Game Day: Suns (28-22) @ Blazers (33-16), Thurs 2/5/15

[Mori Chu]

Random note: I have recently found out that my parents will be retiring this summer and moving (back) to Tucson thereafter. That means I'll be visiting AZ a lot more often in the future! I hope that sometime, maybe during next season or offseason, I could get up to Phoenix and be part of a Phx-Suns.net get-together. Just don't expect a Chinese guy to show up...!

[SDC]

Apples and oranges IMO. Yea, I'd much rather see TJ and Bullock instead of Marcus Morris and maybe PJ Tucker, but if we bench those guys it devalues them. Not sure how much value they have now, but their deals are friendly if a team were inclined to take them on. But if we sit them, it makes it harder to trade them.

We aren't talking about benching anyone. But there has to be 5 minutes each game to give to either Ennis or TJ or even Bullock depending on the match up. It doesn't have to even be consistent yet. Just get them out there.

dont worry, they will get pLENTY of playing time next season.

[Indy]

Hmm. Well, the All-Star break is this month. How about the 21st, when we play Chicago?

I'll be out of town. How about the 25th?

[Cap]

Works for me.

[EDC]

It feels less like we are locked up with bad contracts and more that we are locked up because we are having just enough success to make the front office reluctant to take a step back.

Hopefully we see something happen before the trade deadline.

[Indy]

It feels less like we are locked up with bad contracts and more that we are locked up because we are having just enough success to make the front office reluctant to take a step back.

Hopefully we see something happen before the trade deadline.

Agreed. I wasn't saying we had a ton of bad contracts. We have a ton of contracts for guys that aren't playing, or guys I don't see as part of a great team (even on the bench).

[Indy]

Works for me.

Cool. I would recommend we do it a little further south than last time. I think we had both Ill and Dack driving quite a ways. Maybe there is a good place in the Riverview shopping center area (if we have a similar lineup up). That seemed almost exactly in the middle for everyone.

[OE32]

It feels less like we are locked up with bad contracts and more that we are locked up because we are having just enough success to make the front office reluctant to take a step back.

Hopefully we see something happen before the trade deadline.

I don't think we have any bad contracts - pretty nice situation to be in. I think we are locked up because we view that as the surest and straightest path to success. Rebuilding by the tank the draft can be a long and miserable process. I do not envy the Sixers.

I think McD's trying to play the long game. With the rising cap, it's good to have players under reasonable long-term contracts, because the free agent market will suddenly be flooded with money, and it will be hard to get talent on reasonable deals. Rookie contracts remain valuable because you can lock them up long-term. It's no fun being in the 7-8-9-10 mediocrity phase, which causes many fans to be anxious for a trade. Earlier in the season, I was hoping for something like that. I'd still like to see Goran or Green get moved, because I don't think we'll be able to re-sign them this summer, and I'd rather get something for them.

We don't have that superstar - yet. But we have a number of young players with high ceilings, and a lot of value on the roster. It's hard to see that we're in a good position because of where we are in the rankings, but we're in a really, really good position. That said, I had to turn the game off at halftime last night, because without Alex out there, I feel like I'm watching something from the old history channel. I think, look at these guys who used to play for the Suns in those 2014-2016 years. I can't imagine I'm watching the evolution of Ring of Honor players, future Suns champions.

All that said - I don't think we're going to see a significant trade for two reasons. First, I don't think the market's positioned to pay what our players are worth right now. Easier to bring in new players during the offseason than midseason. And teams' situations will change in the offseason, making them willing to go a new direction. Plus, there will be a draft. Once the draft slots and the talent evaluations are locked in, teams will know what they're trading. If we want to move in or out, it'll be a lot easier on draft day.

Second, as I said, McD's playing the long game. Not only are teams not willing to pay what our players are worth, McD isn't desperate or foolish enough to sell low. He'll wait until the market improves, and he'll be well-positioned as a result of his patience. This strategy will probably cost us the Dragon. But I also don't think Dragic on a superstar contract holds a ton of value. IT at $7 mil per provides long-term value that is flexible enough to be moved in any manner of trade.



TL;DR: We probably won't make a trade, and that's ok. We're playing the long game.

[iLLmatic]

Works for me.

Cool. I would recommend we do it a little further south than last time. I think we had both Ill and Dack driving quite a ways. Maybe there is a good place in the Riverview shopping center area (if we have a similar lineup up). That seemed almost exactly in the middle for everyone.

The drive wasn't that bad for me, mostly freeway. I don't think there's too much in Riverview besides Cactus Moon, which doesn't look too bad.

http://www.cactusmoonmesa.com/cactus-moon-sports.html

[Cap]

Zipps is a desirable drinking spot for me since it eliminates the drive altogether, but I'll adjust if others would prefer a different location.

[Indy]

Zipps is a desirable drinking spot for me since it eliminates the drive altogether, but I'll adjust if others would prefer a different location.

So maybe I was just being selfish. It's a 45 mile round trip for me. I'm good with whatever the attending members choose.

[Cap]

If the attending members choose Zipps, first round's on me.

[virtual9mm]

Too bad I won't be able to make this one! Cap -- get Mori a drink on me, and I'll pay you back the next time I see you.

[INFORMER]

it's good to have players under reasonable long-term contracts

Not when it's not the right players. Not when those players don't move the needle. And not when you're only looking at them in the value.

Rookie contracts remain valuable because you can lock them up long-term.

Conceptually this is true. But not when you are using them like the Suns are. The rookies aren't playing, which will minimize they're trade value, and the Suns are still handing out sizable contract commitments.

He'll wait until the market improves, and he'll be well-positioned as a result of his patience.

There really isn't any reason to think the market will improve.

[OE32]

We disagree about many things these days, INF. We'll see how it all shakes out.