Free Agency 2018

[ColdPickleNachos]

If we draft Doncic and free up a little more cap space I see us making a move on Cousins. They showed interest before and could still be interested.

If there was ever a fast track to making a HUGE splash that would be it.

Cousins scares me a lot. I don't think I would give him the huge money he will command. First of all, while incredibly productive, I question how much he contributes to winning. The Kings were always awful. The Pelicans seem to be doing just fine without him.

Also, achilles injuries are not great. Too many questions for the money he will command.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Actually, I'm not sure how fair my first argument is. The Kings are a rough organization and never put a good team around him and the Pelicans were a questionable fit at best. He's a very, very good basketball player.

But I still wouldn't touch him coming off of that injury for a max or near max (which is what it would likely cost the Suns to get him).

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

I tried seeing if I could find more info on the typical recovery time for that sort of injury and 36% of NBA and NFL players that suffer that injury never return. That is too high for the Suns to gamble on him. I'd be surprised if anyone other than the Pelicans make him a big money offer. The only reason they would is they have his bird rights and since he was already there they might be the only team that could properly insure a contract for him.

https://www.si.com/edge/2015/04/16/rothman-sports-medicine-achilles-injuries-kobe-bryant

Good article. Thanks!

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Devil's advocate, from a knowledgable (if a bit biased) source in Wesley Matthews:

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/da...ate-everything-demarcus-cousins-going-will-go

Matthews numbers are down some after the injury, but he also switched teams, and the numbers are at least reasonably similar. The biggest downgrade is his FG%, potentially a sign of reduced explosion since his 3% numbers are less affected?

 

[Mainstreet]

If we draft Doncic and free up a little more cap space I see us making a move on Cousins. They showed interest before and could still be interested.

If there was ever a fast track to making a HUGE splash that would be it.

John Gambadora says the Suns will not have any interest in Cousins... thankfully.

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[Sun Devil Mania]

Gambo might have a couple of sources for info., but more than half the time he is just guessing or getting the info. from the internet. Just listen to the way he words things. Years ago before the NBA Draft, he used to read directly (verbatim) from the draft guide that the Suns would eventually pass out to their fans at their draft party and then he would make it sound like he actually knew of these players, when he really didn't. It was such a joke listening to him. His prep time for basketball was pathetic. Someone probably said something to him years ago. The guy is a fraud!

 

[BC867]

Cousins scares me a lot. I don't think I would give him the huge money he will command. First of all, while incredibly productive, I question how much he contributes to winning. The Kings were always awful. The Pelicans seem to be doing just fine without him.

Also, achilles injuries are not great. Too many questions for the money he will command.

Should our primary concern be about the money ... or about whether he can play a significant role in leading us to the playoffs?

Even if we could get him cheaply, why get a player who is not going to help the team?

Unfortunately, the decisions are being made by a banker. It is all about the money, rather than basketball considerations. That is the biggest hurdle the Suns face.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Should our primary concern be about the money ... or about whether he can play a significant role in leading us to the playoffs?

Even if we could get him cheaply, why get a player who is not going to help the team?

Unfortunately, the decisions are being made by a banker. It is all about the money, rather than basketball considerations. That is the biggest hurdle the Suns face.

You really can't separate them. In the land of the salary cap, bang for your buck rules all.

 

[Hoop Head]

Should our primary concern be about the money ... or about whether he can play a significant role in leading us to the playoffs?

Even if we could get him cheaply, why get a player who is not going to help the team?

Unfortunately, the decisions are being made by a banker. It is all about the money, rather than basketball considerations. That is the biggest hurdle the Suns face.

I don't think it's possible to get Cousins cheap. I think he'll get a max or near max offer this summer. If he doesn't get that then he'll sign somewhere for a year on a good sized deal in order for him to show that he's healthy enough to be paid the following offseason. I wouldn't want the Suns to sacrifice the money or playing time to let him do that here. That would be more of a distraction than a benefit for this team. At Cousins age there is a good chance he won't be worth the money he's paid in the final year of his next contract anyways and considering the age of Booker and Jackson it wouldn't benefit the team to go all out on a player like Cousins right now. Ideally we'll draft Ayton which will remove any sort of desire to sign Cousins because we'll have our own franchise Center for the next decade. Cousins also has been a bit of a malcontent everywhere he's been, which isn't the sort of attitude I would want around Booker, Jackson, or Chriss.

