Suns News: Week 18 2/11-2/17

[Indy]

We are the worst team in the league, and despite having the #1 pick last year, we are worse. Our owner is known around the league as a meddling incompetent asshole. Our GM has no experience. What is attractive to a FA about that, especially if the money is the same somewhere else? If we are attracting FAs, we are over paying them or nobody else wanted them. See Ariza, Trevor.

Well, someone wanted Ariza. They traded for him and the contract while giving up a valuable asset for him. That turned into a positive.

No doubt that we are the worst team in the league and possibly the worst run as well. I don't enjoy being a fan like I used too. Sarver has sucked all the fun out of rooting for the Suns. What a bummer.

I don't think they saw Oubre as a very valuable asset. He was in the last year of his contract and they weren't going to pay to keep him. But I get your point.

[specialsauce]

Yeah, we should be targeting KD and Lebron and Aldridge and other guys that won't come here.

You forgot to mention he is a stretch 4 that is active and hits 3s at 34% and has a better Defensive Rating than anyone on our roster that has played more than 20 minutes all season. We need someone big enough to play 4, but also able to stretch the floor, and play decent defense.

How about we target players that are more than just bit players? Mirotic, Portis, Randle, Aminu, Jamychael Green, Vonleh, Tobias Harris. Or making a play at a trade for A. Gordon, Dario Saric, maybe Larry Nance. Just examples of some players that actually produce while on the court. Kleber is an older Dragan Bender.

Just because we can’t get Anthony Davis here doesn’t mean we should just give up trying to get talented players. This roster needs a serious talent upgrade. We don’t need 12th men. We need whatever talent we acquire to immediately be one of our top 5 best players, which shouldn’t be difficult.

I get what you are saying, but we are not going to be able to attract 2 of the top 15-20 FAs to play here. And I agree that we need to sign guys that end up being in our top 5--which you point out isn't hard--but that means finding people that fit in too. So we need a PG and a PF. We have 20M to spend... not going to happen where we get two good FAs with that. We need to figure out where to spend the money and where to find good fits with room to grow...

We can easily open up more than 20 million to spend. Every team does it. It just takes an actual competent front office staff.

Don’t have a defeated attitude. Don’t accept this bullshit. Expect and demand more. Just because this organization is dogshit does not mean your expectations should change. That’s what they want to happen.

It’s pathetic when we’ve come to a point where we feel that Al Fariq Aminu Or Bobby Portis are out of our league.

We are the worst team in the league, and despite having the #1 pick last year, we are worse. Our owner is known around the league as a meddling incompetent a******. Our GM has no experience. What is attractive to a FA about that, especially if the money is the same somewhere else? If we are attracting FAs, we are over paying them or nobody else wanted them. See Ariza, Trevor.

Again, a defeated attitude. I’m not just going to give up on trying to actually improve this team to an elite level. The day I’ve resigned myself to searching for a FA to add on Klebers level, is the day I’ve decided the Suns aren’t worth rooting for and I’ll move on to another team.

If we can’t get middle of the road FAs to come here, we may as well quit preseason.

[Indy]

Fine. I am being defeatist.

So let's be positive. Tell me something attractive about this team to players around the league that are at the top of this UFA class.

[virtual9mm]

Fine. I am being defeatist.

So let's be positive. Tell me something attractive about this team to players around the league that are at the top of this UFA class.

Young, highly talented, just need a floor leader to get their shit together. Can help a top player contend well after he starts declining as a player, provided that he imposes the leadership and discipline and experience the young'uns need to start winning.

[Indy]

I am not sure "young" is a selling point, unless you are looking for other players in the same age? And it is hard to argue you are highly talented when you average losing every game by 10 points. Not just in our losses, but every game.

I agree that should be our selling point for Rubio, just not sure he buys it. But I think it will take most of our cap to get him. We will then need to trade others/picks for a PF unless we go a cheaper route. Not sure we have a lot of assets others want, though.

[Superbone]

The Knicks beat the Hawks tonight so the Suns go into the All-Star break with the league's worst record.

And there was much rejoicing. Yay...

[Superbone]

Fine. I am being defeatist.

So let's be positive. Tell me something attractive about this team to players around the league that are at the top of this UFA class.

Young, highly talented, just need a floor leader to get their s*** together. Can help a top player contend well after he starts declining as a player, provided that he imposes the leadership and discipline and experience the young'uns need to start winning.

The Suns are ripe for somebody to come to Phoenix and do a Nash and help us rise from the ashes. A few good pieces and some more experience and this team could really take off.

[Shabazz]

We are the worst team in the league, and despite having the #1 pick last year, we are worse. Our owner is known around the league as a meddling incompetent a******. Our GM has no experience. What is attractive to a FA about that, especially if the money is the same somewhere else? If we are attracting FAs, we are over paying them or nobody else wanted them. See Ariza, Trevor.

Well, someone wanted Ariza. They traded for him and the contract while giving up a valuable asset for him. That turned into a positive.

