The draft or free agency, which would you prefer take place first?

[Hoop Head]

They almost switched things this year and held free agency before the draft but now it appears that free agency may start in as little as 48-72 hours after the draft. I was curious which people preferred happened first, how it is with the draft and then free agency or to do things like the NFL and hold free agency and then the draft a few weeks later.

Personally I like how it is. I think it allows rookies to have more prominent roles on teams because teams can select the best player on the board and then sign players to fill holes later. If a team signed a marquee free agent who is a PF, for example, they would most likely pass on any PF in the draft even if he is the best available and other teams wouldn't offer much for the pick because they know that team won't take another PF.

Feel free to expand on your reasoning below.

 

[Chaplin]

I just think it would make the draft much more interesting and different than previous years so I voted free agency first.

 

[Mainstreet]

Theoretically it shouldn't matter because a team should draft BPA.

However, that line gets blurred when there are not any clear cut favorites at the top of the draft and the talent is dispersed throughout the first round like in the 2020 draft.

For the Suns, I'd like to know how much money they are gong to spend in free agency and who they will be able to sign. Previously I wanted the Suns to sign a player like Jordan Clarkson or Jerami Grant. Now because of salary cap issues I don't think that is going to happen. Also I'd like to know which free agent players the Suns are going to keep.

I guess I'd like to see what cards are on the table before the draft. It might impact trades as well.

 

[1Sun]

Theoretically it shouldn't matter because a team should draft BPA.

However, that line gets blurred when there are not any clear cut favorites at the top of the draft and the talent is dispersed throughout the first round like in the 2020 draft.

For the Suns, I'd like to know how much money they are gong to spend in free agency and who they will be able to sign. Previously I wanted the Suns to sign a player like Jordan Clarkson or Jerami Grant. Now because of salary cap issues I don't think that is going to happen. Also I'd like to know which free agent players the Suns are going to keep.

I guess I'd to see what cards are on the table before the draft.

This. And the salary cap situation illustrates just how foolish it was for James Jones to stand pat at the trade deadline. Our cap space is gone, we don't even have the full MLE because we are barely under the cap, and we haven't improved. The worst possible situation for a team heading into an offseason.

 

[Mainstreet]

This. And the salary cap situation illustrates just how foolish it was for James Jones to stand pat at the trade deadline. Our cap space is gone, we don't even have the full MLE because we are barely under the cap, and we haven't improved. The worst possible situation for a team heading into an offseason.

I think we would have to know what deals were on the table in order to grade it. I suspect the Suns would have had to throw in their first round pick to make any significant additions in February.

 

[1Sun]

I think we would have to know what deals were on the table in order to grade it. I suspect the Suns would have had to throw in their first round pick to make any significant additions in February.

If they are going to waste the pick on Bane or Riller, anyway, might as well have attached it to Tyler Johnson, Aron Baynes, Dario Saric or Kelly Oubre's contract to fill one or more long-term holes. Now we lost Johnson and will lose Baynes and likely Oubre and Saric for nothing and not have cap space to sign replacements. That is a sure way to kill a rebuilding effort.

 

[Mainstreet]

If they are going to waste the pick on Bane or Riller, anyway, might as well have attached it to Tyler Johnson, Aron Baynes, Dario Saric or Kelly Oubre's contract to fill one or more long-term holes. Now we lost Johnson and will lose Baynes and likely Oubre and Saric for nothing and not have cap space to sign replacements. That is a sure way to kill a rebuilding effort.

We don't know what the Suns are gong to do with their first round pick.

I feel it was a loss not to use Tyler Johnson's contract in a trade but until we know what was on the table I'm not going to grade it. The Suns knew Tyler Johnson was going to pick up his player option so I believe when they acquired him it was with the intent to use his contract as filler in a trade. Maybe the right trade wasn't there.

 

[1Sun]

We don't know what the Suns are gong to do with their first round pick.

I feel it was a loss not to use Tyler Johnson's contract in a trade but until we know what was on the table I'm not going to grade it. The Suns knew Tyler Johnson was going to pick up his player option so I believe when they acquired him it was with the intent to use his contract as filler in a trade. Maybe the right trade wasn't there.

That's what people kept saying about McDonough and his perpetual acquisition of assets...until it turned out he was just grossly incompetent...

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Free agency to fill glaring needs and use the draft to get the best basketball player you can get.

 

[Mainstreet]

That's what people kept saying about McDonough and his perpetual acquisition of assets...until it turned out he was just grossly incompetent...

Player personnel issues with Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe were a huge part of Ryan McDonough's downfall in Phoenix. And drafting players like Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Josh Jackson sealed the deal.

 

[Hoop Head]

This. And the salary cap situation illustrates just how foolish it was for James Jones to stand pat at the trade deadline. Our cap space is gone, we don't even have the full MLE because we are barely under the cap, and we haven't improved. The worst possible situation for a team heading into an offseason.

Quit making things up. The Suns have the full MLE. They only lose that if they spend it and they haven't. It's not worth fully explaining to you because you'll ignore it like you usually do when someone corrects you.

 

[1Sun]

Quit making things up. The Suns have the full MLE. They only lose that if they spend it and they haven't. It's not worth fully explaining to you because you'll ignore it like you usually do when someone corrects you.

There is a higher MLE for teams over the cap than for teams under the cap.