Around the League: The Offseason

[Cap]

Ntilikina sounds like a good fit and INF is high on him, so I'd probably be happy to see this happen.

On the downside, I'd get tired of typing "Ntilikina."

Agreed...and because of the inconvenience of typing it, Ryan should get atleast a protected first too

At least I know how to pronounce it now:



ni LEAK in a

Wikipedia says it's Ne-li-KEE-na, and I consider that authoritative, which means the kid doesn't even know how to say his own name. What a dummy!

Not anymore.

He finally learned to pronounce it? Good for him!

[jonh]

I found a cool quote in an ESPN article about the distinction in Cleveland that really hit the nail on the head about the seemingly constant conflict that at least one Phoenix Suns player has a season:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2012 ... ade-demand

Of all the things an NBA general manager does, managing egos and emotions behind the scenes is perhaps most important. You can get salary-cap experts for the financial wizardry necessary to pilot an NBA franchise. Coaches are tasked with strategy and player development. But everything else -- the competing agendas, the massaging of superstar ambitions and frustrations -- all that falls on someone else. A behind-the-scenes guy, an assistant coach with a high emotional intelligence or, in Cleveland's case, the GM.

This is the skill McD struggles the most with and I see it being the biggest hurdle that needs to overcome before we can contend.

[Shabazz]

I found a cool quote in an ESPN article about the distinction in Cleveland that really hit the nail on the head about the seemingly constant conflict that at least one Phoenix Suns player has a season:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2012 ... ade-demand

Of all the things an NBA general manager does, managing egos and emotions behind the scenes is perhaps most important. You can get salary-cap experts for the financial wizardry necessary to pilot an NBA franchise. Coaches are tasked with strategy and player development. But everything else -- the competing agendas, the massaging of superstar ambitions and frustrations -- all that falls on someone else. A behind-the-scenes guy, an assistant coach with a high emotional intelligence or, in Cleveland's case, the GM.

This is the skill McD struggles the most with and I see it being the biggest hurdle that needs to overcome before we can contend.

James Jones.

[Split T]

https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/889200581088235520 Would you pull the trigger? It's Bledsoe/Miami 1st and our 2018 top 10 protected pick for Kyrie.

[Split T]

Whatever ends up happening, I feel like we're in a good spot. We could potentially land Irving, a legitimate top 5 offensive player, or help another team get Irving and land a good young piece for our services.

Ntilikina from New York
Fox from Sacramento
Harris or Murray from Denver

[ShelC]

Simmons is crazy. Knicks would never do that deal, nor would they get involved and not get back Kyrie.

I'm not super crazy about Frank but I see the potential. I'm not sure I would make a deal giving up Bledsoe and not getting back Kyrie while helping Cleveland or NY get better. Just don't see anyone from those teams making it worth our while. The Knicks don't have anyone else besides Frank who would be of interest (doubt they give up Hernangomez), and I'm not interested in KLove.

If we were in the mix for Kyrie, on paper he and Booker would be an offensive dynamo. But I also wonder about those egos that would need to be managed. Booker's the future and face of the Suns, now you're bringing in Kyrie, an "older vet" with a ring who'd be brought in to be the other face/1A guy. Maybe Jones is the guy in the FO now, like Shabazz said.

[In2ition]

If it takes Bledsoe, Miami 1st and top 10 protected 1st for Irving, I'm good with that trade. If they can somehow throw Knight or Chandler(preferrably Knight) in it and get Frye, even better.

The thing is, the Suns would keep their young core and add to it. The picks this next year was probably going to add a pg, and instead they get a top 5 pg instead. They will also be looking for a big, and if they are bad(most likely) they could find a potential great young big in the draft and/or still create enough space to get a big in Free Agency(Cousins or ?) to bolster young core.

[Wormwood]

There may be an opportunity in this even if we don't land Irving, to take some bad salary back while getting rid of Knight, who needs to be gone as much as Irving does.

Cavs have some awful contracts in Shumpert and Tristan Thompson. If we added a PG in the trade of some sort, losing Bled and Knight wouldn't matter so much; Ullis played very well down the stretch.

