Suns 2024-2025 Season Discussions

[Mainstreet]

Ayton not panning out was the biggest hit. CP3 was great but he couldn't take us where we needed to go, just like the great PG's before him.

At a minimum, we need a significantly better PG than we currently have and an aggressive, young and athletic big who can take over big games to pair with Booker, (what we hoped Ayton would become). Hard to do with our current assets and restrictions.

If we want to build a championship team with Booker, we can't realistically start the process until KD is traded and Beal is off the books 27-28.

Hopefully Durant and Beal are both off the books this coming summer unless the Suns wait another season and trade Bradley as an expiring contract for the 2026/27 season with the no trade clause understood.

They could more easily waive and stretch Beal's contract during the 2026/27 season as well.

 

[Hoop Head]

Hopefully Durant and Beal are both off the books this coming summer unless the Suns wait another season and trade Bradley as an expiring contract for the 2026/27 season with the no trade clause understood.

They could more easily waive and stretch Beal's contract during the 2026/27 season as well.

No waive and stretch for Beal. Just buyout and let it fall. Stretching the $55m or so from that season over 3 years is extending the pain.

 

[Mainstreet]

No waive and stretch for Beal. Just buyout and let it fall. Stretching the $55m or so from that season over 3 years is extending the pain.

I'd prefer a trade or buyout as well, but as I understand it, Beal's final year under contract could be stretched out for a number of years to reduce the cap hit in the 2026/27 season.

A lot of their thinking may depend on what the Suns do this offseason.

 

[GatorAZ]

Let Booker bounce back then trade him during next season or next summer. Pretty simple.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Let Booker bounce back then trade him during next season or next summer. Pretty simple.

His value’s never gonna be higher than right now, with two full years on his deal, at age 28, and coming off a year with no major time missed from his leg injuries which creep up every other season… not to mention without a 70 million dollar price tag after we’re forced to give him a supermax deal.

 

[Hoop Head]

His value’s never gonna be higher than right now, with two full years on his deal, at age 28, and coming off a year with no major time missed from his leg injuries which creep up every other season… not to mention without a 70 million dollar price tag after we’re forced to give him a supermax deal.

We see players value fluctuate constantly. Booker's value was higher pre-KD than now. It wouldn't take long to improve it sans KD. We can move him at the deadline.

 

[Superbone]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I am flat out of optimism when it comes to this franchise. I'm still a Suns fan, that will never change, but I survive by not living and dying with each game. I go into them expecting a loss just like I go into each season expecting turmoil and disappointment.

You don't expect a win in Boston tonight after the Celtics had their first home loss in a while and have never lost two in a row at home all season?! I don't know what to tell you, Steven, but if you can't get up for this one...

 

[Superbone]

I would be fascinated to see what would have happened if we went back in time and drafted Doncic instead of Ayton. Alas, it can only happen in NBA2K and even then it would just be another possible alternate reality. Would we still have gone to the Finals? Would we have our first championship?

 

[Suns_fan69]

I would be fascinated to see what would have happened if we went back in time and drafted Doncic instead of Ayton. Alas, it can only happen in NBA2K and even then it would just be another possible alternate reality. Would we still have gone to the Finals? Would we have our first championship?

That reality would be so difficult to predict. I don't think CP3 would have joined the team, so hard to argue that they would have made the finals.

 

[Hoop Head]

I would be fascinated to see what would have happened if we went back in time and drafted Doncic instead of Ayton. Alas, it can only happen in NBA2K and even then it would just be another possible alternate reality. Would we still have gone to the Finals? Would we have our first championship?

I would have taken Jaren Jackson Jr. Maybe trade down for him. I think he could have developed more of an offensive game here and would have thrived with CP3. A key part of is being bad that first year with replacement Ayton and Mikal so we still go the CP3 route.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I would have taken Jaren Jackson Jr. Maybe trade down for him. I think he could have developed more of an offensive game here and would have thrived with CP3. A key part of is being bad that first year with replacement Ayton and Mikal so we still go the CP3 route.

