David Fizdale SURPRISE Finalist For Suns Head Coach Plus How the Wolves Could Get Kevin Durant

Today, unlocked on Phoenix Suns. What happened to three finalists? Another report about another name in the final round of Suns head coach interviews. David Fizzdale. I have no idea. Let’s go. You are Locked On Suns, your daily Phoenix Suns podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. your team every day. Welcome back into Locked on Suns. I’m Brendan Clean, a staff writer at lock at a announcing and credentialed Suns media member. Thank you for making locked on suns your first listen here on this Friday. To close out your week, don’t forget locked on Suns free and available on all platforms including YouTube. Just click that follow or subscribe button. Do what thousands of other Suns fans have already done. Become an everyday and get locked on to the Phoenix Suns right here each and every day. a new name in the coaching search and a closer look at potentially one of the top KD trade suitors. Joining me to break it all down as always from the wonderful West Valley, my fellow Suns Credential media member. How are we feeling? Ben Garcia, you get an interview and you get an interview and you get an interview. At least if Dave Fizzdale ends up getting the job, we can add to the incorporation of uh our locked on Sons like theme song like locked on Mavs does and we can insert take that for data and then have him walk off. We can we can insert that in there. That’s not nothing. That’s not true. That’s a silver lining for anybody when you turn this show on. If he becomes the head coach, it’ll sound a little cooler for you. But yeah, so Mark Spears tweeted around 4:00 Eastern. Also, uh, like the first words of the tweet, he said, “Son’s associate head coach and former NBA head coach David Fisdale.” Let me just correct it for anybody who saw that. He’s not the associate head coach of this team. So, just right off the bat, you can tell who this is designed to make look good, right? Okay. So, expected to be part of a third round of interviews for the Suns head coach job. The former Grizzlies and Knicks head coach has the support of some key Suns players as well, sources said. So, pretty short tweet, but a lot to work with there. I think a lot of layers to that, Ben, because first off, you’re you were doing the Oprah impression at the beginning, but like to me, what are we doing with the second versus the third round at this point? If it’s up to six names of in this last round who are getting these in-person interviews, which I would assume Fdale’s already were in person, the dude works for the team still. and number so like number nine it was nine for the for the second round. They had nine people for the second round. I believe it would just be Bergo Hetszel and um I just had it in my head. Uh Dudley, well Mori who didn’t make the cut from the second to third round. Dudley didn’t make the second round. So to only cut three names it’s like what is even the point here? So I I just was scratching my head and rolling my eyes when I saw this just because of how silly it makes the whole process kind of feel. But that’s just me. I No, no, no, no, no. It’s not just you. I don’t like agreeing with you because it’s not fun. I was just like I already thought five was too many and then you added I thought four. Honestly, I thought four was kind of a lot. Narrow it down to three. How are you going to be able to separate four different guys in my opinion? And so, but like four fine, five, that’s a bit of a crowd. Six is egregious. Why do you need that many interviews? Especially with like you just had all year to interview him. If you wanted to make him your head coach, why didn’t you when you got rid of Mike Bunoltzer? And how crazy would it be, Brendan, if for how awful this Sun season was, they promoted internally for both the GM and the head coaching position. That would be absolutely nuclear. I guess what I would ask you is before I get into like why did they do this? Now it said key players. I don’t give a damn what Colin Gillespie says. Like who’s the key player? Don’t care what Kevin Rant says. Don’t care what Bradley Beal says. Well, matter what Kevin Durant says if he’s going to stay here. I Yeah, but okay. All right. It’s fine. He’s not going to, right? No, it’s I mean Reinhorse just reported today, right? 98% chance. Uh Gambo said yesterday on the air that Bradley Bill and Kevin Ray are not going to be here next year. Like we’re all operating off that. When it said key players, why don’t you just say Devin Booker? Because that’s the only key player. That’s the first thing I thought of when it said that too. It’s like uh key players. You mean Devin Booker? Um what does it say if Devin Booker is the one that is pushing for Fsdale to be hired? because he has done this for before with Billups and I forgot who it was the year before, but what’s your kind of your reaction on it? Kevin Young. Exactly. I would say if if if it’s Booker and and yeah, I guess just by by deduction, you would have to assume that it is, but I I guess like to be fair, Royce O’Neal, Grayson Allen, those guys are veterans who are here. Maybe I it wouldn’t be why you hire Fsdale that that you don’t make