Suns 2022 Off-Season Thread

[Split T]

I’d take Simons and Little for Ayton

I’m all for Lillard but would that really make sense with CP3 on the team?

It’s not for Lillard, Ayton would be joining Lillard in Portland. I’d want Simons back. He’d give us that 3rd creator.

[Split T]

Suns fans: Ugh, we can't win a title because our best player is 37, got old and broke down in the playoffs, and choked in an intense Game 7.

Also Suns fans: Let's trade for Lebron.

Pretty sure I’m the only one saying to trade for LeBron…though I’d prefer Siakam

[Superbone]

Would somebody please decipher that Dame tweet for me? How in the world does that mean Ayton to Portland?

[Wally_West]

I’d take Simons and Little for Ayton

I’m all for Lillard but would that really make sense with CP3 on the team?

It’s not for Lillard, Ayton would be joining Lillard in Portland. I’d want Simons back. He’d give us that 3rd creator.

Oh my bad. Not a fan of that deal tho.

[Wally_West]

[Superbone]

And there it is.

[specialsauce]

And there it is.

Ah yes, #theExcuse

[Drewsprocket]

Ayton is gone guys.

[Drewsprocket]

And there it is.

Ah yes, #theExcuse

? It was pretty apparent that he has no legs.

[Superbone]

And there it is.

Ah yes, #theExcuse

? It was pretty apparent that he has no legs.

If that’s the case then you roll with Payne or Holiday. Stupid.

[Drewsprocket]

And there it is.

Ah yes, #theExcuse

? It was pretty apparent that he has no legs.

If that’s the case then you roll with Payne or Holiday. Stupid.

He had no business being out there. Mavs still had our offense solved. I am more shocked that they didn’t have an answer for Book getting blitzed and the offense broke down. It was the rigidity of the offense unable to get Ayton or Book in scoring position elsewhere on the floor. Just a perfect storm of good defense, CP3 being toast, little adaptability by the offense. Mavs left only Crowder some decent looks for the starting unit.

[JeremyG]

You can’t trade Ayton for Lebron, man. Come on. I’d love for Lebron to be on this team but you can’t double down on old ass players who break down at the end of the season. You just can’t. CP3 and Lebron will both 38 by the end of next next season.

If you can’t trade Ayton for a star then you might as well pay him and trade him later. That’s really the only two paths I see for him. Like it or not.

This team is all in on right now. LeBron kills the future, but opens the window for next year. It’s the ultimate all-in move.

That's insane to break up your young core and years of future success to go all in to try to win with a 38-year old point guard who breaks down in the playoffs. Lol.

I’m only moving Ayton…that’s not breaking up the young core. I’m done with him.

Lol, without Ayton you don’t have a young core that can be successful after Paul.

[virtual9mm]

And there it is.

Ah yes, #theExcuse

? It was pretty apparent that he has no legs.

If that’s the case then you roll with Payne or Holiday. Stupid.

It was selfish for him to play. Cost the Suns the series.

[iLLmatic]

Would somebody please decipher that Dame tweet for me? How in the world does that mean Ayton to Portland?

Lillard liked the tweet suggesting Ayton should ring chase with him.

Hope that helps.

[JeremyG]

The Suns' mistake has always been blowing up a team too quickly instead of sticking with it and having continuity. Stop with the panic button.

Do you have an example?
We rode Nash and Amare all the way. Kept Barkley till it was clear we weren’t winning anything.

Other than that, they made dumb moves like driving Dragic away with the The 3 pg crap. Dragic should have been there when we drafted Book.

1995: Lost in the second round, traded Majerle and pissed off Barkley.

2005: Lost in conference finals, traded JJ & Q-Rich. AFTER ONE YEAR.

2007: Lost in second round, traded Marion during the next season.

2010: Lost in conference finals, ended the Nash/Amare era by refusing to resign Amare.

[iLLmatic]

Yeah Cp has been useless since game 3. Should've rolled with Payne. I'll be happy to get away from cp and Ayton this off season. I think I'm done with both.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Would somebody please decipher that Dame tweet for me? How in the world does that mean Ayton to Portland?

