NBA Playoffs Open Discussion Thread: Tuesday, May 13th
The NBA Playoffs continue tonight with two crucial Game 5s! First, the Cleveland Cavaliers try to stave off elimination against the Indiana Pacers. Then the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder battle for an ultra-valuable 3-2 series lead.
This is your open thread to discuss the games and anything else NBA-related that we haven't covered in other posts. So hang out here for the night and enjoy the action!
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Here's the broadcast info (all times are Pacific):
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 4 Indiana Pacers | TNT | 4 p.m. | IND leads, 3-1
No. 1 OKC Thunder vs. No. 4 Denver Nuggets | 6:30 p.m. | TNT | Series tied, 2-2
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 30: Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket against ... More Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets during the first half at PHX Arena on March 30, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rockets defeated the Suns 148-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) The Kevin Durant era is over in Phoenix. He will spend the next chapter – and the twilight of his career – with the Houston Rockets. The Suns are trading Kevin Durant to Houston in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the upcoming 2025 draft, and five second-round picks, according to Shams Charania's report. Those five second-rounders will be the No. 59 pick in this year's draft, two picks in the 2026 draft, the Celtics' 2030 pick, and the Rockets' 2032 pick. Houston and Phoenix aren't allowed to finalize the trade until July 6 due to the 'poison pill' restriction in Green's contract. This trade allows Phoenix to retrieve the 10th overall pick they originally owned, which briefly stopped in Brooklyn by way of the first Durant deal two years ago, and ultimately landed in Houston. In the final hours of trade discussions, both the Rockets and Heat made aggressive pushes to land Durant. It made sense for both franchises to have their eye on the 36-year-old scoring phenom, as both Houston and Miami were on his list of teams he'd be interested in signing a new contract with, and both are in desperate need of halfcourt offensive creation. Other destinations that Durant wasn't too thrilled about (namely Minnesota) deemed it too risky to pull the trigger when he's entering the final year of his contract. The Rockets, coming off a successful season as the West's number two seed and maintaining a top-five defense, like their chances of Durant sticking around long-term. Especially since they didn't have to gut the roster to land him. If there's a franchise that knows how lethal KD is for any offense, it's Houston. Owner Tilman Fertitta is probably still having nightmares of the 2018 West Finals, when Durant helped slam the door shut on their 65-win season in a decisive Game 7. More than half a decade later – despite a surgically-repaired Achilles – Durant can still move the needle. Even in his 18th season, he just finished seventh in scoring at 26.6 points per game on remarkable shooting splits. He shot 57.4% from two, drilled 43% of his threes, and connected on 84% of his free throws. By true shooting, it was the fifth-most efficient year of his career. When the trade is finalized, the Rockets' next point of order is making sure Durant is in the building for longer than a year. As soon as July 6, Durant is able to sign an extension worth two years, $122.1 million. While he could technically extend for a lower amount and give Houston some cap flexibility to strengthen their depth, this is likely the final chance for Durant to cash in for maximum-level salary before he retires. So, you can safely expect him to sign for the full $61 million annual value. The Suns will have to decide if keeping Jalen Green is in their best interest. While there are reports suggesting Green will not be rerouted in a separate trade, there's a firm ceiling on your team if Green is earning high minute totals in the rotation. Green's tendencies don't necessarily fit new head coach Jordan Ott's offensive philosophy (from what we've heard), and his defensive weaknesses still allow him to get targeted on most nights. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 30: Jalen Green #4 of the Houston Rockets attempts a layup against Oso ... More Ighodaro #4 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half at PHX Arena on March 30, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Green has two more years under contract ($34.7 million annually) before he's able to hit free agency. In June 2028, he'll have the opportunity to pick up a $36 million player option, or test the waters by becoming an unrestricted free agent. In theory, Phoenix could explore trade packages for Green before the season begins. However, given the extreme inconsistency he displayed in the Rockets' first-round matchup – and the general distaste for Green's playing style around the league – the return might not be worth it. There's a scenario in which Phoenix keeps Green for this year, allows him to mature next to Devin Booker and rebuild some trade value, and then reassesses the market to see what they can flip him for. However, as things stand today, the Suns were just focused on step one. That's the only way to get out of a hole – stop digging. On the surface, it's a brilliant deal for Houston and a lackluster return for the Suns – the latter was always going to be the case given Phoenix's position of power, or lack thereof. There just wasn't a realistic scenario where trading Durant would yield a favorable return for the Suns, especially with the context of the entire league knowing Phoenix was going this route. If everyone is aware of your intentions and it's clear that bringing him back for next season would be untenable, other competitors have no reason to increase their offers and enter a bidding war. Suns fans needed to brace for a low-value return and not get their hopes up. Quite frankly, Houston should be throwing a parade and dancing in the streets. They didn't have to part with much of their rotation to acquire a top-tier solution to their biggest problem. The Rockets will plug Durant into their system and insulate him with young and aggressive defenders (they will miss Brooks in certain defensive areas, but his skills are replaceable). In late-game situations, they will largely hand the keys to Durant, let him attract extra help, and create wide-open looks for a team that struggled to generate enough quality threes. Defensively, Durant will be in awe playing alongside Amen Thompson and the security blanket he provides at such a young age. KD can revert back to his excellent weakside defense, play as a roamer on most possessions, and preserve some energy. This will be the best defensive team he's been a member of since the 2017 Warriors. Additionally, with Durant and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka having a tight relationship from their shared experience in Brooklyn during the 2021 season, the implementation period will be smoother than most new acquisitions. Think back to Durant's first few weeks in Phoenix playing under Monty Williams, who he previously formed a relationship with in Oklahoma City. They hit the ground running and looked virtually unbeatable until they ran into Nikola Jokic in the playoffs. Plus, the Rockets managed to snag Durant while keeping the Suns' 2027 and 2028 first-round picks – the ones Phoenix surely wanted to get back from the initial KD trade. That's arguably the most important piece of this deal. Considering the uncertainty brewing with the Suns, who don't exactly have a clear path to contention, Houston keeping control of Phoenix's long-term draft picks is a major win. Things change rapidly in the NBA. From year to year, or even month to month, it has proven to be a league featuring the wildest transactions. That's why it's impossible to know whether or not Devin Booker will remain with the Suns in 2027 or 2028, or what the roster will look like that far ahead. In the event Phoenix opts to hit the reset button, Houston is sitting nicely with desirable draft capital. The Rockets finding a way to keep Jabari Smith Jr. after he was included in many of the proposed offers is simply icing on the cake. Between Smith, Durant, and Sengun in the frontcourt, they have some of the NBA's best optionality in terms of lineups to toggle between. Oh, and that doesn't even include Steven Adams, who will reunite with Durant after their deep playoff runs in Oklahoma City. How about that for another slice of nostalgia? Overall, Houston struck the perfect balance between maximizing their current title window and holding onto their future assets to make similar splashes down the line. Getting KD in the door and surrounding him with young, hungry talent is exactly what Phoenix couldn't manage to do over the last two years. The Rockets instantly become the second-most feared team in the West for next season, behind only the Thunder. Now it's up to General Manager Rafael Stone to nail all of the moves on the margins and the coaching staff to keep the internal development trending in a positive direction. They are up against the clock with Durant entering the last phase of his storied career.
