Free Agency 2020

[WhyAlwaysMe]

The Suns can afford to stack more money in their PG position for a few reasons:
1. They have 3 starters on rookie deals At other positions
2. They have a moveable contract in Oubre to free up the space
3. They have another useful player making nothing (Payne)
4. They can go over the cap to retain another useful player at another position (Saric)
5. They have a lottery pick in a class that’s fairly deep at wing/forward. They should get a serviceable 8th man in that range.

The notion that “you can’t pay a back-up PG $17mm” is a fair statement in a vacuum, but that’s not the Suns’ situation.
There are a couple other important factors:
1. FVV can play off ball (Booker role) when Rubio is running the point.
2. Rubio is big and strong enough to guard 2s while FVV guards 1s.

The Suns have 96 guard/ball-handler minutes to share. Booker takes 36, Rubio plays about 28, that leaves 32 for FVV.

Top11
Guard: Rubio/Booker/FVV/Payne
Wing: Mikal/Cam/10th pick/BAE
Big: Ayton/Saric/MLE

minute distribution:
PG: Rubio (22), FVV (26)
SG: Booker (36) FVV (6), Rubio (6)
SF: Bridges (36) 10th pick/BAE (12)
PF: Cam (30) MLE (18)
C: Ayton (32) Saric (16)

 

[ASUCHRIS]

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rubiori01.html

Wheres that decline you were talking about?

Utah dumped him, and Rubio was good for about half the season. His performance in the bubble was revelatory, but also likely a mirage. Ricky is getting older, and has a ton of miles on him. To expect anything other than further decline moving forward is setting yourself up for disappointment.

If we were getting bubble Ricky all the time, sign me up, but I think we're more likely to see the inconsistency and niggling injuries than bubble Ricky.

 

[Muggz]

Utah dumped him, and Rubio was good for about half the season. His performance in the bubble was revelatory, but also likely a mirage. Ricky is getting older, and has a ton of miles on him. To expect anything other than further decline moving forward is setting yourself up for disappointment.

If we were getting bubble Ricky all the time, sign me up, but I think we're more likely to see the inconsistency and niggling injuries than bubble Ricky.

I think Ricky has a few good years left in him, but yes hes getting older and has lots of miles lots of experience. FVV has more upside but not 80 mil over 4 years more.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Rubio had a very good year, but he does have moments where he’s less effective. Van Vleet is a great insurance policy.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I think Ricky has a few good years left in him, but yes hes getting older and has lots of miles lots of experience. FVV has more upside but not 80 mil over 4 years more.

Yeah, it's a lot of dough for FVV, but part of the problem for the Suns is they're the average looking guy trying to date supermodels. FVV might be the best we can possibly hope for on the FA market, and if you overpay a bit, maybe that's the cost of doing business.

I'd rather pay FVV 25M, than Oubre 20M.

I would have been much happier if we had acquired a guy like Brogdon, someone who could grow with the young guys and had potential to improve.

 

[Mainstreet]

I can't see the Suns investing that much money in two point guards. They have too many other needs.

If the Suns sign VanVleet I think Rubio will be traded minimally by the trade deadline.

There are cheaper backup point guard options if the Suns want to add more depth beyond Cam Payne and Jevon Carter.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

That’s actually a good way to think of it: you’re either paying FVV or Oubre. FVV is a top-50 or so player. Booker is a top-15 guy. Ayton Bridges Rubio are top 100ish. That’s a really formidable team. A lock to make the playoffs (barring serious suspension/injury). Cam Johnson and Saric are both useful players as well.

 

[Muggz]

Yeah, it's a lot of dough for FVV, but part of the problem for the Suns is they're the average looking guy trying to date supermodels. FVV might be the best we can possibly hope for on the FA market, and if you overpay a bit, maybe that's the cost of doing business.

I'd rather pay FVV 25M, than Oubre 20M.

I would have been much happier if we had acquired a guy like Brogdon, someone who could grow with the young guys and had potential to improve.

Agree when you put it that way id drop Kelly for a FVV plus we have a lot of bench cleaning to do anyway.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

I can't see the Suns investing that much money in two point guards. They have too many other needs.

If the Suns sign VanVleet I think Rubio will be traded minimally by the trade deadline.

There are cheaper backup point guard options if the Suns want to add more depth beyond Cam Payne and Jevon Carter.

I don’t think the Suns really have many needs that can’t be addressed by
1. Going over the cap to sign Saric on his bird rights
2. Using 10th/MLE/BAE to fill out roster spots

Rubio is not going anywhere if Suns get FVV. A playoff team needs three good-great guards. The cheaper options you speak of would not improve the Suns.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Agree when you put it that way id drop Kelly for a FVV plus we have a lot of bench cleaning to do anyway.

I'm legit terrified that we'll pay Oubre. Love his attitude and swag, but you can't pay him to be the 3rd best player on a championship team.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

I'm legit terrified that we'll pay Oubre. Love his attitude and swag, but you can't pay him to be the 3rd best player on a championship team.

Oubre is a fringe rotation guy on a championship team.

