Around the League: 2018 Offseason

[Flagrant Fowl]

I'll be surprised if the Suns deal for a PG before the season starts.

This roster isn't winning anything substantial this season without a much better PG, but I don't believe McD will give up the assets it would take to get a guy like Lillard, McCollum, Kemba, etc. Because of the Suns position relative to the rest of the conference, I'd rather see them give Knight every opportunity to regain some of his market value than bring in another veteran like Beverley who wouldn't provide any long term value.

Things might change around Christmas time and as we get closer to the trade deadline, but I'm hopeful that Shaq and Okobo can play well enough to warrant the Suns sticking with them through their growing pains.

The timeline to start making a push past the first round of playoffs starts in 2020-21, so getting trigger happy now would be delusional.

[Cap]

This roster isn't winning anything substantial this season without a much better PG, but I don't believe McD will give up the assets it would take to get a guy like Lillard, McCollum, Kemba, etc. Because of the Suns position relative to the rest of the conference, I'd rather see them give Knight every opportunity to regain some of his market value than bring in another veteran like Beverley who wouldn't provide any long term value.

Regain some of his market value. LOL. The guy has an enormous climb ahead of him just to make it to zero.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

He doesn't need to climb everything. Up today, all about Knight has been wasted money, energy and time but is not some sort of debt. If he can start producing 15 y 6 on a regular basis, it would make him worth of his contract on the current NBA salary landscape.

Now if you want to talk about making "the trade" worth it, it won't happen, it was never meant to be, because that lakers' pick, reached levels of "Legend" around this parts, the sacred grial that was going to solve all of our problems, and suddenly we trade it. Even without that level of obsesion, the trade was a failure, but if you put that extra emotional charge on it... From that angle, the guy could play for free the rest of his contract, and people still would complain.

[Indy]

He doesn't need to climb everything. Up today, all about Knight has been wasted money, energy and time but is not some sort of debt. If he can start producing 15 y 6 on a regular basis, it would make him worth of his contract on the current NBA salary landscape.

Now if you want to talk about making "the trade" worth it, it won't happen, it was never meant to be, because that lakers' pick, reached levels of "Legend" around this parts, the sacred grial that was going to solve all of our problems, and suddenly we trade it. Even without that level of obsesion, the trade was a failure, but if you put that extra emotional charge on it... From that angle, the guy could play for free the rest of his contract, and people still would complain.

If your starting PG is only getting 15 / 6, he isn't worth 15M/year unless he is also shooting 40% from 3 and has his A/TO ratio above 3. BK has never been close to 6 assists per game, and his career A/TO ratio is under 1.6.

[Mori Chu]

I think we will look back and laugh/cry on this offseason and the idea that McDo honestly thought we might be able to rehabilitate Brandon Knight's Suns career. It is so obviously not going to happen.

[Shabazz]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

[Indy]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

[Shabazz]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

Shaq, Booker, JJ or TJ, Ariza, Ayton. The spacing would not be great, but Shaq's point of attack defense gives us a different, and I think more valuable, element than Knight's theoretical floor spacing.

I'm also not so opposed to Point-Booker lineups like Booker, JJ, Bridges, Bender/TJ, Ayton.

[TOO]

Shaq is not a starting PG

Booker at PG sucks

Stop it.

[Superbone]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

Ariza is starting. No question.

[Split T]

I think we will look back and laugh/cry on this offseason and the idea that McDo honestly thought we might be able to rehabilitate Brandon Knight's Suns career. It is so obviously not going to happen.

How is it obvious? He's still talented, he's still young, he will have every opportunity in the world to succeed. I'm not expecting 20/5/5, but I think his shooting/scoring can be valuable. He just needs to avoid bad shots and turnovers as best he can and his value is obvious.

[Shabazz]

Shaq is not a starting PG

Booker at PG sucks

Stop it.

I think Shaq is better than people realize. He's probably not a top-45 PG in the league, but give our roster composition, I think he makes sense next to Booker.

