Phx-Suns.Net

No, I don't want Ishbia / the FO to keep KD or bud or not make changes. I think I am on record pretty clearly on this. I want them to trade KD and anybody else they can trade (Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, etc.) for young guys and most importantly, draft picks. The dream scenario is a KD trade to Houston for several of our own picks back along with a few young players. I would of course welcome a Beal trade (to ORL maybe?) if any presented itself, though that will be tough. And I'm fine with them firing coach Bud; he did a bad job.

What I am worried about is that, based on Ishbia's various comments, he may choose to try to "retool" the team and compete for a title again next year. I think the odds of that being successful are very small. If we trade KD for some other veteran, like Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, KAT, or whomever, I think we will probably be worse as a team next year. And we won't have any picks or future assets. We'll be in big trouble. Then our only true asset will be Booker, and we'll have to trade him for 80 cents on the dollar. All of this is even worse if we hire morons in the front office like Isiah Thomas or a moron coach like Mike Brown. Getting these things wrong could set us back years.

I really hope Ishbia and the FO make good choices this summer. So much is at stake.

That’s fair, I think we are all worried about another failed big splash move…I think I’m willing to see if they’ve learned their lesson. The other big moves were explainable…I’m not sure you can justify it after this season.

Even still, we wouldn’t be left with just Booker as we’d also have OG, Mikal, or KAT…those guys would also retain value. I can kinda understand a move for those kinds of guys as they are young and you can try and build a team from there. I’d prefer a Houston trade for our picks back as well, but I wouldn’t hate those other guys. Unless we were also moving other assets to make it happen.

Randle on the other hand would be a hard pill to swallow for me. I don’t see how a Randle trade makes sense.

But ultimately I don’t really see how it can get worse than it was this year. I’d be shocked if they were worse next year if it wasn’t by design….guess we’ll have to see.

I still think there is a path to making this team more competitive. Blowing up the team and starting over (with or without getting our picks back) is not the only answer, nor the right one in my opinion. Wholesale changes, sure; that's on the table.

Carno wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 2:29 pm

I still think there is a path to making this team more competitive. Blowing up the team and starting over (with or without getting our picks back) is not the only answer, nor the right one in my opinion. Wholesale changes, sure; that's on the table.

Agreed. If Marty thinks the only solution is to blow it up for draft picks, I think he's going to be unhappy.

Superbone wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 3:44 pm

Agreed. If Marty thinks the only solution is to blow it up for draft picks, I think he's going to be unhappy.

I do think I am likely to be unhappy with what happens with the team this offseason. I am already trying to prepare myself and temper my expectations. I'll hope for the best no matter what.

I thought Jones gave the best answers about what was missing, what we need to get back to, took responsibility for the basketball decisions. Bartelstein kissed some ass and deflected to the business stuff he works on.

It doesn't seem to me that they might not return. I could see Ishibia putting a senior basketball exec above them while they keep doing what they do.

Burns and Gambo talking to Ishbia

Basketball executives sure give you a lot of word salad when they try to explain how things are run.

This phenomenon seems to be a more recent thing as the teams have grown into huge corporations.

Ishbia is just repeating a lot of the same stuff. He's saying the right things but the words feel hollow. Just gotta see how this all shakes out.

It's not fucking brain surgery.

They were a bad team defensively, and a lot of that was because they didn't have good defenders, but also because they didn't put in the effort required. They just went through two championship coaches that they foisted a poorly-constructed roster on, and it's going to be more of the same if they don't change their player personnel and their team building philosophy.

You can't polish a turd. (no matter what the Mythbusters say)

ShelC wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 5:22 pm

Ishbia is just repeating a lot of the same stuff. He's saying the right things but the words feel hollow. Just gotta see how this all shakes out.

1000% how I felt. until there’s a noticeable change it means nothing.

Kryptonic wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 5:45 pm

ShelC wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 5:22 pm

Ishbia is just repeating a lot of the same stuff. He's saying the right things but the words feel hollow. Just gotta see how this all shakes out.

1000% how I felt. until there’s a noticeable change it means nothing.

Nothing has started yet....

I personally liked the part where he said there may be seasons where we lose more games than this season but it will be more enjoyable, I think he's realized that blowing your whole draft was wasn't a sustainable way to build a team.

His interview on burns and Gambo was great. He's furious at the lack of accountability and cohesiveness

specialsauce wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 8:25 pm

His interview on burns and Gambo was great. He's furious at the lack of accountability and cohesiveness

Yeah, I honestly don't know how he doesn't just fire everyone and start over.

ShelC wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 17, 2025 4:54 pm

It doesn't seem to me that they might not return. I could see Ishibia putting a senior basketball exec above them while they keep doing what they do.

How do you put a senior basketball exec above the CEO?

If he must hire a new GM, I wouldn't be opposed to his converting James Jones into director of player scouting or whatever. Jones has done well with the draft. Plus we have few picks to work with anyway, so maybe it'd be a way to demote Jones into oblivion without firing him. I do think JJ is smart and somebody you want in your front office, and I fear his replacement will be worse.

What is clear is we are not rebuilding. Ishbia expects to make the playoffs next year. They are looking at hard workers with grit to fill the roster, so will be interesting who they mean by that. That doesn’t really describe Jalen Green at all, so if he’s part of a KD trade I wouldn’t expect him to stay here. I’d think we’d want Dillon Brooks as the salary from Houston instead of Green. The Knicks guys do make sense(OG, Mikal, Hart).

If Brooks didn't have have prime MJ confidence on offense he'd be a pretty valuable player, but we cannot have that bum on this roster.

Also, where is Marcus Smart nowadays? Seems like he could run the PG spot with Booker.