Suns 2022 Off-Season Thread

[ShelC]

“I’m the type of person where whatever happens, happens for a reason — it’s supposed to happen. But unfortunately I didn’t want that to happen,” McGee told Arizona Sports on Friday. “That Game 7, we definitely didn’t show up the way we should have but that’s the tide that’s turned. That’s how things happen.

“Good luck to Dallas and now they lost to Golden State so good luck to Golden State. It’s just part of basketball.”

McGee spoke highly of his time in Phoenix throughout the year and said the Suns are on the list of teams he’d consider.

“Definitely consider it, definitely consider an opportunity,” he said. “At this point in my career, I’m definitely focused on myself and what’s best for me and my situation and my family. I know what I bring to a team if it’s any organization that I go to. For me, that’s what it’s all about. Make sure I’m valuing myself as much as the team (is) valuing me.”

[Split T]

For those that are Flex truthers(I don’t know what to think about him personally, but everything he says is good for the suns so it at least makes me feel good, even if he’s making it way bigger than it is):

Anyways, he did a podcast, it’s an hour long and I didn’t listen to all of it, but basically:

1. Supposedly there are 2 superstars who’ve let it be known through back channels they’d like to be in Phoenix. He says he won’t say names, but they did spend the podcast talking about KD, LeBron, and Embiid. He pretty strongly hinted at one point that KD is one of them.

2. Though he also kinda backtracked that and just connected dots from other reports(kd not talking to nets, Nets not wanting Kyrie, KD liking Booker) and said KD would ask out and said that would create a unique opportunity for the suns…pretty sure unique opportunity to get a superstar was his wording in the original tweet, so that’s pretty much nothing.

3. He was pretty focused on the fact that the suns would trade Ayton first and use the assets from that deal to acquire the superstar. Ayton wouldn’t be a part of a direct sign and trade for said superstar.

4. Seemed like he was trying to get fans to not be dissapointed when we get some Poeltl based package. He also mentioned Indy and Detroit, so maybe he just knows who has cap space.

5. As I was writing he definitely talked back the unique opportunity tweet basically saying it’s due to having expiring contracts, draft picks, and young talent on cheap contracts, plus the ability to get more through Ayton. Doesn’t sound like he had much info on a specific player with that tweet.

6. Though he did then reaffirm unequivocally(his word) that there are two people(stars) that want to play with Booker.



Link if interested

[Superbone]

Thanks for breaking that down, Split.

[Superbone]

Man, it really hurts watching these conference finals games after our shocking and oh so disappointing early exit. No matter what roster tweaking we do before next season, we HAVE to learn to play for the postseason rather than regular season. We saw how far that got us. Yeah, great, we set the franchise wins record for the regular season but I hope we learned how hollow that is after that early exit. Look at the Warriors and all these teams remaining. None of them peaked during the season like we did. They all have championship experience and it shows. I hope we learn a ton from this last season so that it wasn’t all for naught. Let’s build on it.

[bajanguy008]

Lol @ "Split"
No surprise you're probably making the most posts, you do luv a hypothetical trade scenario

Interesting to hear that so many expect us to be involved in some kinda draft day moves. As usual, for my sanity I leave the rumour mill alone and will just wait to see who's staying/going when official reports drop.

The team getting blown up will be unfortunate and they will definitely be a "What If" bunch that Suns fans lament about forever.

[Split T]

Haha, I do get very excited about transaction season.

Also I wanna say that the Spurs Ayton trade that’s been floated around is actually pretty good imo. Poeltl, Vassell, and whoever they take at 9. Doesn’t solve our need for a 3rd creator problem, but those are all valuable pieces that could easily be moved in the right deal down the line.

[TOO]

Having Vassell and Bridges is a helluva start to at least stopping all the wings in the leauge, Poeltl is a decent C, keeps the ball rotating better than Ayton, rebounds a decent rate as well, not nearly the offensive player though. Not a big fan of the draft outside of the top 6 or so, would really have to make more moves to find the creator they still lack.

[Drewsprocket]

Now Lebron is being thrown our there?
Please tell me we’re not giving up a young core future to wheel out Lebron.

[The Bobster]

Now Lebron is being thrown our there?
Please tell me we’re not giving up a young core future to wheel out Lebron.

We shouldn't be in a position where we're that desperate.

And trading Ayton for three mediocre players smells a lot like using their cap space on Childress, Warrick and Türkoğlu. You don't trade quality for quantity if you're looking to compete for a championship.

