Suns 2022 Off-Season Thread

[Drewsprocket]

So long as they nail a guy who can drop 20+ in a number of ways with the ball in his hands, I think it’ll work out. Losing Ayton’s D will be missed but recovered by having somebody who scores and has the gravity on offense to peel guys off Book.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I'm more dreading the initial reaction to an Ayton trade among fans and media more. July 1st is the beginning of the player movement schedule, not the end. Just like last summer when a lot of people were freaking out about the Suns not using their full MLE in August, whatever returns to the Suns in an Ayton trade will likely not be the only piece that'll be on the court next Spring.

This ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe James Jones is good at his job. Based on his track record with the Suns and understanding of the window with Chris Paul, I trust that he'll have a plan to put the Suns in the group of contenders for the next title.

I'm going to try to not repeat myself a million times, but no promises. One deal involving Ayton will not make or break this team.

Of course, but it HAS to be followed up with an upgrade on the Crowder spot and some additional ball creation. We weren't good enough to win the title this year. We're likely going to lose an Ayton sign and trade. That means that we're 2 steps back from where we need to be (better than this year). So we then may have to make a follow up move that's a clear win (and if it's a trade it takes 2 to tango) just to get back to the same level we were at this past season PLUS another move to be better than last season. That's a tall task.

Also, last summer people freaked out that he never used the full MLE or the BAE... and he never did! Someone like Malik Monk at the BAE would have certainly helped with out shot creation issue.

I'm expecting Crowder won't be at the next Suns training camp, and I'll be shocked if he's on the team next Spring. So I think we can pretty safely assume there will be an upgrade coming at the forward position. The perceived magnitude of the upgrade will be the debate among Suns fans.

Fair point about using some of that space to get another creator/shooter like Monk. Clearly it didn't work out as they expected, but they probably thought Shamet would perform well enough in his role in combination with Payne to not add another similar player. Hindsight is beneficial now, and they would've had to convince a guy like Monk to commit to an inconsistent role.

[ShelC]

Anyone else have a continuous sinking feeling that we're going to totally blow this Ayton situation?

Not to be dramatic, but if we do (trade Ayton and don't recoup the right package back), we may be headed for a stretch of good-but-not-nearly-good-enough teams followed by some really lean years. Unfortunately, the front office has been negligent on filling up our young talent pipeline and we're about to move our youngest player (by 2 whole years!) for who knows what pu-pu-platter of players that Monty would allow his daughter to date.

I'm nervous. But our James Jones FO has made few mistakes, so I'm willing to give them some benefit of the doubt. I am definitely trying to manage my expectations and not hope for the moon and the stars in return for Ayton. And I do worry that we'll miss him when he's gone. But I guess it all depends on what we get back.

The FO is about 50-50 with me right now after the Shamet deal and the Stix pick I thought they were being savvy getting ahead of this potential situation with Stix, but that's out the window now. Wonder if they're regretting how they handled that pick/contract.

[specialsauce]

Anyone else have a continuous sinking feeling that we're going to totally blow this Ayton situation?

Not to be dramatic, but if we do (trade Ayton and don't recoup the right package back), we may be headed for a stretch of good-but-not-nearly-good-enough teams followed by some really lean years. Unfortunately, the front office has been negligent on filling up our young talent pipeline and we're about to move our youngest player (by 2 whole years!) for who knows what pu-pu-platter of players that Monty would allow his daughter to date.

I'm nervous. But our James Jones FO has made few mistakes, so I'm willing to give them some benefit of the doubt. I am definitely trying to manage my expectations and not hope for the moon and the stars in return for Ayton. And I do worry that we'll miss him when he's gone. But I guess it all depends on what we get back.

The FO is about 50-50 with me right now after the Shamet deal and the Stix pick I thought they were being savvy getting ahead of this potential situation with Stix, but that's out the window now. Wonder if they're regretting how they handled that pick/contract.

They could easily resign Stix this off-season if they want now.

[specialsauce]

I'm more dreading the initial reaction to an Ayton trade among fans and media more. July 1st is the beginning of the player movement schedule, not the end. Just like last summer when a lot of people were freaking out about the Suns not using their full MLE in August, whatever returns to the Suns in an Ayton trade will likely not be the only piece that'll be on the court next Spring.

This ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe James Jones is good at his job. Based on his track record with the Suns and understanding of the window with Chris Paul, I trust that he'll have a plan to put the Suns in the group of contenders for the next title.

I'm going to try to not repeat myself a million times, but no promises. One deal involving Ayton will not make or break this team.

I’m hindsight, the uproar to us not being aggressive in FA and not using the full MLE/BAE was completely justified.

We sat on our hands, played cheap and passive instead of creative and aggressive, and paid dearly for it.

[Indy]

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Sounds more and more like Ayton will be gone to start next season.

