It seems like there are people sitting on their hands right now. I hope the Suns aren’t missing out on improving the roster because they’re waiting on an answer that may or may not be favorable. Kellan Olson and Dave Burns on the radio today counting how many times these sports columnists use “if” and “but” when talking about a trade for Durant or trading Ayton. It’s going to be slim pickings if those trades don’t work out.
We missed out on a few good deals for the TPMLE and at this point there aren’t many free agents left worthy of it. Maybe Schroder.
Any improvements we make at this point, Ayton or no Ayton, Durant or no Durant, will have to come via trade.
Ya I don’t love Whiteside, not sure I’d want him out there for key moments as he spends a lot of time doing stupid things, but as a Javale replacement he’s great. He does great as a rim runner/deep drop defender. I think we’re definitely setting this up to be a team that will play small ball in the playoffs though, so I don’t think Whiteside would need to play crunch time in the playoffs.
A few years ago I would have said Harrell. But he seems to have completely fallen off. Not sure what happened to the guy but he seems completely washed now.
A few years ago I would have said Harrell. But he seems to have completely fallen off. Not sure what happened to the guy but he seems completely washed now.
He’s just a regular season guy. He doesn't space the floor or defend and becomes hard to play. He still produces in the regular season though. He was 13/6 in 23 minutes last year with a .680 TS%. He’d give us rim pressure that we are lacking. I think he’d clean up as a roll man in our offense but I’d worry what to do with him in the playoffs. Could he still play?
A few years ago I would have said Harrell. But he seems to have completely fallen off. Not sure what happened to the guy but he seems completely washed now.
He’s just a regular season guy. He doesn't space the floor or defend and becomes hard to play. He still produces in the regular season though. He was 13/6 in 23 minutes last year with a .680 TS%. He’d give us rim pressure that we are lacking. I think he’d clean up as a roll man in our offense but I’d worry what to do with him in the playoffs. Could he still play?
Then no. Time for this team to focus on the playoffs.
A few years ago I would have said Harrell. But he seems to have completely fallen off. Not sure what happened to the guy but he seems completely washed now.
He’s just a regular season guy. He doesn't space the floor or defend and becomes hard to play. He still produces in the regular season though. He was 13/6 in 23 minutes last year with a .680 TS%. He’d give us rim pressure that we are lacking. I think he’d clean up as a roll man in our offense but I’d worry what to do with him in the playoffs. Could he still play?
Then no. Time for this team to focus on the playoffs.
I think I agree, but the other options aren’t great either so I could get behind it. I’m not sure Whiteside is anything more than a situational playoff guy either.
I sometimes wonder if we just want to create a TPE in our Ayton deal and find another piece later.
A few years ago I would have said Harrell. But he seems to have completely fallen off. Not sure what happened to the guy but he seems completely washed now.
He’s just a regular season guy. He doesn't space the floor or defend and becomes hard to play. He still produces in the regular season though. He was 13/6 in 23 minutes last year with a .680 TS%. He’d give us rim pressure that we are lacking. I think he’d clean up as a roll man in our offense but I’d worry what to do with him in the playoffs. Could he still play?
Then no. Time for this team to focus on the playoffs.
I think I agree, but the other options aren’t great either so I could get behind it. I’m not sure Whiteside is anything more than a situational playoff guy either.
I sometimes wonder if we just want to create a TPE in our Ayton deal and find another piece later.
I guess guys that fill up the regular season roster and allow our top guys to rest during the season counts as helping us focus on the playoffs.
Ya and I feel like you could probably get Harrell for the TPE and then convince Aldridge to play for the vet minimum. We’d be a prime buyout market team too. I’d keep an eye on the Kemba Walker situation…he could be bought out and could make for a decent bench guard. I could see Eric Gordon getting bought out as well if Houston can’t find a trade partner.
I know it’s everyone’s favorite joke to say Sarver just wants to save money, but for the record, when I talk about what we want to do, I mean James Jones and the front office. Sarver obviously has final say, but James Jones would also obviously want to use that TPE.
I also haven’t seen that much evidence that Sarver is all about saving money on the court. He did back during the Nash era, but any cost saving lately has been off the court or just minor stuff. The dropping of the g league team isn’t a good look…same with all the non basketball cuts they made after the covid stoppage. On the court we got a little cheap I guess by not using the full MLE or the BAE. I do think we held those for potential buy out signings that never materialized, but I guess they could’ve been Sarver being cheap. We also used the exception we got from Saric being hurt last year…we didn’t need to do that. When was the last time we dumped a player’s contract? Or made a cost cutting trade that wasn’t about getting cap space that we later used?
I just see the idea that we just want to dump Ayton and save money as having no actual substance. It’s one thing to not want to pay Ayton the max, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to pay anyone at all.
I know it’s everyone’s favorite joke to say Sarver just wants to save money, but for the record, when I talk about what we want to do, I mean James Jones and the front office. Sarver obviously has final say, but James Jones would also obviously want to use that TPE.
I also haven’t seen that much evidence that Sarver is all about saving money on the court. He did back during the Nash era, but any cost saving lately has been off the court or just minor stuff. The dropping of the g league team isn’t a good look…same with all the non basketball cuts they made after the covid stoppage. On the court we got a little cheap I guess by not using the full MLE or the BAE. I do think we held those for potential buy out signings that never materialized, but I guess they could’ve been Sarver being cheap. We also used the exception we got from Saric being hurt last year…we didn’t need to do that. When was the last time we dumped a player’s contract? Or made a cost cutting trade that wasn’t about getting cap space that we later used?
I just see the idea that we just want to dump Ayton and save money as having no actual substance. It’s one thing to not want to pay Ayton the max, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to pay anyone at all.
At this point the market has spoken. Ayton isn’t getting a max offer form anybody, thus he isn’t a max player. So what is our motivation to ship him out? If he can be had for less than the max, which is what the Suns wanted all along, why not keep him on the roster? I don’t want to see him moved just to move him.
He may not want to be here. Or the team may not want him here. But I agree that if the team thinks he is worth it and we can sign him to a good deal, do it.
He may not want to be here. Or the team may not want him here. But I agree that if the team thinks he is worth it and we can sign him to a good deal, do it.
If by the team you mean CP3, I don’t think that should be taken into consideration. He won’t be here in 2 years, while Ayton is only 23 and has at least 10 more years left in him.
FWIW, I think Booker has more pull with James Jones than Chris Paul. In reality, I think Jones has the final say on pretty much all of this stuff.
I just think Booker has a very high competitive standard and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he doesn't trust Ayton to match his own commitment to being a champion. It's a bit Kobe/Shaq-esque, albeit neither Booker or Ayton are Kobe or Shaq from a talent standpoint.
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He may not want to be here. Or the team may not want him here. But I agree that if the team thinks he is worth it and we can sign him to a good deal, do it.
If by the team you mean CP3, I don’t think that should be taken into consideration. He won’t be here in 2 years, while Ayton is only 23 and has at least 10 more years left in him.
I think the relationship between Monty and Book and DA is completely broken. I don't think it has anything to do with CP3.