No doubt that we are the worst team in the league and possibly the worst run as well. I don't enjoy being a fan like I used too. Sarver has sucked all the fun out of rooting for the Suns. What a bummer.

I'm a die-hard since '91 and I've watched about 97% of the games since the SSOL years and all but 1 game live this season.

If the team doesn't put a competitive product on the court next season, I'll likely make the move to "casual fan." Life is too short for this garbage.

[djy2j]

There is nothing attractive about this team to a prospective FA, unless it’s your life long dream to live in Scottsdale. Horrible owner, disorganization in the front office. Rookie coach who comes across as weak and intimidated. No clear direction or game plan day in and day out.

We’re the Clippers of the 90’s minus the racist owner.

Getting a top 2 pick is the only chance at at something positive happening. I really don’t think we’re going to lure any FA that will move the meter and I’m not at all confident Jones, or whoever, can pull off a trade. Tyler Johnson was James Jones best effort.

[Indy]

stop being so unrealistic.

[In2ition]

A huge attraction and/or catapult to improving or being a team of the future could hinge on getting the #1 pick. Zion with Booker, Ayton and Bridges could be the core for 10+ years. Getting a competent/star pg is even more important to the immediate future though. Those two gigantic holes in the roster at pg and pf are seriously handicapping this team right now. Even Melton play pg right now would be an upgrade and he's a 2nd round rookie.

[Wormwood]

Fine. I am being defeatist.

So let's be positive. Tell me something attractive about this team to players around the league that are at the top of this UFA class.

If you're a FA PG or PF, and you're looking for a BIG payday in a year, do a one year contract with the Suns, get lots of starts, put up big numbers, then leave the next year when you get offered a much bigger contract.

[O_Gardino]

We could become a destination if we win the Anthony Davis sweepstakes without giving up Booker, and/or if we draft a superstar. Maybe we need one more solid move, but I think Booker + Bridges + Davis is a pretty appealing set of teammates.

I have no confidence that we can make 2 good moves in one offseason, but there is a top 5 player on the trading block this summer.

[The Bobster]

I would keep Ayton over Booker.

[Superbone]

I would keep Ayton over Booker.

It would be hard for Booker to get off a shot if you did that.

[Mori Chu]

So let's be positive. Tell me something attractive about this team to players around the league that are at the top of this UFA class.

I'm pretty sour about the current state of the Suns, but I can still see many reasons to be hopeful about the future this offseason and beyond.

Many NBA players still remember how fun this team was in the Nash years. The Suns were cool in the past and can be cool again. Phoenix is a nice city with warm weather and is close to other fun places like LA and Las Vegas.

We have a young core of promising players like Booker, Ayton, Josh Jackson, etc. While we have had horrible records for years now, if you're a talented free agent, you may see an opportunity where you (plus a high lottery pick rookie, plus maybe a new coach, other free agents, etc.) could turn things around and make the Suns relevant again.

And we'll have a decent amount of money to throw at a free agent. All else equal, money talks.

[In2ition]

There is certainly an opportunity to create a special story. It would be a huge challenge to turn this around, but it could be a Nash type change next year. After watching the past couple games, it sure seems it's going to take A LOT to change things around. This might mean that they make a big to semi big trade, sign some good FAs with decent contracts and/or get super lucky in the draft.

[Mori Chu]

There is certainly an opportunity to create a special story. It would be a huge challenge to turn this around, but it could be a Nash type change next year. After watching the past couple games, it sure seems it's going to take A LOT to change things around. This might mean that they make a big to semi big trade, sign some good FAs with decent contracts and/or get super lucky in the draft.

My dream is Rubio and Zion, plus maybe one more free agent PF. Plus maybe a coaching change (again, sigh), though I could live with giving Igor one more chance. If we had an offseason like that, I think I would be optimistic about our 2019/20. But the Zion part is unlikely to come to pass, so we will more likely end up with a player like Morant or Barrett.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Kevin Durant is going to have one those crazy “I’m better than Lebron” moments and sign with Phoenix to double on the “I’m going to make the Lakers relevant again by myself” move by James last summer. He already did Lebron’s “Start from scratch in Cleveland” with OKC, and “Leaving my Franchise to create a Super Team” on Golden State. Durant, Ayton, Booker (yes, he would be 3rd best) is a solid core, then Dragic comes to play for his national team coach in a “coming home” narrative and next to Bridges, you have a really solid starting five (we likely would have to renounce Oubre).

KD will see the potential here to imposse his will on the FO, and to cement a legacy leading the Suns to the Championship after so many bad/awful years. Otherwise, what would be the appeal on leaving GS if not for the ultimate challenge of winning the race for the ages with Lebron in taking a last place team all the way up? ESPN’s 30/30... here we come!!!

‘Sigh’ A man can dream, right?

[JeremyG]

Paul Westphal is a Hall of Fame finalist this year.

http://www.nba.com/article/2019/02/15/t ... al-release