Ryan out as GM

[da_suns_fan]

"With picks Nos. 4, 5 and 8 in two drafts, he respectively wound up with Dragan Bender (2016), Alex Len (2013) and Marquese Chriss (2016).

McDonough traded Marcus Morris out of the blue without telling the player or his twin, Markieff Morris, after the brothers agreed to a team-friendly contract extension, a move reeking of a general manager lacking in the interpersonal requirements of the job.

Goran Dragic held the Suns hostage when demanding a trade. So did Eric Bledsoe and Morris.

McDonough traded the best point guard of the three on the roster at the time, Isaiah Thomas, for a whole lot of nothing.

His point guard in the aftermath of all that, Brandon Knight, was a disaster in Phoenix before being shipped out to Houston.

McDonough signed Tyson Chandler to help get LaMarcus Aldridge and then never got LaMarcus Aldridge."

http://arizonasports.com/story/1693496/ ... worrisome/

[Superbone]

https://twitter.com/daldridgetnt/status/1049330823588139008

[Superbone]

https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1049339373291024384

[Superbone]

https://twitter.com/sbordow/status/1049351867610750977

[Superbone]

https://twitter.com/AZSports/status/1049371738528575488

[Superbone]

A year ago, I wrote that by the Suns extending McDonough, it was time to strap in and get comfortable for the team’s rebuild and #TheTimeline.

On the start of that journey one year through, McDonough made a quick pit stop to grab Ayton and Bridges.

But when McDonough came back to the car without a point guard who could help the team win at least 35 games this year, Sarver moved in the driver’s seat and left him at the rest stop.

The Suns owner now has his hands on the wheel, and for a team that has a very bright future if they remain patient, that is terrifying.

Remember, he said it himself — Sarver is not a patient man.

[Superbone]

"After much thought and a long evaluation of our basketball operations, I have decided to relieve Ryan McDonough of his duties as general manager of the Phoenix Suns," Suns managing partner Robert Sarver said in a statement. "Over the course of the season, we will explore both internal and external options as we look to restructure our basketball front office leadership. On behalf of the entire organization, I want to thank Ryan for his efforts and contributions during his five-plus years with the Suns."

[Superbone]

I'm listening to Arizona Sports radio right now and they said they're going to have Sarver on later today.

[Indy]

A year ago, I wrote that by the Suns extending McDonough, it was time to strap in and get comfortable for the team’s rebuild and #TheTimeline.

On the start of that journey one year through, McDonough made a quick pit stop to grab Ayton and Bridges.

But when McDonough came back to the car without a point guard who could help the team win at least 35 games this year, Sarver moved in the driver’s seat and left him at the rest stop.

The Suns owner now has his hands on the wheel, and for a team that has a very bright future if they remain patient, that is terrifying.

Remember, he said it himself — Sarver is not a patient man.

Yeah. We have been there for over a decade...

[Nodack]

I was under the impression that there were just no good PG’s available in free agency this year and that there are supposed to be next year and that the plan was to tough it out another year on the PG. We could have drafted Dončić and would be done but, we drafted Ayton instead because he was just too big a prize to pass up. I am not questioning that pick because either guy is a win win and Ayton could turn into a mega superstar. Unfortunately not drafting Dočić means we are without a quality PG for another year possibly. We would probably be more competitive this year if we drafted Dončić but in the long run big picture would we be better off with Ayton and picking up a quality PG next year or just drafting Dončić?

I fear like some of you that Sarver will push hard for a PG now and end up selling half the team for somebody that isn’t “the guy”.

[n4th4n]

To be fair, re: Woj tweets, he was a BIG fan of McDonough. Take it with a grain of salt.

Where do you get that idea from?

[Superbone]

Even if we have to overpay, it's probably worth getting a decent starting PG this year even if it's a stopgap measure. If the goal is to start winning games, you just have to have a competent starting PG. You just do. This was probably what lost McD his job.

[Xylus]

I'm not really concerned with the timing of the firing. Probably should have happened sooner but I don't think McD did much damage to us this offseason. He drafted a future star in Ayton and got rid of a few malcontents in Chriss and Knight. The Ariza and Anderson pickups aren't going to bankrupt us, either. I'd rather Sarver admit that it's failing right before the season begins than suffer through another year of McD at the helm.

[ShelC]

But what's the use in firing McD now and bringing bad PR 10 days out from the start of the season? Why not let him work the rest of the season and then fire him? Let him try and work a deal at the deadline or just run the FO and then get rid of him. Is James Jones really ready to start calling execs and pulling off trades? Or he is just going to do the legwork while Sarver calls other execs/owners to get the guys he wants?

[Cap]

I cant give him credit for Booker. They were trying to trade up to get Frank Kaminsky.

I thought it was Justise Winslow they were after.

[jonh]

How would you feel about David Griffen as the next GM?

[In2ition]

How would you feel about David Griffen as the next GM?

I like Griff, but I'll always remember listening him talk to the media after the first time Marcus Banks was in for informal workouts, saying that Banks was pretty good. I remember watching it sitting and talking to Marc Ivaroni and thinking 2 minutes in that Banks was going to be a disaster. I just couldn't believe that Griff actually believed what he was saying.

[O_Gardino]

Classic Sarver timing.

Here's my guesses about his reasoning:

1. The team is worse than Sarver expected. He's irate that we are getting handled in the preseason. (I am, too.)
OR
2. Sarver has been planning this all along, but didn't want to go through an important off season without a GM. He thinks this buys him some time to hire another guy during maybe the least busy time of the year for GMs.

[ShelC]

Griffin is awful. Gets a lot of credit for nothing.

Another plot twist:
https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/1049405770247401474 Not sure if these were guys McD brought in, if Jones will bring in people he knows or what. Way to clean out at the start of the season tho.

[BlaCkAdDa]

Shocked, but once I get over that the timing isn't terrible.. End of last season would have been terrible... Right now it's about next year so let's get it sorted.... McD didn't have a great success rate so there's a chance this is for the better....