Free Agency 2018

[overseascardfan]

Would love for PHX to land Capela & Gordon. Gordon has made a huge leap in development this year expanding his shooting range and not being just a dunk machine. Capela is who I would really want, long, athletic guy who can run the floor, rebound and block shots. Could have had him in 2014, PHX was rumored to be interested but took Ennis instead.

 

[Mainstreet]

Would love for PHX to land Capela & Gordon. Gordon has made a huge leap in development this year expanding his shooting range and not being just a dunk machine. Capela is who I would really want, long, athletic guy who can run the floor, rebound and block shots. Could have had him in 2014, PHX was rumored to be interested but took Ennis instead.

The Ennis pick leaves me to question the Suns scouting. Did they not ever watch Kendall Marshall?

I can't see Gordon going anywhere but Capela would be nice.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Would love for PHX to land Capela & Gordon. Gordon has made a huge leap in development this year expanding his shooting range and not being just a dunk machine. Capela is who I would really want, long, athletic guy who can run the floor, rebound and block shots. Could have had him in 2014, PHX was rumored to be interested but took Ennis instead.

Just recently the rockets laid out that harden, paul, capella, and Gordon were their “core” players. Those guys aren’t going anywhere.

 

[overseascardfan]

Just recently the rockets laid out that harden, paul, capella, and Gordon were their “core” players. Those guys aren’t going anywhere.

Cap space may not allow it, especially after the HUGE extension Harden just signed takes effect. Four guys on max deals requires someone making a sacrifice like KD did to keep dynasty together in GS.

 

[hcsilla]

Eric Gordon is under contract for 2 more years.

 

[Mainstreet]

Aaron Gordon.

 

[hcsilla]

Aaron Gordon.

Aaron Gordon? And why would the Magic ever have an intention of not matching any offer sheet for Gordon?

 

[Mainstreet]

Aaron Gordon? And why would the Magic ever have an intention of not matching any offer sheet for Gordon?

I said I didn't see Aaron Gordon going anywhere.

 

[hcsilla]

I know.

 

[GatorAZ]

Hopefully a new GM by that time.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Gambo was reporting the Suns will have interest in signing Avery Bradley this summer.

He definitely regressed this year, and I'm not sure he'll be worth the cost to sign, but he's an interesting potential fit with Booker.

Here's my favorite take on him, an article where several NBA stars, including Booker, were upset that Bradley didn't make an all-NBA defensive team last year.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...stars-slam-avery-bradleys-defensive-team-snub

 

[Mainstreet]

Gambo was reporting the Suns will have interest in signing Avery Bradley this summer.

He definitely regressed this year, and I'm not sure he'll be worth the cost to sign, but he's an interesting potential fit with Booker.

Here's my favorite take on him, an article where several NBA stars, including Booker, were upset that Bradley didn't make an all-NBA defensive team last year.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...stars-slam-avery-bradleys-defensive-team-snub

This makes a lot more sense than trying to trade for Bradley now.

 

[Hoop Head]

Here's a write up that examines the Suns roster and player salaries post Trade Deadline. You can get an idea of how much cap space the Suns can have this summer and what each player's contract looks like.

http://arizonasports.com/story/1407497/phoenix-suns-salary-cap-space-roster-draft-picks/

 

[sunsfan88]

The difference is we have a frustrated, potential super star he just has to appease - it’s going to be fun whatever happens.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If history McDonough’s tenure is any indication, that frustrated superstar will just demand a trade and leave like other players before him.

 

[sunsfan88]

The Suns are going for it this summer because they want to keep Booker happy as he nears free agency.

McDonough says they are willing to cash in some chips this summer. Pretty bold assessment in my opinion.

Should’ve done it last summer for Butler (with maybe Warren and the Heat pick) and we could’ve been the team that’s rising to the playoffs rather than Minnesota.

Payton
Booker
Butler
Jackson
Bender

Would’ve been a fun lineup with Chandler coming off the bench depending on the matchup at C.

 

[Hoop Head]

McDonough says this every year.

He didn't say that last year. They made it clear they weren't going to be making any big moves and this was another year of development.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The Suns are going for it this summer because they want to keep Booker happy as he nears free agency.

McDonough says they are willing to cash in some chips this summer. Pretty bold assessment in my opinion.

Can someone tell me exactly how we’re going to “go for it” this summer? Correct me if I’m wrong, but we only have like five million in salary cap room

(Edit: my bad. Looks like we have 20 million in cap room... but what player worth “going for it” with is going to come here? Blake Griffin wouldn’t even give us an interview.)

As for those “chips” he’ll try to cash in... one is a pick in the middle of the draft/maybe lowest lotto pick and... and what?

The Bucks pick is highly protected and they don’t look like they’ll be in the lotto any time soon. And the 2021 Heat Pick is THREE years away. Neither of those are big chips that are going to let us “go for it”.

Unless he’s talking about shopping OUR 2018 pick and if that happens and he ends up beaten to a pulp on the side of the road, I’ll be in Mexico by the time you all point the authorities in my direction!

 

[Cheesebeef]

He didn't say that last year. They made it clear they weren't going to be making any big moves and this was another year of development.

Wha? He tried to make what he thought was a HUGE move and get Blake Griffin but Blake wouldn’t even give us an interview.

And from all reports, he tried most of the off-season shopping Bledsoe and trying to get Kyrie.

Trying to get either Blake or Kyrie weren’t attempts to make big moves? Just because he failed laughably to do so, doesn’t mean he wasn’t trying.

