Around the league: June 2014

[Ring_Wanted]

For the Suns he'd easily be worth 10M, but that's not enough as a RFA. He is said to have turned down a ~12M per extension already. Then again there also were rumors early in the season that McD was planning to make an 'unmatchable' offer for him as Hornacek worked with Gordon in Utah and loves him. Boston was rumored to be in the hunt too.

[TOO]

New Orleans looking to get in the 1st looking for a SF or C.

Trade 18 to them for....?

[Ring_Wanted]

Nothing, really, unless they want to put a top8 protected 2015 pick on the table and nothing of that eventual two second round picks stuff. Would probably just keep the pick anyway.

[INFORMER]

Of course he is. Again, I'm not looking for a PG to come in and average 20/6/6. Just a point guard or undersized 2 to defend, hit the 3 ball, and handle the ball a little.

I would also really like the trio of Dragic-Shumpert-Hayward at the 1-2-3 next season.

I like Hayward as well, but what is he worth to you on the market? What he is worth and what he will get, I think will be two different figures.

I'd look to do a sign and trade with the Morris Twins.

If I could get Shumpert, I'd be more willing to pay substantial money for Hayward, because I think the two really complement each other. I also think Hornacek is the perfect coach for Hayward.

I'd be willing to go as high as $10.5 million a season.

[INFORMER]

For the Suns he'd easily be worth 10M, but that's not enough as a RFA. He is said to have turned down a ~12M per extension already. Then again there also were rumors early in the season that McD was planning to make an 'unmatchable' offer for him as Hornacek worked with Gordon in Utah and loves him. Boston was rumored to be in the hunt too.

I think the market has shifted downward on Hayward since before the season. I don't think the money is going to be there for him like he and most of us presumed it would. I think Utah is not as enamored with him as they once were, and I think they'll be banking on Alec Burks more.

[Ring_Wanted]

For the Suns he'd easily be worth 10M, but that's not enough as a RFA. He is said to have turned down a ~12M per extension already. Then again there also were rumors early in the season that McD was planning to make an 'unmatchable' offer for him as Hornacek worked with Gordon in Utah and loves him. Boston was rumored to be in the hunt too.

I think the market has shifted downward on Hayward since before the season. I don't think the money is going to be there for him like he and most of us presumed it would. I think Utah is not as enamored with him as they once were, and I think they'll be banking on Alec Burks more.

Could be the case. His %s have been quite poor, but that's because he was asked to do too much as a first option. Usually the only option. If the Suns can buy low on him they should be all over it. I'd put the twins on the table to make sure he's ours. On the other hand, I am not inclined to spend resources on Shumpert and even if I was, The Morrii are worth more than him in my opinion.

[Mori Chu]

Shumpert hasn't been healthy for a while now, so he worries me. I think I'd be happy to have him here but not give up assets to acquire him.

[Mori Chu]

And as for Hayward, I'd love to have him as a Sun but I get the feeling he will make way too much, in the $13-15m per year range. Not interested at that price.

[INFORMER]

On the other hand, I am not inclined to spend resources on Shumpert and even if I was, The Morrii are worth more than him in my opinion.

I wasn't talking about trading the Morris Twins for Shumpert.

[Ring_Wanted]

On the other hand, I am not inclined to spend resources on Shumpert and even if I was, The Morrii are worth more than him in my opinion.

I wasn't talking about trading the Morris Twins for Shumpert.

Was it the twins for Hayward? I'd do that move too. But I don't really want to spend on Shumpert. Probably because I am not looking for Bledsoe replacements at this point . And we still have Mr 29 ponts, remember?

[INFORMER]

Yeah, I was saying use the Twins in a sign and trade for Hayward. And I don't have any interest in Hayward or Shumpert if Bledsoe is retained. I was bring up the Shumpert-Hayward duo as something I would prefer over retaining Bledsoe.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Yeah, I was saying use the Twins in a sign and trade for Hayward. And I don't have any interest in Hayward or Shumpert if Bledsoe is retained. I was bring up the Shumpert-Hayward duo as something I would prefer over retaining Bledsoe.

Ah, interesting concept. Worried about Shumpert's health as well, but this would balance the size of our offense, shifting it from 1-2 into 1-3. Get Love/Monroe/Horford as our new 4-5 and call it a summer.

[SDC]

gordon hayward (i like him) wont help the suns at all if the suns retain bledsoe. why not try signing gasol to a 1 yr deal (trial and error) and keep everybody else, or sign gortat to a 3 yr deal?

[Mori Chu]

gordon hayward (i like him) wont help the suns at all if the suns retain bledsoe. why not try signing gasol to a 1 yr deal (trial and error) and keep everybody else, or sign gortat to a 3 yr deal?

Bringing Gortat back would be a real owning on the Wiz, but I don't think he'd come back. He's going to re-sign there in Washington for the same years or more, and more money than we'd be willing to pay him. He's worth more to them than he is to us.

As for Gasol, I don't mind him but I doubt he ends up here, given where we're at as a team and where he is at in his career.

[INFORMER]

gordon hayward (i like him) wont help the suns at all if the suns retain bledsoe.

