Suns 2015 Trade Deadline Aftermath

[Superbone]

Let's talk about the aftermath of today's trading deadline deals and the effect on our Suns.

Out:

Goran/Zoran Dragic to Heat
Miles Plumlee to Bucks
Tyler Ennis to Bucks
Isaiah Thomas to Celtics
Laker's 2015 1st Round Pick to 76ers

In:

Brandon Knight from Bucks
Marcus Thorton from Celtics
Danny Granger from Heat (keeping ?)
Cavs 2016 1st round pick
Heat 2017 1st Round Pick (Top 7 protected)
Heat 2021 1st Round Pick (No protection)

[Superbone]

By far the most favorable grade for us I've seen:

[Sunsfan4life]

I think every grade I've seen for us has been positive except the C on IT's deal given by I think Cbs.

I think time will tell...giving up the LA pick is definitely dissapointing as is the fact, IMO, there is still a log jam of sorts infront of T.J. Warren. I think this is a process though and how Knight plays and how his contract is handled this offseason will determine his grade. The Majority here would rather have LA's pick nxt yr then Knight and I think that is fair and I'd side with that. Losing Ennis and plumlee don't concern me much. The Dragic situation sucked but beside him changing his stance on Houston or LA removing there pick protection getting 2 slightly protected 1sts was the best we could of hoped for.

[Sunsfan4life]

The problem with the bleacher report article is it doesn't even mention anything about picks which is such a huge part of our day. Just strictly talks about players.

[Danimal]

We fixed the log jam at pg but nothing else. We seemed to screw ourselves in the process of fixing a problem of our own making. I don't see much upside with any of this. Knight maybe a slightly better fit but is not a game changer an we get to live out the Bledsoe saga again this summer. And a bunch of average draft picks on the table which we don't have court time for. Losing the laker pick really gets to me. Team just feels so meh

[Superbone]

Other than the Dragic fiasco, I'm just more disappointed we lost a big and didn't pick up any. Granger doesn't count. We are lacking in size and rebounding. Len, Morris, and Wright alone don't cut it.

[carey]

Other than the Dragic fiasco, I'm just more disappointed we lost a big and didn't pick up any. Granger doesn't count. We are lacking in size and rebounding. Len, Morris, and Wright alone don't cut it.

I have a feeling we're bringing T-Rob in soon, not that that would move the needle much.

[Robot]

-R

[Wally_West]

Other than the Dragic fiasco, I'm just more disappointed we lost a big and didn't pick up any. Granger doesn't count. We are lacking in size and rebounding. Len, Morris, and Wright alone don't cut it.

I have a feeling we're bringing T-Rob in soon, not that that would move the needle much.

Hmm..

https://twitter.com/paulcoro/status/568635795860365312

[Wally_West]

https://twitter.com/paulcoro/status/568643176711331840

[INFORMER]

At least the Suns retained our new sun, moon, and stars. That's all that matters.

[INFORMER]

Other than the Dragic fiasco, I'm just more disappointed we lost a big and didn't pick up any. Granger doesn't count. We are lacking in size and rebounding. Len, Morris, and Wright alone don't cut it.

I have a feeling we're bringing T-Rob in soon, not that that would move the needle much.

Hmm..

https://twitter.com/paulcoro/status/568635795860365312

Please let this happen. I can't wait for the ensuing fluff articles.

[Wally_West]

https://twitter.com/Gambo987/status/568649258431156228

[TOO]

Sigh, I really liked Ennis

[Mori Chu]

Don't look now, but with tonight's win over the Mavs, OKC just officially passed the Suns to take the 8th playoff spot.

http://espn.go.com/nba/standings

[Mori Chu]

Also, Thomas Robinson freaking sucks. I want no part of him on this roster, even moreso if he somehow becomes part of a 3-part package blob with the Morrii. No more barnacles attached to that ship, please. I think I'm done with bringing in player B to appease player A.

[Shabazz]

Sigh, I really liked Ennis

I liked his potential, too.

[SDC]

how do you re-rank the teams in east and west conference?

miami in the top 4 in the east?

dallas still in bad shape after trading for rondo.

did OKC get enough to make it as 7th seed and kicking dallas to the 8th? OKC will defeat portland in the first round.

