Grade the Suns' Offseason

[Shabazz]

Now that we're likely done making moves, what grade would you give James Jones and crew for their work this offseason?

[Indy]

I said B+. I think we did quite a bit better than the average team, but not top 3 in the league (top 10%=A).

[Shabazz]

I gave them a B+. I tried to think of alternate scenarios based on how much other players ended up getting. The biggest issue for me was the draft, where I though Haliburton would have been a perfect 3rd guard to bring in and could have given us a bridge player to the future. But if we had drafted him, who would have been our frontcourt replacement for the minimum or BAE? Whitseside? That would have given us a better team on paper, but I'm not sure Hassan is a fit. Maybe a combination of Giles and Wily Hernangomez. Harkless would have been redundant.

I like the Galloway and Moore signings, but they also have very similar limitations and I may have preferred more size and/or shot creation out of one of those signings. Someone like Jordan McRae, Shaq Harrison or Kent Bazemore.

We could have also operated as an under the cap team and signed Christian Wood and the minimum guys, but that would be at the expense of Dario and Crowder.

All in all, I'm picking nits. We've got a very good team that should challenge the upper tier in the West. We're 2 deep at most positions and can play a variety of styles. We've got some flaws, but I'm looking forward to watching my team play playoff basketball for the first time in 10 years.

[Indy]

I gave them a B+. I tried to think of alternate scenarios based on how much other players ended up getting. The biggest issue for me was the draft, where I though Haliburton would have been a perfect 3rd guard to bring in and could have given us a bridge player to the future. But if we had drafted him, who would have been our frontcourt replacement for the minimum or BAE? Whitseside? That would have given us a better team on paper, but I'm not sure Hassan is a fit. Maybe a combination of Giles and Wily Hernangomez. Harkless would have been redundant.

I like the Galloway and Moore signings, but they also have very similar limitations and I may have preferred more size and/or shot creation out of one of those signings. Someone like Jordan McRae, Shaq Harrison or Kent Bazemore.

We could have also operated as an under the cap team and signed Christian Wood and the minimum guys, but that would be at the expense of Dario and Crowder.

All in all, I'm picking nits. We've got a very good team that should challenge the upper tier in the West. We're 2 deep at most positions and can play a variety of styles. We've got some flaws, but I'm looking forward to watching my team play playoff basketball for the first time in 10 years.

This. My son will be 12 before the end of the season and he has never experienced a suns playoff game... i mean since he could talk. (BTW, we celebrated his first birthday during game 3 of the Suns/Spurs series in 2010 when we swept them. )

[Drewsprocket]

I gave an A, simply because I think the guys they got are gonna play hella well together and we’ll make the playoffs. I say this knowing we would have made the playoffs last year had Ayton not been suspended. Still, this year we’ll increase our 3pts made and our 3pt%, improve our defense by a mile and end up 5th or 6th in the west. So yea, my rubric is based off our improvement, not based on who was available or what moves could have made.

[Split T]

I went B. Don’t think many teams improved as much as we did. Outside of Atlanta, I don’t know if any other team will see as big of an increase in wins(Not counting teams who underperformed last year due to injury like GS and Brooklyn).

I just don’t think it was a home run. I think the potential was there to make this a playoff team now and improve the long term outlook of the team. We now are in a 2-3 year pseudo-contending window and I think we’ve limited our ability to keep that window open.

I like the end result of what we will put on the floor, but I would have made different decisions almost across the board. I would have gone all in for Fred Van Vleet. But we chose CP3. That was a solid trade, but signing FVV would have been better.

After trading for CP3, I would have drafted Haliburton at 10. I think Smith was a solid pick, but Haliburton would have been better and at the least, I think we could have moved down and added extra assets while still drafting Smith.

After trading for CP3 and drafting Smith, I thought we should have targeted another ball handler off the bench with our MLE. Burks was my choice. Again, Crowder was solid, I just think Burks, especially at the price, would have been better.

I do like the Moore and Galloway signings. Vet mins that give us needed depth and shooting. Also liked re-signing Cárter and Saric, though overall I thought we missed on an opportunity to create cap space in 2022 by giving Saric, Carter, and Crowder all 3 year deals.

