Suns News: Coronavirus Break

[INFORMER]

What does all that have to do with Kelly Oubre Jr., the Phoenix Suns wing who is this week’s selection for the Warriors’ potential offseason target of the week? Lottery night, if the order breaks right for the Warriors, could present several intriguing trade possibilities. The Oubre option — via a pick swap, utilizing the $17.2 million exception — is one of the best among these theoretical paths.

Oubre is certainly worth more than moving up 5 spots in the draft.

I like the Warriors as a trade partner, but I would move Rubio for the traded player exception and draft considerations, not Oubre.

[INFORMER]

Yea the "royal we". Without knowing the revenue shortfall or cap projection it's tough to say what the numbers will be. But we know Sarver and he may tell Jones flat out that they're not spending or only spending X amount. Oubre may be a casualty there. Bridges and Ayton have contracts coming up as well. So getting another young player locked in on a rookie deal may not be the worst option.

If that’s the case, then trade him for Lauri or Gordon or someone comparable.

Agreed.

The Suns know how the last contract talks went, so I think they should have a good read on how feasible it will be to resign Oubre. But from the fan side of things, everything we've seen and heard, Oubre wants to be a Sun.

[INFORMER]

The connection between Booker and the Knicks is clear: Leon Rose, New York’s president, used to be Booker’s agent at Creative Artists Agency. William "World Wide Wes" Wesley also has a relationship with Booker. Wesley is the Knicks’ executive vice president and a senior advisor to Rose.

Any speculation about a Booker trade includes the assumption that the young star would force a trade from the Suns.

No one knows whether Booker would take that type of stance – either publicly or privately.

Something else that’s worth noting about Booker and the Suns: last summer, the Arizona Republic reported that the Suns chose not to pursue D’Angelo Russell, Booker’s close friend, in free agency because the club “apparently felt Russell wouldn’t have been a good influence on Booker off the court.”

Booker, per league sources, wasn’t happy with the organization at the time of the report. The Arizona Republic noted that Booker had campaigned for club to sign Russell, who was a restricted free agent. The Suns instead pursued Terry Rozier and ended up signing Ricky Rubio.

Again, none of this is to suggest that Booker is going to demand a trade from the Suns. But there is some evidence to suggest that the relationship between Booker and the organization hasn't been unblemished.

https://sny.tv/articles/devin-booker-pa ... -last-year

[INFORMER]

Monty discusses the protective measures of the Bubble:

Williams has a wristband he uses to get into his hotel room that also has him check-in everywhere he goes, holding it up to a surface until he gets the green light go-ahead. Your mind jumps to this as a tracking device of sorts, but this will also exponentially help the NBA with contact tracing if it becomes necessary with a positive test.

“So everywhere we go we have to check-in and check out,” he said.

Williams also got what he delightfully referred to it as a “ring thingy” on his right ring finger. The “smart ring” monitors sleep, pulse, movement, temperature and oxygen levels, with the hope that it would be able to catch COVID-19 symptoms early.

His required credential includes another device as well that, for those who want it to do so, will set off an alarm if they have spent too much time within six feet of someone.

Upon seeing all this and the execution by the NBA in the first three days, Williams is a full-on believer now.

“The NBA has gone above and beyond to give us every chance to be successful,” Williams said.

https://arizonasports.com/story/2320388 ... kepticism/

[ShelC]

Slow summer for the NY Knicks media with no draft, summer league, FA or Orlando bubble. Rose/CAA/WWW connections are all they have to go on at this point and those will be the rumors for the next 2-3 years or whenever Rose is out. They're doing the same thing with Kidd's coaching candidacy and Giannis.

The progress made this season with Monty and the roster put Booker in a better place IMO. But imagine the logic of Knicks fans and the media thinking "Booker is unhappy with all the losing in Phoenix, so he'd be a perfect target for the Knicks". And I don't even know what the Knicks could offer at this point.

[INFORMER]

I'd much rather go into the season with Kelly and Devin Vassell than Anthony Edwards or Obi Toppin.

I want to keep Oubre, but leaving the 2020 draft with Devin Vassell would continue the draft night disappointment that this organization is so adept at providing.

[Cap]

The progress made this season with Monty and the roster put Booker in a better place IMO. But imagine the logic of Knicks fans and the media thinking "Booker is unhappy with all the losing in Phoenix, so he'd be a perfect target for the Knicks". And I don't even know what the Knicks could offer at this point.

To heck with the losing. Arizona is the most dangerous place in the country during the COVID era. That’s the reason to want out.

Getting away from the second-worst owner in the league would also be a reason if we were talking about going anywhere other than the Knicks.

[specialsauce]

I'd much rather go into the season with Kelly and Devin Vassell than Anthony Edwards or Obi Toppin.

I want to keep Oubre, but leaving the 2020 draft with Devin Vassell would continue the draft night disappointment that this organization is so adept at providing.

You’re absolutely right, but that’s because it would mean we didn’t trade the pick for a proven role player.

[specialsauce]

Monty discusses the protective measures of the Bubble:

Williams has a wristband he uses to get into his hotel room that also has him check-in everywhere he goes, holding it up to a surface until he gets the green light go-ahead. Your mind jumps to this as a tracking device of sorts, but this will also exponentially help the NBA with contact tracing if it becomes necessary with a positive test.

