Haliburton Injured + KD Destinations

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily - Episode: Haliburton Injured + KD Destinations (June 18, 2025)

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Introduction

In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, hosted by Dave DuFour alongside Sam Amick and Zena Keita, the team delves into the pivotal moments of the NBA Finals, focusing on critical player updates, significant trades, and the buzzing speculation surrounding Kevin Durant's potential future destinations. Released on June 18, 2025, this episode offers listeners an in-depth analysis of the current basketball landscape, enriched with expert insights and firsthand accounts.

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NBA Finals Overview

Timestamp: 02:13

Dave DuFour opens the discussion by welcoming listeners to the NBA Finals, highlighting the intense competition between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The series has reached a crucial juncture with the Finals poised to swing back to Indianapolis.

Sam Amick's Insights: Sam Amick, The Athletic’s senior national NBA writer, provides his expert take on the series' progression. He remarks, “nobody thought the Pacers could push this thing like they have in this series” (05:51), emphasizing the Thunder's dominance and the unexpected resilience of the Pacers.

Atmosphere and Style of Play: Sam expresses his enthusiasm for the Finals, stating, “it's legendary stuff where, you know, this is what you should want as a fan, is guys putting everything on the line and the underdog maybe pushing it to a possible upset” (05:51). He appreciates the high level of competition and the opportunity it presents for the NBA to showcase emerging stars and dynamic gameplay.

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Tyrese Halliburton's Injury

Timestamp: 02:13 - 12:27

A significant development unfolds as Tyrese Halliburton of the Indiana Pacers faces a potential calf strain just before Game Six. The injury casts uncertainty over the Pacers' lineup and strategy moving forward.

Detailed Breakdown:

• Pre-Record Information: Dave informs the audience about the injury news, mentioning, “It does appear as if Tyrese Halliburton is potentially been diagnosed with a calf sprain or calf strain. He's going to have an MRI” (02:27).

• Sam's Firsthand Account: Sam shares his observations after spending time with Halliburton, describing him as “looked like an old man who was on a Sunday stroll” (03:06). He notes Halliburton's determination to play, quoting him: “if I'm walking, I'm playing” (04:06).

• Impact on the Pacers: Sam discusses the strategic implications, stating, “Rick Carlisle is going to have to make sure that he’s putting the best guys on the floor, depending on how Tyrese's health is” (04:36). He emphasizes the challenge the Pacers face in covering for Halliburton’s potential absence, especially against a formidable Thunder team.

• Team Morale and Performance: Reflecting on Halliburton’s performance in Game Five, Sam remarks, “everyone could see the impact” (04:36), indicating that while Halliburton has shown grit, his injury significantly affects the Pacers' gameplay and defensive strategies.

• Series Outlook: Addressing the broader context, Sam opines, “I think chances are the Thunder celebration will probably be in the streets of Indy” (11:33), suggesting that the injury could tilt the series in favor of the Thunder, marking a potential end to the Finals.

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Desmond Bain Trade

Timestamp: 16:24 - 22:40

Transitioning from the Finals, the conversation shifts to a surprising trade involving Desmond Bain, capturing the attention of NBA fans and analysts alike.

Trade Details and Impact:

• Orlando's Acquisition: Dave introduces the topic: “I did not have Desmond Bain getting traded on my bingo card anywhere” (16:24). Sam elaborates, highlighting Orlando's need for improved shooting, stating, “Orlando obviously just had one glaring weakness, lack of shooting” (17:03). Bain's addition not only bolsters Orlando’s offense but also aligns with their strong defensive framework.

• Memphis Grizzlies' Strategy: Discussing Memphis's side, Sam notes, “they got the price to keep it quiet and get it done” (18:34). He praises the Grizzlies for navigating the trade effectively, acquiring valuable assets like the KCP contract and the Phoenix 2026 pick, which enhance their future prospects.

• Strategic Analysis: An unnamed analyst in the conversation questions whether Memphis's moves signify a deeper shift, pondering, “is KCP enough, or what else is there out there in terms of your targets that you're looking to move?” (21:38). Sam responds by acknowledging the Grizzlies' precarious position, “they’re in a tricky spot because they got to pay Jaren here pretty soon” (20:12), hinting at potential future trades if the team doesn't perform as hoped.

