Suns News: Preseason 2017

[Superbone]

I'll let carey start the week 1 Suns news thread but AZCentral has a big Suns blowout:

Meet the 2017-18 Phoenix Suns:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 755572001/

NBA, Phoenix Suns 2017-2018 season predictions:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 759854001/

Suns coach Earl Watson talks downtown Phoenix home, pizza delivery:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 747409001/

Phoenix Suns: 3 teams that deserved more credit:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 747480001/

Phoenix Suns Tyson Chandler fills a vital leadership role:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 747461001/

As Phoenix Suns turn 50, they're younger than ever:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 757970001/

Phoenix Suns celebrate a healthy, 50-year relationship with Valley, fans:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 747521001/

Phoenix Suns guard Tyler Ulis finishes preseason with strong showing:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 765131001/

Bickley: Suns need to show progress for Phoenix fans to stick with 'The Timeline':
http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 765140001/

[carey]

Go ahead & start it my man!

[Superbone]

Go ahead & start it my man!

But I really enjoy your threads and thread format! Sorry, but I'm going to leave it to you.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I don't think I've seen this posted around here.

Interesting speculation by Zach Lowe..

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2100 ... ns-2017-18

How about Valanciunas for Tyson Chandler? Toronto gets a win-now veteran and the same years-and-money reduction; Phoenix exchanges a geezer for a 25-year-old. Eh. Unloading deals that extend past the summer of 2019, when some of the bubble contracts come off the books, is going to be really hard. The market will loosen up in July, when more cap room pops open and those deals creep a year closer to expiration.

Also picked up by HoopsHype recently.

http://hoopshype.com/2017/10/13/raptors ... with-suns/

Again, just speculation, but I think it would be a good deal for the Suns.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I don't think I've seen this posted around here.

Interesting speculation by Zach Lowe..

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2100 ... ns-2017-18

How about Valanciunas for Tyson Chandler? Toronto gets a win-now veteran and the same years-and-money reduction; Phoenix exchanges a geezer for a 25-year-old. Eh. Unloading deals that extend past the summer of 2019, when some of the bubble contracts come off the books, is going to be really hard. The market will loosen up in July, when more cap room pops open and those deals creep a year closer to expiration.

Also picked up by HoopsHype recently.

http://hoopshype.com/2017/10/13/raptors ... with-suns/

Again, just speculation, but I think it would be a good deal for the Suns.

We would have to add something else, I think.

[OE32]

I don't think I've seen this posted around here.

Interesting speculation by Zach Lowe..

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2100 ... ns-2017-18

How about Valanciunas for Tyson Chandler? Toronto gets a win-now veteran and the same years-and-money reduction; Phoenix exchanges a geezer for a 25-year-old. Eh. Unloading deals that extend past the summer of 2019, when some of the bubble contracts come off the books, is going to be really hard. The market will loosen up in July, when more cap room pops open and those deals creep a year closer to expiration.

Also picked up by HoopsHype recently.

http://hoopshype.com/2017/10/13/raptors ... with-suns/

Again, just speculation, but I think it would be a good deal for the Suns.

We would have to add something else, I think.

If Len keeps playing the way he has during preseason, I highly doubt we'd be interested in taking JV's contract. While I'd be curious to see whether we could move Chandler for just a second or two (perhaps after the season), there are simply too many overpaid centers out there... on the bright side, that same fact will make it very hard for Alex to find a decent FA offer. It ain't coming from Brooklyn (Mozgov) or Chicago (Lopez), for instance. Maybe the Hawks will throw some $$$ his way.

[O_Gardino]

I'm still thinking about how to get that NJ pick from Cleveland. Now I wonder if they would be interested in Alex. They could use a true big, and if IT doesn't bounce back from injury maybe we can offer Len + Bled for Shumpert + Frye + Pick or something like that.

[wpmiller42]

I'm still thinking about how to get that NJ pick from Cleveland. Now I wonder if they would be interested in Alex. They could use a true big, and if IT doesn't bounce back from injury maybe we can offer Len + Bled for Shumpert + Frye + Pick or something like that.

