Game Day: Suns (12-8) @ Rockets (15-4), Sat 12/06/14

[ShelC]

I'm sure you try and get some assurances from Monroe on signing with us. The Morii would be good fits next to either Smith or Drummond, wish we could send them over. Throw Green in there maybe with Plumlee. Don't think they'd have any use for IT3 or Ennis (IT is similar to Jennings and Ennis similar to Augustin). But Marcus could play the 3 next to Smith and Drummond, Markeiff could play the 5 next to Smith (small ball) or the 4 next to Drummond.

[Mori Chu]

I like Munroe plenty, but I have a bad feeling that if we traded for him, he'd bail after the one year and not re-sign with us. Somebody would throw a truckload of money at him and they'd probably be able to beat our best offer, given our cap situation. Unless we somehow got Detroit to take back a bunch of long-term money in the deal.

[Ring_Wanted]

Where I disagree is the worry about future assets. No matter what, I don't think we should trade Tyler until the draft, because there are so many high lotto teams that could use a true distributing PG - meaning he could be our ticket to the top, in combo with a pick. But I think we have so many assets that giving someone up wouldn't really seem like a sacrifice. IT is the frosting on the cake of our guard rotation. Both Goodwin and Bogdanovic may be expendable if we plan to run with Goran and Bled for the next 4 years (however advisable that may ultimately be). Plumlee's not awesome but he's a solid young player on a rookie deal. In the pursuit of some ideal 4/5, all those players could be moved, IMO.

Last trade deadline the Suns had a ton of future assets too and decided against using them to solidify their chances to make the playoffs. I could see this mindset again unless it's a move for a proven big man star, but I think we are not getting one and OKC is coming for us.

Nobody wants a rental. Nobody wants a mere role player with two-three years remaining on a non bargain contract. Nobody wants old former allstars. Nobody wants guys with glaring limitations to their game.

My point is that we should be more open to moves besides the 'ideal 4/5'. Just a decent D+R role player could make an impact, and given how tight things are in the west, one mere win could be the difference between another #14 and the playoffs.

The problem I see is that usually people want that ideal move or nothing, since assets are so precious, but when you look at the market it's dry if you are looking for a home run.

[Ring_Wanted]

By the way, everybody likes to point at Horford (who frankly is very nice but becoming a little overrated imo), but I don't see it. The Hawks are playing really well and the East is wide open; their FO is a mess and it's basically Budenholzer who is calling the shots. Nothing short of a king's ransom gets you Horford.

To make things even more complicated from our standpoint, Atlanta has a pretty PG rotation already. Teague-Schroder is cheap, productive and can get better so they don't look like a good trading partner for us unless it is a three way (they would have LOVED Frye, btw). If for some reason they decided to tear it down and entertained trading him, I believe that like in Love's case, there are better options out there than the Suns, unless the player himself singled us out as his destination, but can't see Phoenix having enough gravity to attract the big prices before becoming a bonafide playoff team.

[ShelC]

They're not going to trade Horford now with Milsap approaching FA.

[JCSunsfan]

We might just wait for free agency next summer to get a defensive rebounding presence at f or c. A trade now might just be to clear cap and add assets for that purpose. IT for a pick, for instance.

There are a bunch of potential centers: Marc Gasol, Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan, Roy Hibbert, Al Jefferson, Omer Asik, Robin Lopez, Enes Kanter, Nicola Vucevic. Almost any of those would fill the void at center we have right now. All we have to do is have enough space to sign one.

[ShelC]

None of those entice me or would be available. And I still think Len can be an effective 5 in time, we need that PF.

[JCSunsfan]

But Markieff is probably as good as any pf we will get unless its Love. Markieff is even playing as well as LMA right now.

I would love for Len to pan out, so we keep him. Plumlee needs to go. IT probably needs to go.

[Ring_Wanted]

Targeting those players is probably too ambitious given our circumstances in terms of salary cap, league status or both. If that's the kind of big man you are expecting, I believe it's going to be a disappointment unless McD manages to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

[specialsauce]

But Markieff is probably as good as any pf we will get unless its Love. Markieff is even playing as well as LMA right now.

I would love for Len to pan out, so we keep him. Plumlee needs to go. IT probably needs to go.

I think Markieff has been playing well this year, but uhhh ..... no. He is not on Lamarcus's level.

[OE32]

I'm okay with being patient in order to get that 4/5. But see, I believe Len will be a borderline-starter next season, and Kieff is a quality starter now. The problem is that, going forward, we'll need another rotation player who can play alongside *either* of them. So they can rotate. So not a center or a 4. A 4/5.

I agree with JC that IT for a pick could be nice. To the Rox for the Pels' pick? I'd do that. Bet they would too. Combine that with our own pick and maybe the Lakers' and Ennis, we may even have enough ammo to get to the top of the draft. Pistons don't really need another big, neither do the Jazz. Neither do the 6ers. Should be teams interested in that kinda deal.

[ShelC]

I think so long as Alex continues to get minutes this year and can use the offseason to continue building up his body and playing basketball, he'll be OK. This is essentially his rookie season and we've definitely seen flashes. I'm not yet willing to give up on him and he's just 21 years old. RoLo turned a corner last year and has been extremely solid next to Aldridge and he's only 26. We know big men take longer. We should give Alex some time. I think he's still more skilled and has more potential than RoLo.

[specialsauce]

Plumlee + IT + Tucker + Lakers 1st round pick for Al Jefferson?

[carey]

Like just about everyone else we could have signed Al outright but didn't. Don't see us trading all our assets for him.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I'm for solidyfing the Frontcourt rotation, with a proven veteran willing to walk a transition from starting to bench during the next couple years, Tyson Chandler could be the one. Marc Gasol as good as he is, would eventually make us to chose between him and Len, unless we follow the "Two PG" lineup with th "Two centers" sequel.

[virtual9mm]

The Suns have created an extremely valuable asset by signing IT to that contract. It is clear that Dragic and Bled do better on their own, rather than having IT in the mix. The Suns have no NEED to trade IT, however, since any one of the three can be traded. However, IT perhaps has the greatest value because of his affordable contract, and that Goran is an expiring.

I like the idea of trading IT to Houston for the Pelicans' pick, as long as we don't pick up dead weight salary. There is a sense of urgency because the Suns aren't going to retain Dragic the way things are going now. Babby is smart enough to know this.

[ShelC]

Have the rockets shown any interest in IT or is that just our own speculation? They have Beverly and Harden and another young scorer in Canaan. I think the Lakers would make more sense but they're probably not looking to add talent/wins this season.

Maybe Philly has interest next year.

[Mori Chu]

The only thing is, I'm not sure we really want to strengthen a Western conference rival like that. Houston is potentially going to be a contender for years. Do we really want to help them be better than us during the prime of our team's core players?

Also, I think Houston's real master plan is to get Goran Dragic to come back there after this season. Did you guys see that site saying that Goran "favorited" a tweet saying that he should come back to Houston? He un-favorited it later, but still, it's worrisome.

[SDC]

The only thing is, I'm not sure we really want to strengthen a Western conference rival like that. Houston is potentially going to be a contender for years. Do we really want to help them be better than us during the prime of our team's core players?

Also, I think Houston's real master plan is to get Goran Dragic to come back there after this season. Did you guys see that site saying that Goran "favorited" a tweet saying that he should come back to Houston? He un-favorited it later, but still, it's worrisome.

hahaha...

[SDC]

if the suns trade IT but dont make the playoffs again this year, dragic will probably bail out and move to houston.