2019 Free Agency

Yuma

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Suns can't afford to NOT keep Oubre. I don't care if it's $20M/Per, they need to match. Like it or not, he is the third "star" on the team, and the heart of the team as well.
The question is would he take 80 over 5 years? A home team discount roughly speaking. That gets us back to 16 per year. Oubre said he wants to be here, let's see.

If we let Oubre go for a Ricky Rubio equivalent palyer I would be pissed, but I understand the cap situation. If we let Oubre go but brought in a DLo equivalent player, I would be OK because in theory it's an upgrade over Oubre. It just depends on how this situation works out. As a fan, if we had to pay a luxury tax one time in all the years Sarver owns the team to make the Oubre situation work out, and we put a good team on the floor, that would buy me some good will towards the owner.
 

Mainstreet

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Suns can't afford to NOT keep Oubre. I don't care if it's $20M/Per, they need to match. Like it or not, he is the third "star" on the team, and the heart of the team as well.

Anything less than matching Oubre or adding Russell will likely lead to the old cries the Suns are cheap again... whether that is true or not.
 
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JCSunsfan

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Anything less than matching Oubre or adding Russell will likely lead to the old cries the Suns are cheap again... whether that is true or not.
They cannot worry about cries that they are cheap. This is about cap management and versatility in building a team, not about overall spending. Placating ignorant fans is a formula for disaster.
 

SirStefan32

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I am guessing that Jones talked to Oubre and his agent and that they have things worked out. "Give us some time to sign a PG, and we are extending you while giving you a little extra for your troubles."

Also, to be clear, I would prefer extending Oubre and signing an average PG over letting Oubre walk and getting Russell. Oubre plays defense. Russell does not. I'll take Oubre any day of the week for this team.
 

AzStevenCal

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They need to match Oubre. Regardless. They just do. They need to put that out there.

If you're saying we should leak the idea that we will match any offer, I'm pretty sure the league took a stand against that a few years ago. But I agree, we need to match his offer.

I think I'd avoid leaking the match commitment even if the league is only paying lip service to it. But in the long run, I'm not sure how effective it is. In fact I think it can create more problems than it solves. It might force someone to go even higher to test our resolve not to mention backloading and such. Just match, it will keep him happy knowing we didn't try to limit his opportunity for a payday.
 

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They cannot worry about cries that they are cheap. This is about cap management and versatility in building a team, not about overall spending. Placating ignorant fans is a formula for disaster.

The Suns do need to make some kind of statement in free agency to solidify the team going forward.

Casting away a third piece of the Suns potential core in Oubre without attempting to replace him with similar value is more than what fans think. It speaks to the Suns mindset.

Waiting until next summer can not always be the mantra of this team when they can add a third piece now.
 
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JCSunsfan

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Well. It looks like Kemba is moving. That opens up more options. GS is talking sign and trades for KD.

Timing is our issue. If we want to be in on the DLo option we need to make an immediate offer.
 
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JCSunsfan

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GS is trying to get a $35 million trade exception from the Nets or Knicks for KD.

Wonder if we could get something like that for Oubre if the price gets too high.

It looks more and more like Brogdon might be obtainable with the right offer.
 

Raindog

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The Suns do need to make some kind of statement in free agency to solidify the team going forward.

Casting away a third piece of the Suns potential core in Oubre without attempting to replace him with similar value is more than what fans think. It speaks to the Suns mindset.

Waiting until next summer can not always be the mantra of this team when they can add a third piece now.

Exactly...

Taking an attitude of "who cares what the fans think" and "just be patient, we'll probably be a winner again someday" is the kind of approach that has made Sarver the most hated owner in sports. Another round of that and he might as well move the team to Las Vegas. He will never get back the good will lost in Phoenix.

And it's not exactly like the "careful cap management" approach they have allegedly been embarked on for all these years has resulted in anything but a flaming pile of poo. Counting on fans to go with the whole "the team is a consistent loser, but we still feel great that our payroll situation is so good" approach is exactly how you end up being as beloved as Sarver is in Phoenix.
 