the choice because of what Grayson Allen says. But considering that word is plural, I guess I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he’s been around for two years, it wouldn’t exactly be a shock if a lot of if more than one of the players liked him. But if if it’s if Booker’s leading the charge on this, what I would just say is you got to be prepared to push back on your best player and distri and and display a vision and an alternative to him that and convince him. David Fdale, in my opinion, is not the best candidate to be the next head coach of the Suns. Um, because of his track record as he already ran a fairly outdated offense 10 years ago when he got his shot to be a head coach, let alone the modern NBA and everything that goes into spacing and and, you know, versatility and size and and the the new form of this game. So, you got to be willing to push back on book would be what I would say if if it’s coming from him. It’s almost been six years since Dave Fizzdale was a head coach. Can you imagine if that’s where they go in like if that’s the route they go? You had a you had a funny thing you had said on Twitter and I wanted to get in that just a second, but I would ask you why leak it now? Why didn’t you just leak all six people at once? What was the point of hiding it from everyone? I don’t know. I mean, you could ask that or you could ask is it real, right? Like how how legit of an interview is this, right? Because we’ve heard all along and we’ve talked about it a little bit that this is a guy we know that they kept him around last year almost as him doing them a favor because Bud struck out on some guys according to Dwayne Rankin’s reporting. And now they were supposedly including him in this search potentially because they wanted him to stick around again. So maybe this is all just part of that still and if Fdale does have hopes of one day being a head coach again and he’s not that old of a dude that maybe if if he can if him and his agent can say, “Hey, we were a finalist for the Suns job.” Maybe that helps him. Maybe he gets a an associate head coach job somewhere else. Maybe he gets an associate head coach job here. Maybe he gets a head coach interview next season when somebody has an opening and he can say that he that he did that. It could be that. I have a really hard time believing that he’s a legit top candidate just because we would have heard that by now. But I don’t think Mark Spears would just make it up. So that we we have something has to be going on here. Well, you’re right. It Well, I guess you didn’t say this, but before you did, before the show where like it probably did just come from Fdale’s camp that maybe they felt like they were not included and they needed that out there because maybe they did want to get him a head coaching job somewhere else down the line. Um, or college for all, you know what I mean? Like, it’s good for his career if he’s a finalist. Sure, he’s 50 years old. You’re right. He’s not an old dude, but like if we were talking about before Jordan not being the guy that none of us want, I don’t think it’s close. I would much rather have Jordan not as the head coach than Dave Fddale being the head coach of the Suns. And I’m not a big Jordan guy. Um, you had an interesting tweet where you had said they should have just made Dave Fale the GM. I know it’s not something you were rooting for, but you know, I and no one was, right? But like, if you were going to keep this guy around and potentially make him the head coach, why didn’t you just make him the GM? He’s more qualified than Brian Gregory. I guess I’d be asking you to expand on that more. Yeah. And I don’t know if everybody who saw that tweet or or is hearing us talk about it now realizes that he was in Utah’s front office for two years as an assistant GM. That’s why I said it. I wasn’t just playing musical chairs here with pick a name and pick a job and and make a joke. So that was my my point. I and I kind of wasn’t kidding. like if they think so highly of him, the GM job is something that arguably because clearly the leadership and the experience and the connections and the everything else seems to be what they like. Like, well, that’s sort of what they sold us that Gregory was great at. So, I don’t think it’s so far-fetched that Fsdale could have been that guy. Obviously, I know the answer. It’s a rhetorical question. It’s because Brian Gregory’s Madishb’s right-hand man and we know that’s why he got the job. He told us that’s why he got the job. So, it wasn’t going to be Fdale because he doesn’t have that same level of trust. But, it’s just this weird thing of how much they seem to value him, but only to a point. We value enough that we’re going to beg you to be an assistant every year, but we’re not going to make you the associate head coach or the head coach or the GM or anything. It’s just like we really like that you’re around, but that’s it. It’s odd. I just I mean maybe player relationships is such a big deal for the Suns and they end up hiring him, but I gotta be honest with you, Brendan, because this is out now, it does worry me that he might be the front runner for the job. Or I guess I should ask you this, are you worried at all that he could be the front runner for the job? Because oftentimes in whether it’s a a free agent signing or a big trade or a head coaching hire in this instance where someone comes out of nowhere and ends up just getting the job. Yeah, that’s kind of what I hope. Gregory, right? Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Are we looking at the same thing? Because here’s the thing. I’m going to You’re not Wow. You think he’s the front runner? I just don’t trust this team. So, I’m I wouldn’t say he’s the front runner, but I am certainly worried that he is in the top top three if that makes sense. It’s like the rules top three. Okay. Thank God you Listen, man. I hope so. I’m not there. Let’s keep the same perspective throughout the segment. This is coming from David Fisdale, correct? We agree that’s probably where it came from. Yeah. Right. So, the whole tweet probably came from him. The idea that he has support from Key Suns players. Mattshia didn’t call Mark Spears and tell him that, that would be something you would say to put yourself out there and fluff yourself up. It’s, you know, so I I’m gonna trust my instincts that my my post was also who even is a Key Suns player anymore. Like that was to point out not just that Booker is the only one we know of, but also just to remind people we don’t even know who any players are going to be on this team. So the idea that David Fdale is beloved by the three guys who are overlapping, well what about the other 12 who are going to have to fill out the roster who have never met David Fddale in their life when you know we’re about to talk about Minnesota. If Jaden McDaniels and you know Dante Danchenzo are on this team next year as the second and third best players and then some free agents come on and a draft pick here and there then all of a sudden none of those do that’s not even true anymore. So, I don’t think that this is suddenly a a top player. I do think a top candidate. And I do think though that it’s going to be something worth tracking why this got out and why he’s been part of this at all. And you know, afterward if we hear something along the lines of, “Oh, Devin Booker is not so thrilled about Johnny Bryant.” Well, then we might know. But for now, I’m going to sort of dismiss it as a guy trying to move his career forward, if that makes sense. Okay, I’ll be honest. I I’ll close out with this. I’m more worried about it than you are because this literally just happened with Brian Gregory a month ago. So, I hope you’re right. You make a lot of good points, but at this point, man, I don’t think it’s going to shock me if we hear Dave Fdale, new head coach of the Suns. But like with all this nonsense, man, all you can kind of do is laugh. Your first texting me was WTF and I knew, oh, something’s happening. Someone insane just got hired. Jord Jordan just got hired and it was Dave Fisdale out of left field. That’s crazy. I feel worse about it than you do, but I you make a lot of sense, so I’ll give you that. All right, the Minnesota Timberwolves disappointing exit from the Western Conference playoffs and reporters are already telling us they could figure heavily into the Kevin Durant sweep stakes this summer. Another closer look at Minnesota’s options next. First, today’s show brought to you by Door Dash. And I have so few tabs open that I can give you the lowdown on Door Dash with no issues today because you know what time it is. It’s playoff season and that means big performances and even bigger rewards. 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When any player scores 50 plus in a playoff game, Dash Pass members can grab a free threepiece crispy tender combo from Wingstop the next day with a 20 plus dollar order and code Wingstop 50. That’s Dash Pass, your door to more savings, more flavor, and more ways to win. Terms apply. Coming back, let’s talk mini. Let’s talk the T-Wolves. Brian Winhorse Ben on Wednesday morning ahead of uh their final loss, but we all saw it coming reported on Get Up that in the wake of the trade deadline, it became clear just how significant and how hard Minnesota tried to get Kevin Durant at the trade deadline. He pointed out that obviously, as we’ve pointed out as well, both the Suns and the Wolves were over the Second Apron, so it’s sort of hard to even imagine what that trade even was going to be in February. But everyone keeps repeating that it was pretty real. He said, “You look at the beast that they were up against offensively in the Thunder,” and he could see them reconsidering, revisiting a pursuit of KD. Now, there’s some things he acknowledged could get in the way of that. We’ll get to those, but the last time we talked about the Wolves, Ben, we were a little skeptical just because of how hard it is financially. What are your thoughts now that they did really need some offense in that series? We know the Anthony Edwards relationship is there. It feels like everybody’s saying they’re going to be major players and they’re just gonna have to do some magic on the cap sheet in order to get this done. But I I I want to believe that it’s pretty real that they’re going to that they’re going to be heard from. Well, I think Minnesota is a really interesting team because they