This would be awesome, but I would think they could get something more, or at least think they could get something more. Maybe if Bledsoe starts out the year awesome, or if the Nets start out unexpectedly well, maybe that could tilt things in our favor a bit? But there's not a lot I wouldn't give up for that pick.

[JCSunsfan]

I'm still thinking about how to get that NJ pick from Cleveland. Now I wonder if they would be interested in Alex. They could use a true big, and if IT doesn't bounce back from injury maybe we can offer Len + Bled for Shumpert + Frye + Pick or something like that.

Again. I would be happy just to have the option to swap picks with Cleveland. Since it is possible that the Suns actually have the better pick in the end, Cleveland might consider a deal like that. Something like Chandler for the option to swap the Suns pick for the NJ pick. We might end up trading Chandler for nothing, but it gives us ALOT better lottery odds.

[O_Gardino]

I'm still thinking about how to get that NJ pick from Cleveland. Now I wonder if they would be interested in Alex. They could use a true big, and if IT doesn't bounce back from injury maybe we can offer Len + Bled for Shumpert + Frye + Pick or something like that.

Again. I would be happy just to have the option to swap picks with Cleveland. Since it is possible that the Suns actually have the better pick in the end, Cleveland might consider a deal like that. Something like Chandler for the option to swap the Suns pick for the NJ pick. We might end up trading Chandler for nothing, but it gives us ALOT better lottery odds.

Yeah, I'm very down for that. We don't need 7 picks next season, we just need the best one we can get.

[O_Gardino]

OK, here's my final rotation prediction for the start of the season.

Watson will start Bled/Book/Warren/Chriss/Chandler but we will see a lot of Bled/Book/Jackson/Warren/Len.

Code: Select all

Prediction #2 - End of Preseason

PG -   Bledsoe  (32)  |  Ulis    (16)  |  James   (res) |  Knight    (inj)
SG -   Booker   (36)  |  Daniels (12)  |  Reed    (inj)
SF -   Warren   (18)  |  Jackson (30)  |  Jones   (res)
PF -   Chriss   (16)  |  Bender  (18)  |  Warren  (14)  |  Dudley    (res)  |  Peters (G-league) 
C -    Chandler (18)  |  Len     (20)  |  Chriss  (10)  |  Williams  (inj)

Booker   - 36
Bledsoe  - 32
Warren   - 32
Jackson  - 30
Chriss   - 26
Len      - 20
Bender   - 18
Chandler - 18
Ulis     - 16
Daniels  - 12

I still don't see any minutes for DJJ, and I still don't see how the hell we would make room for all these guys with Williams and Reed healthy.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I'm still thinking about how to get that NJ pick from Cleveland. Now I wonder if they would be interested in Alex. They could use a true big, and if IT doesn't bounce back from injury maybe we can offer Len + Bled for Shumpert + Frye + Pick or something like that.

That's not enough perceived value, for that heralded pick.

Also worth of consideration, that Len is nothing more than a rental right now, and on top of that, (if I'm correct) one that comes with his birds right rescinded by QO rules, so this summer -when he becomes an UFA- either we, Cleveland or any potential suitor, must dig into actual cap space to retain/sign him. That would put Cleveland in an imposible position to resign him.

[The Bobster]

I believe the Suns hold Bird rights to Len, but if he's traded the team that trades for him would not. That's also the reason he can't be traded without his approval.

[Superbone]

So, at least we can pay him more than any other team should we choose to attempt to retain him.

[The Bobster]

Not necessarily, if another team has enough cap room they can offer whatever they want.

Unless we want to offer the veteran maximum, which is kind of unlikely.

[Indy]

Not necessarily, if another team has enough cap room they can offer whatever they want.

Unless we want to offer the veteran maximum, which is kind of unlikely.

10/10. This made me laugh out loud, and that is a hard to do when it comes to the Suns these days.

[Mori Chu]

Here is closer to what I hope the minutes will be. I'm leaving out guys I don't think have a role or shouldn't get any minutes.