[virtual9mm]

It's been an exciting few days, and I've just finished reading through just about everything that has been posted here, on RealGM and BrightSide. I think I have enough of a handle on the situation to have an opinion.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball- ... 00022.html

Received: Brandon Knight, 2016 first-round draft pick (Cleveland’s), Danny Granger, John Salmons, two first-round picks from the Miami Heat (2017 and 2021).

Traded: First-round pick (Los Angeles Lakers’, top-five protected this year, top-three protected in 2016 and 2017, unprotected in 2018), Miles Plumlee, Tyler Ennis, Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas, Zoran Dragic.

Trade 1: Dragic to MIA for 2 likely lottery picks plus filler. This was a SPECTACULAR recovery from the corner that McDonough had painted himself into. Sure, the picks won't come this way for a while. That being said, a protected pick (top 7) and an unprotected one soon after Bosh, Dragic and Wade ALL GET REALLY OLD are worth lots. I'd expect something like the #10 pick with the first, and a high, high lotto pick with the second.

Trade 2: IT to BOS for Cleveland's 2016 pick. IIRC, this pick is not protected, making it potentially valuable. Do LeBron and Love leave? If so, the pick's golden. If not, well, McDonough created an asset from cap space.

Given the circumstances, I'm absolutely shocked that the Suns got so much for Dragic and IT. Sure, the FO deserves much blame for alienating Dragic. Nice recovery, though, in not getting completely fleeced. Good thing that MIA was willing to mortgage its future. But now:

Trade 3: Plumlee and the LAL top-5 protected pick for Brandon Jennings and change.

My first reaction was...Ummm...WTF???

Thinking things through, though, the trade makes a lot of sense. Regardless whether the LAL pick conveys in 2016 (it probably will not convey this year), the pick isn't as good as we were thinking early on this season because the 2016 draft looks weak. Still, this is not an asset that is worth burning...and I'm not happy the Suns gave it up. Also not happy about Ennis being moved. I wonder if McD has a thing against traditional pass-first point guards. There's some logic to this, since a PG centric system can be shut down much more easily than 2 combo guards. The problem is that the combo guards have to buy into the system and pass willingly...

That being said, I wonder if this will be considered a very good move in the coming years.

- Knight apparently has expressed a desire to play PG, but is a much better SG kind of like Gilbert Arenas prior to the gun incident.

- Bledsoe can run point, but needs an SG with handles and some passing ability. Hence, a traditional 2-guard like many were wanting simply would not work with Bledsoe.

- Knight is a RFA so expect the kind of tough negotiating that we saw with Bledsoe.

Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic. Everything depends on Bledsoe becoming more of a passer and Knight being willing to play a traditional 2-guard role more than half of the time.

Having said all of this, though, I am absolutely livid at both the Suns and Dragic about the way they ended the relationship. I watched Dragic grow up in the league and wanted him to retire in Phoenix. I hate how the management effed it up, and I hate how Dragic went "big market mad" on us.

My hope is that the new core stays and grows, being supplemented by other assets along the way. Maybe a star PF that will make Markieff a sixth man candidate.

[ShelC]

I'm taking a wait and see attitude. I like Knight a lot and don't dislike Bledsoe as much as some others but I'm not sure how I feel about their pairing. Might be a bit redundant. I get the philosophy of having multiple ballhandlers, scorers, distributors on the floor. It worked last year and now Knight is younger, more athletic and a better defender. He's also one of the better rebounding guards in the league which I like. The contract situation will be interesting. He turned down 12 from Milwaukee supposedly and Arn Tellem is his agent. Hoping Arn and Lon go back a bit and can come to a nice agreement.

IT3...I like him as a player in the right role/situation but that wasn't the case here. Glad we kind of undid his deal with Thornton's expiring contract.

Don't like that we gave up Plumlee and didn't get a big back. TRob...if we sign him, let's see what he's got. Something's gotta be up with him though that he's been traded around, released, couldn't find minutes anywhere. That's a red flag with me. All he needs to do is bring some energy, hustle and rebounding.