Deandre Ayton's future with the Suns?

[Vladimir_Taltos]

Someone is a ginormous pickle...

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/650c7139-a ... 780ebc602b

Go to sleep old man

lolz

[JeremyG]

This is going to drive us all crazy

[specialsauce]

Someone is a ginormous pickle...

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/650c7139-a ... 780ebc602b

Go to sleep old man

lolz

We need some action badly

[virtual9mm]

Good. Either they match the offer sheet and figure out how to get Durant in other ways or I can stop following this wretched franchise.

[specialsauce]

They’re gonna let DA walk for nothing arent they……

[JeremyG]

It's gonna be September and we'll still be hearing... "The Indiana Pacers are strongly considering giving Deandre Ayton an offer sheet...meanwhile the Brooklyn Nets have intensified their talks with the Phoenix Suns during the last 3 weeks."

[virtual9mm]

They’re gonna let DA walk for nothing arent they……

If that happens, I am out...for good.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

If they can't get something of SOME value for a #1 pick, time to start protesting for Sarver to sell the team...in all seriousness...we need a new owner at that point in a big way...

[Superbone]

I feel like there's some kind of misconception that letting Ayton leave is somehow part of us getting KD. But it sounds like it is completely unrelated. To me this smells like another penny-pinching Bobby Saver move. Trade Ayton for bantha fodder and a pick, then try to get KD with ... what? Mikal and Cam and a million picks? And basically we'll have no starting center because we were too cheap to keep the one we had?

I really do not want to show up for training camp with a team of CP3 + Book + KD + 12 minimum-contract scrubs, with a decade's worth of picks forfeited to get there. But that's what I am expecting at this point.

Exactly. See my post above to Indy. The KD trade cannot be used as an excuse for not keeping DA in any way, shape, or form!!! (And you can count on me to make sure everyone remembers that. )

Hey, I'm with you on not wanting to see Sarver's cheapness shining through when all is said and done. I will never forgive him if he blows our championship window or ruins our long term success.

[Superbone]

They’re gonna let DA walk for nothing arent they……

No.

[Superbone]

It's gonna be September and we'll still be hearing... "The Indiana Pacers are strongly considering giving Deandre Ayton an offer sheet...meanwhile the Brooklyn Nets have intensified their talks with the Phoenix Suns during the last 3 weeks."

So fun! I can't wait!

[JeremyG]

Even DA is befuddled about DA not being signed:

[Superbone]

Ha! I was just going to post this and say, "Here you go, Jeremy!"

[Split T]

How about this: Wouldn't Ayton, despite his flaws, be a GREAT center to put in a lineup that also has CP3, Book, and KD? That starting lineup wouldn't need Ayton to be a primary creator on offense. Instead, he would anchor our defense while also complementing the offense with screen rolls and inside moves initiated by catching entry passes. CP3-Book-Mikal-KD-Ayton is a NASTY starting lineup. That same lineup with ... Bismack Biyombo? Not really as scary.

Keeping Ayton would cause us to pay more tax? So? Don't you pay the tax if it means you have a dynasty-level team that would be immediately favored to win the title? Why are we optimizing our roster moves based on our concern for poor Sarver's pocketbook?

Perhaps you'd say, it's not about saving Sarver money; it's just that I'd rather spend that money on something else rather than Ayton. But that's just it. If we don't spend that on Ayton, we *won't* spend it on anything else. We'll just pocket the savings and help Sarver's bottom line. We won't spend the money on someone else; we'll be capped out and in the tax, so we'll just sign minimum guys to fill out the roster. So it's Ayton or scrubs, and we're choosing scrubs, because it will save Sarver some cold hard cash.

I just don't get why this fanbase has internalized the decades of penny-pinching cheapness that has come to define Sarver's tenure as owner. The Warriors spend whatever they can to make the team better. And they just won the title. Why won't we do that?

Yes Ayton would make a great 4th option and if we can really get KD and keep DA, then ya I’d be in favor of it. First off, I doubt we can actually do that, and especially doubt we can do that and keep Mikal.

However, while I certainly don’t care how much Sarver spends, I certainly understand that he cares and you have to look at moves in that context. We don’t make the money the warriors do, so they aren’t a good comparison. Also, yes the team would be better with Ayton, but I honestly don’t think a CP3/Booker/Bridges/KD lineup really cares who the C is. It’s gonna be elite with Ayton or Biyombo. That’s why it’s understandable Sarver doesn’t want to spend 50 extra million for mariginal returns.

What do you think we're gonna get from Indiana that Brooklyn wants? Maybe one protected pick?

Ya probably just a pick or two.

[JeremyG]

I don't see that as a difference maker. Maybe it could be under normal circumstances, but not when KD says he wants Phoenix.

[Split T]

I don't see that as a difference maker. Maybe it could be under normal circumstances, but not when KD says he wants Phoenix.

I’d also point out that having another 1st could help add another piece, which would be necessary if we unload all are contracts for KD. Maybe we package Payne or Shamet and a 1st for a better guard off the bench and we use the pick we get for Ayton. Or maybe the extra pick is what we need to hold onto Cam J in the deal. Hard to say a 1st wouldn’t be useful in some way.

[JeremyG]

I don't see that as a difference maker. Maybe it could be under normal circumstances, but not when KD says he wants Phoenix.

I’d also point out that having another 1st could help add another piece, which would be necessary if we unload all are contracts for KD. Maybe we package Payne or Shamet and a 1st for a better guard off the bench and we use the pick we get for Ayton. Or maybe the extra pick is what we need to hold onto Cam J in the deal. Hard to say a 1st wouldn’t be useful in some way.

The point wasn't whether it could be useful in some way, but whether we could get KD without it.

[Indy]

You keep saying top 5 player.

He’s 34. He’s going to be 38 on the last year of his contract that is massive.

It’s not that simple. He’s not 24.

Since 1982 (when they started tracking advanced stats like TS%) there have only been 33 times a guy was able to score at least 25 points on a TS% of at least 63%. Kevin Durant has 9 of them. Nobody else has more than 4. And KD has done his age 24 season, and 25, and 26. And 27, and 28 and 29 and 30, and 32 and 33. The only year he missed it since 24 was his Achilles year, but came back and did it back to back again.

I will again repeat: he’s going to be making over 40M per year at age 38.

You’re drunk dude

Let's maybe see a single year of slipping below 63% before we say that.

[Wally_West]

Would losing DA for scraps or for nothing(hopefully not), kinda screw the Suns leverage a little bit? Wouldn’t losing DA make a KD trade a must for us in some ways? It’s one thing to lose DA and then get KD but if this KD stuff blows up in our face too then holy shit would this be a disastrous offseason.

Two weeks ago I would’ve been fine losing Ayton and the twins for KD but seeing how long this thing is dragging out and how the Ayton stuff is going, I think it’s an absolute must that we keep Mikal when it’s all said and done.

I’m really not as high on Mikal as a lot of you, I don’t see him being someone other than a high level role player and have been absolutely disappointed with how he played in these past two post-season but what he would bring to a CP-Book-KD lineup would immeasurable. He’s the perfect compliment to those 3. I’m okay with filling the roster out with minimum contracts if our core is those 4.

[Indy]

Even DA is befuddled about DA not being signed:

It tells you there is something else going on with him that maybe you aren't seeing, but GMs around the league are. I mean nobody knows DA better than his coaching staff, GM, and his players. And nobody is saying we should be paying this guy a max contract. And nobody else is either. Something is going on. [Insert Windy meme]