have picks and players, but they have players ready to like actually play. Now, let’s say you got McDaniels and you got Deven Chinszo. like those are NBA ready guys. Those aren’t what you’re waiting for in a potential Smith or Een. It’s going to have to be a three-teamer though. But for how much Kevin Durant values his relationships, remember he followed Kyrie, he recruited James Harden, he followed Devin Booker, he recruited Bradley Beal. It feels like that ma that’s going to matter a ton to Kevin Durant wherever he goes. And if I’m Anthony Edwards, I apply the pressure to the front office if you want to play with your guy. And you know he does. And I look at Jaden McDaniels, man. Do we know that? I mean, we don’t know that. We don’t know Anthony Edwards wants to play with KD. We We know they’re close. But you said KD values those relationships. That’s not something we’ve ever seen aunt do. Well, no, I guess you’re right. Not something we’ve ever seen him do, but we’ve heard him say in interviews before after games specifically that like he brings his best every time cuz he wants to play against whenever he plays against KD. So maybe he has affinity of not playing. They did spend time in the Olympics last year. Like there’s a relationship there. I’m just saying let’s not jump to conclusions that Ant’s going to be in Tim Conny’s office with a you know a knife to his throat or something. Sure. And here’s the other thing with the Timberwolves. How do you get better or at least how do you shake up the roster? Because you were beaten five games to the Mavs and the Oklahoma City Thunder in back-to-back years in the Western Conference Finals. How do you get better? I think the only way that could raise the ceiling on them, but it’s also the most risky. I’m not I’m not trying to play that out like it’s nothing. I think it is going getting Kevin Durant. They’re not going to get Giannis. They’re not going to get I don’t know if there’s any of what we know now, right? Of what we know now. I I think you know the summer there’s always players who come loose that we’re not necessarily expecting, right? You know, you think about, okay, well, what happen? What does the team that gets Giannis give up to get him? And what do those players end up being? Like Drew Holiday coming back for Dame and then all of a sudden Drew Holidayiday’s available, right? That’s a easy example of what I’m kind of talking about. And that could change things. I mean, to me, what Minnesota needs, like before we get to the the difficulties on their books and and everything is I would ideally think that they need another playmaker, somebody that really can handle the ball, break down a defense, you know, set guys up, push pace, things like that. But what Mike Connley basically was like the very first season he got there, but he’s just aged and isn’t really the same player anymore pro. I mean, ideally even a better version of year one Mike Connley. That would be the best thing. So, if you’re asking me that, like I guess I could look at, you know, hey, could they get Darius Garland if Cleveland decided to trade him? I don’t know why they would trade him to another really good team, but that’s sometimes how this stuff goes. Um, could they get Trey Young? like you know th that would maybe be where I would probably prefer to look but Durant is not a bad second second prize if you know you need to get better and I agree that they do. So I agree they’ll probably be in the mix here. Chris Finch the head coach said that after the season the intention is to keep everybody you know but that’s a that’s an easy thing for the head coach to just say and not cause any drama. They’re over the second apron right now. They won’t be as of the 1 of July. They’ll be a little bit under it, but both Randall and Nasreed have player options that are probably undervaluing them. 31 million for Randall, 15 million for Reed. I think both guys could potentially get more money or at least longer term security on a new contract. Are those new contracts going to be in Minnesota? Nquille Alexander Walker is also uh in the mix. Windhor said he doesn’t expect them to be able to keep all of those guys. I think that’s where you start to run into problems. Which brings us to the third team that you mentioned. Who is the Julius Randle team? That that’s basically the question you’re asking if you’re talking about a Minnesota deal because like I just said, he has that player option. He either could opt in and get an extension or he could opt out and get a new contract. I doubt he’s just going to play out the last year and take that risk. Where does he go if it’s not the Suns? And I guess just for the sake of talking about it, how opposed to it being the Suns would you be? Well, here’s the thing with Julius Randle. Minnesota got a little lucky with this. Um, I’m sorry. I wanted to pull up the min Minnesota’s entire roster, but one of the things that’s really good with about Julius Randles, he built up a lot of his stock in the playoffs. This series wasn’t great, but he was really good against the Lakers and he was also really good against the Warriors. Now, Lakers three seed, you know, little little up and down. Warriors. He had the best postseason