So everything we did was ultimately a solid move, B, B+ moves...just thought we missed some big opportunities. Of course this offseason won’t get its final grades for 1-3 years. Hopefully I change it to an A+

[Superbone]

I got a kick out of the F parentheses.

[virtual9mm]

I got a kick out of the F parentheses.

LOL same

I gave them a B+ since the team improved quite a bit on paper.

CP3 trade: They got good value for Oubre (OKC flipped him for a late-mid first rounder) and given the sour grapes I'm hearing -- I say good riddance. But I'm still not convinced that the Suns wouldn't have been better off keeping Rubio and getting a third elite guard given CP3's health concerns. I know that we're all-in but the risk-adverse side of me is flashing orange. And it's always hard trading a good guy who likes the city.

Draft: Smith is a low-risk signing of a Channing Frye who could potentially be something more.

FA: What I like is that the pieces fit very well. Run Dario as the playmaker in the second unit in the high post and surround him with shooters. Every team needs a Crowder (Tucker would have worked just as well TBH). I suspect that the bench bubble backcourt duo will continue to get lots of minutes but that if either's shot is off, Moore and Galloway will be more than ready to come in and bomb away.

Overall -- would have been an A- but the team needs CP3 to stay healthy and I worry about this. Not sure if FVV was worth what he got (and realistic) but I really wonder if it would have been better to platoon Rubio with someone like that alongside Booker. But there's no doubt that CP3 is the best of the bunch if he can stay healthy. I'm thinking that this is a 2nd round team this year with WCF potential next year. But that seems to be CP3's ceiling, doesn't it? Just like Nash, Stockton, KJ, Payton and other elite guards -- takes a lucky break to get into the Finals. And CP3's time is running out.

[O_Gardino]

C+ (if cp3 stays mostly healthy)

I do think the team improved in some areas, but I don't think we truly addressed our 2 biggest issues from last season.

Galloway and Moore are insurance in case Carter and Payne fall back to earth. You know those guys can at least shoot. I think Smith is immediately better than Kaminsky, who averaged almost 20 minutes a game last season. There's a very good chance Smith is better than Baynes was, although I think we will miss Baynes' intensity on the court and in the locker room. I will miss Kelly, but I think his value was more theoretical than real. Crowder will score less but have a better impact on the team overall. Last season, CP3 was better than Rubio.

Those moves don't really address our weaknesses. The starters were fine. Kaminsky didn't hurt us that much. The spot up shooting was fine. Did those things really cost us games last year?

I thought our big man depth hurt us, and we are smaller and shallower this year. I thought our shot creation with the second unit was bad, and at best we are gambling there. If CP3 goes down and Payne doesn't progress, the second unit is going to be worse than last year.

What are the chances that this season CPS and Crowder have better seasons than Rubio and Oubre?
What are the chances that CP3 misses 20 or more games due to injury?
What are the chances that Payne comes back down to earth?
What are the chances we really regret sending that 1st round pick to bring in Paul?

It's a weird off season, because I like each player Jones brought in, but I don't like the team he built very much. Smith is the only one I think is a part of this team 3 years from now, and I think we only improved significantly if lots of things go right.

[ShelC]

Gave the offseason an A. On paper, we made improvements where we could've and put ourselves in the conversation as a solid playoff team. If we catch some breaks, we should be a home court team. Whether we're legit contenders remains to be seen but the makings are there.

Jones took 2 solid NBA players on good contracts and turned them into Chris Paul. Our season will largely depend on whether or not he can stay healthy, but on paper he's Chris Paul and will help guide this team and make others better. He's owed big money but it's only 2 years. Our window is tight but we're also not locked in longterm. It's a fine line to walk and I think Jones took advantage of a good opportunity improving the team now.

Crowder gives us some more toughness and experience we lacked and some added depth at the 3/4. He's cheaper than Kelly, knows his role and will allow Mikal and Cam more minutes to grow.

3 and D bigs are hard to come by, if they're even a thing, and we got one in Smith. They were fancier names in the draft but I think Smith will work out fine and allow us more versatility in the frontcourt.