PG - Bledsoe (32) | Ulis (16) | James (res)
SG - Booker (36) | Daniels (12)
SF - Jackson (28) | Jones Jr (14) | Warren (6) | Dudley (0)
PF - Warren (26) | Chriss (22)
C - Len (20) | Bender (20) | Chandler (8) | Williams (0 - inj)

I think your guard rotation is just about perfect. I think Jackson should start at SF and Jones Jr should be his backup. I think Warren should be our PF. The league has gotten smaller. He can handle being a PF 99% of the time, with the occasional rough night (and minutes adjustment) against the few giant teams like New Orleans as needed. I don't want Chriss in the starting lineup; he has lost his spot for the time being. But I also don't want to starve him of minutes, so give him a decent role off the bench. At center I really want Len to get the lion's share of the minutes, with Bender as his main backup. Chandler gets a few minutes of spot duty but mostly I want to trade him ASAP to a veteran team looking to contend.

I am not saying that the team *will* do something like the above, but that's more like what I'd want to watch.

[O_Gardino]

Here is closer to what I hope the minutes will be. I'm leaving out guys I don't think have a role or shouldn't get any minutes.

PG - Bledsoe (32) | Ulis (16) | James (res)
SG - Booker (36) | Daniels (12)
SF - Jackson (28) | Jones Jr (14) | Warren (6) | Dudley (0)
PF - Warren (26) | Chriss (22)
C - Len (20) | Bender (20) | Chandler (8) | Williams (0 - inj)

I think your guard rotation is just about perfect. I think Jackson should start at SF and Jones Jr should be his backup. I think Warren should be our PF. The league has gotten smaller. He can handle being a PF 99% of the time, with the occasional rough night (and minutes adjustment) against the few giant teams like New Orleans as needed. I don't want Chriss in the starting lineup; he has lost his spot for the time being. But I also don't want to starve him of minutes, so give him a decent role off the bench. At center I really want Len to get the lion's share of the minutes, with Bender as his main backup. Chandler gets a few minutes of spot duty but mostly I want to trade him ASAP to a veteran team looking to contend.

I am not saying that the team *will* do something like the above, but that's more like what I'd want to watch.

That's very close to my preferred lineup, but I doubt Watson does it to start the season. We may see that by end, though. My only real change would be to switch Chriss and Bender, but we've been over taht before.

[Flagrant Fowl]

If Len keeps playing the way he has during preseason, I highly doubt we'd be interested in taking JV's contract. While I'd be curious to see whether we could move Chandler for just a second or two (perhaps after the season), there are simply too many overpaid centers out there... on the bright side, that same fact will make it very hard for Alex to find a decent FA offer. It ain't coming from Brooklyn (Mozgov) or Chicago (Lopez), for instance. Maybe the Hawks will throw some $$$ his way.

The Len situation is the main reason why I think a move for Valanciunas is an interesting idea. I think the odds of Len resigning in Phoenix are very low unless the Suns offer a significantly higher value contract than any other team. That's possible, but I think it's unlikely. By adding Valanciunas this year, we'd have a guy on a pretty reasonable contract for a starting Center for two more years, which should be long enough to find out if Bender is going to cut it as a starter at the position.

I also think the Suns might be able to squeeze another asset out of that deal because Toronto would be shedding salary and contract years. It might just be a pick swap or a 2nd rounder, but I like the potential in the deal from many angles.

[jonh]

If Len keeps playing the way he has during preseason, I highly doubt we'd be interested in taking JV's contract. While I'd be curious to see whether we could move Chandler for just a second or two (perhaps after the season), there are simply too many overpaid centers out there... on the bright side, that same fact will make it very hard for Alex to find a decent FA offer. It ain't coming from Brooklyn (Mozgov) or Chicago (Lopez), for instance. Maybe the Hawks will throw some $$$ his way.

The Len situation is the main reason why I think a move for Valanciunas is an interesting idea. I think the odds of Len resigning in Phoenix are very low unless the Suns offer a significantly higher value contract than any other team. That's possible, but I think it's unlikely. By adding Valanciunas this year, we'd have a guy on a pretty reasonable contract for a starting Center for two more years, which should be long enough to find out if Bender is going to cut it as a starter at the position.

I also think the Suns might be able to squeeze another asset out of that deal because Toronto would be shedding salary and contract years. It might just be a pick swap or a 2nd rounder, but I like the potential in the deal from many angles.

Any word on what we offered Len, or what he was wanting/expecting?