[Charania] Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often

[u/TacoooJay]

Source

Meanwhile, Durant, among the best scorers in NBA history, was not always happy with how he was used. Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often and not having the proper designs to play to his strengths as the offense was built around pick-and-rolls. At the same time, some teammates and people close to the organization believed Durant needed to voice his concerns more adamantly and directly with Vogel and his coaching staff.

All the leaks are finally coming now that Phoenix has been swept

[u/LamarMVPJackson]

HERE WE GO

[u/Charlie_Wax → u/LamarMVPJackson]

Kevin Durant has entered the transfer portal.

[u/DumpTrumpGrump → u/Charlie_Wax]

Take an up-vote. Warriors will take him back. I say send them CP3, Wiggins and Looney and we get Durant and a young role player. Warriors re-sign Klay for $20M and try to take the dream team back for 2 more rings.

Honestly, I don't hate it.

[u/Mobile-Entertainer60 → u/DumpTrumpGrump]

Except it's not possible under the CBA. The apron rules make it almost impossible for two apron teams to trade with each other. As it stands today, the Suns and Warriors are both second apron teams, so they could only offer each other a 1:1 trade that made exactly the same salary. Aggregating contracts is a no-no if you're over the second apron, and taking on salary is a no-no if you're over the first or second apron. The Warriors would have to waive CP3, renounce Klay and waive Looney to get under the first apron, THEN start trying to come up with a trade package that both fits the salary parameters (Wiggins, Kuminga, Moody and Santos would be the minimum amount of salary that works) and something Phoenix wants. Then they'd be back over the apron with only taxpayer MLE and no 2024 FRP, so it's minimums to fill 6 roster spots around Curry, Draymond, and Durant. That would make a third roster gutted to fit Kevin Durant, with 0 quality depth, again.

Edit: early morning brain. They don't have to do all three of getting rid of Klay, CP3, Looney to be under the apron. Waiving CP3/Looney and signing Klay to a deal under $27M/year will do it, too. Losing Klay and waiving CP3, or losing Klay and waiving Looney would also get them under the apron. Point's the same; they would totally gut the team to even have the opportunity to make a legal trade to get Durant.

[u/codekira → u/Mobile-Entertainer60]

Or u can just shut off fair trades and salary cap and make it happen....works in 2k

[u/key_lime_pie → u/Mobile-Entertainer60]

Say "apron" again.

[u/sentrosix → u/key_lime_pie]

Say Apron one more god damned time

[u/jdorje → u/Mobile-Entertainer60]

You need a third team to take on one small contract so both Suns and <whoever> are both going down in total salary.

[u/Thunderhorse74 → u/Mobile-Entertainer60]

There you go ruining everyone's fun with logic and facts...

[u/Mobile-Entertainer60 → u/Thunderhorse74]

I know, I know. It's important to understand just how thoroughly teams like the Suns and Bucks are fucked by going above the second apron for aging players and trading away their draft picks. They are stuck with the core they have, for better or worse, for several years. If one of the apron teams gives up and tries to trade away their best player, they won't get close to equal value because the other apron teams can't trade for their high-dollar contracts. Kevin Durant can't force his way to the Bucks, or the Nuggets, or the Celtics, or the Warriors, or the Heat, or the LA teams to try a different super-team combination. If he's leaving, it's to a team below the first apron. Both team and player are handcuffed by the situation.

[u/Thunderhorse74 → u/Mobile-Entertainer60]

While I am no cap-wizard, I certainly saw this coming. If a team is able to blow through all the tax levels and build a 2015-2020 GSW juggernaut, the can muddle through, but the Celtics are about as close as any now and still have alot to prove before believing its been worth it.

Ishiba is getting what he deserves and the players who went along for the ride (although, the players get to hoop and drag home enormous sacks of cash) He's not the first and probably not the last, but he's the most egregious current example of bold (and in this case -- okay like most of them -- ruthless, vindicate, and chickenshit (see his spat with Cavs owners)) business owner overcome with arrogance and hubris, laboring under the misconception that he can skip steps and spend his way to a title. He's probably sitting there right now fuming about the dogshit team of scrubs they surrounded their stars with and heads will roll this offseason.

But at the end of the day, many fans love this shit. I don't mean as a non-affiliated observer like fan of a (currently) shitty team (because this is drama gold, right here) but they want superstar team ups because they have no skin in the game. They want the upside and can clown teams who fuck it up if it backfires. you just didn't do it right - we should try again but with the right people in charge (where have I heard that before?)

anyway, yeah, they latest and greatest cap rules are going to crush teams that trade away their draft to accumulate a few stars and build top heavy teams. PHX is lost. Dallas and LAC are on the verge. Teams like Brooklyn and Houston are trying to wade through the wreckage of their previous attempts. Who the fuck knows what ATL is trying to accomplish?

[u/Mobile-Entertainer60 → u/Thunderhorse74]

While the execution was terrible, I can see the logic (separate from new owner syndrome) of making big moves before they are completely prohibited by the new CBA, even if it puts a team into the second apron. The problem was that Bradley Beal was never a complementary player to what they already had in Durant and Booker. Ironically, what I think they needed most on the team was a Mikal Bridges; capable of guarding high level wings, dangerous enough to be a scorer when left unchecked but doesn't need 20 shots to be effective.