Dammit. I'm going to have to return the Ayton jersey I bought as a gift for Jeremy.

Would it surprise you all to know that the only current Suns player's jersey I have is Ayton's? And I got it signed in person?

[Flagrant Fowl]

I'm more dreading the initial reaction to an Ayton trade among fans and media more. July 1st is the beginning of the player movement schedule, not the end. Just like last summer when a lot of people were freaking out about the Suns not using their full MLE in August, whatever returns to the Suns in an Ayton trade will likely not be the only piece that'll be on the court next Spring.

This ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe James Jones is good at his job. Based on his track record with the Suns and understanding of the window with Chris Paul, I trust that he'll have a plan to put the Suns in the group of contenders for the next title.

I'm going to try to not repeat myself a million times, but no promises. One deal involving Ayton will not make or break this team.

I’m hindsight, the uproar to us not being aggressive in FA and not using the full MLE/BAE was completely justified.

We sat on our hands, played cheap and passive instead of creative and aggressive, and paid dearly for it.

They used $5M on McGee which was correctly viewed by everyone as a savvy deal. What exactly should they have done with the extra $5M or $3.7Mish BAE?

Take a look at the deals signed. https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/how ... tions.html

I think it would be disingenuous now to say they should've made more dramatic roster moves last summer after they just went to the Finals. I don't think it was wrong at the time to lean into filling out the edges of the roster with guys like McGee and Shamet over a bigger change involving someone like Crowder or one of the Cams.

[TOO]

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Sounds more and more like Ayton will be gone to start next season.

Dammit. I'm going to have to return the Ayton jersey I bought as a gift for Jeremy.

Would it surprise you all to know that the only current Suns player's jersey I have is Ayton's? And I got it signed in person?

On purpose?

[AmareIsGod]

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Sounds more and more like Ayton will be gone to start next season.

Dammit. I'm going to have to return the Ayton jersey I bought as a gift for Jeremy.

Would it surprise you all to know that the only current Suns player's jersey I have is Ayton's? And I got it signed in person?

Not surprising. You're not an Ayton hater. You're a realist. The facts are the facts and centers that play the way Ayton plays aren't winning you a championship. You also can't put fire in a player. He's always going to be a playful child no matter what age.

[TOO]

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Sounds more and more like Ayton will be gone to start next season.

Dammit. I'm going to have to return the Ayton jersey I bought as a gift for Jeremy.

Would it surprise you all to know that the only current Suns player's jersey I have is Ayton's? And I got it signed in person?

Not surprising. You're not an Ayton hater. You're a realist. The facts are the facts and centers that play the way Ayton plays aren't winning you a championship. You also can't put fire in a player. He's always going to be a playful child no matter what age.

Counterpoint: Give him more shots!

[ShelC]

I'm more dreading the initial reaction to an Ayton trade among fans and media more. July 1st is the beginning of the player movement schedule, not the end. Just like last summer when a lot of people were freaking out about the Suns not using their full MLE in August, whatever returns to the Suns in an Ayton trade will likely not be the only piece that'll be on the court next Spring.

This ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe James Jones is good at his job. Based on his track record with the Suns and understanding of the window with Chris Paul, I trust that he'll have a plan to put the Suns in the group of contenders for the next title.

I'm going to try to not repeat myself a million times, but no promises. One deal involving Ayton will not make or break this team.

I’m hindsight, the uproar to us not being aggressive in FA and not using the full MLE/BAE was completely justified.

We sat on our hands, played cheap and passive instead of creative and aggressive, and paid dearly for it.

I don't think that's necessarily true. We flipped a late 1st for Shamet and paid him. We gave JaVale half the MLE and he was great most of the year. We added Biyombo in the middle of the year and brought back Craig, who we were familiar with and felt we really missed. We added well to the Finals team using different assets, things just didn't work out.

There was a blurb in a BSOTS Q+A that mentioned Denver possibly wanting Crowder. Couldn't find anything else on it but I think Crowder is a candidate to get moved, generally. We're probably going to lock in CamJ and make him a starter. It would hurt to lose Jae but if we added more size and offense to bring off the bench at the 4spot, it might balance out well.

[Indy]

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Sounds more and more like Ayton will be gone to start next season.

Dammit. I'm going to have to return the Ayton jersey I bought as a gift for Jeremy.

Would it surprise you all to know that the only current Suns player's jersey I have is Ayton's? And I got it signed in person?

On purpose?

Despite all the ramblings from some on here that I am an Ayton hater or a Doncic lover. I mean there was one clear choice that night, and we made the wrong one. But I so wanted him to be good enough that it wouldn't matter we picked the wrong guy.