• Future Implications: The discussion raises concerns about the Grizzlies' trajectory, with the analyst stating, “this team has been a first-round exit team for the last five years” (21:38). Sam counters by emphasizing the uncertainty in Memphis’s front office strategies, suggesting that “Zach Kliman is doing here front office wise, and he certainly might have a plan that we just don’t know of now” (20:12).

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Kevin Durant Destinations

Timestamp: 22:40 - 28:49

The episode delves into the highly speculated topic of Kevin Durant's potential destinations, a subject of intense interest in the NBA community.

Potential Teams:

• List of Contenders: Sam outlines the primary contenders for Durant’s future, including San Antonio, Houston, and Miami. He adds, “we have intel for sure that, you know, Kevin has indicated to people that if you had to pick a team on the list that was above the others, that it would be San Antonio” (23:20).

• San Antonio Spurs: Highlighting the Spurs, Sam remarks on De'Aaron Fox's reluctance to trade key players, “the Spurs have already shown that they have zero interest in really giving up any of their young core” (25:43). This makes acquiring Durant challenging, as San Antonio prefers creative trade solutions without sidelining their foundational players.

• Miami Heat: The prospect of Durant joining Miami is discussed, with Dave noting, “It feels to me like it's going to wind up being Miami” (25:43). However, Sam critiques the potential fit, mentioning Miami’s roster limitations, “I’m not excited about, you know, Duncan Robinson, Andrew coming back” (25:43), questioning the synergy between Durant and Miami’s existing players.

• Minnesota Timberwolves: Sam explores Minnesota as a candidate, acknowledging Phoenix Suns' disinterest, “Kevin Durant is signaling that he's not a team that he's willing to put on his list” (25:43). He points out the Timberwolves' need to make attractive offers, suggesting possible package deals including Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle.

Current Status and Future Prospects:

• Phase Two Negotiations: Sam details the current negotiation phase, “Phase two is that we're not feeling this now. We kind of need you to meet us in the middle a little bit” (25:43), indicating that initial offers from contenders are not meeting Durant's expectations.

• Timing and Expectations: With the NBA Draft approaching, the urgency for Durant's decision intensifies. Sam anticipates, “everyone's expecting this to happen certainly before draft night” (27:52), suggesting that a resolution is imminent, though complexities remain due to ongoing negotiations and strategic trade considerations.

Dave’s Perspective: Dave concurs on the inevitability of Durant’s move, asserting, “they have to move KD. Everyone knows that they have to move KD” (25:43). He underscores Durant's age and injury history as factors that Phoenix Suns may be reluctant to fully invest in him, stating, “this isn't a guy that you're going to mortgage, you know, your entire franchise for” (25:43).

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with reflections on the dynamic nature of the NBA offseason. Dave humorously remarks on the hectic summer ahead, “I think it's going to be a chaotic summer” (28:49), before signing off with gratitude towards Sam Amick and Zena Keita. Listeners are left with a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the NBA Finals, the implications of Tyrese Halliburton’s injury, the strategic movements involving Desmond Bain, and the high-stakes speculation surrounding Kevin Durant’s next chapter.

Notable Quotes:

• Sam Amick on Halliburton’s Injury: “if I'm walking, I'm playing” (04:06)
• Sam on the Finals Atmosphere: “This is legendary stuff where, you know, this is what you should want as a fan” (05:51)
• Sam on Desmond Bain Trade: “Orlando obviously just had one glaring weakness, lack of shooting” (17:03)
• Sam on Kevin Durant’s Potential Move: “Kevin Durant is signaling that he's not a team that he's willing to put on his list” (25:43)

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily offers a nuanced and thorough exploration of pivotal NBA narratives, making it an essential listen for enthusiasts seeking in-depth analysis and expert commentary.