 

[Mainstreet]

Gambo might have a couple of sources for info., but more than half the time he is just guessing or getting the info. from the internet. Just listen to the way he words things. Years ago before the NBA Draft, he used to read directly (verbatim) from the draft guide that the Suns would eventually pass out to their fans at their draft party and then he would make it sound like he actually knew of these players, when he really didn't. It was such a joke listening to him. His prep time for basketball was pathetic. Someone probably said something to him years ago. The guy is a fraud!

I can't remember when Gambadora has been wrong about the Suns. On other topics he may be much like us.

I am inclined to believe Gambadora has links to inside information about the Suns... perhaps a link to Robert Sarver.

 

[overseascardfan]

I think NO will offer Cousins a max deal, it very important to prove to AD that they are willing to get him some help so he stays. Again, I would target Randle as he has shown he can be a beast. Getting Randle allows PHX to be more flexible in draft should they not get the #1 pick (Ayton).

If PHX can end up with the following team this offseason, the time line should shorten up significantly:

Ayton (#1 pick)
Randle
Jackson
Booker
Young (trade up)

Then they just need to add to their bench which would already have:
Warren
Reed
Williams
Ulis
Knight

I think Len, Dudley & Chandler are gone. If PHX doesn't feel Ulis is long term back up, maybe consider re-signing Payton or roll with Knight as the back up or waive and eat Knight's deal and look for a veteran backup.

 

[DevonCardsFan]

Cousins is a straight up baller! Even if the Suns land Ayton with the 1 and sign Cousins and plqy Ayton @the 4 with Jackson and Booker, add a PG to that team and the Suns would be a scary good team, a match up nightmare with there size

 

[Hoop Head]

I think NO will offer Cousins a max deal, it very important to prove to AD that they are willing to get him some help so he stays. Again, I would target Randle as he has shown he can be a beast. Getting Randle allows PHX to be more flexible in draft should they not get the #1 pick (Ayton).

If PHX can end up with the following team this offseason, the time line should shorten up significantly:

Ayton (#1 pick)
Randle
Jackson
Booker
Young (trade up)

Then they just need to add to their bench which would already have:
Warren
Reed
Williams
Ulis
Knight

I think Len, Dudley & Chandler are gone. If PHX doesn't feel Ulis is long term back up, maybe consider re-signing Payton or roll with Knight as the back up or waive and eat Knight's deal and look for a veteran backup.

The draft is before free agency so they'll know who they need to target in FA after they get their draft haul and make any potential trades.

 

[overseascardfan]

The draft is before free agency so they'll know who they need to target in FA after they get their draft haul and make any potential trades.

Agreed, my scenario is just what I was hoping for.

 

[Adrian]

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[Mainstreet]

I think NO will offer Cousins a max deal, it very important to prove to AD that they are willing to get him some help so he stays. Again, I would target Randle as he has shown he can be a beast. Getting Randle allows PHX to be more flexible in draft should they not get the #1 pick (Ayton).

If PHX can end up with the following team this offseason, the time line should shorten up significantly:

Ayton (#1 pick)
Randle
Jackson
Booker
Young (trade up)

Then they just need to add to their bench which would already have:
Warren
Reed
Williams
Ulis
Knight

I think Len, Dudley & Chandler are gone. If PHX doesn't feel Ulis is long term back up, maybe consider re-signing Payton or roll with Knight as the back up or waive and eat Knight's deal and look for a veteran backup.

I like what you are doing but moving Dudley and Chandler would probably cost the Suns assets.

 

[Hoop Head]

Thought I'd see who are free agents on the Jazz since the Suns just announced the Igor signing and that's where he's at right now. They have 4 free agents, Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, Raul Neto, and David Stockton. The only PG they have on their roster next year is Rubio with Exum, Neto, and Stockton all being restricted free agents. Being restricted, Utah can choose who they want to keep and at what price. I wouldn't overpay for any of them. Exum might be worth gambling on if Igor likes him, he's available cheap, and our training staff signed off on bringing him in. With his injury history though I wouldn't want to see them spend more than $4-6 million a year for 1-3 years, with team options in case he does go down again.

He was highly touted coming into the league but he's missed a lot of time due to injuries. He missed his entire 2nd year, missed all but the final 14 games this year. He's also not starting in Rubio's place right now for Utah. That could indicate he's not a part of their future and they don't plan on retaining him if he gets an offer from somewhere. They've gone big instead, which is odd against a team like Utah, starting Mitchell as their PG. He is playing for them though, so he's not entirely out of their rotation but he's only averaging 11 minutes a game, he's up to 16.5 in the Houston series without Rubio.