[Mori Chu]

I don't think that's necessarily true. We flipped a late 1st for Shamet and paid him. We gave JaVale half the MLE and he was great most of the year. We added Biyombo in the middle of the year and brought back Craig, who we were familiar with and felt we really missed. We added well to the Finals team using different assets, things just didn't work out.

There was a blurb in a BSOTS Q+A that mentioned Denver possibly wanting Crowder. Couldn't find anything else on it but I think Crowder is a candidate to get moved, generally. We're probably going to lock in CamJ and make him a starter. It would hurt to lose Jae but if we added more size and offense to bring off the bench at the 4spot, it might balance out well.

I love Crowder, but I could see this happening and wouldn't hate it. Cam J is ready to be a starting PF, and Crowder costs us enough that he may be in the way of us keeping Cam. Feels like if we traded him to Denver, though, we'd inevitably see him in a tough nasty playoff series next year where he'd work furiously to make us pay for trading him.

[ShelC]

I still worry about Cam being too small as a fulltime 4 and really getting knocked around.

[Flagrant Fowl]

If I had to bet on any single player being the major "replacement" for Ayton it would be Jerami Grant.

His contract is in the ballpark of what the Suns could get in a sign-and-trade, so that covers the feasibility of the transaction.

He provides a lot of the supplementary ball handling and offensive production the Suns are looking for while still being very good defensively. I don't think there's any question if he'd fit into Monty's system.

I think the Suns could play a Grant and Johnson front court for stretches every night and it could become a really good playoff pairing against certain opponents.

His contract expiring after the 2022-23 season lines up with the start of Cam Johnson's next contract. Of course they would try to keep Grant around if the fit is good, but there seems to be a clear transition after the 2022-23 season if necessary. The Suns will also have the option of getting out of the remainder of Chris Paul's deal if they cut him before 6/28/2023, which I wouldn't be at all surprised if they choose to do it. So there's a pathway to signing a big free agent to pair with Booker in the post-Chris Paul era.

[specialsauce]

I'm more dreading the initial reaction to an Ayton trade among fans and media more. July 1st is the beginning of the player movement schedule, not the end. Just like last summer when a lot of people were freaking out about the Suns not using their full MLE in August, whatever returns to the Suns in an Ayton trade will likely not be the only piece that'll be on the court next Spring.

This ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe James Jones is good at his job. Based on his track record with the Suns and understanding of the window with Chris Paul, I trust that he'll have a plan to put the Suns in the group of contenders for the next title.

I'm going to try to not repeat myself a million times, but no promises. One deal involving Ayton will not make or break this team.

I’m hindsight, the uproar to us not being aggressive in FA and not using the full MLE/BAE was completely justified.

We sat on our hands, played cheap and passive instead of creative and aggressive, and paid dearly for it.

I don't think that's necessarily true. We flipped a late 1st for Shamet and paid him. We gave JaVale half the MLE and he was great most of the year. We added Biyombo in the middle of the year and brought back Craig, who we were familiar with and felt we really missed. We added well to the Finals team using different assets, things just didn't work out.

There was a blurb in a BSOTS Q+A that mentioned Denver possibly wanting Crowder. Couldn't find anything else on it but I think Crowder is a candidate to get moved, generally. We're probably going to lock in CamJ and make him a starter. It would hurt to lose Jae but if we added more size and offense to bring off the bench at the 4spot, it might balance out well.

“Great” most of the year.

He was the wrong signing. Should’ve been a vet min signing and used the full MLE elsewhere

[Indy]

Who was signed for the MLE last year that would have been a difference maker for this team, and who was the vet min that would could have picked up at Center?

[Flagrant Fowl]

Who was signed for the MLE last year that would have been a difference maker for this team, and who was the vet min that would could have picked up at Center?

Alex Caruso is really the only MLE guy that would've been a major difference maker. Maybe Reggie Bullock, but I wouldn't agree.

A veteran minimum signing would've been someone like Drummond, Griffin, Jordan, Millsap, Howard, Bjelica...

[JeremyG]

Anyone else have a continuous sinking feeling that we're going to totally blow this Ayton situation?

Not to be dramatic, but if we do (trade Ayton and don't recoup the right package back), we may be headed for a stretch of good-but-not-nearly-good-enough teams followed by some really lean years. Unfortunately, the front office has been negligent on filling up our young talent pipeline and we're about to move our youngest player (by 2 whole years!) for who knows what pu-pu-platter of players that Monty would allow his daughter to date.

Actually, we did have a great young talent that Jones did a decent job of drafting after all (Jalen Smith)...but then he dumped him for nothing.

[JeremyG]

This ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe James Jones is good at his job. Based on his track record with the Suns and understanding of the window with Chris Paul, I trust that he'll have a plan to put the Suns in the group of contenders for the next title.

The next title? And then what happens after that if you don't win next year? You're screwed for the next decade?