Free Agency Thread

[Indy]

We need to win or contend like all hell in the next couple of years to beat and stay ahead of LAC, LAL, DEN, and DAL. These soft ass mle prospects just wont get that done. Taking a big swing would be a big difference maker. Sign and trade Saric and Baynes + draft picks for Hayward. Then we discuss veteran minimums and such.

I can't see any combo of salary for Saric and Baynes that comes close to what Haward would want. And I can't root for a guy with that mustache. He should be only allowed to play in Utah, Boston, or OKC.

[jonh]

Free agency begins in 8 hours. If we don’t do anything in the trade market, and assuming we re-sign Saric and Carter, we have 5 spots to fill. My guess(which will surely be wrong)

MLE: Paul Millsap on a 2 year deal(2nd year player option)
BAE: Alec Burks on a 2 year deal(2nd year player option)

Then 3 minimum signings. I could see Jordan McRae here. We tried to get him last year, but Detroit got him first. Though if we get Burks he becomes less necessary. I keep Okobo, then just add a vet min C..maybe like John Henson.

Paul, Payne, Okobo
Booker, Burks, Carter
Bridges, Johnson, McRae
Millsap, Saric, Nader
Ayton, Smith, Henson

So Millsap, Burks, McRae, Henson...I’ll throw Denzel Valentine as a wildcard. Hoping to get 1 right, haha

I don't see Millsap as worth the MLE. I know I'm setting myself up for disappointment, but I was hoping for a bigger name FA to justify making the CP3 trade.

Sure, so was I, but who better than Millsap is signing for the MLE? Bertans wants 18 million, Hayward didn’t opt out of 34 million to sign for 9. Grant can get more from Denver. Gallo is the one I’m still wondering about. I guess we could go after Crowder?

I think you are misunderstanding my intentions--Im not here to propose solutions. Im just here to criticize options that people are proposing (and whatever the FO ultimately does).

I think there are only 4 types of message board posters, and 90% of what each type posts fits into one (and only 1) bucket:

Type A: Cheerleader--Nearly every move the team makes is great
Type B: Nay-sayer--Nearly every move the team makes is bad
Type C: Mr. GM--Every move I suggested would have been better!
Type D: Fence-sitter--I'm not sure how I feel about this yet (but will emphatically say they were in the camp early of whichever way it turns out)

Maybe there is one more type:

Type E: Howler Monkeys--Just here to sling shit and watch chaos ensue

I think people progress across the types as time passes. For example, my initial posts would fall firmly in the Type A camp. However, as time as passed, I have found myself gradually moving towards Type C.

Not sure if it is a function of getting old or because we went from Colangelo to Sarver (and his variety of terrify GMs).

[Drewsprocket]

We need to win or contend like all hell in the next couple of years to beat and stay ahead of LAC, LAL, DEN, and DAL. These soft ass mle prospects just wont get that done. Taking a big swing would be a big difference maker. Sign and trade Saric and Baynes + draft picks for Hayward. Then we discuss veteran minimums and such.

I can't see any combo of salary for Saric and Baynes that comes close to what Haward would want. And I can't root for a guy with that mustache. He should be only allowed to play in Utah, Boston, or OKC.

. A Reasonable take, it’s not like we don’t have enough mustaches in phx, the last thing Az needs is a celebrity sporting one in ironic fashion. Although, I heard Woj saying he cared more about fit and years on his contract.

My point is more that suns can’t go soft right now. Teams mentioned above- including PDX - are undoubtedly going to upgrade their rosters. I don’t think Suns can really afford to just fight for a 7th or 8th spot and lose in the first round.

[jonh]

We need to win or contend like all hell in the next couple of years to beat and stay ahead of LAC, LAL, DEN, and DAL. These soft ass mle prospects just wont get that done. Taking a big swing would be a big difference maker. Sign and trade Saric and Baynes + draft picks for Hayward. Then we discuss veteran minimums and such.

I think if the FO were going to go for the big swing, they would have finalized the trade after the FA period.

[Indy]

We need to win or contend like all hell in the next couple of years to beat and stay ahead of LAC, LAL, DEN, and DAL. These soft ass mle prospects just wont get that done. Taking a big swing would be a big difference maker. Sign and trade Saric and Baynes + draft picks for Hayward. Then we discuss veteran minimums and such.

I think if the FO were going to go for the big swing, they would have finalized the trade after the FA period.

right. I think the big swing was Paul. And he is certainly an upgrade over Rubio, as long as he stays healthy. But upgrading our PG was not even close to the biggest need we had. We needed a top-half starting PF, good back court depth, and big depth. As good as Cam and Mikal were in the bubble, they are not a starting 3/4 on a top 5 team (at least not in the next 2 years while Paul is here).

[Indy]

We need to win or contend like all hell in the next couple of years to beat and stay ahead of LAC, LAL, DEN, and DAL. These soft ass mle prospects just wont get that done. Taking a big swing would be a big difference maker. Sign and trade Saric and Baynes + draft picks for Hayward. Then we discuss veteran minimums and such.

I can't see any combo of salary for Saric and Baynes that comes close to what Haward would want. And I can't root for a guy with that mustache. He should be only allowed to play in Utah, Boston, or OKC.

. A Reasonable take, it’s not like we don’t have enough mustaches in phx, the last thing Az needs is a celebrity sporting one in ironic fashion. Although, I heard Woj saying he cared more about fit and years on his contract.

My point is more that suns can’t go soft right now. Teams mentioned above- including PDX - are undoubtedly going to upgrade their rosters. I don’t think Suns can really afford to just fight for a 7th or 8th spot and lose in the first round.

agreed!

[Indy]

...