“So everywhere we go we have to check-in and check out,” he said.

Williams also got what he delightfully referred to it as a “ring thingy” on his right ring finger. The “smart ring” monitors sleep, pulse, movement, temperature and oxygen levels, with the hope that it would be able to catch COVID-19 symptoms early.

His required credential includes another device as well that, for those who want it to do so, will set off an alarm if they have spent too much time within six feet of someone.

Upon seeing all this and the execution by the NBA in the first three days, Williams is a full-on believer now.

“The NBA has gone above and beyond to give us every chance to be successful,” Williams said.

https://arizonasports.com/story/2320388 ... kepticism/

Crazy. Certainly will feed the conspiracy theorists. Certainly a good way to maintain the bubble though

[INFORMER]

I'd much rather go into the season with Kelly and Devin Vassell than Anthony Edwards or Obi Toppin.

I want to keep Oubre, but leaving the 2020 draft with Devin Vassell would continue the draft night disappointment that this organization is so adept at providing.

You’re absolutely right, but that’s because it would mean we didn’t trade the pick for a proven role player.

The only thing that would accomplish is satisfying the desire of a fan that hates the draft. No need to trade the pick just for a role player when we have cap space to add multiple role players.

[Shabazz]

I'd much rather go into the season with Kelly and Devin Vassell than Anthony Edwards or Obi Toppin.

I want to keep Oubre, but leaving the 2020 draft with Devin Vassell would continue the draft night disappointment that this organization is so adept at providing.

You’d really prefer Aaron “Troy Daniels 2.0” Nesmith?

[INFORMER]

I prefer trading the 10th pick to Boston for 16 & 27.

And Aaron Nesmith is not Troy Daniels. And we don't need to draft Mikal Bridges again.

[Split T]

Nesmith’s shooting numbers are pretty bonkers. He’s quite a bit bigger than Troy. He does seem a bit one dimensional, but there’s a chance he can be fine defensively. Daniels was hard to play because he couldn’t defend anyone. I don’t think it’s crazy to think Nesmith could have a Korver like career.


Vassell is a lot like Bridges. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but it would be nice to add some more variety. I still like Vassell though and would consider him at 10 if the right guys are off the board.

[INFORMER]

Nesmith is one-dimensional, but that one dimension could easily be parlayed into a long NBA career as a 20 ppg scorer.

I think he will be the best player on the board at 10, but ultimately I think picking Paul Reed or Reggie Perry could be more beneficial.

[Shabazz]

You don’t get Hakim Warrick vibes (on O) from Reed?

[Split T]

Nesmith is one-dimensional, but that one dimension could easily be parlayed into a long NBA career as a 20 ppg scorer.

I think he will be the best player on the board at 10, but ultimately I think picking Paul Reed or Reggie Perry could be more beneficial.

I see Desmond Bane on your list. Honestly I haven’t watched him at all, but he’s been a mid 40’s 3pt shooter on high attempts for 3 years now. He’s listed at 6’6 215. What’s keeping him so low on draft boards. Is he a non athlete? He even put up almost 4 assists a game this last year.

[INFORMER]

Nesmith is one-dimensional, but that one dimension could easily be parlayed into a long NBA career as a 20 ppg scorer.

I think he will be the best player on the board at 10, but ultimately I think picking Paul Reed or Reggie Perry could be more beneficial.

I see Desmond Bane on your list. Honestly I haven’t watched him at all, but he’s been a mid 40’s 3pt shooter on high attempts for 3 years now. He’s listed at 6’6 215. What’s keeping him so low on draft boards. Is he a non athlete? He even put up almost 4 assists a game this last year.

Him and Cameron Johnson share the same agent, btw.

I wouldn't trust most draft boards outside of the lottery.

I really like Bane a lot. His athleticism is solid, but he isn't a jump out of the gym type. He is tough and he hustles. He showed nice progress being able to put the ball on the floor. I compare him to a smarter PJ Tucker.

[INFORMER]

You don’t get Hakim Warrick vibes (on O) from Reed?

I mean they're both skinny and wear head bands, but other than that, no.

In 135 college games, Hakim Warrick hit 10 3s. In 29 games last season, Reed hit 16. Hakim was a postup player; Reed is more of a face-up guy. Warrick was a good vertical athlete, but his movement was very mechanical. Reed has verticality, fluidity, and above average lateral quickness.

[INFORMER]

I think Okobo and Bridges are the two guys who tested positive.

[Shabazz]

You don’t get Hakim Warrick vibes (on O) from Reed?

I mean they're both skinny and wear head bands, but other than that, no.

In 135 college games, Hakim Warrick hit 10 3s. In 29 games last season, Reed hit 16. Hakim was a postup player; Reed is more of a face-up guy. Warrick was a good vertical athlete, but his movement was very mechanical. Reed has verticality, fluidity, and above average lateral quickness.

I think the 3s disparity is more about the era they play in. Reed’s got no consistency in his form. He looks like Bambi on ice when he tries to create offense. Just a mess of arms and legs.

I like his defensive potential, but I don’t think he’s a great fit with Ayton.