Transcript

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[Dave Dufour]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for June 18, 2025. I'm Dave Dufour here with Sam Amick and Zena Keda. Coming up full episode of Sam Amick. We catch up on the Finals and the latest on the Desmond Bain trade and Kevin Dur NBA Finals is about to swing back to Indianapolis. Our senior national NBA writer and I call him our team insider here at the NBA Daily. Sam Amick is here with me and Zena Kada. Sam, not good news for the Pacers it seems. Breaking news right before we went to record. It does appear as if Tyrese Halliburton is potentially been diagnosed with a calf spray or calf strain. He's going to have an mri. What's the latest that you know about his status heading into game six?

[Sam Amick]

Great to be with you guys. Appreciate you having me. Yeah, so I walked out with Tyrese briefly last night after his press conference described him in my column, as, you know, looked like an old man who was on a Sunday stroll. Very gingerly steps, Ginger, you know, taking his time. He had said at that time that he was 100% going to play. The Pacers today are downplaying, you know, the focus on the mri, you know, and essentially saying it's standard protocol and that he is going to push to play. Now, as you guys saw in Game five, it's like, on the one hand, it's admirable, and as he said afterwards, it's the finals, but it's hard not to also think about the fact that, you know, a lot of folks, myself included, you know, thought that TJ McConnell probably should have had more time in that second half and that that Tyrese just wasn't himself. So you Wonder in Game 6, obviously, assuming he does play, just what kind of version are we going to get?

[Unnamed Analyst]

And what's really tough is, I mean, you hear Tyrese Halliburton say, like, if I'm walking, I'm playing, right? But there is, as you mentioned, there's a hindrance to what the Pacers can do out there if they're trying to cover up, you know, for his mistakes or his gingerness on defense, etc. I'm curious if there was anyone, any comment from the players about Tyrese, like, post game, had anyone mentioned, you know, how strong he's been and what it's been like just watching him try to fight through this.

[Sam Amick]

I mean, there was certainly, you know, kind words and words of appreciation for him toughing it out. The part, again, I don't think they would say out loud is that it's just everybody could see the impact. You know, I remember one possession in the third quarter, I think, where defensively he was literally, you know, his closeouts where he was leaping on closeouts and just leaving his feet because he didn't have the ability to shuffle and have, you know, quick twitch stops and starts. And against, obviously a team the caliber of these Thunder, that's an issue. So I think they appreciate it. But I also do think, to be honest with you, that, you know, with everything being on the line and the chance to push, you know, the whole thing to seven, go back to okc. Rick Carlisle is going to have to make sure that he makes the right calls here. Even though this is one of your franchise centerpiece players and a guy that has a massive voice within this organization. You know, I think Rick's got to make sure that he's putting the best guys on the floor, depending on how Tyrese's health is.

[Dave Dufour]

You've been at every finals game. How's it been so far? Like, has it. Has it met your expectations as far as, you know, atmosphere and the. The style of play? Like, are you enjoying these Finals?

[Sam Amick]

Absolutely. I. To be honest, the basketball has been great, admittedly, all those years covering Cavs, warriors and Spurs, Heat, you know, some incredible memories. But you had, you know, dynasties within that, and you had rivalries and a lot of the same teams year in and year out. It is. It's a funny experience to be spending this much time in two markets that I haven't been in in a very long time in Indian okc. But then, basketball wise, it's. It's been neat because nobody thought the Pacers could push this thing like they have in this series. OKC looks so dominant. You've got star power with the young guys, and Shay and Tyrese and, you know, and Pascal's a little bit older, but. But Jalen Williams, obviously. Incredible. The thing I love, guys, is that especially, you know, to look at it through the NBA's prism, no better time than right now when you got your media rights deal done. Like, you got plenty of money in the bag. You don't need to worry about ratings right now. You really don't. You need to grow, you know, these stars and these teams and these products and. And kind of remind people that, okay, you might not have heard of these squads before, but if you did pay attention, look at how good the basketball was. Look at how fun it was. You know, game three, I think it was, you know, people were talking about, or game four, rather, just how. In terms of how hard of a basketball game it was. This is legendary stuff where, you know, this is what you should want as a fan, is guys putting everything on the line and. And. And the underdog maybe pushing it to a possible upset. So, no, it's been a lot of fun, for sure.