 

[Hoop Head]

Wha? He tried to make what he thought was a HUGE move and get Blake Griffin but Blake wouldn’t even give us an interview.

And from all reports, he tried most of the off-season shopping Bledsoe and trying to get Kyrie.

Trying to get either Blake or Kyrie weren’t attempts to make big moves? Just because he failed laughably to do so, doesn’t mean he wasn’t trying.

It's odd that most admit that McD plays things very close to the vest and the moves he makes are never leaked before hand but then refer to a few items that were in the rumor mill that never came close to happening as a sign of his incompetence. McD and Sarver both stated that the Suns didn't plan on making any big moves in free agency last year and they didn't. You can say they tried to court Blake Griffin but he agreed to resign in LA before free agency started and didn't meet with anyone else. Considering McD's moves don't leak and he said they weren't going to be going after any big name free agents, I tend to believe him.

Don't believe they didn't plan on going after free agents last offseason? Here's an article from March of last year about a meeting with season ticket holders last season about them not being players in free agency and they were going with their youth movement and the timeline.

https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/...on-in-2020-no-free-agent-splashes-this-summer

In regards to trading for Kyrie, that was in line with what he's said about not being players in free agency since it was a trade and it's also in line with what he's said since he came to the Suns about shopping for a disgruntled star. Cleveland's asking price was too high so the Suns bowed out of trade talks. They would not trade their pick and they weren't willing to trade Josh Jackson either after he was selected with that pick so talks stalled at that point. We don't know what else was offered or discussed but I'm betting that Lebron and Bledsoe are good friends and share an agent had something to do with all of the rumors about that trade since it would have sent Bledsoe to Cleveland where Lebron is basically General Manager.

That trade rumor doesn't change anything about the Suns not being players in free agency or with their cap space. Sorry I wasn't clear in stating that distinction about free agency and cap space but I didn't expect someone to challenge how the team didn't plan on making big moves and they were sticking to the timeline. That doesn't change much of anything though since they didn't make any moves through free agency and shopping Bledsoe because he asked out is different than actively shopping him to make roster changes. We don't know when he asked out, if it was before the Kyrie rumors or not either. However Bledsoe asking out changed their plans some. They still tried to make things work with him since he was kept for the beginning of the season. What else were they supposed to do though? They didn't find a trade they liked at the time and tried to make it work a little while longer and then Bledsoe decided to go public.

 

[BC867]

Just because he failed laughably to do so, doesn’t mean he wasn’t trying.

If that is supposed to inspire confidence in McDonough as an NBA General Manager . . . unless you were being facetious.

 

[Mainstreet]

Should’ve done it last summer for Butler (with maybe Warren and the Heat pick) and we could’ve been the team that’s rising to the playoffs rather than Minnesota.

Payton
Booker
Butler
Jackson
Bender

Would’ve been a fun lineup with Chandler coming off the bench depending on the matchup at C.

The above team would have been close to competing for a playoff spot especially if the Suns had gotten Payton earlier.

Last summer would have been an optimal time to trade Bledsoe. My guess is McDonough believed the Suns would be better than what they are. However, Bledsoe did not fit McDonough's time frame so he should have pulled the trigger then. I'm not sure what McDonough was thinking.

 

[Mainstreet]

Can someone tell me exactly how we’re going to “go for it” this summer? Correct me if I’m wrong, but we only have like five million in salary cap room

(Edit: my bad. Looks like we have 20 million in cap room... but what player worth “going for it” with is going to come here? Blake Griffin wouldn’t even give us an interview.)

As for those “chips” he’ll try to cash in... one is a pick in the middle of the draft/maybe lowest lotto pick and... and what?

The Bucks pick is highly protected and they don’t look like they’ll be in the lotto any time soon. And the 2021 Heat Pick is THREE years away. Neither of those are big chips that are going to let us “go for it”.

Unless he’s talking about shopping OUR 2018 pick and if that happens and he ends up beaten to a pulp on the side of the road, I’ll be in Mexico by the time you all point the authorities in my direction!

McDonough has said he plans to add one good player in the draft. He needs to hit on his first draft choice.

I also think he will try to trade for a rising young player or perhaps a more accomplished veteran. Draft picks have more value today than they ever have so I think the Suns will be able to do this via trade.

And in free agency the Suns will address need and perhaps offer the max to a star type player. Only a handful of teams have the money to throw at a top player.

An additional note, Knight might be bought out and his salary prorated if the Suns need more money. Also Chandler and Dudley will be expiring contracts this summer and they can more easily be traded as filler in a trade plus the Suns can offer inducements such as draft picks.

 

[sunsfan88]

The above team would have been close to competing for a playoff spot especially if the Suns had gotten Payton earlier.

Last summer would have been an optimal time to trade Bledsoe. My guess is McDonough believed the Suns would be better than what they are. However, Bledsoe did not fit McDonough's time frame so he should have pulled the trigger then. I'm not sure what McDonough was thinking.

That’s the thing, he doesn’t. He turned down trading Bledsoe and #4 for Kyrie.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Last summer would have been an optimal time to trade Bledsoe. My guess is McDonough believed the Suns would be better than what they are. However, Bledsoe did not fit McDonough's time frame so he should have pulled the trigger then. I'm not sure what McDonough was thinking.

but you're still willing to give him another shot at GM. Sigh.

 

[Mainstreet]

but you're still willing to give him another shot at GM. Sigh.

You will like McDonough this summer.