Our other signings in Moore and Gallo give us NBA vets we know can score and shoot, are fine starting or coming off the bench and will push the other guards. Having solid vets for Monty, as opposed to rooks or journeymen/GLeaguers should make a big difference especially in a condensed season with a shorter training camp.

In all, I don't think there was a ton that Jones could've done better. Throwing money at VanVleet wouldn't have guaranteed much more IMO and that would've really locked the team in for 4 years. Drafting a rookie guard and expecting them to contribute right away would've been risky given the "offseason" with little to no prep. We'll need guy we know can play and will help us get out to a quick start.

We have a tight window now but haven't mortgaged the future. Paul can fit in and make others better instead of trying to fit and find his game (VanVleet/Westbrook, etc).

[jonh]

B-. While the teams floor this season has likely risen, it feels the long term ceiling has shrunk. I have reservations about both the CP3 trade and not taking Haliburton. Outside of the “core” (booker, ayton, bridges, Johnson), everyone else is a 2 year rental with limited upside, apart from being a good 3 point shooting team. It’s possible to figure out a way to turn the team into a title contender, but I’m not sure what that would look like.

[ShelC]

As much has been made about CP and Crowder, it'll be internal improvement from Mikal, Cam and DA that will probably impact things most. At least one of those guys needs to make a big jump.

[Ring_Wanted]

I give it a B-.

- Paul is great but comes with injury concerns, and I still believe adding Oubre was not needed, just convenient since he is expiring, didn't play in the bubble and the franchise didn't want to pay him.

- I really like Smith so drafting him is good in my eyes. Hali still was available but I don't hold it against Jones, especially if it's true that Hali asked teams not to draft him. Trading down could have been an option but I wouldn't have been ok risking losing Smith. My target in that scenario would have been Nesmith but I really wanted to walk away from the draft with Jalen.

- Crowder was needed once Oubre was dealt and MLE on him is not an overpay.

- Dario on MLE money is not an overpay either, but I am not high on him. Nice bubble but I doubt he'll keep it up over a full season.

So all this means that unlike many of the past offseasons, we didn't make any apparent blunders and actually improved the team on paper, which warrants a B grade. Still, I feel we were primer for more, so it's a B- to me.

As for what's that 'more', I know things never are fully under your own control, but had we operated as an under the cap team, our offseason could have gone like this:

1.- Sign Woods to his 13M per contract.
2.- Trade for Paul while keeping Oubre, by using Rubio and filler (including Payne) to send out the 31M to make the move work.
3.- Use the room MLE worth 5.1M, on Carter or another player(s).
4.- Fill out the roster with the min contracts of Galloway, undrafted FA, etc.

Paul-Booker-Bridges-Woods-Ayton with a bench of Oubre, Cam, Smith, Carter, fillers at PG and C.

This roster not only is better than what we ended up getting, but also has more flexibility and a more defined path to take the next step, as you have the salary mass (Oubre's 15M) to make a trade for a big contract during the season.

[ShelC]

This fascination with Wood is beyond me. Looks like a nice young player but I wouldn't be ready to commit longterm money to him, especially if we're going all-in now with Paul. And I'm not even sure he'd be that great a fit next to Ayton. I get why a team like Houston would make that move. They had to. Would've been much risker on our end.

Oubre was on his way out, so rather than keep him too long and let something fester, best to just move him. McD made that mistake too often, now we don't have to worry about anything - his role, his contract, logjam at the 3spot.

[O_Gardino]

Everybody would be excited to get Wood, Shel.

[ShelC]

Look, I'm not saying I wouldn't love having Wood, but the circumstances have to be right otherwise it can lead to a sticky situation.

[Indy]

B-. While the teams floor this season has likely risen, it feels the long term ceiling has shrunk. I have reservations about both the CP3 trade and not taking Haliburton. Outside of the “core” (booker, ayton, bridges, Johnson), everyone else is a 2 year rental with limited upside, apart from being a good 3 point shooting team. It’s possible to figure out a way to turn the team into a title contender, but I’m not sure what that would look like.