[Split T]

Now Lebron is being thrown our there?
Please tell me we’re not giving up a young core future to wheel out Lebron.

We shouldn't be in a position where we're that desperate.

And trading Ayton for three mediocre players smells a lot like using their cap space on Childress, Warrick and Türkoğlu. You don't trade quality for quantity if you're looking to compete for a championship.

I like Poeltl and Vassell more than any of Childress, Warrick or Turkoglu…also Ayton isn’t as good as Amare.

[specialsauce]

Now Lebron is being thrown our there?
Please tell me we’re not giving up a young core future to wheel out Lebron.

We shouldn't be in a position where we're that desperate.

And trading Ayton for three mediocre players smells a lot like using their cap space on Childress, Warrick and Türkoğlu. You don't trade quality for quantity if you're looking to compete for a championship.

I like Poeltl and Vassell more than any of Childress, Warrick or Turkoglu…also Ayton isn’t as good as Amare.

Ayton is 23 years old and was the major reason we made it to the finals. Amare was a microfracture deep already. Yes, DA is a more valuable piece.

[Split T]

The major reason? That’s a stretch. He was very good but he was still our 3rd best player. You’ve also had quite the flip on Ayton, am I wrong or were you pretty against Ayton before?

But yes, if you’re basing solely off age and health, or course Ayton looks better. Amare was a vastly better basketball player though.

[The Bobster]

Amar'e was an unrestricted free agent so all they had was cap space and they frittered it away.

With Ayton they have control whether he plays here next year or not, and I don't think it's in their best interest to trade him for lesser players.

[Wormwood]

Most of whatever the Suns would bring in as part of an Ayton trade would likely be flipped as part of the rumored deal for a superstar (I think Durant is the #1 guy on the radar). For example, I suspect that in a trade involving Poetl, Vassel, and firsts, only Poetl would be sticking around, and the rest flipped. Suns are heavy into win now mode, so firsts aren't that appealing. Plus, Vassel is redundant with Bridges (as much as I like him).

[Split T]

Or Vassell would be staying to take over for Bridges as Mikal would probably be leaving in a Durant trade.

[Wormwood]

Or Vassell would be staying to take over for Bridges as Mikal would probably be leaving in a Durant trade.

Like I said, the pieces acquired in a separate trade involving Ayton are likely to be the keys to a trade for KD. I really don't think the Suns are letting Mikal go unless what's being offered blows them away (which I don't see happening).

[Split T]

I would agree, but I think KD would qualify as a blow away piece

[specialsauce]

The major reason? That’s a stretch. He was very good but he was still our 3rd best player. You’ve also had quite the flip on Ayton, am I wrong or were you pretty against Ayton before?

But yes, if you’re basing solely off age and health, or course Ayton looks better. Amare was a vastly better basketball player though.

CP3 called him our MVP. He was easily our most consistent force last year in the playoffs.

He won me over in last year’s playoff run. I’m not married to keeping the guy, I’m just against trading him for a conglomerate of role players.

I’m also not that excited about the prospect of trading one of our best young pieces for 1-2 years of a vet who is 35+ years old.

Now Brad Beal? Dame Dolla? SGA? Jaylen Brown? Embiid? Lavine? Siakam? Someone else age 25-32 who surprisingly is fed up with their organization? Sign me up.

[Wormwood]

Brad Beal doesn't really fill a need: he's already in the mold of Booker.

Siakam is a lateral move, probably doesn't move the needle enough to put us back in the finals

Embiid... yes oh God yes if he's gettable, but I don't think he is. But of all the people mentioned,

Jaylen Brown doesn't fill a need, same as Beal

LaVine doesn't fill a need and he's not a superstar

Damian Lilliard doesn't fill a big need (CP3 still very good, he just needs a better back up. Rubio?). Plus, swapping CP3 for Dame still leaves us with a disgruntled Ayton.

Don't throw things at me, but LeBron would make a certain amount of sense basketball wise. (I'm not going to go into what people think of him personally or politically... not here). But, a scoring PF who distributes the ball and rebounds (plays good defense when motivated, which was seldom last year). Gets to the FT line a lot. He does address a lot of weaknesses on the court, and would take load off of CP3 as a playmaker / distributor.

Gut feeling says Flex is right, and a superstar is going to force their way here, and it's most likely to be KD.

[Superbone]

Before any changes occur, I think the Sarver situation will need to be settled soon one way or the other.