Suns News: Week 7 12/8-12/14

[carey]

Current record 12-9

Last Week.
Tuesday, December 2nd vs. Indiana W116-99
Friday, December 5th @ Dallas W118-106
Saturday, December 6th @ Houston L100-95

This Week.
Monday, December 8th @ LA Clippers 10:30 PM EST
Tuesday, December 9th vs. Miami 9:00 PM EST
Friday, December 12th vs. Detroit 9:00 PM EST
Sunday, December 14th @ Oklahoma City 7:00 PM EST

Suns News.
What We Know About the Suns So Far: LINK
Suns Are Mired by Slow Defensive Starts: LINK

[carey]

There's a game tonight btw. IT is out again.

[Dan H]

So saw something on Facebook about Lopez being on the trading block in Brooklyn.

Would you do Thomas, Tucker, Plumlee, and a pick or two for Brook? 17.7 PER, might be able to slide to the 4 with Len at the 5 for stretches.

[OE32]

That package makes sense except for the draft picks. It's strange - in this and the realgm board, seems like people just want to throw those picks out the window just because we can. Seems fans forget how hard it is to get draft picks in the first place. I'd do that deal without the picks, and even then, it's not clear it'll help us win games this year. And it's basically for a two-year rental, since we all think Len is our eventual starter. I think IT-Tucker-Plum for Brook is pretty even, myself.

[specialsauce]

So saw something on Facebook about Lopez being on the trading block in Brooklyn.

Would you do Thomas, Tucker, Plumlee, and a pick or two for Brook? 17.7 PER, might be able to slide to the 4 with Len at the 5 for stretches.

No. Dude can't stay healthy

[Xylus]

Lopez has played less than 100 games the last 3 seasons. He's fragile.

[LazarusLong]

I'd rather have Frye back, even at the Orlando price....

[Ring_Wanted]

I wish the Bulls were interested in IT3 for Mirotic, and they might, but they already have Aaron Brooks playing a similar role and doint it well although IT3 is obviously the better player and his contract should be appealing to Chicago, particularly when you consider Rose proneness to miss games. I'd also make PJ and Plumlee available, but salaries would get tricky as the Bulls basically don't have any useless filler. A three way, perhaps.

Gibson makes things easier money wise but it wrecks their defense.

Boston is the other team I'd call regarding IT3 but it's also hard to see them taking Thomas with Rondo, Smart and Bradley.

[Ring_Wanted]

What about this:

Chicago in IT3, PJ Tucker, Plumlee.
Chicago out Mirotic, Dunleavy, Brooks.

Orlando in Dunleavy, Brooks.
Orlando out Dedmon, Ben Gordon.

Phoenix in Mirotic, Dedmond, filler in Ben Gordon.
Phoenix out IT3, Tucker, Plumlee.

Maybe the Bulls would think they'd be making a lateral move, but in my opinion this gives them more balance, a terrific long term insurance for Derrick Rose, and I think Thibs could extract enough out of Tucker and Plumlee to represent an improvement over what they'd be sending out. McDermott could see minutes at stretch PF.

Orlando would upgrade their microwave off the bench and would also add a good fit at SF, with making the playoffs in mind. Currently they are employing and using Ben Gordon, Luck Ridnour and Willie Green. The cost is a prospect center who could be the odd man out if/when Vucevic, Frye, O'Quinn are all able to play. Besides, Aaron Gordon will eventually be back, meaning one more body at PF (Gordon/Harris) even if it is just for sporadic minutes.

Phoenix improves its balance as well, makes room for rookies Ennis-Warren and even sheds some long term salary in the process.

Since Chicago's cap situation is so tight, I think they'd need to move a couple of salary fillers in Snell and Moore, but I don't think that would be an obstacle to making the trade if they feel the incoming three players offer a better chance at winning the east. I'd also be willing to add a couple of second rounders to make it work (Minni's).

[OE32]

I think we're giving up way too much in that deal.

As opposed to years past, Suns fans' trade proposals this year have generally had us sending out more value than we're taking in. I guess that's what happens when you have a lot of talent on paper, but not a lot of production on the court.

[ShelC]

Houston is looking to use their 8mil TPE so they could theoretically take on Thomas without us taking anything back. That's IF we just wanted to clear his salary and IF we wanted to help a WC team.

[OE32]

Houston is looking to use their 8mil TPE so they could theoretically take on Thomas without us taking anything back. That's IF we just wanted to clear his salary and IF we wanted to help a WC team.

I'm sure we're leveraging IT's beautiful contract to get assets. No way we regret the signing. No way.

[JCSunsfan]

So saw something on Facebook about Lopez being on the trading block in Brooklyn.

Would you do Thomas, Tucker, Plumlee, and a pick or two for Brook? 17.7 PER, might be able to slide to the 4 with Len at the 5 for stretches.