I would have traded down a spot for a young player and 3 extra firsts and then traded down 3 more spots for another young player and 2 extra firsts and then traded down 3 more spots for a young PG and an extra first and then traded down 4 more spots for a 20 year old center and another first and then traded down 4 more spots for an up and coming power forward and another future first and so on. Soon, I'd have 15 extra picks and a young talented core that would have been the envy of the league. And then I'd wake up. But JJJ and picks would have been nice too especially if we could have kept him injury free.

 

[Cheesebeef]

That reality would be so difficult to predict. I don't think CP3 would have joined the team, so hard to argue that they would have made the finals.

I think they probably build around Luka/Book, still draft Bridges and sign Clint Capella in the offseason to anchor the D.

That probably would have been much improved but miss the playoffs in year 1, make a 7 or 8 seed year 2 and then be pretty damn formidable by year 3 with a bright future.

Instead they took the guy I was SALIVATING over… and couldn’t have been more wrong about.

 

[Hoop Head]

I would have traded down a spot for a young player and 3 extra firsts and then traded down 3 more spots for another young player and 2 extra firsts and then traded down 3 more spots for a young PG and an extra first and then traded down 4 more spots for a 20 year old center and another first and then traded down 4 more spots for an up and coming power forward and another future first and so on. Soon, I'd have 15 extra picks and a young talented core that would have been the envy of the league. And then I'd wake up. But JJJ and picks would have been nice too especially if we could have kept him injury free.

I just remember JJJ's workout interview. He was young but seemed to be the most poised and eager to learn. I liked him a lot but knew #1 was a reach for him. IIRC we had Bagley, JJJ, and Ayton all in for public workouts. Or private workout but had public interviews after.

 

[BirdGangThing]

hindsight being 20/20 i think the twins were more replaceable than cp3 and ayton were - cp3 was a strategical genius and ayton - despite his aytonness had a sweet jump shot to go with the pick and roll

the twins - we all love them and hope they return but their respected positions are a dime a dozen - and neither ever bulked up - unless we're talking about chemistry.... that may be irreplaceable considering they all came in the league together as rookies as suns and it was special

damn this is some good weed

 

[AzStevenCal]

I just remember JJJ's workout interview. He was young but seemed to be the most poised and eager to learn. I liked him a lot but knew #1 was a reach for him. IIRC we had Bagley, JJJ, and Ayton all in for public workouts.

Oh I liked him a lot at the time but despite having concerns about DA's hands going into the draft, I thought DeAndre was easily the best big man pick. In hindsight I really would have preferred trading down as often as possible and just waited for future drafts. Doncic would have been the right pick but I just can't stand his on court behavior and would rather not have to cheer for him nightly. I can't stand Booker's on court behavior either but he's nowhere near as annoying as Luka.

 

[Hoop Head]

hindsight being 20/20 i think the twins were more replaceable than cp3 and ayton were - cp3 was a strategical genius and ayton - despite his aytonness had a sweet jump shot to go with the pick and roll

the twins - we all love them and hope they return but their respected positions are a dime a dozen - and neither ever pulled up - but if we're talking about chemistry.... that may be irreplaceable considering they all came in the league together as rookies as suns and it was special

damn this is some good weed

The twins came in a year apart not together.

If their positions were a dime a dozen then we've had zero dimes for 3 years since they've been gone. You're really under selling what they brought beyond chemistry.

 

[GatorAZ]

I just remember JJJ's workout interview. He was young but seemed to be the most poised and eager to learn. I liked him a lot but knew #1 was a reach for him. IIRC we had Bagley, JJJ, and Ayton all in for public workouts. Or private workout but had public interviews after.

JJJ was also 15 months younger than DA at the time. JJJ should’ve been in the 2019 draft by age/class standards.

 

[Mainstreet]

I just remember JJJ's workout interview. He was young but seemed to be the most poised and eager to learn. I liked him a lot but knew #1 was a reach for him. IIRC we had Bagley, JJJ, and Ayton all in for public workouts. Or private workout but had public interviews after.