I think Irving would be a poor fit here: we need distributors and shooters in the worst way. I'd love to get Channing Frye back. I hated the decision to let him go a few years back. Bigs who shoot the three well with a high, quick release are ideal RPM guys.

[Split T]

Simmons is crazy. Knicks would never do that deal, nor would they get involved and not get back Kyrie.

I'm not super crazy about Frank but I see the potential. I'm not sure I would make a deal giving up Bledsoe and not getting back Kyrie while helping Cleveland or NY get better. Just don't see anyone from those teams making it worth our while. The Knicks don't have anyone else besides Frank who would be of interest (doubt they give up Hernangomez), and I'm not interested in KLove.

If we were in the mix for Kyrie, on paper he and Booker would be an offensive dynamo. But I also wonder about those egos that would need to be managed. Booker's the future and face of the Suns, now you're bringing in Kyrie, an "older vet" with a ring who'd be brought in to be the other face/1A guy. Maybe Jones is the guy in the FO now, like Shabazz said.

Does Melo really have much trade value? I think they'd probably want more, but it's also a little hard to believe that they could land Irving for Melo and Frank. What exactly would they be getting from Houston or Portland in the rumored trades? A draft pick and bad contracts? That's basically what this one is except the shumpert contract is better than Anderson or Crabbe or Turner.


The more I think about it though, we are the team best equipped to give Cleveland what they want. If that's the case, we should be the team getting the better deal. I think unless some team blows us away, we should just take Kyrie for ourselves.

[Split T]

There may be an opportunity in this even if we don't land Irving, to take some bad salary back while getting rid of Knight, who needs to be gone as much as Irving does.

Cavs have some awful contracts in Shumpert and Tristan Thompson. If we added a PG in the trade of some sort, losing Bled and Knight wouldn't matter so much; Ullis played very well down the stretch.

I think Irving would be a poor fit here: we need distributors and shooters in the worst way. I'd love to get Channing Frye back. I hated the decision to let him go a few years back. Bigs who shoot the three well with a high, quick release are ideal RPM guys.

Kyrie is a fantastic shooter. As a PG, his distribution skills aren't great, but he's such a good scorer that I think you just take him and figure it out. Booker and Jackson have enough play making skills that it could work out. Kyrie and Booker would be pretty unguardable on offense.

[In2ition]

I can't speak for anyone else, but the Suns are in a really good place(not perfect) right now. I could see them make a huge jump in 2018-19 season. If nothing happens this off-season or season, it should next off-season.

[JCSunsfan]

We need ball movement and we need shooting. Kyrie fills one of those two. I just wonder if Watson has enough juice to coach him.

[Split T]

We need ball movement and we need shooting. Kyrie fills one of those two. I just wonder if Watson has enough juice to coach him.

I lean more towards style of play being the culprit for our ball movement short comings. Our offense seems designed to run pick and rolls to create scoring opportunities for the ball handler. No one on our team screams ball hog, except maybe knight, and he didn't play much.

[The Bobster]

John Kundla, the oldest living member Hall of Fame member from any of the four major sports has passed away. Kundla coached the Lakers from 1947 to 1959, moving over to the University of Minnesota when the Lakers went to LA.

Kundla coached the Lakers to five NBA titles in their first six years in the league. They had previously won an NBL championship in the Lakers' only year there making it six championships in his first seven years coaching the team.

[Ring_Wanted]

I believe the Suns are one of the very few teams that can afford to pass on adding Irving. He is great but comes with limitations in defense and passing. Do we really want to be the Blazers? Your turn-my turn at PG-SG doesn't seem like a great way to build a solid contender. If the cost is two 1stR picks and Bledsoe, I am leaning towards passing on the deal unless we served a smaller role or could just send Irving elsewhere and get a nice big man back (Indiana and Myles Turner?).