Right. I specifically said pursue him instead of retaining Bledsoe.

[SwingMan]

gordon hayward (i like him) wont help the suns at all if the suns retain bledsoe.

Right. I specifically said pursue him instead of retaining Bledsoe.

One thing I'm curious about, INF.

You've been bent on getting rid of Bledsoe for months now - why?

[INFORMER]

I haven't made that clear?

1. I don't like that he's had two major knee injuries in his first four years in the league. Plus, in just this season alone, he had the shin issue and then hurt his hand late in the year.

2. I think we're a better team when the Dragic is the primary ball handler.

3. I think Dragic is a better player when he is the primary ball handler.

4. I don't like paying the max or close to it when we already have an All-NBA point guard and have needs at just about every other position.

5. I don't think Eric Bledsoe is worth the max or close to it, nor do I think that's good value contract. And I think small market teams, especially those without superstars, need to focus on getting good value contracts. I think we're seeing that with San Antonio. And I think we saw that with that Detroit as well. The way to beat these 2 and 3 superstar teams is through depth, team play, perimeter shooting, and ball movement.

6. I don't think the Bledsoe-Dragic combo is a championship level combo. I think if you commit to it, you're very close to capping the team's potential. It will be another iteration of 2nd round losses, top 3 finishes but constantly coming up short. Of course, that's just my read on the situation. I'm not going to pretend that I have definitive analysis that that will absolutely be the fate of the combo.

[SwingMan]

I haven't made that clear?

1. I don't like that he's had two major knee injuries in his first four years in the league. Plus, in just this season alone, he had the shin issue and then hurt his hand late in the year.

2. I think we're a better team when the Dragic is the primary ball handler.

3. I think Dragic is a better player when he is the primary ball handler.

4. I don't like paying the max or close to it when we already have an All-NBA point guard and have needs at just about every other position.

5. I don't think Eric Bledsoe is worth the max or close to it, nor do I think that's good value contract. And I think small market teams, especially those without superstars, need to focus on getting good value contracts. I think we're seeing that with San Antonio. And I think we saw that with that Detroit as well. The way to beat these 2 and 3 superstar teams is through depth, team play, perimeter shooting, and ball movement.

6. I don't think the Bledsoe-Dragic combo is a championship level combo. I think if you commit to it, you're very close to capping the team's potential. It will be another iteration of 2nd round losses, top 3 finishes but constantly coming up short. Of course, that's just my read on the situation. I'm not going to pretend that I have definitive analysis that that will absolutely be the fate of the combo.

Gotta disagree about Dragic being the primary (and only) ball-handler - without Bledsoe, more often than not, we needed super-human scoring games from Dragic, who ended up breaking down early, in part, because of the load he had to carry. Bledsoe is a lightning bolt that, per Dragic himself, takes a hell of a lot of pressure off of Dragic on both ends.

The injuries are legit concerns, but, with our medical & training staff, I'll put my faith in their take. If they say Bledsoe's injuries will be chronic due to his style of play, I'm with you in jettisoning him - if they clear him, I think we'd do good to keep him.

I also happen to think that he's earned an 8 figure salary based on his play and impact on the team, but certainly not max. If he gets max on the open market, we'd probably better sign & trade him.

Overall, I think we're definitely better with Bledsoe and the record shows it as well - can't remember it off the top of my head, but it was substantially better than the barely over .500 we had with Dragic alone - something like 27-11 when both played, give or take a game or two. And that was with Frye, for God's sake - think of what it could be with a power forward who can offer more than a deep jumper that's off a hell of a lot more than it's on.

What a fucking pill to have to mess with unextended 4th year players.....

[INFORMER]

Gotta disagree about Dragic being the primary (and only) ball-handler - without Bledsoe, more often than not, we needed super-human scoring games from Dragic, who ended up breaking down early, in part, because of the load he had to carry. Bledsoe is a lightning bolt that, per Dragic himself, takes a hell of a lot of pressure off of Dragic on both ends.

There's a difference between being the primary ball-handler and being the only ball handler. I'm not saying Dragic should be the lone ball-handler; I'm saying he should have the ball in his hands more than any other player on the team.

And you have to realize Dragic was often playing Gerald Green and PJ Tucker, guys that you can't trust with ball full court or even in the halfcourt. So of course Dragic had a lot of pressure on him under those circumstances. I'm not recommending moving forward with those two as the starters at the 2 and 3 moving forward, so the lack of additional ball-handling won't be issue going forward.

without Bledsoe, more often than not, we needed super-human scoring games from Dragic

Right, but that's an argument limited to the context of this past season. This team wasn't built to win a lot, nor did it feature with self-sufficient scorers. With the draft, free agency, and trades, none of that should be the case next season.

[SwingMan]

We'll have to see how the draft shakes out first, I guess. If we keep the picks and go guard-heavy, Bledsoe's likely gone - if we concentrate on forwards with the picks or package the picks to move up, I'd bet Bledsoe's likely here to stay.

Personally, I thought Dragic & Bledsoe played well off of each other, each having an understanding on when to switch from 1 to 2 from play to play - even within a play at times.