1Sun

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He would be better than nothing. Hes still better than Okobo and Melton.

Johnson/Joseph splitting the minutes at PG wouldnt be the disaster that Canaan/Melton/Okobo was last year.

Like others have pointed out, the Suns were playing .500 ball when Johnson started. Add another capable back up PG, plus the new additions and growth from young players, and the Suns should be markedly better.

When I watched the Suns last year, the had talent, but they lacked the depth that good NBA teams have. Joseph, Saric, Johnson, Baynes, and Jerome all help. None are huge negatives and should represent legit NBA players. Better than Melton, Bender, Jackson.

Actually, no, Cory Joseph would not be better than nothing. Tyler freaking Johnson is a better point guard than Cory Joseph, and I can't stand Tyler Johnson. And as I noted above, trying to develop Melton into something better than he is would also be a better option than signing Joseph. Cory Joseph would be a complete and utter waste of money, and at the expense of filling other needs.

Meanwhile, it was actually the Suns playing .500 ball when Kelly Oubre started...a very small sample size of 6-6 in 12 games, and if you take out the one-week flash I have referenced, where the Suns went 4-1 (which we also had in December, where the Suns actually won 4 straight), the Suns went 2-5 in the remainder of the games before and after that stretch. That would be .286 ball.

We certainly have better depth now. The problem is that we still have two gaping holes in the starting line-up, most notably at point guard.
 

1Sun

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I am guessing that Jones talked to Oubre and his agent and that they have things worked out. "Give us some time to sign a PG, and we are extending you while giving you a little extra for your troubles."

Also, to be clear, I would prefer extending Oubre and signing an average PG over letting Oubre walk and getting Russell. Oubre plays defense. Russell does not. I'll take Oubre any day of the week for this team.

If Jones did not do this, then he is even more incompetent than I thought.
 

Proximo

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Either way, we still need a veteran point guard in the worst way, and so does Booker, whether it's Russell or someone else.

Again, it doesn't need to be a star, but it needs to be a solid distributor and facilitator who can create open shots for others, who is a plus defender, and who has a good enough outside shot to keep opposing defenses honest.

Other than being a plus defender, Cory Joseph is none of these, and he doesn't give us anything more than Melton does.

McConnell is not a plus defender, and he can't shoot.

Rubio can't shoot.

Beverley kind of fits all of this, but he is reportedly not interested in signing here.

Same for Collison.

WTF are we going to do to fill this gaping hole???

We aren't going to fill it this offseason - is the simple and by far most likely answer.
 

1Sun

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We aren't going to fill it this offseason - is the simple and by far most likely answer.

Just like the last two offseasons, which means another putrid season. When will this cycle stop???
 

Proximo

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You gotta give the guy credit. He played really hard every night for a bad team and increased his stock.

If they lose him does that mean they're rolling with JJ?
If Oubre leaves the Suns are pretty thin on wings.

No, it means we sign some other below avg wing. JJ is gone no matter what.
 

Proximo

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Suns can't afford to NOT keep Oubre. I don't care if it's $20M/Per, they need to match. Like it or not, he is the third "star" on the team, and the heart of the team as well.

Look I really want to keep him too - but is he really a "star"?

What does he do that is star like? He does a lot good - but nothing great, and his career 3pt shooting is not good enough.

If he is really going to cost 20 million a year - I would triple down on going after DLO. Or worst case go for Randle - who can do a lot of what Oubre does.
 

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Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
6/27/19, 11:42 AM
Thunder center Nerlens Noel will not pick up his $1.9M player option for 2019-20 season and will be a free agent, league sources tell ⁦‪@TheAthleticNBA‬⁩ ⁦‪@Stadium‬⁩. Noel and Thunder will discuss potential reunion, but several other teams are expected to express interest.

Man Noel must still be kicking himself for turning down his previous offer. He should get more than 1.9M per for his next contract. He'll probably be a Laker.
 

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