[djy2j]

I believe the Suns are one of the very few teams that can afford to pass on adding Irving. He is great but comes with limitations in defense and passing. Do we really want to be the Blazers? Your turn-my turn at PG-SG doesn't seem like a great way to build a solid contender. If the cost is two 1stR picks and Bledsoe, I am leaning towards passing on the deal unless we served a smaller role or could just send Irving elsewhere and get a nice big man back (Indiana and Myles Turner?).

I think Booker can be just as good of a defender as Klay Thompson if he puts the work in. Klay was a pretty big defensive liability when he came in. I see Booker as a more developed player both skill and bball IQ than Klay was at age 20 so I think the potential is there.

As far as Kyrie, not sure. He's 25. I haven't really followed his defensive progress truthfully. But if the Suns trade for Kyrie I wouldnt go off the deep end yet as to having terrible backcourt defense just yet. There would be time for improvement.

[O_Gardino]

I believe the Suns are one of the very few teams that can afford to pass on adding Irving. He is great but comes with limitations in defense and passing. Do we really want to be the Blazers? Your turn-my turn at PG-SG doesn't seem like a great way to build a solid contender. If the cost is two 1stR picks and Bledsoe, I am leaning towards passing on the deal unless we served a smaller role or could just send Irving elsewhere and get a nice big man back (Indiana and Myles Turner?).

Kyrie is a really special scorer. You can't count him out as just a one on one guy. I do think if you end up with a Kyrie / Booker backcourt, you've got to get a very good coach to keep the ball moving and good shooters to spread the floor.

[Ring_Wanted]

I think Booker can be just as good of a defender as Klay Thompson if he puts the work in. Klay was a pretty big defensive liability when he came in. I see Booker as a more developed player both skill and bball IQ than Klay was at age 20 so I think the potential is there.

At this point I am not looking at comps with Klay anymore. Booker is showing tremendous playmaking ability. Way more ability than Klay to be an overall 1A offensive weapon. I see a chance to develop a monster scorer and while I want to see defensive improvement from him as well, I am not sure I'd try to burden Booker with the amount of pressure to spend energy on D that comes from having a proven non-defender at his side.

Kyrie is a really special scorer. You can't count him out as just a one on one guy. I do think if you end up with a Kyrie / Booker backcourt, you've got to get a very good coach to keep the ball moving and good shooters to spread the floor.

I agree Irving is more than an iso guy, but adding him does pose a number of questions marks, besides his integration offensively (which indeed would be questionable given the current coaching staff).

How is he going to take having to share the spotlight with a kid? He supposedly is demanding a trade to get out of LeBron's shadow. Why would I want to mess with Booker's status?

How are we going to defend the perimeter when shooting threes is the most important skill? M'fvcking Jackson can't cover the whole perimeter.

While we are at it, let's also remember that Irving comes with his fair share of injury concerns. And obviously, you have to pay the price to acquire him, which is not going to be small by any means (I already hate seeing PHX '18 pick in rumors).

Is Irving a real leader? Does he have strong connections to other stars that would want to come to PHX?

Nah, the more I think about it, the less I think the effort would be worth it.

[JCSunsfan]

https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/889200581088235520 Would you pull the trigger? It's Bledsoe/Miami 1st and our 2018 top 10 protected pick for Kyrie.

Its not bad. I would prefer to keep one of those firsts and include Chandler. Then I would resign Len.

[JCSunsfan]

Simmons is crazy. Knicks would never do that deal, nor would they get involved and not get back Kyrie.

I'm not super crazy about Frank but I see the potential. I'm not sure I would make a deal giving up Bledsoe and not getting back Kyrie while helping Cleveland or NY get better. Just don't see anyone from those teams making it worth our while. The Knicks don't have anyone else besides Frank who would be of interest (doubt they give up Hernangomez), and I'm not interested in KLove.

If we were in the mix for Kyrie, on paper he and Booker would be an offensive dynamo. But I also wonder about those egos that would need to be managed. Booker's the future and face of the Suns, now you're bringing in Kyrie, an "older vet" with a ring who'd be brought in to be the other face/1A guy. Maybe Jones is the guy in the FO now, like Shabazz said.

The Knicks are lucky if they get anything back for Melo.