of his career. I would agree with you. Exactly. But that last series wasn’t great. I just would say buyer beware because we know the Julius Randle experience. It kind of goes like this. I guess if you’d be able to get more draft picks, would you be willing to take on Julius Randle? And I would say yes because at the end of the year or maybe you do flip him to another team, maybe a team that’s looking to win now. I don’t know what what the Pacers are going to be up to after the Thunder series. I don’t know what another But like again, I’m just spitballing the the Heat. He could be the chip you need to get two more first round picks from someone who can afford to have him. I’m not so much looking at Julius Randall of going to the war to the Wizards. I’m thinking of him going to a team that needs another score, maybe a third guy who can help them win more playoff games. So, uh, that’s where I would go with it. I’m not as so opposed to it anymore because I think his stock got rebuilt just a little bit more after that one year with Minnesota. Not opposed to what a little bit him coming. Him coming here and then moving him like making him our coming here for how long? Cuz coming here and moving him, that’s just called the third team. Mhm. I’m saying how opposed you are him are you to him playing games in purple and orange? That’s the question. not involving him in the deal. He has to be involved in the deal. That’s a given. That’s not really a question for either of us to answer. But him coming here and playing, I’m not against him coming here. I’m against giving him an extension. So, okay, you just be getting rid of him at the end of the year and like, will he come here and play for an extension or will he just tell everyone, I’m not going to Phoenix without an extension? That might be a thing, too. But if he’s not willing to do that, then it does have to be a thirdteamer. I don’t know who that is, but I think it’s a team who’s on the cusp of competing maybe in Orlando. They need another shot creator. Granted, they don’t really need someone of that size. Exactly. Yeah. It doesn’t really He’s a tough fit. I mean, I I think I came up, you know, so there’s, like you said, the, you know, there’s the teams with more cap space, right? Like the Wizards, the Hornets, the Nets. Um, some of those teams, you know, Portland and and Utah pretty flexible, whatever. like that the bad teams, but he’s getting to the point in his career where, you know, he’s 30. Like there there’s no sense for either side wasting his time on a bad team when that’s not really necessary. So, I think Minnesota could potentially keep him and they still would have all the assets we’re talking about, which, you know, you you’ve referenced draft picks a couple times. They have their 2028 pick and their uh a couple of swaps that they could like re-wap potentially and then they’ll Well, no, they don’t. Their 2032 pick is frozen just like the Suns because they’re over the Second Apron. So, that’s it. 2028 and then re-wapping some picks. Like they don’t have a lot. Well, they also have not much either. Yeah, they also have other teams picks that they can trade. They do have their 2026 first round pick. They also have their 20 They have the uh Detroit’s 2025 first round pick this year. 17th overall. Yep. So, I would say 17th overall and and 2028 are are probably the the big ones. And and those are and that’s fair draft compensation. Just so we’re just so we’re being clear. McDaniels, those those two picks. But my point is they could use that stuff to go get an upgrade somewhere else in a trade that may not have to include Randall. The only reason Randall has to be included in a Kevin Durant trade is because he’s the only guy who makes enough money to get you close to the salary to bring KD back. But if you’re talking about I don’t know, just to throw the example back out that I already did, Darius Garland again, I don’t know if he’s going to be available, but he’d be just Yeah. Well, then all you got to you send out uh Danchenzo and McDaniels and that’s it and maybe a pick. There’s your trade. You don’t need to get to 50. So that that’s again it’s the thing we always come back to with Oklahoma City or Houston or whatever. I think they will make a move. That doesn’t mean that they will get Kevin Durant. Where will where is Kevin Durant do you think on their wish list? You think it’s one or two? because the trade deadline tells me that they were wanted Kevin Durant. Yeah. But I think part of the idea of getting off of getting Durant at the deadline would have also been getting off of Randall and not having to be the team to make the decision on his extension like we you and I are agreeing we don’t want the Suns to have to do. Everyone wants to play hot potato because Randall, like you said, is so up and down. So that’s the the hard part. I I I would say that my guess is a higher priority for them would be a young playmaker. if one of those becomes available. And there’s already some names that potentially could. I mean, Jaw wouldn’t be crazy, right? Like, I don’t know. So, those are I think that would probably be the preference. Anthony Edwards is like four years younger than me. There’s no need to get a 37y