I’m starting to think about KD to Dallas…someone was on the radio with Gambo and they brought them up…talked about Lively being the big piece coming back, which I’d love, but that does make it tricky salary wise.
Gafford/Washington/Marshall/Christie works salary wise I believe. Gets us out of the 2nd apron and gives us some actual size and defense. Plus you take whatever picks you can get. Christie might actually be an ideal backcourt partner for Book.
If you can get Lively instead of Gafford, even better. Probably has to be 5 for 1 in that case though.
The ideal backcourt partner for Book is a big PG that can push the ball, pass, rebound, defend and shoot.
How many of those guys exist in NBA history?
Oscar Robertson, Walt Frazier, Gary Payton, and....... that's about it.
I’d count Magic too. His defense might have been a little less than awesome, but he excelled so much at the other four I’d happily live with it.
I’d also count Jokic even though he’s a seven-foot center. Got him doing those things and you can just pair Book with another SG in the backcourt.
“Are you crazy?! You think I’m going to go for seven years and try to get there? You enjoy the 2030 draft picks that we have holding? I want to try to see the game today.” — Ish 3/13/25
I’m starting to think about KD to Dallas…someone was on the radio with Gambo and they brought them up…talked about Lively being the big piece coming back, which I’d love, but that does make it tricky salary wise.
Gafford/Washington/Marshall/Christie works salary wise I believe. Gets us out of the 2nd apron and gives us some actual size and defense. Plus you take whatever picks you can get. Christie might actually be an ideal backcourt partner for Book.
If you can get Lively instead of Gafford, even better. Probably has to be 5 for 1 in that case though.
The ideal backcourt partner for Book is a big PG that can push the ball, pass, rebound, defend and shoot.
How many of those guys exist in NBA history?
I would have said that Lonzo would have been one, except for his injuries. Cade Cunningham would be one, and if Simmons could shoot, he would be another in the NBA today. If Luka could defend, he would be another.
I think we're all a bit depressed about the state of the Suns. Ishbia took a big risk to go for a championship. The risks have materialized and the Suns have very limited resources going forward. What can we do about it?
I'm teaching change management to my business school students and wonder if there are lessons to be learned from this. For instance, I am bringing in two guest speakers on change management and comparing and contrasting what they might say:
Speaker 1: Turned around a company by coming in, firing half of the employees, bringing in his own people whom he would trust to get the job done, and achieving a turnaround and buyout in 18 months. From a Suns perspective, this could be Ishbia bringing in his own people -- but Isaiah doesn't exactly have a great track record. It could also be the team dismantling its players and rebuilding around Bud and his philosophy.
Speaker 2: Proposed and built an innovation arm for a Fortune Global 500 as a junior employee by making nice to everyone and receiving buy-in as an insider. From a Suns perspective, this was pretty much Jones coming in and slowly taking over for McD (how funny that some of us were calling him McMiracle at one time).
Strategically, the team doesn't really have many assets except for Durant and Booker, and Durant is a rapidly depreciating asset. On this, I think we'll get a terrible return for him over the summer, I think this is why Durant killed the GSW deal, I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded there at bargain basement prices as they'll have more to contend with. So, we're left with Booker.
I wonder if this is an opportunity to do one of two things:
(1) If the relationship between Bud and Booker is good, rebuild around this axis. The Suns have very slender assets but Jones has shown an uncanny ability to find talent in the late 1st round and the 2nd round. Pick up and develop talent that fits. At some point, pool and cash in the young talent so that Booker can compete for a title again in his early 30s.
(2) If the relationship between Bud and Booker is poor, trade Booker and rebuild around Bud.
Bartelstein is probably trash based on the trades that have been executed on his watch, Isaiah is carcinogenic, and Ishbia is learning the hard way. From a change management perspective, let's give the team to someone who's proven to be able to do more with less (i.e., Jones' record with low draft picks) and an AZ native who is on the first year of a 5 year contract.
We really screwed up not trading Durant at the deadline, though.
I’m starting to think about KD to Dallas…someone was on the radio with Gambo and they brought them up…talked about Lively being the big piece coming back, which I’d love, but that does make it tricky salary wise.
Gafford/Washington/Marshall/Christie works salary wise I believe. Gets us out of the 2nd apron and gives us some actual size and defense. Plus you take whatever picks you can get. Christie might actually be an ideal backcourt partner for Book.
If you can get Lively instead of Gafford, even better. Probably has to be 5 for 1 in that case though.
That would be terrible. I like Gafford and Lively, but the rest doesn't nothing for the Suns short-term or long-term, and Gafford or Lively aren't good enough to justify making that deal.
Durant will dictate all of this, unfortunately, but this gives me hope he will approve Houston as a trade destination:
I’m starting to think about KD to Dallas…someone was on the radio with Gambo and they brought them up…talked about Lively being the big piece coming back, which I’d love, but that does make it tricky salary wise.
Gafford/Washington/Marshall/Christie works salary wise I believe. Gets us out of the 2nd apron and gives us some actual size and defense. Plus you take whatever picks you can get. Christie might actually be an ideal backcourt partner for Book.
If you can get Lively instead of Gafford, even better. Probably has to be 5 for 1 in that case though.
The ideal backcourt partner for Book is a big PG that can push the ball, pass, rebound, defend and shoot.
I think we could also just go with a primary ball-handler with size who isn't necessarily a point guard. Either way, I'd love to get Bruce Brown. THT could also work. I like Dalen Terry, but he is unproven.
I’m starting to think about KD to Dallas…someone was on the radio with Gambo and they brought them up…talked about Lively being the big piece coming back, which I’d love, but that does make it tricky salary wise.