Lillard liked the tweet suggesting Ayton should ring chase with him.

Hope that helps.

Not coming at you iLL, but isn't every player "ring chasing"? I hate that kind of stuff from NBA media and fans.

[iLLmatic]

Would somebody please decipher that Dame tweet for me? How in the world does that mean Ayton to Portland?

Lillard liked the tweet suggesting Ayton should ring chase with him.

Hope that helps.

Not coming at you iLL, but isn't every player "ring chasing"? I hate that kind of stuff from NBA media and fans.

Just deciphering the tweet.

[Flagrant Fowl]

1995: Lost in the second round, traded Majerle and pissed off Barkley.

They had 3 seasons together and choked twice against the same team. Majerle's numbers went down significantly after the '94-'95 season.

2005: Lost in conference finals, traded JJ & Q-Rich. AFTER ONE YEAR.

JJ forced a sign and trade. Q was overpaid and they needed perimeter defense which he couldn't provide. They thought Barbosa could make up for the shooting and Bell fit better as a starter.

2007: Lost in second round, traded Marion during the next season.

Steve Kerr was desperate after the Suns failed time and time again to make it out of the West. This wasn't like they blew it up after one disappointing season.

2010: Lost in conference finals, ended the Nash/Amare era by refusing to resign Amare.

Not resigning Amare that summer was one of the best decisions the Suns ever made in the Sarver era. He had approximately 8 more months of his normal self after that season.

[virtual9mm]

Let's break it down:

STARTING LINEUP

(A) Chris Paul: He has proven that he is still a regular-season maestro and The Point God when healthy in the playoffs. He has also proven that he WILL break down during the playoffs. This means that he really can't help the Suns win the title at age 37.

(B) Booker: not much he can do when he's being swarmed, but let's pull back on the Unselfish Kobe comparisons. He's more of a Brandon Roy or Reggie Miller kind of player, more of a 1A rather than a 1 on a title squad.

(C) Bridges: ideal role player able to make a few all-star games...but he himself isn't a star.

(D) Crowder: he's a good bench player, not your starting PF

(E) Ayton: he really disappointed me this series.

BENCH

(F) Cam Johnson: valuable asset for a young team but he's about to get paid and he's not a starting PF

(G) Shamet Landry: my thinking on him has changed. He's not a backup SG -- he's someone who can play alongside Booker, perhaps a main ballhandler. I'd like to see him more in this role.

(H) Cam Payne: where did he go?

(I) JaVale McGee: ideal role player next to CP3, pretty much useless without CP3

(J) Bismack Biyombo: valuable backup center

(K) Everyone else -- who cares?

---

Maybe I'm just frustrated and angry, but it's time to shake the team up a bit. Two ways to re-tool the team:

(1) IF IT IS POSSIBLE, trade CP3 and somehow find the assets to get a younger star PG. I would like to see this; however, I don't see it realistically happening.

(2) IF (1) IS NOT POSSIBLE, find a trade to LA to get LeBron to play PF for the Suns. Ayton is off the table but IF LEBRON DECLARES THAT HE'D PLAY FOR THE SUNS AND ONLY THE SUNS, make the following trade:

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y49vgooz

Crowder and Torrey Craig could be moved for further assets for LA. The Cams and Shamet are players for LA.

Now -- Ayton is not a good fit with LeBron since he's not a 3-pt bomber. It might be time to swap him for Towns. You'd then have the following lineup:

PG: CP3
SG: Booker
SF: Bridges
PF: LeBron
C: Towns

Resign Javale, Biyombo, and Holliday + find backups at SG, SF, and PF -- I'm sure you'll have many takers. With three true playmakers in the lineup, you'll have one chance at a great run before CP3 and LeBron turn into pumpkins.

(3) IF NEITHER (1) NOR (2) ARE POSSIBLE, find a way to trade Cam Johnson and filler for Christian Wood. That way, if the opposing team plays five-out and sucks Ayton onto the perimeter, you still have a big-time rebounder and shotblocker in there.