old in order to go so far in that direction. That’s my thought. But let’s talk about the Durant side. Where does he want to go? Where should he want to go next? All right, Ben, let’s close it out. The looming thing over all of the Kevin Durant trade negotiations, I think, the shoe we’re waiting for to drop is basically, is there a list? Will there be a list? If you flash forward to this time three years ago when the Chris Haynes tweet hit that KD wanted to go to Phoenix and maybe Miami. That helped a lot in order for the Suns to ultimately be the team that got it done. Now they gave up the farm, but it clearly changes everything. So, we’ve talked about so many teams at this point and there’s not going to be I don’t think he’s going to Oklahoma City or Indiana at this point. So, we’ve basically gotten all the teams that could pursue him are are are up front now. Where do you think he will want to play the most? Uh, San Antonio. I don’t think it’s close. I I think San Antonio won if he’s putting winning first, which I would argue Kevin Durant has not always done that because he would have stayed with the Warriors instead of going to the Brooklyn Nets, but he was trying to be his own man and pave his own way and like that’s fine. We don’t need to get into that conversation. Uh the San Antonio Spurs I think are the in the best position. Like let’s say that they give up 14th pick Vel Sohan and Harrison Barnes like the absolute, you know, four players that four player or three players in the pick that would blow your socks off for a Kevin Durant deal and you and I would both hop on it. I think like that. But you still have Castle, WBY, Fox, him. You still have Dylan Harper, who you’re going to draft this year. Combine it with the fact that Texas is no state tax, that’s always going to be something that people are interested in keeping more of their money. And I just think Kevin Durant, although you and I both agree maybe there’ll be a a tough fit there, Kevin Durant is one of the easiest players to figure out those problems. And we know he’s not a selfish player. So, if I’m picking one team, I think that would be it because like if he goes to Minnesota, you’re talking about giving up Jaden McDaniels. You’re probably losing Nas Reed because he can’t resign him or the Timber Wolves don’t want to go crazy deep into the second apron and pay an insane tax. Like every other team like Houston is interesting, too. I think Houston would be a second, but you got to go somewhere where your team is not gutting the roster to have you. So, that’s where I would go. Yeah. Well, I mean, if winning is his priority, San Antonio is didn’t even make the playoffs this year. Yeah, but with Kevin Durant, another year of Fox who was injured at the end of the year. We third year into the league. I I mean, I think they’re title contenders next season just with Kevin Durant. Next year with adding Well, not Kevin Durant. They’re also adding Dylan Harper, who I think is going to be a very good player. You think the rookie to a title? We It could Cooper Flag. We just had this argument not too long ago that Cooper Flag was going to be awesome right out of the gate. Dylan Harper might be as well. Like Stefan Stefan Castle, the second year of him, he just came off of a rookie year performance. Like, do I think I just think that team’s really young and jumping from like even if Vic and and Fox had stayed healthy, they were they were a fringe. They were going to be on a on the road in the playin. to go from that to winning a championship if I’m a 37y old and my window might be one or two years that feels sure that one is a is a tough cell. I mean I can give you my answer too if you want. Just really quickly that’s how I would feel about the Spurs. Sure. Let me rebutle that really quickly. The Suns didn’t make the playoffs the year they made they went to the NBA finals. They add Chris Paul, an older guy, immediately go to the finals. So I’m just saying like it can happen. Suns did it literally with their team. So, who would you say? Um, it’s kind of a it just to repeat what I said I think the last time we talked about this. The East, yeah, would be my priority by a mile. If I’m Giannis and that means going somewhere within the conference or just staying with the Bucks and biting my time or it’s Durant or it’s anybody, I am not trying to be in the middle of this gauntlet of a conference. So to me, it’d be a it would probably come down to Miami or New York if I were to say where I would guess that he and that’s a little bit combining. I guess I would say where would I think he might want to go would be the Knicks. Where do I think he should want to go is Miami because I think Miami is has better depth to kind of do what you’re saying where still have more left over when they when they get him whereas the Knicks are already thin and then they’d be making another trade that that could get kind of dicey. So I’ll say he he will want to go to the Knicks and should want to go to the Heat. I mean I’ll tell I I I’ll tell you one thing, man. One of the things that scares me about the Knicks is the Suns for some reason taking back Carl Anthony Towns on that team because then you’re talking about starting Brunson Cat