Gafford/Washington/Marshall/Christie works salary wise I believe. Gets us out of the 2nd apron and gives us some actual size and defense. Plus you take whatever picks you can get. Christie might actually be an ideal backcourt partner for Book.
If you can get Lively instead of Gafford, even better. Probably has to be 5 for 1 in that case though.
That would be terrible. I like Gafford and Lively, but the rest doesn't nothing for the Suns short-term or long-term, and Gafford or Lively aren't good enough to justify making that deal.
Durant will dictate all of this, unfortunately, but this gives me hope he will approve Houston as a trade destination:
I think Houston is the best option as well, but Dallas has more picks than most people think. They could send us whoever they draft in 2025, plus the 2029 Laker pick and their own 2031 1st. That’s not terrible at all, especially if you get Lively.
I’m starting to think about KD to Dallas…someone was on the radio with Gambo and they brought them up…talked about Lively being the big piece coming back, which I’d love, but that does make it tricky salary wise.
Gafford/Washington/Marshall/Christie works salary wise I believe. Gets us out of the 2nd apron and gives us some actual size and defense. Plus you take whatever picks you can get. Christie might actually be an ideal backcourt partner for Book.
If you can get Lively instead of Gafford, even better. Probably has to be 5 for 1 in that case though.
The ideal backcourt partner for Book is a big PG that can push the ball, pass, rebound, defend and shoot.
I think we could also just go with a primary ball-handler with size who isn't necessarily a point guard. Either way, I'd love to get Bruce Brown. THT could also work. I like Dalen Terry, but he is unproven.
THT sucks…Bruce Brown is ok, but I’m suspicious of players that perform well in Denver now…he was quite a bit better for the nuggets than he’s been since.
HOU should be option #1 for trading KD. We have to get our picks back and reclaim control of our own rebuilding destiny.
If HOU won't play ball, we have to trade him to a team flush with picks that can just give us enough assets to rebuild with. That'd probably be a team like OKC.
Ultimately KD has got to go this summer. I hope the FO realizes that. I want us to miss the play-in to really drive it home. If you can't even make 10th in the West with a mostly healthy Booker and KD, it's time to admit that the experiment didn't work and move on. And we're likely to stay out of 10th given that the Warriors look reinvigorated with Jimmy Butler.
HOU should be option #1 for trading KD. We have to get our picks back and reclaim control of our own rebuilding destiny.
If HOU won't play ball, we have to trade him to a team flush with picks that can just give us enough assets to rebuild with. That'd probably be a team like OKC.
Ultimately KD has got to go this summer. I hope the FO realizes that. I want us to miss the play-in to really drive it home. If you can't even make 10th in the West with a mostly healthy Booker and KD, it's time to admit that the experiment didn't work and move on. And we're likely to stay out of 10th given that the Warriors look reinvigorated with Jimmy Butler.
I don’t disagree with you…I think the FO probably disagrees with your backup plan though. I don’t think their goal is to load up on picks. I really don’t see OKC as an option, unless they lose early in the playoffs and decide to include Jalen Williams or Chet in their KD offer. Does OKC even have good picks anymore? I know they have a ton, but are any of them premium picks?
I checked and after this year, OKC doesn’t actually have that many future 1sts…they’ve got 2027 and 2029 Denver 1sts(not that appealing) and Mavericks/Clippers swaps. Those could be better, but nothing special.
KD to Houston for Jalen Green/Reed Sheppard and all our 1sts back.
The 2025 Cleveland 1st to Washington for swap rights back on our 2026 pick.
Jalen Green rerouted to Orlando for KCP and their 2026 1st(which comes with swap rights for our very own pick).
Devin Booker to the Spurs for Stephon Castle/Keldon Johnson/Harrison Barnes and the #1 overall pick(ok so this is where it falls apart, but humor me that they get it).
Draft Cooper Flagg. Draft the best big man available with our own 2025 pick.
Trade Grayson, Royce, KCP, and Barnes for whatever you can get.
Starting lineup: Sheppard/Castle/Dunn/Flagg/Rookie C
Bench: Gillespie/Beal/Johnson/Bol/Richards
Win 12 games, get a top 3 pick and draft Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer. Build around that guy plus Castle/Flagg. Win the 2031 title and give Utah the 32nd pick(Seattle and Vegas have joined).
I think it'll have to be Booker to Houston; that's who they really want. So give them Booker for all the 1sts, plus hold out for at least one young blue chipper, don't just accept meh players like Jalen Green.
KD will probably net us a disappointing return, but shop him to OKC, GSW, SAS, anybody. Prioritize picks.
Grayson Allen to some white-boy-loving place like Utah. They should give us two 1sts for a white boy of his caliber, right? Or ORL, they really need a guy like him.
Don't trade Book. Get what you can for KD, move Royce for a pick if you can. I'd rather keep Grayson because I think he's a valuable piece to keep off the bench and around Book. But we need more picks like Dunn and Oso despite their lack of PT this year. Gotta change the energy around this team.
I think it'll have to be Booker to Houston; that's who they really want. So give them Booker for all the 1sts, plus hold out for at least one young blue chipper, don't just accept meh players like Jalen Green.
KD will probably net us a disappointing return, but shop him to OKC, GSW, SAS, anybody. Prioritize picks.
Grayson Allen to some white-boy-loving place like Utah. They should give us two 1sts for a white boy of his caliber, right? Or ORL, they really need a guy like him.
Ya I thought about reconfiguring it that way with Booker to Houston…maybe if our pick jumps to the top 4 we take that plus our 27/29 picks and our choice of 2 prospects not named Thompson, plus Green for salary purposes.
