Phx-Suns.Net

Nationally televised games this week

Monday: Dallas @ San Antonio 7:30 PM EST NBATv
Tuesday: Miami @ Cleveland 7:00 PM EST NBATv, Denver @ Utah 10:00 PM EST ESPN
Wednesday: Washington @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM EST NBATv
Thursday: Philadelphia @ Boston 7:30 PM EST NBATv, Milwaukee @ Portland 10:00 PM EST NBATv
Friday: Minnesota @ OKC 8:00PM EST NBATv
Saturday: None.
Sunday: San Antonio @ OKC 7:00 PM EST NBATv, Houston @ L.A. Lakers 9:30 PM EST NBATv

NBA News

D.A. columns for the week.

• Ben Simmons becomes force behind 76ers rise: http://www.nba.com/article/2017/11/27/m ... phia-76ers
• NBA Personnel mixed on what future holds for Michael Porter Jr. : http://www.nba.com/article/2017/11/27/m ... s-thoughts
• Top 15, Cavaliers make up some ground: http://www.nba.com/article/2017/11/27/m ... -27-2017#/
• Morning Tip Mailbag - Questions on DAJ, the Pelicans, and more: http://www.nba.com/article/2017/11/27/m ... ov-27-2017

If he retired Rose would leave $80M in Adidas money on the table: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2154 ... didas-deal

Thunder were blown out by the Mavs: https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2017/ ... -was-awful

On Sunday Miami & Chicago finished their first Quarter with 20 points... combined: https://www.sbnation.com/2017/11/26/167 ... arter-13-7

Losing is breaking the Memphis Grizzlies: https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2017/1 ... marc-gasol

I should have made my previous post in here since Carey made a new thread. I'm always wary when these stories drop so quickly that player X got coach fired but hey just sharing

https://twitter.com/DevinBook/status/935197936471986177

Superbone wrote:https://twitter.com/DevinBook/status/935197936471986177

Apparently, all they want now is a 2nd rounder, but they are trying to package his salary in a bigger trade.

I would almost want us to take a chance on him, but not with Monroe on the same roster. They aren't exactly the same types of players, but they're both bigs who work in the paint and need the ball to do so. I don't think acquiring Okafor would do much for us other than take away minutes from Chriss and Bender.

Okafor is better than Chriss and Bender.

Jah is worth a flyer for a 2ndR to see if he can make a one-two punch with Booker. Before Monroe, this team has been in need of a post presence, but Monroe has no future in PHX.

Granted that there are question marks (bad defense, poor rebounding) and he is unrestricted next summer, but that's why he is so cheap, if the alleged price is true.

I would be up for taking a punt on Okafor for a 2nd and shipping off Chandler and potentially Monroe for whatever we can get in return. Okafor has some legit offensive skills that still make him intriguing, especially at that price (as RW said, if that asking price is in fact true).

I'd definitely take a look at Okafor. He's not unlike Monroe where he can be a legit low post offensive threat for us, just don't expect defense, rebounding or passing.

It's worth seeing if he can be a pick and roll threat with Booker, but I don't have high hopes for him. If he doesn't rebound, defend, or space the floor, then I'm not sure you can win with him. But for a 2nd, sure.

There's just no point in giving up any tangible asset for Okafor. He will block our young bigs from playing time; he can't shoot, defend, pass, or rebound; he is going to want a big contract in a year; we already have a similar kind of guy in Monroe. It's a distraction and a waste of an asset.

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:There's just no point in giving up any tangible asset for Okafor. He will block our young bigs from playing time; he can't shoot, defend, pass, or rebound; he is going to want a big contract in a year; we already have a similar kind of guy in Monroe. It's a distraction and a waste of an asset.

Why in the world would we want a center that can't shoot, defend, pass, or rebound?! That is NOT similar to Monroe as he CAN shoot, pass, and rebound quite well.

Guys. Trading for Okafor does not make sense. If he does well, any team that trades for him will not be able to sign him because that team can only offer what the 4th year of his rookie deal would have been. Other teams can offer more. If he does not play well, we would not want him anyway. Its a lose/lose. I cannot understand why Brian Colangelo thinks he is worth anything at all in trade. His only value is as an expiring.

Superbone wrote:

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:There's just no point in giving up any tangible asset for Okafor. He will block our young bigs from playing time; he can't shoot, defend, pass, or rebound; he is going to want a big contract in a year; we already have a similar kind of guy in Monroe. It's a distraction and a waste of an asset.

Why in the world would we want a center that can't shoot, defend, pass, or rebound?! That is NOT similar to Monroe as he CAN shoot, pass, and rebound quite well.

Nobody really wants him, or the 6ers would have traded him a while ago. Nobody is offering any tangible assets.

But, to be fair, Marty is taking one of his patented extreme stances. Okafor is a fairly good passer, very good shot blocker, excellent scorer inside, and can shoot out to about 15 feet. He would have been great in the 80s. His problems are his rebounding, on ball defense, and there are some character questions in Philadelphia. He reminds me a lot of a young Zach Randolf. If he lands with the right coach and really buys in, he can become a good player, if not he's out of the NBA.

