NBA Trade Deadline Mega Thread 2025

1. Durant
2. Butler
3. Middleton

This was almost impossible on the financials, but I was able to make it happen:

PHX Out: Durant
PHX In: Butler

MIL Out: Middleton, Lopez, Portis
MIL In: Durant, Highsmith

MIA Out: Butler, Highsmith, Larsson
MIA In: Middleton, Lopez

SAC Out: TPEs
SAC In: Portis, Larsson

Phoenix is the only team actually unhappy here.
 
Looks like among WC teams they are in the bottom 3rd of total miles logged in their travel schedule this year.
https://statsurge.substack.com/p/how-far-will-each-nba-team-travel

As for proximity to LA or elsewhere I have to imagine these guys charter flights to Las Vegas or LA anyways.

Tax situation is moderate.

Arizona is definitely on my retirement list. Although I am not sure how that tracks for 20-30something millionaires. But like I said before the talent at the local community sorry state college is something else.

night life is booming in Phoenix, you just have to know where to go. Old town Scottsdale is where the action is. Mill Avenue is another. Then you have Glendale near Cardinals stadium. You are making a good choice if you do eventually decide to be a snowbird in AZ.
 
to who?

Also, what's PHX's plan here? They literally went ALL the ****ing way in on this core. Even if you reset with KD, they don't own any of their own picks right?
reshuffle the core around Book/Beal? Either way it’s hard to imagine them being better without one of the top twenty players in league history.
 

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Would think Draymond would have to be heading to PHX? Yuck, can't stand the guy.

To make the money work he might have to be. Schroeder can't be aggregated and Wiggins & filler doesn't seem to work.

Edit: But Wiggins & Green plus picks still doesn't work since the Warriors are also a first apron team. This likely would require a third team to be feasible at all.
 
I’m thinking Butler will just be held out for the rest of the season and Riley will let him walk for nothing out of spite. More than likely Jimmy will be playing for a massive pay cut next season. Especially if he is still fixated on Phoenix.
 
reshuffle the core around Book/Beal? Either way it’s hard to imagine them being better without one of the top twenty players in league history.

could still be a 4 team deal (one for unloading salary to get under aprons) with the Suns, Heat and Warriors. Heat get a minimal amount of draft assets, filler and Wiggins. Durant to the Warriors and then the Suns get Jimmy and Kuminga and picks or something. Warriors Durant/Steph/Podz/Green/minimums. Suns have Book/Beal/Jimmy/Kuminga/Richards. Miami gets Wiggins. Bam/Ware/Wiggins/Highsmith/Herro
 
I’m thinking Butler will just be held out for the rest of the season and Riley will let him walk for nothing out of spite. More than likely Jimmy will be playing for a massive pay cut next season. Especially if he is still fixated on Phoenix.
Jimmy has a player option for 50 mil next year. If he doesn't get traded and doesn't play, he's definitely opting into that