Suns 2022 Preseason News and Notes

[specialsauce]

I don’t disagree with any of those tweets, but it assumes CamJ was willing to take a reasonable deal. If he’s asking for the price he’d get next summer after a breakout year, there’s no reason for us to give it to him now. Let him go out and prove it.

Now if Cam was willing to sign for near and below what Mikal signed for and we decided to wait, then ya I think they messed up. My personal opinion is Cam is not going to price himself outside of our range…maybe he gets the Mikal deal or slightly better next summer? I’m cool paying him that if he earns it next summer, but I can’t see a scenario where he gets more than that. So if was asking for Mikal money or more, I can see why the suns would say go prove you’re worth that and then we’ll give it to you.

Sure you open yourself up to paying even more if he has a big breakout, but again I think they’d welcome that and would happily pony up if he’s worth it.

I think tying $180M into two role players is a disaster move unless you’re banking on being able to flip them for one actual impact player (ie a #1 or 2)

[Indy]

So they're still hoping for KD? This is ridiculous.

How many championship teams can you name over the last 20 years that haven't had a top 5 player on their roster?

My point is you have to move forward, you can't just freeze all transactions because you're hoping KD becomes available.

I agree with you. And I don't think they are just waiting for KD. I think Jones is planning on upgrading this roster, but knows it will be harder if he is limited on who he can trade. That is the whole reason behind not offering DA a 5 year max last year.

[Superbone]

Suns are just being nice. Want to pay Johnson what he's worth after another season of play.

[Mori Chu]

I don't get the thinking behind pissing off your starting PF, benching him, then not offering a contract to the guy who is intended to be your starting PF of the future. By all indications CamJ is going to go out and have a strong season and bump his numbers as a starter. Then the cap will go up. He will probably get a lot more money next year than now. Feels like the FO is bungling player relationships.

[Superbone]

I don't get the thinking behind pissing off your starting PF, benching him, then not offering a contract to the guy who is intended to be your starting PF of the future. By all indications CamJ is going to go out and have a strong season and bump his numbers as a starter. Then the cap will go up. He will probably get a lot more money next year than now. Feels like the FO is bungling player relationships.

So, you're saying the Suns should have just kept their intentions to themselves and then benched Crowder. And how is paying CamJ "a lot more money" bungling our relationship with him?

[Mori Chu]

I said he would get more money, not that we would pay it.

[Indy]

I don't get the thinking behind pissing off your starting PF, benching him, then not offering a contract to the guy who is intended to be your starting PF of the future. By all indications CamJ is going to go out and have a strong season and bump his numbers as a starter. Then the cap will go up. He will probably get a lot more money next year than now. Feels like the FO is bungling player relationships.

So, you're saying the Suns should have just kept their intentions to themselves and then benched Crowder. And how is paying CamJ "a lot more money" bungling our relationship with him?

And we shouldn't have tried to upgrade our roster when a top 5 player openly said he wanted to come here.

[JeremyG]

I don't get the thinking behind pissing off your starting PF, benching him, then not offering a contract to the guy who is intended to be your starting PF of the future. By all indications CamJ is going to go out and have a strong season and bump his numbers as a starter. Then the cap will go up. He will probably get a lot more money next year than now. Feels like the FO is bungling player relationships.

So, you're saying the Suns should have just kept their intentions to themselves and then benched Crowder. And how is paying CamJ "a lot more money" bungling our relationship with him?

And we shouldn't have tried to upgrade our roster when a top 5 player openly said he wanted to come here.

"Jae, we might be including you in a trade for one of the best players in NBA history."

"What?! How dare you not value me?!"

I don't think that's how it went.

[carey]

When you can't find a single person in the media to defend not extending a guy maybe you're not making the right choice. And if we get known as a team that ONLY extends the Bookers, Bridges and Aytons of the world, why would high quality role players want to sign here?

[Superbone]

When you can't find a single person in the media to defend not extending a guy maybe you're not making the right choice. And if we get known as a team that ONLY extends the Bookers, Bridges and Aytons of the world, why would high quality role players want to sign here?

