Game Day: Suns (30-34) @ Grizzlies (40-24), Mon 3/10/25

[The Bobster]

Getting off of Beal is most important and would likely result in keeping KD.

It's crazy that they'll probably have to trade KD because they can't move Beal, but I'm still holding out hope he's willing to accept a trade this summer.

I - You have to find a team he is willing to go to.
II - The other team has to be willing to take on his high salary AND no-trade clause.
III - You have make the deal work finacially.

In addition to this the other team has to have some confidence that he's going to stay healthy.

If we were talking about the 2027 offseason and he was going into his final year it might be a little easier - you sell him as a huge expiring contract, but you'd still have the hurdle of getting him to agree to the deal.

Right now they only have two assets that they can a lot for - Durant and Booker. Allen, Richards and O'Neale probably have some value. Jones, Plumlee, Bol, Morris and Lee are all free agents. Martin and Micic have contracts that aren't guaranteed, so they're probably going to be let go in an effort to get under the second apron. Dunn, Gillespe and Ighodaro are projects. Bridges and Washington are end of the bench guys with no real trade value.

So they really have five players with any value at all on the trade market. And Beal.

[Cap]

Moving Beal probably requires attaching assets that we get from a KD deal.

[Wally_West]

Yes.

[Kryptonic]

Getting off of Beal is most important and would likely result in keeping KD.

It's crazy that they'll probably have to trade KD because they can't move Beal, but I'm still holding out hope he's willing to accept a trade this summer.

I - You have to find a team he is willing to go to.
II - The other team has to be willing to take on his high salary AND no-trade clause.
III - You have make the deal work finacially.

In addition to this the other team has to have some confidence that he's going to stay healthy.

If we were talking about the 2027 offseason and he was going into his final year it might be a little easier - you sell him as a huge expiring contract, but you'd still have the hurdle of getting him to agree to the deal.

Right now they only have two assets that they can a lot for - Durant and Booker. Allen, Richards and O'Neale probably have some value. Jones, Plumlee, Bol, Morris and Lee are all free agents. Martin and Micic have contracts that aren't guaranteed, so they're probably going to be let go in an effort to get under the second apron. Dunn, Gillespe and Ighodaro are projects. Bridges and Washington are end of the bench guys with no real trade value.

So they really have five players with any value at all on the trade market. And Beal.

I’m with you Bobster…. Unless there’s some amazing deal for Beal and Durant and we’re not paying someone to take Beal, the best way forward would be to trade our most valuable assets for picks and youth and deal with Beal till he expires and then rebuild around drafting and free agent signings. Continuing to pay someone to get out of our mistakes is NEVER going to get this team moving forward. It’s sad because it’s exactly what we had established before ishbia came in.

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

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[ShelC]

It's really hard to watch these games. I've been half watching lately because everything about the team is annoying and frustrating.

The offense sucks, the defense sucks, Bud flat out sucks. There's no way to justify his coaching decisions. Using Dunn the way he did is just insulting to the player. Not using Richards after the first half he had and sticking with Plumlee....he's either an awful coach or legit sabotaging the team. I doubt they actually fire him with less than 20 games left and I'm still not sure they fire him after this season. It's hard to argue he doesn't want to be fired and get paid out at this point tho with how he's coached the team. Maybe he's under some mandate to play the vets or he really thinks the vets give him the best chance at winning.

Tyus is just bad at this point. We played a lot worse when he was out there last night so the on/off numbers matched the eye test. He's just not effective so it's like playing 4 on 5. Probably doesn't matter much now. He might not start but he's still going to play a lot of minutes.

Can't wait til this season is over. I hope we can get back on track with the coach and roster but I get the feeling it'll get even uglier.

[Uncle_Gene]

This team is too predictable. They can't get defensive stops when they need them, and the offense is also predictable. It's just passing the ball around the three-point area around the court to get an open shot. Defenses eventually pick up on that. The Suns don't give you a different look.

Memphis sweeps the Suns this year. We couldn't stop the Grizzlies with two starters and three key reserves out.

[ShelC]

Moving Beal probably requires attaching assets that we get from a KD deal.

I think that defeats any purpose of moving KD. We need the assets from a KD deal to reload around Book. Is there any point in stretching and waiving Beal? He's got 2 years left at $100mil. That would mean his contract gets stretched for the next 5 years at $20mil? Is that correct and if so, is it worth it? Does it get us under the 2nd apron?