[Dave Dufour]

With the Thunder, you can almost pitch your fans. It's like, get in on the ground floor of a dynasty.

[Sam Amick]

Right?

[Dave Dufour]

Like, I mean, you think about. Oklahoma City is centrally located. There are large swaths of people that don't necessarily have a geographical alliance, you know, with any sort of team.

[Sam Amick]

Right.

[Dave Dufour]

Like, the Bulls are a big market now, but, like, maybe the Thunder could steal some of their fans. They haven't been good in a long time. I think that this is a huge opportunity.

[Sam Amick]

You're recruiting bandwagoners. That's what you're doing.

[Dave Dufour]

They ought to. I mean, the league encourages you to watch the whole League. Right. I mean, you know, we talk about this all year. One of the things that this finals, it really has paid off for NBA fans that. That follow everybody.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah, it's really great basketball. You know, it's funny. One of the things that comes to mind as you talk about fans attaching themselves and aligning. Aligning themselves with stars is that usually that star is demonstrative. And I really loved your article, Sam, about Shea, Gilgis, Alexander being quite the opposite of that. And particularly, you know, after that game three performance, going to game four, you think maybe he's too chill, he's too passive, and then he plays the way he does. And it makes me feel as if the league is moving away from those personalities. Like you're seeing more stars, more relevant pieces. I mean, person that comes to mind right now is Desmond Bain that are just like great characters and they're not problematic and they're not big faces in terms of being demonstrative, but teams are really rallying around that, and fans are starting to rally around that, too. Is this going to be a shift in the way that you're looking at the leaders of teams or even just like big pieces around the NBA?

[Sam Amick]

It could be. I mean, for my money, Zena, you know, like, give me a little bit of everything. You know what I mean? Give me a guy like Shay.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Yeah.

[Sam Amick]

Whose personality. I mean, it's funny. I'm not a hot take guy. You guys know that about me. After game three, I. We actually had a discussion and we being the editors and myself, about the fact that when I went in the Thunder locker room, and I'm going to sound like the old head that was just, you know, yelling at clouds, but I looked around the Thunder locker room and it just didn't look like anybody was pissed. There were no chairs getting thrown around. And I almost wrote a column just kind of saying, I think OKC might need to have a little more fire here. Thankfully, I didn't, because it just. That logic didn't track, you know, like, Shay was as chill in game four as he was in game three, and then he put together the best five minutes of his basketball life at the end of that game. So for me, a guy like that is wonderful. But, I mean, I love a little bit of Dylan Brooks getting in people's faces. I love Tyrese Halliburton, you know, talking a little bit of trash. Shameless plug. I got to share for a friend and colleague. Jim Ice from the NBA put together an amazing NBA video that I actually was just talking to him About Shakel. Just Alexander after one of these games signed or before the game signed. Oh, I love this video autographs. So they followed him around. They took the time to add up how many times. And I've seen him do this, and I've told the Thunder, like, this is remarkable. Like, he's sitting there just pouring back into the fans. And so to your point, you know, like, yeah, he's a great, you know, representative of the league, a smart young guy and a guy who honestly has been thoughtful all the way through these playoffs from a media standpoint. And then he's putting together an incredible, historic run. On top of that, I got stuck.

[Dave Dufour]

In that Thunder autograph crowd because Andrew Schleck didn't tell me to get out of there before they. Before they released the Hounds, basically. It was. It was a. It was a sea of people. And the players, they signed as many as they could. I mean, this is like, after warmups.

[Sam Amick]

And stuff, you didn't want to do the thing. Shea actually signed the guy's bald head. You didn't want to be that guy?

[Dave Dufour]

No, no, no, no. I did not want to. Want to do that. Okay, I want to get your take on game six. All right. Obviously, we're dealing with the Halliburton news, like, in real time, and we don't know what his availability is going to be. But I'm going to ask you the question I've basically been asking everybody on the show. Is it over?