And I'm not as down as PG Booker as you are, but he needs another creator in there with him.

[Split T]

He's just a zero as a shooter. He doesn't offer much on offense without the ball, and he's not a guy I want pounding the ball on offense in the NBA. He needs to improve his shooting and passing and he'd be really nice. I like him as a backup

[bajanguy008]

And there it is
Folks in Cleveland might choose to still be quite Cavalier with their behaviour as they look to keep Love in d air with a Ton of Sex
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1021781824006234115

[UglyTruth]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

If you think the Suns gave Ariza $15M to come off the bench, you must be crazy.

An argument can be made that Ariza has a stronger grip on a starting job than even Ayton, #1 overall pick, does.

[Cap]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

If you think the Suns gave Ariza $15M to come off the bench, you must be crazy.

An argument can be made that Ariza has a stronger grip on a starting job than even Ayton, #1 overall pick, does.

Who’s supposed to be a threat to Ayton’s starting spot? Chandler?

[Indy]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

If you think the Suns gave Ariza $15M to come off the bench, you must be crazy.

An argument can be made that Ariza has a stronger grip on a starting job than even Ayton, #1 overall pick, does.

Good point. It isn't like we have a history of paying people 10-15M/year to not play, much less start...

I don't think there is a specific starting lineup already decided. I think that is what training camp will determine, once Igor gets to see who runs what he wants really well. Sure, Ariza will probably start, but you never know.

[UglyTruth]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

If you think the Suns gave Ariza $15M to come off the bench, you must be crazy.

An argument can be made that Ariza has a stronger grip on a starting job than even Ayton, #1 overall pick, does.

Good point. It isn't like we have a history of paying people 10-15M/year to not play, much less start...

I don't think there is a specific starting lineup already decided. I think that is what training camp will determine, once Igor gets to see who runs what he wants really well. Sure, Ariza will probably start, but you never know.

I don’t know our history in regards to giving someone a 1 yr $15M deal to not start, no.

If the Suns don’t start him, (no matter what the circumstance is), you can bet that Ariza becomes the 9th disgruntled player under McD’s tenure and demands out. He didn’t leave a top 3 team in the league from last season to come off the bench for the worst team in the league.

[UglyTruth]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

If you think the Suns gave Ariza $15M to come off the bench, you must be crazy.

An argument can be made that Ariza has a stronger grip on a starting job than even Ayton, #1 overall pick, does.

Who’s supposed to be a threat to Ayton’s starting spot? Chandler?

It was a hyperbole to show that Ariza won’t be coming off the bench. Neither will Ayton.

[Indy]

I think Shaq should start. No joke.

What is the starting line up?

Shaq, Booker, Josh, TJ, Ayton? Wouldn't that spacing kill us? Or are you thinking of a different line up?

If you think the Suns gave Ariza $15M to come off the bench, you must be crazy.

An argument can be made that Ariza has a stronger grip on a starting job than even Ayton, #1 overall pick, does.

Good point. It isn't like we have a history of paying people 10-15M/year to not play, much less start...

I don't think there is a specific starting lineup already decided. I think that is what training camp will determine, once Igor gets to see who runs what he wants really well. Sure, Ariza will probably start, but you never know.

I don’t know our history in regards to giving someone a 1 yr $15M deal to not start, no.

If the Suns don’t start him, (no matter what the circumstance is), you can bet that Ariza becomes the 9th disgruntled player under McD’s tenure and demands out. He didn’t leave a top 3 team in the league from last season to come off the bench for the worst team in the league.

Yeah, usually we give guys bigger long-term deals to not start.

Our top 4 highest paid players last year:
* Greg Monroe (16M)
* Brandon Knight (14M)
* Tyson Chandler (13M)
* Jared Dudley (10M)

Those 4 guys combined for over 50% of our total salaries, and less than 12% of our total minutes played.

Either way, I don't think Igor has a set rotation yet. It would be foolish to have that set already.