Derrick Favors is someone who is intriguing though, especially if we don't get Ayton. He's someone I've liked for a while and I wouldn't have been against going after him regardless of who our coach was. He can play PF or C, so he could be an option even if we added Ayton. He's not restricted either so there is a chance we could sign him outright. He has a solid inside game, a good rebounder, a good midrange game, and can be a decent rim protector. He'd only be a 3rd option here behind Booker and either Jackson or Warren, whoever starts at SF, which is what he should be. That's not asking too much from him and it's a role he's familiar playing in Utah. He turns 27 this offseason, so he's around the right age for the Suns. He's been in the league long enough that he's not considered a youngster but he hasn't been around long enough that he'd start declining a lot during his next contract. I'd prefer him to Aaron Gordon for a few reasons. Favors is a true big while Gordon is a tweener forward. Favors should be cheaper and he's also a finished product for the most part where Gordon is still developing. We know what we're getting with Favors, while paying Gordon an amount that gets Orlando to pass on matching could cripple us financially. I don't think he's a max player but he'll probably get that this summer because of the lack of quality free agents.

 

[Mainstreet]

Derrick Favors is someone who is intriguing though, especially if we don't get Ayton. He's someone I've liked for a while and I wouldn't have been against going after him regardless of who our coach was. He can play PF or C, so he could be an option even if we added Ayton. He's not restricted either so there is a chance we could sign him outright. He has a solid inside game, a good rebounder, a good midrange game, and can be a decent rim protector. He'd only be a 3rd option here behind Booker and either Jackson or Warren, whoever starts at SF, which is what he should be. That's not asking too much from him and it's a role he's familiar playing in Utah. He turns 27 this offseason, so he's around the right age for the Suns. He's been in the league long enough that he's not considered a youngster but he hasn't been around long enough that he'd start declining a lot during his next contract. I'd prefer him to Aaron Gordon for a few reasons. Favors is a true big while Gordon is a tweener forward. Favors should be cheaper and he's also a finished product for the most part where Gordon is still developing. We know what we're getting with Favors, while paying Gordon an amount that gets Orlando to pass on matching could cripple us financially. I don't think he's a max player but he'll probably get that this summer because of the lack of quality free agents.

I agree. Favors is one of the better targets out there in free agency. I like he can play both PF and center as you mention. He solidifies this position.

Maybe Igor provides some insight as well. I'm guessing he will not get offered top money so he might be an obtainable target.

The Jazz have a knack for finding talented big like Millsap, Lyles, Favors and Gobert in recent history. And I'm probably miss a bunch.

 

[Mr. Boldin]

I suppose Favors could make sense, but is he the guy you want locking down the 5 for the next few years? That would be the question I ask my scouts. I would say no.

Exum would be really interesting, as hes a big guard, athletic, can defend, gets to the rack, his jumper looks to be developing. He fills that big, defensive guard to slot next to Booker, albeit probably off the bench (see Livingston), but with upside.

That said, I dont think the Jazz let him go, and no way you pay him $4-6 mil per. That dipping near half the MLE. He would take the qualifying offer over that. I dont see the Jazz letting him go unless its a substantial offer. If he gets an offer sheet, I would imagine it is near $10 mil per. Might make sense to take the QO after a full year of health (hopefully).

 

[Hoop Head]

I suppose Favors could make sense, but is he the guy you want locking down the 5 for the next few years? That would be the question I ask my scouts. I would say no.

Exum would be really interesting, as hes a big guard, athletic, can defend, gets to the rack, his jumper looks to be developing. He fills that big, defensive guard to slot next to Booker, albeit probably off the bench (see Livingston), but with upside.

That said, I dont think the Jazz let him go, and no way you pay him $4-6 mil per. That dipping near half the MLE. He would take the qualifying offer over that. I dont see the Jazz letting him go unless its a substantial offer. If he gets an offer sheet, I would imagine it is near $10 mil per. Might make sense to take the QO after a full year of health (hopefully).

I highly doubt he'll gamble on being healthy, he hasn't played in half of the games he's been eligible to since he's been drafted. I'd be surprised if anyone offers more than the MLE because of his health, Utah is the only team I could see doing that and that's because they've seen a lot more than anyone else. They have trouble attracting free agents also so spending the money on their own guys is typically their best option.