[Sam Amick]

First time that I've said this? Yeah, I think. I think it is. And the Pacers can, you know, put that on the bulletin board. When it was 2 2, my buddy Vinnie Goodwill and I from Yahoo Sports were arguing about this. He was at 2:2. He was already saying, it's over. I'm going, there's no way. You know, there's no way I'm gonna. So I wasn't ready at 2 2. It does feel that way right now. And the Halliburton thing is the X factor, because he's got to be 100%. OKC has certainly figured things out as this series has gone along. And, you know, that combination on top of that energy, like, it takes a lot to. To win a game six, you know, especially against a team like this. And maybe they. They shock me and pull this thing off. But. But, yeah, I think chances are the. The Thunder celebration will probably be in the. The streets of Indy.

[Dave Dufour]

Guys, stick around after the break. We're going to ask Sam about the Desmond Bain trade. That came out of nowhere. And the latest on Kevin Durant.

[Sam Amick]

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[Dave Dufour]

If you've been reading Sam over at the Athletic, you know that this summer is shaping up to be one of potentially drastic changes. Sam, I gotta say, I did not have Desmond Bain getting traded on my bingo card anywhere. And it also explains the haul that Memphis got. Like they got the price to keep it quiet and get it done. Pretty good business, I think, for. For both teams. I think Orlando improves at a position that they really needed an upgrade. And then for Memphis, they get this. This amazing asset offer that you just kind of have to take. Where did this trade come from, man?

[Sam Amick]

Well, I mean, we knew Orlando obviously just had one glaring weakness, lack of shooting. And, and not only do they get a guy in Desmond who can shoot the lights out, but a guy who on both ends of the floor fits into that incredible defense they have and the rugged personality, that's the part of it that I love. So, you know, it's now clear that they were very quietly shopping around. I would love to know kind of what their list looked like beyond Desmond, you know what I mean? Like somebody of this silk. There really aren't that many players like this. I love it for them. And like you said, Memphis gets a haul. Certainly it raises questions about the Grizzlies and the track that they're on. The early signals seem to be that, you know, no, they're not now going to start trying to move John Moran or Jaren Jackson Jr. But they're in a tricky spot because they got to pay Jaren here pretty soon, and that is as great a player as he is. The type of number that he's going to be looking for is one of those that I think a lot of teams in the NBA would, would, would have pause, you know, to give him that type of a deal. You know, we know how challenging Jaws last few years have been and just kind of the fall from grace that he has had. So I believe it for now that they're continuing to build around them. But I certainly wonder at some point here, and maybe it's a trade deadline thing, if they just don't look good, you know, with this crew now with Kentavius, Caldwell, Pope, And Cole Anthony, you know, then what is the mood at that point? But huge thumbs up for Orlando and yes to the Grizzlies credit. You know, they. They got the kind of haul that, that you should in a deal like this.

[Dave Dufour]

That KCP contract and the Phoenix 2026 pick are both very interesting to me for Memphis, like you said. I mean, it could be something that they hang on to till the trade deadline. I mean, Zeno, like we talked about, this is this league now. You have to be so deep, your stars have to play 75 games. And ja just doesn't like that's. I think if I'm Memphis, that's my big question mark right now heading into the summer.

[Unnamed Analyst]

I mean, it sounds like this is a trade reset or a financial reset for them. I mean, they. I, for me, I was a little curious about this. I just talked about the fact that Shea Gildis is this person that's got a great personality and great leader. And I feel like Desmond Bain was this person for Memphis. He was this hometown product. He was a culture piece. He was good on both sides of the ball, obviously, and particularly he shot well. Yes, Kentavious Caldwell Pope is a three and D guy that can kind of plug short term what you need in terms of that shooting capability. But I think the question still is out there for the Memphis fans at least. Like, you're still trying to win now. This isn't a full rebuild. You know, is KCP enough, or what else is there out there in terms of your targets that you're looking to move? I really liked the way that John Hollinger broke this trade down, but it felt like I was left asking more questions, reading that versus actually knowing, like, what does Memphis want now that they've got a new coach? They've got their two guys and John Morant, Jaren Jackson and some pieces around it, but it still seems like they got a lot of moves to make. Sam.

