Signing Mikal makes my heart sing

[1Sun]

Thank god!

Our core will remain intact.

this signing was much more important than ayton.

While I agree that this signing was important, if you don't think signing Ayton is more important, you weren't paying attention in the playoffs. There was a noticeable drop-off in the team's play every time Ayton was off the floor.

 

[JerkFace]

While I agree that this signing was important, if you don't think signing Ayton is more important, you weren't paying attention in the playoffs. There was a noticeable drop-off in the team's play every time Ayton was off the floor.

Ayton is a more important player, but Bridges was the more important contract to get done. Bridges contract demands could of gone up if he had a great season, or next offseason another team could of offered him an offer sheet worth more than what we signed him for. Ayton‘s demands can’t really go up. He wants the max. He wants the most that can be offered. That number can only go down or stay the same (unless he get all nba). There were more negative things that could of happened with Bridges deal if we didnt sign him this off-season than could happen with Ayton.

 

[Phrazbit]

I really hope that in the next 12 hours an Ayton extension is announced, but I agree that signing Bridges to THIS kind of deal is more consequential.

We will always be able to offer Ayton the max, and always be able to offer him a better deal than anyone else (unlike with Joe Johnson). So, even if this lingers into next summer, the Suns will still have the upper hand when it comes to offering the best deal.

That would not have been the case with Bridges. IMO, there wasn't a snow balls chance in hell that we could have gotten him for less than 90 million next year. We'd have been left in a true bidding war, probably forced to match a near max deal by some desperate franchise like Charlotte or the Knicks.

 

[1Sun]

I really hope that in the next 12 hours an Ayton extension is announced, but I agree that signing Bridges to THIS kind of deal is more consequential.

We will always be able to offer Ayton the max, and always be able to offer him a better deal than anyone else (unlike with Joe Johnson). So, even if this lingers into next summer, the Suns will still have the upper hand when it comes to offering the best deal.

That would not have been the case with Bridges. IMO, there wasn't a snow balls chance in hell that we could have gotten him for less than 90 million next year. We'd have been left in a true bidding war, probably forced to match a near max deal by some desperate franchise like Charlotte or the Knicks.

The Suns were indeed able to offer Joe Johnson more than anyone else. It is what enabled a sign-and-trade with Atlanta instead of Atlanta signing him outright. Of course, we had zero leverage once Joe Johnson asked out, so we had to settle for pennies on the dollar in the form of Boris Diaw and the draft pick that became Robin Lopez.

 

[Proximo]

While I agree that this signing was important, if you don't think signing Ayton is more important, you weren't paying attention in the playoffs. There was a noticeable drop-off in the team's play every time Ayton was off the floor.

You dont get it. Matching ayton as a restricted free agent was never in doubt unless server is beyond stupid, but matching mikal was.

even sarver is not dumb enough to let an asset of ayton’s value just walk out the door.

 

[Proximo]

Ayton is a more important player, but Bridges was the more important contract to get done. Bridges contract demands could of gone up if he had a great season, or next offseason another team could of offered him an offer sheet worth more than what we signed him for. Ayton‘s demands can’t really go up. He wants the max. He wants the most that can be offered. That number can only go down or stay the same (unless he get all nba/all defense). There were more negative things that could of happened with Bridges deal if we didnt sign him this off-season than could happen with Ayton.

This

 

[Covert Rain]

Ayton is a more important signing IMO. Also, if I am in Ayton's camp? My frustration level just skyrocketed. Don't get me wrong this is an important extension as well.

 

[Mainstreet]

Signing Bridges made me sleep better last night because the Suns were able to sign him for what I thought was a reasonable contract compared to what he might have been offered in restricted free agency.

For me it was more about keeping the young core players together. The Suns can match Ayton in restricted free agency, maybe get him for less or look for a sign and trade.

With that said, the Suns are better off getting Ayton extended because he is a key piece for the Suns future. Good chemistry is crucial heading into the season.

The under the radar part of today would be getting Landry Shamet extended as well.

If all this gets done, my calculation is that Robert Sarver will have committed somewhere near $400 million or more in salaries this off season.

 

[Hoop Head]

The under the radar part of today would be getting Landry Shamet extended as well.

I'd be really happy if that happens.

I think it's pretty clear Ayton's team leaked talks of his extension to the press last week, or whenever it was. I got to commend the Suns Front Office for staying quiet in response. I feared a McD type counter of claiming Ayton didn't care about keeping this team together, especially once Mikal signed. The best way for the Suns to handle the situation is with silence going forward if it doesn't get done because talking won't help the perception, at all. You can't create a contentious environment where player and team are pointing figures in the press. Silence puts the spotlight on Ayton. He can talk but it won't help him since it'll make him look like he can't be professional and move forward, which seems to be what the Suns want him to prove further. Right or wrong, the perception of this is in the Suns favor at the moment. IMO. Not by a lot but it's nice knowing they aren't sabotaging themselves.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'd be really happy if that happens.