[SunsSince92]

I'm not convinced we should even retool around Book anymore. The guy has lost his fire and has looked 'unbothered' ever since that infamous tweet. Sure he's had some great games at times but he's proven during his tenure here that he's a second option at best. I also can't see him being more motivated to compete if we trade away his buddy Durant. As great as he's been and as much as we owe him for sticking with us through all of the tough years, it finally feels like it's time to move on.

[Mori Chu]

There's no way we can trade Beal this offseason. Nobody wants him on that albatross contract. We would have to attach large incentives to get another team to take him, and we really don't have any. It'd take 1st round picks, which we don't have, and/or maybe Dunn, but I doubt a team takes on $100m+ of contract bloat just to get a rookie who didn't even make the rising stars team.

We have to trade KD because he'll net us a valuable return, he isn't as valuable to us, and his value is about to drop rapidly. The other valuable asset is Booker, but I am okay with either keeping or trading him depending on what he wants. If he actually wants to stay and try to rebuild and fix the team, more power to him, let's keep him. If not, we will work with him on a trade (hopefully HOU if they wouldn't take KD).

Waiving and stretching Beal doesn't make sense to me. He has only 2 years left, and eating $100m is way too much, even for a well-to-do owner like Ishbia. Also Beal is a decent player when he plays, not a total waste of space. Besides, even if we stretched him, we'd still be over the 1st apron and well over the cap, so it's not like we could make a ton of new trades or signings. I don't think that would be a good idea given the huge cost of doing it.

[AmareIsGod]

I still can't believe Dunn rides the pine every game, probably plummeting his confidence, hopefully not to the point of no return. Tyus is out there in critical moments. Richards has a double double and then rides the pine. Bud has to go.

[ShelC]

I don't think Dunn's confidence is shot. I'd imagine some of the vets are in his ear telling him (for better or worse) that he should be out there and that Bud is just screwing up.

[Split T]

I think there’sa small chance Orlando may want Beal

[ShelC]

I'm not convinced we should even retool around Book anymore. The guy has lost his fire and has looked 'unbothered' ever since that infamous tweet. Sure he's had some great games at times but he's proven during his tenure here that he's a second option at best. I also can't see him being more motivated to compete if we trade away his buddy Durant. As great as he's been and as much as we owe him for sticking with us through all of the tough years, it finally feels like it's time to move on.

I understand the frustration with him right now but we just watched him, as the go-to scorer, help lead the team to the Finals and a 64 win season. CP was the leader and engine but we were playing thru Book. We broke up those teams and have largely gone away from his strengths as a player. He doesn't vibe with these guys or his coaches. We used to hear about the latenight group chats of all of them watching games and marking down plays the other teams were running. They were all sickos. I think that's dead and gone with this group. KD is a workout warrior but I'm not even sure Book likes him now as a teammate. And we know he's not watching other games and texting with Bud. We need to back to that and put the right players around him and we'll see that Top 10 player again.

[Cap]

I don't think Dunn's confidence is shot. I'd imagine some of the vets are in his ear telling him (for better or worse) that he should be out there and that Bud is just screwing up.

Are they telling Bud that? Because if the whole team is telling Bud that Dunn needs to play and Bud is ignoring them, he shouldn’t coach another game. And I say that as someone who hates to ride the “fire the coach” bandwagon.

I doubt this is going on.

[ShelC]

I don't think the vets are talking to Bud much.

[bajanguy008]

Nothing much to add besides what's been observed already re: Turnovers, defensive rotations and Bud decisions

I just really don't like the Grizz much. Brooks is long gone but they maintain that In your Face identity.

Bane clearly doesn't like Book and always goes the physical route and gets away with a bunch every matchup. Can hear EJ with the They do that cause the refs can't call all the fouls....
They're the aggressor Yada Yada.....

But they're fouling is a bit ridiculous especially when Ja just be running into people for fouls on the other end.

Regardless tho, these teams that play this way better us all season

[TOO]

I think there’sa small chance Orlando may want Beal

There's also a small chance Ana De Armas will let me smell her butt. Both seem unlikely though.

[Superbone]

Can't wait til this season is over. I hope we can get back on track with the coach and roster but I get the feeling it'll get even uglier.

Impossible!

[Superbone]

I think there’sa small chance Orlando may want Beal

There's also a small chance Ana De Armas will let me smell her butt. Both seem unlikely though.

You dirty dog, you.