[Sam Amick]

No, I mean, the west being what it is, that's. If you're a Grizzlies fan, you're kind of shaking your head going, how are we supposed to keep our head above water? So I would assume, yeah, that there's. There's gotta be more moves to come. It's just a strange time in Memphis because if to make the type of coaching decision that they made late in the regular season, you know, kind of an unprecedented move in terms of timing and one that, you know, you bring in Tuamas, Isolo, a completely different system, and, and the rumblings at that time, the Jaw was still in a good place with Taylor Jenkins, which I don't have total clarity on that. It's just you're trying to read the tea leaves. Like, is this a. A recommitment to Jaws, the franchise centerpiece? Is this a coming off of John Jaron? I really honestly think a lot of people are having a hard time figuring out, you know, what Zach Kliman is doing here front office wise, and he certainly might have a plan that we just don't know of now. And they find a way to pivot. But the west even to tie it back into the finals. It's just everybody can see front and center right now that the Thunder are applying a ton of pressure to every other squad in the west and the league at large. And so I think what it exacerbates is situations like the Grizzlies where you can only hold onto the rope for so long, and if you're not going in the right direction, you might actually have to think about a tear down. I don't think they're there yet, but, you know, I think the opening months of the regular season will be indicative of where they are.

[Unnamed Analyst]

I don't think it's putting lipstick on a pig, but this team, like, I just, I don't feel as if this team has changed enough yet to be a team that cannot be a first round exit.

[Sam Amick]

Right.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Like, I mean, that's. I guess that's my point is that this team has been a first round exit team for the last five years. There's nothing that I've seen in this trade other than pieces to go and try and move things, that changes that. They're still, even though they're young and they've got two stars in their prime still, there's not. I don't see them still beating the warriors at the point. Right. Or beating the teams that they've struggled with. And I, I'm trying to.

[Dave Dufour]

This can't be their team if they're trying to compete.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Exactly. There's going to be a lot. I feel like there's still a lot more to be to. Yeah. To be seen.

[Sam Amick]

We don't know again, who they're targeting, but because it's Memphis and this is the small market story, you know, for all of the teams like that across the league, is that targeting is one thing, but. But having the ability to actually land certain guys.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Right.

[Sam Amick]

Another. You know, like people immediately speculated about Kevin Durant and possibly using all those picks to have KD go to Memphis. That does not appear to be in play at all.

[Dave Dufour]

But you know that that Phoenix 2026 pick and that KCP contract gets them in the mix to be involved in a Katie trade, right? Because the Suns would love to have that pick back. Let's go ahead and talk about kd. What, what's the latest that you've got on him? I mean, I know that we, we're dwindling this list down to fewer and fewer teams. It feels to me like it's going to wind up being Miami. That's a marriage that just seems to fit. What's the latest news on kd?

[Sam Amick]

Yeah, the list. To me, it's funny. It's. It's just not as simple as all members of the list being equal. That's my opinion. You know, you've got San Antonio, Houston, Miami. We first reported, myself and John Krasinski and Kelly Eco that San Antonio and Houston were on the list. Later confirmed the ESPN report about Miami. Okay, now we got three. Then yesterday, you know, we analyzed the Minnesota situation quite a bit. Now, Minnesota's not on the list, but because the Suns so far do not like what they are hearing and getting from the teams on the list, they very clearly would love for the Timberwolves to become a place that Kevin Durant wants to play. And he right now is signaling that he's. It's not a team that he's willing to put on his list. They clearly like, you know, the package potentially coming from Minnesota more than most if, if not all of the others. And the calculus there is they want to be competitive. So whether you end up bringing back Rudy Gobert or Julius Randall, it would be One of the two, a Dante DiVincenzo, maybe get a Rob Dillingham in there and then, you know, some draft capital. That type of a deal, I think is something Phoenix would want. We are now to that point. We're in phase two of these discussions where phase one was the Sun's playing nice and saying, yes, we'll talk to the three teams on your list and see if we can get something done. Phase two is that we're not feeling this now. We, we kind of need you to meet us in the middle a little bit. I don't know if Kevin's going to bend at all. Even within the list, though, guys, you know, we have intel for sure that, you know, Kevin has indicated to people that if you had to pick a team on the list that was above the others, that it would be San Antonio. Now, that's a tricky calculus because the spurs, if you use the de' Aaron Fox trade as an example. The spurs have already shown that they have zero interest in really giving up any of their young core. You know, they're trying to find creative ways to get the guy that they want without giving, you know, they'll, they'll kind of circumvent the, the stuff that goes back to the other team like they did in that Kings deal. So the Miami stuff, Dave, I'm curious how you see that, because if, if you're Phoenix and you're trying to be competitive, I'm not excited about, you know, Duncan Robinson, Andrew coming back.

