Here We Go: The Phoenix Suns Are Reportedly "Doing Their Homework" On Kristaps Porzingis

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Given we're right in the middle of Bullshit SZN when it comes to rumors and #sources and potential trades, it's hard to know what to put stock into and what is more postering by teams in an effort to drive up the market price of a certain player. Generally, as a fan, you believe in the rumors that you like and would want to see happen, and then ignore the rumors that you don't agree with or wouldn't want to see happen. Whatever your personal agenda might be, that determines how you view each new rumor as it comes out until we get the official Shams bomb announcing a move.

For the Celtics, this can be rather daunting considering everyone knows that Brad Stevens is going to make trades, but nobody has any fucking idea what the hell those could be. If you see anyone on Twitter suggesting they know what's going to happen or what is likely, it's all bullshit considering there hasn't been a Brad Stevens trade leak since he got the job. There's a reason every single "update" we've heard since their season ended never provided any sort of new information. 

Which is why it's hard to know how to read this most recent report by Jake Fischer when it comes to a name that a lot of people think will be on the move this summer

“I’ve also heard that Phoenix has done some background work on Kristaps Porziņģis with Boston known to be exploring its trade options up and down the roster. Sources say you can likewise add Phoenix to the list of teams that had been hoping to elbow its way into Myles Turner's free agency this summer.”

hmmmmmmmmmm

What exactly is Brad cooking? I know where everyone's brain immediately goes when they see a "report" like that, but I'm not so sure it's what you might be thinking.

Is Brad Stevens about to find a way to bring Kevin Durant to Boston?

I get that it might sound good, but you have to remember both PHX and BOS are 2nd apron teams. That alone makes a trade like that nearly impossible or at the least VERY complicated with a shit ton of moving parts. For starters, KP only makes $30M to KD's $54M, and given the Celts are in the 2nd apron, they cannot combine contracts to take on more money than what's going out. What they can do is combine contracts to take back equal or lesser value. Given what their cap sheet looks like, finding that additional $24M isn't exactly easy. 

This is why the order of operations with all of this stuff is important. Is it possible that Brad makes a different move, say Jrue Holiday, while only getting back around $10M in salary? Essentially using that trade to get under the 2nd apron, which then allows you to combine contracts to take in more than what's going out. If something like that were to happen, I could see a path to KD if he goes to PHX and says he's adding BOS to his list. It's a pipedream that would be super complicated and require multiple teams, so I'm not sure that's where we are headed.

What I think is more plausible is that Brad and the Celts are getting involved as a potential 3rd team, but not to bring KD to Boston. In this scenario, the Suns bring in KP to backfill KD while getting the benefits of his expiring contract and their apparent desire for a stretch center. You know who fits that description? This guy

which are two important boxes to check off as they enter their rebuild. I think it's much more plausible that the Suns would go this route, and maybe in turn they send back a low salary center (Nick Richards at $5M or Oso Ighodaro at $1.9M), given the Celts' position of need at center and the desire to get under the 2nd apron and bring their tax bill down. 

I get that it might not be the "sexier" option because KD is the headliner, and while you obviously can never rule out anything when it comes to what Brad Stevens is capable of, this type of "salary dump" while still bringing in a young center is something that I think we as Celts fans should put way more stock into than somehow getting a prayer and Kevin Durant ending up a Celtic. Finding a 1 for 1 trade partner for KP isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world, but using him as a facilitator to a larger deal? That's certainly something more based in reality.

Then again, it's not as if the Suns have been making brilliant front office decisions as of late. Is it possible Brad fleeces them? Sure. Technically, anything is possible. I'd just warn you to stay on planet earth with all this stuff. But if Brad finds a way to bring in KD for the Tatum gap year while still keeping Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? Woah baby, just build the statue now.