to,
08:52I want to work for,
08:55or James Dolan.
08:57James Dolan.
08:57Oh my God.
08:57Yeah,
08:58you're like Tillman Fertitta.
08:59I showed up and he's like,
09:00Hey,
09:00here,
09:01here's a card.
09:01You can eat for free at any of my restaurants.
09:03And you could pet a stingray in the aquarium on your way out.
09:07Bring your kids along.
09:08You want to see a white tiger?
09:09Ignore the animal protesters.
09:11We got them.
09:13James Dolan is like,
09:14Hey,
09:14you want to hear the next song I wrote about my pal Harvey Weinstein?
09:18No,
09:19no,
09:19no.
09:20Sorry,
09:20Nix.
09:21Oh,
09:21you're interested in Udoka.
09:23Good for you.
09:24Have you ever listened?
09:25Have you ever listened to a James Dolan song from his band?
09:29I remember listening to the one he wrote about Harvey Weinstein.
09:31Oh my God.
09:33I think it's James Dolan in the straight shot is the name of his band.
09:37And it's,
09:37is there anything worse than the billionaire band?
09:40Like where it just,
09:41I mean,
09:41that was rest,
09:43rest in peace,
09:44uh,
09:45or saying all that,
09:46but man,
09:46I did not need to hear him.
09:48Oh yeah.
09:48Or say,
09:49yeah,
09:49yeah.
09:49He's big music.
09:50It's not,
09:51it's still not as bad as the Hollywood superstar who has their own band,
09:54but,
09:55and then we'll do interviews where the interviewers instructed that,
09:58no,
09:58I'm only talking about my band.
10:00I will not let you be smirch the good name of Kevin Costner that way.
10:03Okay.
10:04Costner played the game though,
10:05because you would talk,
10:06he would,
10:07he wanted to talk about his band,
10:09but he was also going to talk about like other things where,
10:12uh,
10:12Billy Bob Thornton was the one who's like had a couple,
10:15Billy Bob Thornton's got some clips where the interviewer was only supposed to ask him about the band and where they were playing and everything.
10:22And then Billy Bob Thornton shut,
10:23shut it down.
10:24Oh my God.
10:25Which I,
10:25I approve of though,
10:26because Billy Bob Thornton's kind of got a,
10:28like kind of a bad-ass vibe to him.
10:30So I'm like,
10:30yeah,
10:30that's just him being difficult.
10:32You know,
10:32it's just,
10:33you might as well be getting some military people texting in here from your question in the previous.
10:39I made the analogy of sometimes an offensive coordinator.
10:42It feels like when,
10:43when in the military you get orders from the rear,
10:46you know,
10:47or from headquarters where the officers on the ground and at the front are like,
10:52this,
10:53this isn't going to work.
10:54This is like,
10:55these guys do not understand our situation.
10:57Yep.
10:58Is that,
10:58was I accurate in the way I portrayed it?
11:00I will.
11:00I'm going to read the text here.
11:01Good military.
11:02Oh,
11:02this is just somebody putting up a good military quote.
11:05Uh,
11:05I'll read the ones can confirm the accuracy of what you're saying.
11:09Seth source.
11:10I was army infantry from Oh three to Oh eight.
11:12Yeah.
11:13Uh,
11:13another text.
11:14Absolutely right.
11:15Seth field operations can radio in for our platoon to flank left 300 yards.
11:21But if our Sergeant platoon leader sees a field of fire,
11:25we're flanking.
11:26Right.
11:26Yeah.
11:27Cause an audible right there.
11:28There's a,
11:29yeah,
11:29there's a part of,
11:30um,
11:30that's a part of just being an officer that it's,
11:33it's fascinating to me.
11:34Cause those guys,
11:34like they have to choose when to ignore orders and that like on the ground and
11:40everything,
11:40but also when you're in this culture of like follow orders,
11:43follow orders,
11:44follow orders.
11:44Yep.
11:45It's like the experience on it.
11:46That's why I can see why.
11:47And again,
11:48I base this on nothing except movies and things I've read.
11:50But like when you,
11:51when you get a fresh Lieutenant right out of West point,
11:54like it's gotta be scary as hell because this guy's just like,
11:58and plus he wants the glory and everything.
12:00And you're like,
12:01meanwhile,
12:01you got all the grizzled.
12:03He's got all the analytics at all and done everything.
12:05He's like,
12:05sorry chief.
12:06Our expected kills were much higher than our actual.
12:10They are.
12:11They're like,
12:12I shouldn't be laughing about it.
12:14Cause I know this is Leslie.
12:15Um,
12:16but yeah,
12:16that's like in a,
12:18in a more when it's not dire circumstances,
12:20it does feel like that with young offensive coordinators.
12:23Sometimes they just,
12:23they don't understand how things work on the ground.
12:25Good military quote.
12:27This is a text.
12:27No battle plan survives the first enemy fire.
12:30Meaning you can write up the most textbook,
12:32amazing thing,
12:32but when it gets real,
12:33you better know how to react.
12:35Yeah.
12:35Yeah.
12:35We had somebody else texting about,
12:37uh,
12:38Oh,
12:38here it is.
12:39When you're in the emergency room,
12:40you don't want the smartest doctor.
12:42You want the doctor that can adapt to surprises.
12:45Right.
12:46I guess it's another way of saying it's a medical version of your analogy,
12:49right?
12:49You don't want a doctor.
12:50That's going to come up to your gaping chest wound and be like,
12:53well,
12:53I'm expecting cover too.
12:55And that's how I'm going to proceed.
12:56That's right.
12:57That's right.
12:57No.
12:57And the nurse is like,
12:59no,
12:59no,
12:59no.
13:00They're playing man.
13:01And the doctor's like,
13:02nope,
13:02they're playing cover too.
13:04This chest wound is zero blitzing you right now.
13:10Right now.
13:11No,
13:12listen,
13:12we've got a game plan for this.
13:13Okay.
13:13I'll give you that thing that pinches the artery to close off the plug.
13:17I don't know what it's called.
13:18Yeah.
13:19Exactly.
13:20A clamp.
13:20That doesn't sound right.
13:21Could you see a scenario realistically where we get Kevin Durant and Giannis at Tenecumpo?
13:28I do not.
13:29I do not.
13:29That's a lot of salary to match.
13:31That would be something that I don't,
13:32yeah,
13:33I don't think that would involve basically swapping everything out.
13:38You're trading your team.
13:39You'd be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
13:41Yes.
13:41Yeah.
13:41Yeah.
13:42Like I,
13:42if,
13:43if at the end of the,
13:44that might,
13:44that might make your doka open to a trade to the Knicks.
13:47That,
13:47you know,
13:48it's exactly right.
13:49That's exactly right.
13:51Um,
13:52yeah,
13:52I,
13:52I think.
13:58And if they do that,
13:59I'm cool with it.
14:00It would be more exciting if they got one of these guys for sure.
14:03But,
14:03um,
14:04but I'm,
14:04I'm cool.
14:05Like if they,
14:05they need,
14:05they need more shooting.
14:06That's the big thing.
14:07If they roll it back with this group,
14:08but they don't add shooting,
14:09then I'll be a little disappointed.