I think we're currently known as the franchise up for sale. Probably best to leave it to the new owners. May end up being better for Johnson in the long run.

[JeremyG]

[Vladimir_Taltos]

I don't know about 'funny,' but highly suspect...yep.

VT

[TOO]

As I expected, James Jones sucks.

[Split T]

I don’t disagree with any of those tweets, but it assumes CamJ was willing to take a reasonable deal. If he’s asking for the price he’d get next summer after a breakout year, there’s no reason for us to give it to him now. Let him go out and prove it.

Now if Cam was willing to sign for near and below what Mikal signed for and we decided to wait, then ya I think they messed up. My personal opinion is Cam is not going to price himself outside of our range…maybe he gets the Mikal deal or slightly better next summer? I’m cool paying him that if he earns it next summer, but I can’t see a scenario where he gets more than that. So if was asking for Mikal money or more, I can see why the suns would say go prove you’re worth that and then we’ll give it to you.

Sure you open yourself up to paying even more if he has a big breakout, but again I think they’d welcome that and would happily pony up if he’s worth it.

I think tying $180M into two role players is a disaster move unless you’re banking on being able to flip them for one actual impact player (ie a #1 or 2)

I think both would be very movable still, but I understand your point. You better hope to have some good cheap talent or an owner with very deep pockets. So basically I think you can do it for a year or two, but it’s not sustainable long term for a team that’s not on the California coast.

[Superbone]

As I expected, James Jones sucks.

You have NO IDEA of what constraints Jones is under. But yeah, keep on fanning out. It's easy to point fingers.

[specialsauce]

I don't get the thinking behind pissing off your starting PF, benching him, then not offering a contract to the guy who is intended to be your starting PF of the future. By all indications CamJ is going to go out and have a strong season and bump his numbers as a starter. Then the cap will go up. He will probably get a lot more money next year than now. Feels like the FO is bungling player relationships.

Cam has yet to show extended success in the league. Each time he’s started to show promise, he’s gotten injured or hit a wall and then suffered a prolonged slump. He’s struggled both years in the playoffs. I don’t think anything about him makes it a guarantee he’ll take off this year. He’s not 22. We shall see.

[Superbone]

I don't get the thinking behind pissing off your starting PF, benching him, then not offering a contract to the guy who is intended to be your starting PF of the future. By all indications CamJ is going to go out and have a strong season and bump his numbers as a starter. Then the cap will go up. He will probably get a lot more money next year than now. Feels like the FO is bungling player relationships.

Cam has yet to show extended success in the league. Each time he’s started to show promise, he’s gotten injured or hit a wall and then suffered a prolonged slump. He’s struggled both years in the playoffs. I don’t think anything about him makes it a guarantee he’ll take off this year. He’s not 22. We shall see.

I basically just said the same thing in the Crowder thread. He has regressed since last season thus far. I hope he pulls it together.

[INFORMER]

And if we get known as a team that ONLY extends the Bookers, Bridges and Aytons of the world, why would high quality role players want to sign here?

I don't understand your point. First, Ayton didn't get extended. The Suns allowed him to enter free agency and then matched the offer he received. The same opportunity now exists for Cam Johnson.

How are you classifying the "Bridges of the World"? I would say that would be the category of high quality role player. And the Suns extended Landry before he even played a game for us. So I don't see an argument for the Suns getting this reputation that you are alluding to.

[INFORMER]

I don't get the thinking behind pissing off your starting PF, benching him, then not offering a contract to the guy who is intended to be your starting PF of the future. By all indications CamJ is going to go out and have a strong season and bump his numbers as a starter. Then the cap will go up. He will probably get a lot more money next year than now. Feels like the FO is bungling player relationships.

Cam has yet to show extended success in the league. Each time he’s started to show promise, he’s gotten injured or hit a wall and then suffered a prolonged slump. He’s struggled both years in the playoffs. I don’t think anything about him makes it a guarantee he’ll take off this year. He’s not 22. We shall see.

Great post.

[INFORMER]

As I expected, James Jones sucks.

You have NO IDEA of what constraints Jones is under.

And the constraint here is probably his judgment, which in this case, I am not going to assume that he is wrong.