[Dave Dufour]

I think they're just going to have to give it up. That's the thing, right? Like they have to move kd. Everyone knows that they have to move kd. And at a certain point, you know, it's almost like the Jimmy Butler trade for them for, for Miami. Miami didn't get this huge haul. They didn't get the Mikhail Bridges hall that they thought they might get, right? They didn't get this. The bevy of picks and useful players. And I think when you're the Suns at a certain point, everyone knows you have to cut bait before training camp. So you're just going to have to get it done. And I think that the Suns are the ones that are in the bad spots, not the rest of the week. If Kevin Durant was 30 years old, right, this is a different conversation. But he's 36, he's injury prone and you know, as great and amazing as he still, this isn't a guy that you're going to mortgage, you know, your entire franchise for.

[Unnamed Analyst]

There's the. Oh, God, no.

[Sam Amick]

Real quick, Zena, Sorry. I think the Suns would love your Jimmy Butler comparison, but they, they want minute again. They want Minnesota to be right. The compromise like Golden State was because if you remember, and this, I do think this informs this situation, Jimmy had publicly signaled that he would not sign an extension with the Warriors. That was reported. That was from his camp. And lo and behold, he signed an extension with the Warriors. I do think that's what Phoenix is hoping happens here. When it comes to Kevin in Minnesota.

[Dave Dufour]

It could. I mean, it's up to Minnesota, right?

[Sam Amick]

It's up to Kevin really, like, because they're not. Minnesota's not going to play ball until they get signaled that Kevin wants to play there and sign Tim Conley in particular, the gm, personality wise, he's a culture lifter. He's a guy that, that wants people to want to be there. That is something that matters to him. And so if the messaging continues that Kevin would be, you know, coming while dragging his feet, then, you know, then the Wolves are not going to put much on the table.

[Unnamed Analyst]

Well, taking the Wolves away and looking at the two teams that have young assets to give, whether it's picks or actual players in San Antonio and Houston, how much does the fact that draft night is only is less than two weeks away impact all of this in terms of the Suns needing to get it done, a deal done immediately?

[Sam Amick]

Yeah, I mean, I, you know, everything could change, but at this point, I would be shocked. Everybody's expecting this to happen certainly before draft night. I mean, really, you know, I guess we're sitting here on Tuesday. We got a few more days left in the week. A lot of people thought that it might be this week. I think maybe it slows down a little bit again because, you know, so far it seems like the Suns, as one executive put it, who's not whose team is not on the list. You know, he said the Suns are trying to drum up offers right now. They, they just, again, they don't like what they see from the main group and they're trying to see what else could be out there. Dave alluded to this earlier, too. You know, absolutely. They are looking at possible three team deals where, you know, different teams are trying to get in there and see if they could benefit from this situation. Sacramento, I know, is one of them, so. But honestly, I think they're talking to a ton of teams, so. But timing wise to your question, I do think it's certainly sooner rather than later and, and it's got to be before the draft.

[Dave Dufour]

I think it's going to be a chaotic summer. Sam, I know you want to take a vacation, but I don't see a long way.

[Sam Amick]

Mid July.

[Dave Dufour]

That's right. Catch you in Hawaii. All right, that's going to do it for the show, folks. Thank you to Sam Amick for hanging out with us. To Zena KEITA, I'm Dave DeFore and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.

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