and then an older KD who I think is a good defender but still an older KD. Uh that would just worry me from the Suns perspective. The Easting is just a really good argument, man. It’s a really good argument where the East is just really bad. I just wonder I wonder how much breaking up the chemistry of like an OG or god forbid potentially a male Bridges. I wonder how much the Knicks don’t want to do that. But it’s clear they’ve hit their ceiling because they’re about to potentially be eliminated tonight. So, uh it’s good for the Suns that they’re being out. Also, just so we’re clear, I think the Pacers, I know you just pushed them to the side a second ago. I think they’re a team that could use another scorer or at least someone that can create their own shot. I don’t think it’s going to happen either. I’m just saying I think it’s something. Yeah, they their identity is so carved stone. And I think that they’re going to be hesitant to disrupt their chemistry and their style of play at all, let alone for a guy who’s just going to kind of very much make his imprint with how he wants to play basketball. And it’s not just a KD thing. I don’t, you know, they’re not going to be a LeBron team. They’re not going to be a I mean fill in the blank. There’s a lot of teams I don’t think that they would players that they would want to go get just because of that. So yeah. Is your answer different for where he should want to go or it’s just Spurs or Bus? That’s just you’re all in. I would Well, no. If if I’m listing a couple of teams, I didn’t have the East thing in my head. So I want to give you the credit for that. But the Knicks are interesting because I don’t think that they would have to give up like a ton either. They still, if I’m not mistaken, they still have a couple of picks. Uh, as well as OG and who was the other guy that we had talked about in these deals, too? OG and someone else, whatever. Another player is not going to break up the team camaraderie. And I do think if you surround KD with a bunch of like like just gritty players like Jul like Brunson who does dirt the dirty work, Josh Hard and and Male Bridges, like those types of guys, I do think he would flourish there. and they just need someone that can get a bucket because Jaylen Brunson not a liability at all but like he can be pushed around a little bit. I think if you add a almost seven foot shot creator to also CAD as well I think that helped and I think it helped with the with the rim uh the the rim defense that CD is so bad at. Uh, so I think the Knicks are interesting and then Minnesota, man, that’s a real I’d go three as I really think this guy values his relationships and I think he would really value playing with with Ant. So yeah, I uh one other one in terms of should versus what he will do. Um, if it were like a vacuum, I would think the Detroit option is is a really good one. Now, similar to San Antonio, I don’t know if the pathway is there for them to really compete for a championship even with him in the next couple of seasons. That would be a big ask. I, you know, Cade and is ready, but the rest of that roster maybe not so much. Maybe Assar is sort of there, but then you know Duran’s raw, Ivy was hurt all season, etc., but that roster is perfectly ready for a Kevin. I mean, just slide him into what Tobias Harris was doing, it couldn’t be more of a natural fit. So, if it’s just sort of pie in the sky, what I would do if I were him and just, you know, again, separating out that it’s cold as hell and not a desirable place to play and ownership is kind of bad there and everything like that. That that would be pretty fun. But I would just be curious what they would have to give up that would match like you don’t want to give up too much. I honestly I know you like Isaiah Stewart um Assur Thompson. Yeah, we went through it. It would be it it would be Tobias Harris. his he’s makes 266 and then if you add Stewart you’re already up to 41 and then from there it’s either Assar or Holland and you’re already to 50. So even Fonteo they really play hard ball. They got a they got a forward three and D forward Fonteo who they could throw in there and then they have picks galore still. I mean so I mean that’s one of the easier trades to make happen if I’m being honest. Okay. I was just I I forgot about it. You were right. That’s why I remembered a sore. I was I was talking to um locked on pistons guy and he was telling me a sore would never get touched. So that one was interesting. Yeah. So that one that that one be interesting. I just I guess I’d be putting my foot in my mouth by saying I don’t know if Pistons already compete, but I just said the same thing about the Spurs. I see what you’re saying. I just don’t think I I don’t think Katie would want to go there. I’ll leave it at that. No, that’s why I said should. That’s a should. We talked about what he will want to do. That’s what I think he should want to do. Let’s close it out there. Hit follow or subscribe if you haven’t already. We’ll be back for you next week. Become an everydayer so you can be right here when the Sunset Head coaching news breaks and David Fale has his press conference. Enjoy your weekend, guys. We’ll talk to you on Monday. [Music]