I feel similarly, but I graded this offseason as simply just this year, not what it might mean down the line. I know that is short-sighted, but there are just too many variables year to year to assume what it might mean in 3 year's time.

[Indy]

I give it a B-.

- Paul is great but comes with injury concerns, and I still believe adding Oubre was not needed, just convenient since he is expiring, didn't play in the bubble and the franchise didn't want to pay him.

- I really like Smith so drafting him is good in my eyes. Hali still was available but I don't hold it against Jones, especially if it's true that Hali asked teams not to draft him. Trading down could have been an option but I wouldn't have been ok risking losing Smith. My target in that scenario would have been Nesmith but I really wanted to walk away from the draft with Jalen.

- Crowder was needed once Oubre was dealt and MLE on him is not an overpay.

- Dario on MLE money is not an overpay either, but I am not high on him. Nice bubble but I doubt he'll keep it up over a full season.

So all this means that unlike many of the past offseasons, we didn't make any apparent blunders and actually improved the team on paper, which warrants a B grade. Still, I feel we were primer for more, so it's a B- to me.

As for what's that 'more', I know things never are fully under your own control, but had we operated as an under the cap team, our offseason could have gone like this:

1.- Sign Woods to his 13M per contract.
2.- Trade for Paul while keeping Oubre, by using Rubio and filler (including Payne) to send out the 31M to make the move work.
3.- Use the room MLE worth 5.1M, on Carter or another player(s).
4.- Fill out the roster with the min contracts of Galloway, undrafted FA, etc.

Paul-Booker-Bridges-Woods-Ayton with a bench of Oubre, Cam, Smith, Carter, fillers at PG and C.

This roster not only is better than what we ended up getting, but also has more flexibility and a more defined path to take the next step, as you have the salary mass (Oubre's 15M) to make a trade for a big contract during the season.

Man that bar we set the last 10 years is SOOOOO low.

[Mori Chu]

I give this offseason an A-. I don't think I would have traded for Chris Paul, personally, at his age. I'm worried about his health and ability to play a full season. If he's healthy he will make us better for the next few years, though.

I like the Crowder signing. A guy like Crowder will get a lot of open looks in our offense, and he's a hard working veteran who will set a good example for the team.

I am so-so on the Smith draft pick. I feel like he'll be a solid pro, but I am dreading seeing Halliburton tear up the league and regretting passing on him.

I am glad we re-signed Saric. I think he can be closer to bubble Saric and less like inconsistent regular season 2019 Saric. We know his role better now, and so does he.

Most of the other signings like Moore and Galloway don't move me very much. They seem fine. I'm glad that most of the guys we are signing are plus shooters. That seems like a good thing to insist on for end-of-the-bench guys.

Overall this looks to me like a playoff team. I don't know if it's a contender, since the West is so brutal. But it's nice to think that we can reasonably have playoff expectations for the first time in a long while.

[Indy]

I give this offseason an A-. I don't think I would have traded for Chris Paul, personally, at his age. I'm worried about his health and ability to play a full season. If he's healthy he will make us better for the next few years, though.

I like the Crowder signing. A guy like Crowder will get a lot of open looks in our offense, and he's a hard working veteran who will set a good example for the team.

I am so-so on the Smith draft pick. I feel like he'll be a solid pro, but I am dreading seeing Halliburton tear up the league and regretting passing on him.

I am glad we re-signed Saric. I think he can be closer to bubble Saric and less like inconsistent regular season 2019 Saric. We know his role better now, and so does he.

Most of the other signings like Moore and Galloway don't move me very much. They seem fine. I'm glad that most of the guys we are signing are plus shooters. That seems like a good thing to insist on for end-of-the-bench guys.

Overall this looks to me like a playoff team. I don't know if it's a contender, since the West is so brutal. But it's nice to think that we can reasonably have playoff expectations for the first time in a long while.

Are you this easy on your students?

Yeah, that assignment was so-so. I wouldn't have done it that way, and it may cause problems down the road. And you could have chosen this option, that looks to be a much better way, but I guess your way works. It seems fine. A-