 

[Mainstreet]

I don’t think the Suns really have many needs that can’t be addressed by
1. Going over the cap to sign Saric on his bird rights
2. Using 10th/MLE/BAE to fill out roster spots

Rubio is not going anywhere if Suns get FVV. A playoff team needs three good-great guards. The cheaper options you speak of would not improve the Suns.

Adding VanVleet is your improvement. The other guards are role playing depth.

With the salary cap staying the same or perhaps shrinking, I'm not looking for the Suns to spend much more than $20 million in free agency.

The other way they add a player is by trade and the draft.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Right, of course. He’s a top-50 guy that would be taking the minutes of much lesser players.

 

[Yuma]

My question is would Rubio play back up? That's what would happen.

 

[Mainstreet]

My question is would Rubio play back up? That's what would happen.

IMO, too much demand for point guards for Rubio to ride the bench.

Goran Dragic probably stays in Miami and Jordan Clarkson is more of a combo guard. Rumors are Lonzo Ball is available.

Most of the available point guards are backups.

LaMelo Ball, Hayes and Haliburton should go in top 10 picks in the draft.

 

[Mainstreet]

Here is how the money crunch could impact free agency. The NBA and the NBPA are negotiating.

From Adrian Wojnarowski, Senior NBA Insider ESPN:


Among worst-case scenarios, some small-market teams tell ESPN that they fear they could lose north of $20 million in revenue sharing next season. Those sorts of projections affect competitive balance and are the models that the NBA and NBPA would want to sidestep in these CBA discussions.

For instance, the CBA has a projected 2020-21 salary cap of $115 million, with a luxury-tax threshold of $139 million. Amid the loss of revenue streams, some teams fear that the cap and tax could fall as far as $25 million to $30 million. Without the NBA and NBPA negotiating a new mechanism for the cap, the league could be facing 25 of its 30 teams stuck in luxury-tax payments based on projected payrolls -- something that would chill free agency and limit many organizations' ability to operate in a normal manner in the marketplace.


https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...back-window-preserving-cba-termination-rights

 

[Muggz]

Don't forget at the start of the season Rubio just came from conquering the world with Spain. After the covid break he was rested or as much rested as you can be sleeping with a new baby in the house.

I would give Rubio the start out of respect, but that doesn't mean that the "backup" couldn't come in midway through the first and play more min through the game/season.

Who knows he may be fine leading a second team off the bench.

 

[Mainstreet]

Don't forget at the start of the season Rubio just came from conquering the world with Spain. After the covid break he was rested or as much rested as you can be sleeping with a new baby in the house.

I would give Rubio the start out of respect, but that doesn't mean that the "backup" couldn't come in midway through the first and play more min through the game/season.

Who knows he may be fine leading a second team off the bench.

While the NBA and NBPA are negotiating a new salary cap, I'm not expecting many teams are thinking about spending a lot of money in free agency.

 

[GatorAZ]

Booker - $30m
FVV - $20m
Rubio - $17m

Nearly $70m backcourt for a non-championship contender?

You must be registered for see images

 

[Chaplin]

Yeah, it's a lot of dough for FVV, but part of the problem for the Suns is they're the average looking guy trying to date supermodels. FVV might be the best we can possibly hope for on the FA market, and if you overpay a bit, maybe that's the cost of doing business.

I'd rather pay FVV 25M, than Oubre 20M.

I would have been much happier if we had acquired a guy like Brogdon, someone who could grow with the young guys and had potential to improve.

We don't need to sign a high-value Free Agent this year. Next year is a much better year for free agency and it will hopefully be out of the pandemic and maybe getting back to normal. We're not going to sign Fred VanVleet because we need to. Because frankly, we don't need to.

 

[Mainstreet]

Until things change financially, keep Saric, add a draft pick and fill out roster with lower priced free agents.

Players like Kaminsky, Okobo and Diallo are likely gone.

Maybe the Suns can keep Baynes... maybe not.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Dallas is going toe-to-toe with “a contender” right now. Suns add FVV and the #10 pick hits, we could easily contend next year.

The Suns absolutely need a third guard.

 

[Mainstreet]

There is speculation from Brian Windhorst of ESPN the Suns may decrease spending.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Mainstreet]

Article by Kellan Olson of Arizona Sports:


“The word on the street about the Suns is they intend to reduce their spending,” he said Tuesday.

Windhorst additionally cited the sale of the Suns’ G League team to the Detroit Pistons and the stock of owner Robert Sarver’s company being down.

“We are going into a year where there are some teams that are facing tens of millions in losses,” he said. “Depending on whether you can sell tickets, there are teams that may face 30, 40, 50 million in losses next year. The difference between 10 million dollars in losses and 30 million dollars in losses may be signing a 20 million dollar player.”

That $20 million for the Suns could theoretically go to someone like upcoming free agent guard Fred VanVleet, who they have been linked to by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, but Windhorst doesn’t see it because of what he had mentioned.

“I would be stunned if that was the case,” he said of a potential pursuit by the Suns.


https://arizonasports.com/story/236...-intend-to-reduce-their-spending-next-season/

 

[Yuma]

Word is the Suns plan to decrease spending.

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

So no new stadium or practice facility?