I'd be totally fine with Favors at the 5 for the next 4 years, he'd only be 31 at the end of the contract and might not be declining yet. If we can draft Ayton, we can run with Ayton and Favors starting with Chriss and Bender backing them up. If Bender or Chriss pan out then he can move the bench and be the first big up as he can play the 4 or 5 well. He'd give us size and flexibility. Signing him would allow us to be a little more patient with Chriss and Bender this next year since they wouldn't need to cover 48 minutes a game at PF. Chandler may only be good for 20 minutes next year, if he's not dealt, so adding Favors would help our frontcourt. Like I said, he should be cheaper than Aaron Gordon also and is a more proven commodity. He's worth talking to, if nothing else.

 

[Mr. Boldin]

I highly doubt he'll gamble on being healthy, he hasn't played in half of the games he's been eligible to since he's been drafted. I'd be surprised if anyone offers more than the MLE because of his health, Utah is the only team I could see doing that and that's because they've seen a lot more than anyone else. They have trouble attracting free agents also so spending the money on their own guys is typically their best option.

I'd be totally fine with Favors at the 5 for the next 4 years, he'd only be 31 at the end of the contract and might not be declining yet. If we can draft Ayton, we can run with Ayton and Favors starting with Chriss and Bender backing them up. If Bender or Chriss pan out then he can move the bench and be the first big up as he can play the 4 or 5 well. He'd give us size and flexibility. Signing him would allow us to be a little more patient with Chriss and Bender this next year since they wouldn't need to cover 48 minutes a game at PF. Chandler may only be good for 20 minutes next year, if he's not dealt, so adding Favors would help our frontcourt. Like I said, he should be cheaper than Aaron Gordon also and is a more proven commodity. He's worth talking to, if nothing else.

Well Exum needs a team to extend him an offer sheet. Why would the Jazz bid against themselves? They already passed on offering him an extension.

My point on Favors being... he doesnt stretch the floor, and while hes a solid rim protector, would you want to spend your money on him pairing with Ayton? Ayton can play the four, but you are better if he is your five, he improves as a rim protector, and you find another big, athletic forward who can shoot, defend multiple positions, pass, ect. to play next to him. I would hate to see a team clog the paint for Ayton by playing him next to Favors.

Id be taking shots on guys like Hezonja, Jerami Grant, Noguiera or using the cap in trades and conserving for next summer, making an offer to Van Vleet, ect. I dont think Favors gets you anywhere unless you are passing on a big top 4.,

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

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Some shooters available this offseason -

Point Guards:
Trade for Kemba? Not a lot of great options here

Swings:
Tyreke Evans
JJ Redick
Will Barton
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Wayne Ellington
Marco Belinelli
Jamal Crawford
Seth Curry
Trevor Ariza

Bigs:
Luc Mbah a Moute
Ersan Ilyasova
Nemanja Bjelica
Brook Lopez
Dewayne Dedmon

I avoided unrealistic options and (for the most part) players with options and restricted free agents. Feel free to add any I missed.

 

[elindholm]

I'd be totally fine with Favors at the 5 for the next 4 years, he'd only be 31 at the end of the contract and might not be declining yet.

Favors is already declining. During the three seasons 2013-16, he averaged roughly 15/8.5/1.5 blocks. He was an afterthought last season due to injury, but even this year he has settled for a much lower level of production. His shot selection has improved (career high FG%) and some of the loss in rebounds might be attributable to Gobert, but he's still not someone who could be considered a quality building block.

I'd much rather have Randle.

 

[Mainstreet]

Favors is already declining. During the three seasons 2013-16, he averaged roughly 15/8.5/1.5 blocks. He was an afterthought last season due to injury, but even this year he has settled for a much lower level of production. His shot selection has improved (career high FG%) and some of the loss in rebounds might be attributable to Gobert, but he's still not someone who could be considered a quality building block.

I'd much rather have Randle.

I like Randle as well. The question is will the Lakers pay to keep him as a RFA. He might be a good target if the Lakers want to sign a star quality player. The Suns are one of the few teams that has the money to spend.

 

[Mr. Boldin]

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Some shooters available this offseason -

Point Guards:
Trade for Kemba? Not a lot of great options here

Swings:
Tyreke Evans
JJ Redick
Will Barton
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Wayne Ellington
Marco Belinelli
Jamal Crawford
Seth Curry
Trevor Ariza

Bigs:
Luc Mbah a Moute
Ersan Ilyasova
Nemanja Bjelica
Brook Lopez
Dewayne Dedmon

I avoided unrealistic options and (for the most part) players with options and restricted free agents. Feel free to add any I missed.

Im a really big Barton fan. He and Booker can pair together decently. Not a bad list. I would be targeting guys who have some defensive chops, size, or can create a bit.

KCP and Ariza would be interesting, but on short deals. Dedmon makes sense.