David Fizdale is reportedly a late addition to the final round of the Phoenix Suns coaching search.

Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia break down what it could mean before exploring how the Minnesota Timberwolves could achieve their goal of trading for Kevin Durant.

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18 comments
  1. No. This is dumb. Even though it's probably just to make Fizdale look good, no. Who cares about Fizdale? Who honestly cares if he leaves? What difference would it make?

  2. As a Rockets fan I think you should absolutely hire Fizdale. The Rockets still hold draft capital from you guys in 2027 and 2029 and we need you to hire a coach that will guarantee that these will be lottery picks Fizdale is the man! Hire him! Great idea!😂

  3. This works in the trade machine I checked down to the picks

    TWolves Get KD and 2028 suns 1st that's heavily swapped(to satisfy stepien rule)

    Suns Get Gobert, Naz Reid, Luka Garza, Josh Minott the #17 pick, the #31 pick, and 2028 Minnesota first rounder

    Can't get McDaniels without a 3rd team involved, this trade works with suns and wolves only
    UPDATE: Randle, Naz Reid, Rob D, Josh Minott and the same picks if not more work for KD also without a 3rd team

  4. As a Wolves fan, I don’t know about KD. ANT is 23, and Wolves are on 2 timelines, win now with Gobert, Conley, Randle, & Divincenzo and the win in 4 years w/Dillingham, Shannon Jr, Clark, & McDaniels. NAW leaving in FA drops us under 2nd apron, leaving NAZ?? Naz wants to start, but Randle & Gobert in way, does MN trade Randle & draft picks for KD, sign & trade NAW to Suns? McDaniels same draft class as ANT, he’ll in MN next year on long term timeline

  5. Mat Ishbia-“changes are coming” if all he does is promote from the burning building with Brian Gregory and David Fizdale. Fans need to show up with sell the team posters and chants next season.

  6. Bro Ben KD didn’t recruit Bradley Beal. He didn’t recruit James hard you just say stuff bro Beal said his self it wasn’t KD & book.

  7. Changes, changes, changes – yet the same people keep popping up in key finalist spots.

    Ish, you’re on thin water if you mess this up. Bryant or Quinn is the saving hire here. The guys definitely don’t want any of last year’s energy coming back.

  8. I enjoy seeing the often opposing sides you two bring. Brendon, try not to come across as a prick when push back or disagree with Ben. And Ben, don't be so quick to cave in with your takes.

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