JCSunsfan wrote:Guys. Trading for Okafor does not make sense. If he does well, any team that trades for him will not be able to sign him because that team can only offer what the 4th year of his rookie deal would have been. Other teams can offer more. If he does not play well, we would not want him anyway. Its a lose/lose. I cannot understand why Brian Colangelo thinks he is worth anything at all in trade. His only value is as an expiring.

Please explain. Is there something in the CBA that keeps teams from being able to sign guys they acquired in a trade?

Some mixed thoughts on the league:

Cleveland has quietly put together an 8 game win streak. Jose Calderon is the starting PG. They are right back in things, despite looking a bit wilty early this season. I think they are motivated by the attention Boston is getting.

Chris Paul has been back for 6 games, and he is struggling with his shot. Probably just getting his legs back under him, but he's shooting .386. On the other hand, he's averaging career bests in assists and turnovers per 36. 14 assists on 1.5 TO. meh

Willie Cauley-Stein played a heck of a game against the Warriors. He should be starting.

O_Gardino wrote:

JCSunsfan wrote:Guys. Trading for Okafor does not make sense. If he does well, any team that trades for him will not be able to sign him because that team can only offer what the 4th year of his rookie deal would have been. Other teams can offer more. If he does not play well, we would not want him anyway. Its a lose/lose. I cannot understand why Brian Colangelo thinks he is worth anything at all in trade. His only value is as an expiring.

Please explain. Is there something in the CBA that keeps teams from being able to sign guys they acquired in a trade?

Yes. When a team does not pick up the fourth year option of a rookie, they are only allowed to spend on him what that fourth year option would have been. That restriction carries over to any team that trades for him. The oddity is this. The restriction is only on the team that has the player at the end of his third year. So, conceivably, the Sixers could trade Okafor to the Suns and then the Suns could only offer him a $6 million deal for that fourth year, but the Sixers could now offer more, because he is no longer their player.

This article explains it pretty well. https://midlevelexceptional.com/2014/10 ... -contract/


When a team declines an option on a rookie scale contract, two important things happen:

The player in question will be an Unrestricted Free Agent after that season.
The amount of the option that the team declined is the most the team that has the player when that contract ends can pay him the following summer.
The CBA puts that second restriction on to avoid a situation where a franchise could game the rookie scale by agreeing with a player to decline an option and paying them a higher salary, presumably on a longer deal.

In an interesting twist, it appears that Article VII, Section 6(m)(4) of the CBA puts that salary limitation on the team that has the player when his rookie scale contract ends rather than the team that declines the option. This would mean that if Portland traded Robinson during this season, the salary restriction would shift from the Blazers to the team that acquired him. This situation seems awfully unlikely but is fun to ponder nonetheless.

Blake Griffin blew his leg out again. Glad we avoided that disaster.

JCSunsfan wrote:

O_Gardino wrote:

JCSunsfan wrote:Guys. Trading for Okafor does not make sense. If he does well, any team that trades for him will not be able to sign him because that team can only offer what the 4th year of his rookie deal would have been. Other teams can offer more. If he does not play well, we would not want him anyway. Its a lose/lose. I cannot understand why Brian Colangelo thinks he is worth anything at all in trade. His only value is as an expiring.

Please explain. Is there something in the CBA that keeps teams from being able to sign guys they acquired in a trade?

Yes. When a team does not pick up the fourth year option of a rookie, they are only allowed to spend on him what that fourth year option would have been. That restriction carries over to any team that trades for him. The oddity is this. The restriction is only on the team that has the player at the end of his third year. So, conceivably, the Sixers could trade Okafor to the Suns and then the Suns could only offer him a $6 million deal for that fourth year, but the Sixers could now offer more, because he is no longer their player.

This article explains it pretty well. https://midlevelexceptional.com/2014/10 ... -contract/


When a team declines an option on a rookie scale contract, two important things happen:

The player in question will be an Unrestricted Free Agent after that season.
The amount of the option that the team declined is the most the team that has the player when that contract ends can pay him the following summer.
The CBA puts that second restriction on to avoid a situation where a franchise could game the rookie scale by agreeing with a player to decline an option and paying them a higher salary, presumably on a longer deal.

In an interesting twist, it appears that Article VII, Section 6(m)(4) of the CBA puts that salary limitation on the team that has the player when his rookie scale contract ends rather than the team that declines the option. This would mean that if Portland traded Robinson during this season, the salary restriction would shift from the Blazers to the team that acquired him. This situation seems awfully unlikely but is fun to ponder nonetheless.

Crazy. Obviously, they intend to keep teams from declining the option to get players on full contracts early as a favor to the player. But the unintentional consequence is that it makes the player almost untradeable.

In any case, you are right. There's no point in checking out a long shot if we can't sign him if he pays off.

AmareIsGod wrote:Blake Griffin blew his leg out again. Glad we avoided that disaster.

In a collision with Austin Rivers. Clippers fans are going to run the Rivers clan out of town.

That is 4 of the Clips best players out injured. wow They could be worse than us by the end of the season.