Around the League: The Offseason

[Shabazz]

2 trades went down today:

OKC gets: Matt Barnes' contract
CHA gets: Jeremy Lamb

POR Gets: Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson
CHA Gets: Nicolas Batum

Batum and Vonleh are both players I had hoped the Suns might target.

[carey]

2 trades went down today:

OKC gets: Matt Barnes' contract
CHA gets: Jeremy Lamb

POR Gets: Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson
CHA Gets: Nicolas Batum

Batum and Vonleh are both players I had hoped the Suns might target.

Good find. Sorry I've been lazy on the news. My kid's been elbow deep in baseball season (championship game today and we lost 11-7, bummer) and my girlfriend just had kidney transplant surgery (donated to her brother-in-law.) Things have been crazy and I've had to keep my posts short.

[carey]

I guess that's CHA's wing help? They'll be keeping Zeller now? I have no idea which way they are going. I thought that was WCS's floor for a long time.

[Shabazz]

https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/613906326243119104

[Shabazz]

Classic.

Suns spend 3 years accumulating assets to trade for a star.
Suns get antsy and trade their golden asset for a redundant, soon-to-be restricted free agent in a misguided attempt to make the playoffs.
Star finally becomes available.
Suns no longer have the assets to trade for him.

[Gladiator]

It seems like he has his heart set on playing for Lakers (typical) but yes that's about right.

[OE32]

Word is that Masai is looking to jettison all 3 of Lowry, DeRozan, Valanciunas. Not completely unexpected, because it makes a lot of sense. We don't make much sense as trade partners. I would think Lowry's availability would dampen the Knicks' interest in Bledsoe. Can we really ride it out with two PG's for another season? The big problem is that Bled doesn't space the floor, and he's also not really a distributor. I really like Knight as our starting PG going forward.

Of course, we won't get immediate help in the draft, and free agency is not exactly shaping up to be a buyer's market. I'd think we'd look to internal improvement, and there may be some, in the form of Marcus getting a 10 game suspension (which improvement would be offset by Markieff getting a 10 game suspension, but at least we'd see some TJ). The only way we'll win much next season is if TJ is unleashed - barring that, we just don't have the talent to stand out in the west.

McD drafted athletes and put them in the hands of a shooting coach. Sure, they got better, but not so much better that they'd be mistaken for shooters...

Feeling a bit jealous of the Blazers. Maybe they felt their fan base was sufficiently soothed, having at least pretended to contend last year and made the playoffs the year before, so they could sell Batum for Vonleh - whom a lot of us here have prized. Not sure if a like move is available to us, but for the first time in a while, my hope is starting to dim a bit.

I hated, HATED last year's squad. During the last few months of the season, we knew we were rolling out awful basketball and did nothing to stop it. So... what's the payoff? Few assets to trade, the #13 in an underwhelming draft, and no reasonable shot at a difference maker in free agency (with a caveat - we could pay top dollar for average players at their peaks of their careers who were contributors to winners - Danny Green or DeMarre Carroll - essentially because we have to import a winning culture, because we have failed to inspire one ourselves... has a move like that ever worked out?).

OK, I'm back to the conclusion that we have to trade Bledsoe. Nothing else makes sense. Our two most valuable pieces are Bled and Knight, and they don't mix, and that's why we're so limited. To move forward, we have to give him up.

More than anything, I'm just ticked that there's no one I really like at 13. Even the players who might slip to us - Stan Johnson, WCS, I'm not a huge fan. I like Looney, but he may be red flagged. Portis looks a whole helluva lot like Taj Gibson to me, so maybe we do that. Damn. All that suffering, and what do we get? A guy who may be Taj Gibson in three years. And DeMarre Carroll at $11M per. Damn.

Prove me wrong Ryan, you starry-eyed son of a bitch.

[Shabazz]

I wonder how enticing a Boogie for Bledsoe/Len/#13 package would be to the Kings.

We'd HAVE to get rid of the Morris twins, though. Probably Tucker, too. That's just too much drama on one team.

[carey]

Classic.

Suns spend 3 years accumulating assets to trade for a star.
Suns get antsy and trade their golden asset for a redundant, soon-to-be restricted free agent in a misguided attempt to make the playoffs.
Star finally becomes available.
Suns no longer have the assets to trade for him.

Right, but the Kings want help now. That future protected pick wouldn't have done them good right now imho. This way they will get both Randle & Okafor. We can't really have beaten that with some future picks.

Collison-McLemore-Gay-Randle-Okafor? Could be worse.

[Shabazz]

Classic.

Suns spend 3 years accumulating assets to trade for a star.
Suns get antsy and trade their golden asset for a redundant, soon-to-be restricted free agent in a misguided attempt to make the playoffs.
Star finally becomes available.
Suns no longer have the assets to trade for him.

Right, but the Kings want help now. That future protected pick wouldn't have done them good right now imho. This way they will get both Randle & Okafor. We can't really have beaten that with some future picks.

Collison-McLemore-Gay-Randle-Okafor? Could be worse.

Don't forget, they also have #6. Could be Mudiay or Winslow or your boy.

[In2ition]

I really want Mudiay and Porzingis, while keeping Len and Warren.

[Shabazz]

https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/614091280855896064

I freaking love Favors. Make it happen, McD!

[Bruiser]

Shamelessly copied from reddit.
Although anybody with at least basic visio skills could have done this ...

[carey]

I'm sure you've heard, but LMA told the Blazers he isn't coming back to Portland. I'm sure we'll try to get a meeting but does anyone want to bet he won't be in San Antonio this Summer?

[EDC]

I'm really hoping the Suns make some sort of trade tonight.

[In2ition]

I'm really hoping the Suns make some sort of trade tonight.

BLOW IT UP!!! BLOW IT UP!!! BLOW IT UP!!! BLOW IT UP!!!

[In2ition]

I'm sure you've heard, but LMA told the Blazers he isn't coming back to Portland. I'm sure we'll try to get a meeting but does anyone want to bet he won't be in San Antonio this Summer?

I would rather have Aldridge than Love. Gambo said that Aldridge wants to go to TX, because he has kids in San Antonio and Dallas.

[EDC]

I agree. In terms of being able to carry a team I think Aldridge is way above Love.

[Danimal]

I'm really hoping the Suns make some sort of trade tonight.

BLOW IT UP!!! BLOW IT UP!!! BLOW IT UP!!! BLOW IT UP!!!

All aboard!!! Lets see some f*cking action! Whooooooooooo!

[Danimal]

I'm really hoping the Suns make some sort of trade tonight.

As is the whole board I imagine. If all of the Tucker, Bled and the Morrii are on our opening roster I'm gonna be pissed. So much so I got up at 7am where I am to follow the draft.