Nets fans think Lopez has negative trade value. IOW, no picks, and maybe a pick coming back our way.

[Ring_Wanted]

Houston is looking to use their 8mil TPE so they could theoretically take on Thomas without us taking anything back. That's IF we just wanted to clear his salary and IF we wanted to help a WC team.

I'm sure we're leveraging IT's beautiful contract to get assets. No way we regret the signing. No way.

Actually I do.

When I first learned about the deal, I said 'Wow, I want that contract'. But I am realizing that I was blinded by the perceived value of that contract, and was overlooking the kind of impact a player like IT makes on the court, although to be honest I felt Green-Ennis were trade bound to alleviate the pressure. But they weren't, or haven't been so far, and even if they get traded, it's still too much dominance from the PG spot. And what the hell, I want to keep Green and am intrigued by Ennis.

I bought into the idea that there was room for the three but simple there is not. Diminishing returns have hit us hard, just look at Bledsoe-Dragic numbers and game without Thomas. It feels totally different.

I regret the move because I wanted to take a step forward and this is the merciless and unforgiving West, where you need 60% and unheard of level of play to just make the postseason. Instead we have wasted 30% of the season juggling around with redundant parts and looking worse than the sum of these parts, a clear contrast to the past season. A step back.

I don't blame IT3, tough. He is what he is, is trying to do his thing as well as he can and his performance has been key to some wins so no compains about his performance. The issue is not the player himself, and obviously there are other issues than the too many guards angle.

But now he is supposedly getting traded, or at least that's the inclination of many fans. Ok.

We talk about great value but look around. Who is in need of a PG? Very few teams. That's the most stacked position in the league, and this is a player with a reputation already. Scorer, mainly one on one. Great at it but very little else.

Obviously he is far from untradeable, but we have very specific needs and to make things worse, it happens to be the kind of player that is the least common in the league, a big man. Maybe he gets you expiring crap and future draft stock. To me it wouldn't be terrible, just not what I want. Fungibility is handy strategically, but doesn't grab rebounds.

In the summer he was compared to Kyrie. 20-6, nice %s, etc. But what if now the market deems him just a 6th man (ain't this what he is playing after all?) instead of an allstar caliber on this amazing contract. Who knows, sometimes big mistakes are actually fixed in the NBA. Turkoglu was turned into Gortat, but I can't operate under the assumption that something similar is happening again.

Anyway, bottom line is I regret it because he represents turning a solution into a problem. Again, not by himself, but when you compound his signing with letting Frye go basically for the same price, and after drafting a PG who is perfectly suited to play the Ish Smith role.

All I know is that I am eager to see all this value turned into more wins and above all, better and more consistent game play from my team.

[Ring_Wanted]

So saw something on Facebook about Lopez being on the trading block in Brooklyn.

Would you do Thomas, Tucker, Plumlee, and a pick or two for Brook? 17.7 PER, might be able to slide to the 4 with Len at the 5 for stretches.

Nets fans think Lopez has negative trade value. IOW, no picks, and maybe a pick coming back our way.

Wouldn't you? Damaged goods (foot on a big man, no less), max contract, trade kicker if I am not mistaken. The kind of player you take a low risk gamble on, but not somebody who can fetch real assets, and since their picks are gone, getting worse makes no sense.

Brook Lopez, David Lee, David West, Josh Smith, Javale McGee... What if that's all the market is offering to buyers on a non premium budget. I can already see faces shrugging off.

[Mori Chu]

I don't think there are a lot of good big men currently being dangled out there as trade options. It may take until the All-star break when GMs all get together and hang out and discuss deals.

[LazarusLong]

I hear the talk about Horford and others. What many forget is that Frye had a very mediocre career before he came to the Suns. So it may be a matter of giving the right guy the chance to prove himself --- somebody who's perhaps been beneath the radar or is stuck on the bench in a numbers game.

[Shabazz]

Suns get: Biyombo, MKG, Vonleh
Bobcats get: Plumlee, Tucker, Green, Ennis, Minnesota Pick

Thoughts?

[Indy]

Suns get: Biyombo, MKG, Vonleh
Bobcats get: Plumlee, Tucker, Green, Ennis, Minnesota Pick

Thoughts?

It may not be rationale, but I want to find a way to keep Green.

[OE32]

Suns get: Biyombo, MKG, Vonleh
Bobcats get: Plumlee, Tucker, Green, Ennis, Minnesota Pick

Thoughts?

Love it.

Though, Tyler might have the best career of all the PG's on our roster, when all's said and done. Take Ennis out, and insert Gerald Henderson for MKG, and I'm nuts for this deal, even if it costs us Archie or Bogdan or an actual pick (however acquired).