I think there are only 4 types of message board posters, and 90% of what each type posts fits into one (and only 1) bucket:

Type A: Cheerleader--Nearly every move the team makes is great
Type B: Nay-sayer--Nearly every move the team makes is bad
Type C: Mr. GM--Every move I suggested would have been better!
Type D: Fence-sitter--I'm not sure how I feel about this yet (but will emphatically say they were in the camp early of whichever way it turns out)

Maybe there is one more type:

Type E: Howler Monkeys--Just here to sling shit and watch chaos ensue

I think people progress across the types as time passes. For example, my initial posts would fall firmly in the Type A camp. However, as time as passed, I have found myself gradually moving towards Type C.

Not sure if it is a function of getting old or because we went from Colangelo to Sarver (and his variety of terrify GMs).

Yeah, I think we all progress through them over time. And honesty we are all a mix of all of them depending on the decade/second.

[Split T]

Keep in mind, anyone we sign in free agency we scan trade again on Dec 15. I’m sure it’s against the rules, but could technically sign someone for another team that doesn’t have space and trade them on Dec 15 for a player already under contract. A MLE deal at 9.3 plus Okobo’s non gauranteed 1.6 would allow us to trade for someone making 16 million this year. I doubt we do that, but it’s technically possible.

We could go to a team like Atlanta and say, hey sign Hayward or Gallo or Grant to a deal starting at 16 million a year. Then we’ll sign a guy you want at the MLE and flip them for each other on Dec 15. Of course it seems very against the rules, but if we keep it hush hush...Of course in that scenario, I’m sure Atlanta would demand a ransom from us to cooperate. So it being illegal plus the cost and the difficulty to pull it off makes it a stupid idea...but conceivably possible.

I think I’m just bored and hoping we find a way to do something somewhat big. Though just adding two low key good rotation guys will suffice. I’ll take Burks/Millsap. Though I wouldn’t hate Crowder either or Holliday.

[Shabazz]

Free agency begins in 8 hours. If we don’t do anything in the trade market, and assuming we re-sign Saric and Carter, we have 5 spots to fill. My guess(which will surely be wrong)

MLE: Paul Millsap on a 2 year deal(2nd year player option)
BAE: Alec Burks on a 2 year deal(2nd year player option)

Then 3 minimum signings. I could see Jordan McRae here. We tried to get him last year, but Detroit got him first. Though if we get Burks he becomes less necessary. I keep Okobo, then just add a vet min C..maybe like John Henson.

Paul, Payne, Okobo
Booker, Burks, Carter
Bridges, Johnson, McRae
Millsap, Saric, Nader
Ayton, Smith, Henson

So Millsap, Burks, McRae, Henson...I’ll throw Denzel Valentine as a wildcard. Hoping to get 1 right, haha

I think your guess is highly possible. I see Millsap as someone the front office will target, partially because he fits our price range.

[ShelC]

[Split T]

He makes sense..I think I’d prefer Burks though. More versatile. Not sure where that would leave Payne. Not sure he’s better than Payne tbh

[ShelC]

Maybe Payne slides over as a backup 2. Or if Payne holds onto the job with Carter, DJ becomes a tradeable asset.

[Mori Chu]

I think there are only 4 types of message board posters, and 90% of what each type posts fits into one (and only 1) bucket:

Type A: Cheerleader--Nearly every move the team makes is great
Type B: Nay-sayer--Nearly every move the team makes is bad
Type C: Mr. GM--Every move I suggested would have been better!
Type D: Fence-sitter--I'm not sure how I feel about this yet (but will emphatically say they were in the camp early of whichever way it turns out)

Maybe there is one more type:

Type E: Howler Monkeys--Just here to sling shit and watch chaos ensue

You forgot:

Type F: Rubae Stans--Work a photo of Hunky Rubio into every thread even if it is not about him or he doesn't even play for the Suns any more

[Split T]

Maybe Payne slides over as a backup 2. Or if Payne holds onto the job with Carter, DJ becomes a tradeable asset.

Perhaps, but I don’t think you can play Payne and DJ together. You can play Burks and Payne together.

[Drewsprocket]

Well if nothing big happens, I suppose I’d prefer we sign DJ Augustin, re-sign Dario, and Baynes to a deal (keep him shooting 3s off the bench and use him as trade fodder prior to playoffs).

[carey]

I think Augustin is better than Payne unless we get the Payne from the bubble all the time but that dude shot 50% from 3 so unlikely. Hehe. I don't know why you'd keep Payne, Augustin, *and* Carter though.

[Split T]

Would think Augustin would prefer Milwaukee anyways. More playing time and a better title chance.

[carey]

Put me down for Justin Holiday. I think he's my pick after reading the tea leaves & seeing that most of the interesting FA wings are staying w/ their teams.

[carey]

Also might be interested in Bryn Forbes. He scorched us for 8 3's last season.

[Ring_Wanted]

Keep in mind, anyone we sign in free agency we scan trade again on Dec 15. I’m sure it’s against the rules, but could technically sign someone for another team that doesn’t have space and trade them on Dec 15 for a player already under contract. A MLE deal at 9.3 plus Okobo’s non gauranteed 1.6 would allow us to trade for someone making 16 million this year. I doubt we do that, but it’s technically possible.

Kaminsky and Diallo were useful for this too. There was no need to waive them.

I think I’m just bored and hoping we find a way to do something somewhat big. Though just adding two low key good rotation guys will suffice. I’ll take Burks/Millsap. Though I wouldn’t hate Crowder either or Holliday.

Agreed. We can think about creative ways to add a big contract, but that's probably not going to happen. If that's what happens, in a sense we'd have gone just "half all-in" and a priori I would be disappointed but of course willing to wait and see.

I am a known pro Millsap, though.