Mostly, I remember how enamored Ryan McDonough was of the shooting of Jaren Jackson Jr.

I felt if the Suns weren't locked onto Ayton, he might have been the Suns choice.

 

[Hoop Head]

Mostly, I remember how enamored Ryan McDonough was of the shooting of Jaren Jackson Jr.

I felt if the Suns weren't locked onto Ayton, he might have been the Suns choice.

I think if Ayton went to Duke or Kentucky, he wouldn't have been the Suns pick. I don't mean because his college year would have been that different, it could have been identical, but being a UofA kid who also had ties to the valley made Sarver see dollar signs. He was a local kid, in a way, with ties to Bobby Bankers alma mater. That made him a lock.

 

[Phrazbit]

They need to shut Beal down. On the rare occasions he's been able to play the last several months he has been absolutely terrible. There is no rehabbing his trade value, he is immovable for, at least, another year.

 

[Hoop Head]

Kind of crazy how far Washington guards fall off after getting out of DC. Wall, Beal, Arenas, and Hughes. All were All-Star players in Washington and fell apart once they left. Got to be a curse. The worst of that bunch in Washington was Hughes and he had the best time after, albeit he was on a LeBron led team.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think if Ayton went to Duke or Kentucky, he wouldn't have been the Suns pick. I don't mean because his college year would have been that different, it could have been identical, but being a UofA kid who also had ties to the valley made Sarver see dollar signs. He was a local kid, in a way, with ties to Bobby Bankers alma mater. That made him a lock.

It's hard for me to evaluate it fairly because, as a Suns fan, I had been waiting for Phoenix to draft a center since their inception. I felt Ayton would develop into the player we all wanted. It's really unfortunate.

I know McDonough liked Jaren Jackson Jr., but I think it was down to Ayton and Doncic.

 

[GatorAZ]

It's hard for me to evaluate it fairly because, as a Suns fan, I had been waiting for Phoenix to draft a center since their inception. I felt Ayton would develop into the player we all wanted. It's really unfortunate.

I know McDonough liked Jaren Jackson Jr., but I think it was down to Ayton and Doncic.

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McD wanted Ayton and SGA. Jones overruled him for Bridges because they wanted an older NBA ready wing. That was the start of Sarver siding with JJ and McD was fired a few months later.

Idk why ppl think Ayton going to AZ affected their mindset. If it’s about eye balls and hype you take the internationally known phenom.

 

[Hoop Head]

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McD wanted Ayton and SGA. Jones overruled him for Bridges because they wanted an older NBA ready wing. That was the start of Sarver siding with JJ and McD was fired a few months later.

Idk why ppl think Ayton going to AZ affected their mindset. If it’s about eye balls and hype you take the internationally known phenom.

Sarver went to UofA. He was set on Ayton. I don't think Jones was really that involved on the Luka or Ayton decision.

While McD did want SGA that was after he was told Ayton was the pick. He's said since being fired he wanted Luka. He did hire Luka's coach also.

I don't believe McD was entirely sold on SGA where he was locked into taking him but since he knew the Suns needed a PG, Shai was just the best PG available at that point.

 

[Mainstreet]

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McD wanted Ayton and SGA. Jones overruled him for Bridges because they wanted an older NBA ready wing. That was the start of Sarver siding with JJ and McD was fired a few months later.

Idk why ppl think Ayton going to AZ affected their mindset. If it’s about eye balls and hype you take the internationally known phenom.

I read reports Robert Sarver wanted Mikal Bridges, perhaps James Jones as well. How ironic it would be, with all the bad drafts under Ryan McDonough, if he had his way and traded for Shai. Drafting Devin Booker would be on his resume as well.

This is not taking anything away from Mikal Bridges, but Shai would have been the better choice for Phoenix.

I don't think Ayton going to UofA had anything to do with it either, but there is a connection. Personally, I wanted the Suns to draft Ayton. Where he attended college should have nothing to do with it.