I think it's pretty clear Ayton's team leaked talks of his extension to the press last week, or whenever it was. I got to commend the Suns Front Office for staying quiet in response. I feared a McD type counter of claiming Ayton didn't care about keeping this team together, especially once Mikal signed. The best way for the Suns to handle the situation is with silence going forward if it doesn't get done because talking won't help the perception, at all. You can't create a contentious environment where player and team are pointing figures in the press. Silence puts the spotlight on Ayton. He can talk but it won't help him since it'll make him look like he can't be professional and move forward, which seems to be what the Suns want him to prove further. Right or wrong, the perception of this is in the Suns favor at the moment. IMO. Not by a lot but it's nice knowing they aren't sabotaging themselves.

The Suns front office doesn't have leaks as much as I would like so the information about the Ayton contract impasse had to come from somewhere.

I agree, I hope the Suns remains mostly silent about the matter other than I would like to know what they offered Ayton.

The Chris Paul and Mikal Bridges signings, plus other signings as well, already prove Robert Sarver is willing to spend.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The Suns were indeed able to offer Joe Johnson more than anyone else. It is what enabled a sign-and-trade with Atlanta instead of Atlanta signing him outright. Of course, we had zero leverage once Joe Johnson asked out, so we had to settle for pennies on the dollar in the form of Boris Diaw and the draft pick that became Robin Lopez.

I don't think you understand the differences between the CBA today and the CBA when Johnson left us. It's been changed considerably to increase the likelihood that teams can keep their prized young players through their second contract.

We can offer one more year, more money and higher raises than any other team can offer AND those rights are NOT transferable. We can no longer sign and trade him to a full max, we can only offer him what that other team could offer (by rules) if we are signing and trading him.

 

[1Sun]

You dont get it. Matching ayton as a restricted free agent was never in doubt unless server is beyond stupid, but matching mikal was.

even sarver is not dumb enough to let an asset of ayton’s value just walk out the door.

No, just dumb enough to anger him to the point of him demanding out, which is basically the same thing in the end, and with nothing at all to gain by doing so.

 

[Hoop Head]

No, just dumb enough to anger him to the point of him demanding out, which is basically the same thing in the end, and with nothing at all to gain by doing so.

You've been crowing on and on about how any day now Devin Booker is going to demand for the last 3 years. You claiming someone is going to ask out carries no weight whatsoever. Give it a rest.

 

[1Sun]

You've been crowing on and on about how any day now Devin Booker is going to demand for the last 3 years. You claiming someone is going to ask out carries no weight whatsoever. Give it a rest.

To put it succinctly, my point is this:

What possible good could playing hardball with Ayton now do versus what negative consequences it could have?

 

[GatorAZ]

To put it succinctly, my point is this:

What possible good could playing hardball with Ayton now do versus what negative consequences it could have?

Ayton isn’t pulling Joe Johnson relax.

 

[Ronin]

Ayton isn’t pulling Joe Johnson relax.

You're telling nuk to relax
That's cute

 

[Phrazbit]

The Suns were indeed able to offer Joe Johnson more than anyone else. It is what enabled a sign-and-trade with Atlanta instead of Atlanta signing him outright. Of course, we had zero leverage once Joe Johnson asked out, so we had to settle for pennies on the dollar in the form of Boris Diaw and the draft pick that became Robin Lopez.

No they weren’t. What enabled the trade was that Johnson was restricted.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Wow. Shamet gets $10 per year, Mikal gets $20 per year.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Wow. Shamet gets $10 per year, Mikal gets $20 per year.

Is that a surprise?

 

[JCSunsfan]

Is that a surprise?

To me it is , yes. I was thinking more like 8 and 16.

 

[Phrazbit]

To me it is , yes. I was thinking more like 8 and 16.

Even before last season, Mikal was never going to be that cheap. I was hopeful for 80, 90 is more than acceptable.

In another year it probably would have been 130+ over 4.

 

[Mainstreet]

Is that a surprise?

Not all of Shamet's money is guaranteed and the 4th year is a team option.

 

[Hoop Head]

To me it is , yes. I was thinking more like 8 and 16.

The cap increases so quick that it's hard to really be in line with it regularly. You're right that Mikal is worth 2 Shamet's and Shamet is worth the MLE, or very close to it. I find it's easier to use baselines like the Mid level exception and max contract amount to gauge others rather than estimate salaries blind.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

To me it is , yes. I was thinking more like 8 and 16.

I'm surprised you're surprised. Mikail was signed on the low end...many thought he could get 25-30 per, and 10M per is a pretty average salary for an 7-8 guy, which is what I expect Shamet will be.