2008 FA class - poor Marion

[BillsCarnage]

He'd be a fool to opt out this summer - not that that's a surprise.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=FreeAgents--071127&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dford_chad%26page%3dFreeAgents--071127

 

[Louis]

Antwan Jamison is an UFA? That guy would be sweet to have in purple/orange.

 

[mathbzh]

He'd be a fool to opt out this summer - not that that's a surprise.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insi...y?columnist=ford_chad&page=FreeAgents--071127

Another lockout in the making?

 

[CardNots]

He'd be a fool to opt out this summer - not that that's a surprise.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=FreeAgents--071127&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dford_chad%26page%3dFreeAgents--071127

He will play one more year for the SUNS. Can't pass up 18 million for one season. He will not get that much for one year from any other team in the league.

 

[jandaman]

He will stay, or accept a 4yr/55mil offer from the Suns.

If not, sign and trade for Brand or Smith.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Sign and trade for Brand would be great. I have always loved Brand. Won't happen though.

 

[WuRaider]

Antwan Jamison is an UFA? That guy would be sweet to have in purple/orange.

If he's willing to take a 1-2 year, mid level deal, Sarver HAS to say yes.

 

[azirish]

Marion is having a terrific year and IMHO still won't get an extension anywhere close to what he's getting.

Chad Ford's article makes it clear that the Suns are not the only total LT averse team in the NBA. It certainly sounds like the player agents are slow to understand that and the huge number of RFA's reflects this.

 

[mojorizen7]

The names that stand out to me if i were to play GM are Josh Childress,Antawn Jamison,Emeke Okafor(provided he stays healthy this season), & Ron Artest.
Childress makes the most sense for what DA is doing here.
Artest makes no sense for what DA is doing here but would solve many things(provided he can stay outta trouble for a full season).

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Emeka isnt going anywhere. Bobcats are one of the few teams that will have cap space to lock him down, and have no incentive to let him go.

childress may be interesting, but would he be worth, and accept, the MLE? (which will be the only thing we could offer)

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Antwan Jamison is an UFA? That guy would be sweet to have in purple/orange.

Ugh. He's Downy soft. Give me some Ron Artest please.

 

[dodie53]

i'm not an insider

 

[arwillan]

Ugh. He's Downy soft. Give me some Ron Artest please.

he may be soft but hell, he can't be any worse than diaw.... he can score with the best of them and create his own shot. One must only look to last year's playoffs where he played without caron and gilbert averaging someting like 31ppg (a playoff high for any player iirc). Amare and Jamison together working the block and perimeter would be absolutely sick... two of the best scorers at those positions in the game

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

he may be soft but hell, he can't be any worse than diaw.... he can score with the best of them and create his own shot. One must only look to last year's playoffs where he played without caron and gilbert averaging someting like 31ppg (a playoff high for any player iirc). Amare and Jamison together working the block and perimeter would be absolutely sick... two of the best scorers at those positions in the game

Amare and Jamison would rival Curry and Randolph for the worst defensive PF/C combo in the league. We'd be getting raped even worse by Duncan and Boozer. I think that Brand and Artest would be great fits for this team. Bostjan Nochbar and Desagna Diop are other options.

 

[arwillan]

Amare and Jamison would rival Curry and Randolph for the worst defensive PF/C combo in the league. We'd be getting raped even worse by Duncan and Boozer. I think that Brand and Artest would be great fits for this team. Bostjan Nochbar and Desagna Diop are other options.

i'm not saying i wouldn't rather have artest or brand arent better fits for the team. in fact, i'd kill to see either of them on our team right now... i was just commenting on the fact that jamison is a great offensive player though you are absolutely correct with your point about horrible defense between the two.

A team of nash/bell/marion/artest/amare would be SICK defensively and offensively. i doubt we could keep marion and get artest because of money issues but hell, a guy can dream cant he?

 

[CaptainInsano]

God it just bakes me that we used those draft picks since we could have used them to get rid of Diaw and then watch marion opt.

Too bad we are stuck with diaw since we used the draft picks to get rid of an EXPIRING KT which was just one of the most incompetent GM moves I have ever seen looking in hindsight now. Hey! Marions unhappy and diaw is atrociously underplaying? Well screw keeping the draft picks for insurance if we needed them to work something out in a trade to clear salary!!

It is sick to watch Boris as he continues to decline to the point where it is almost better to NOT have him out there. His FG% is just plain bad compared to previous years and for what he should be doing. 8 points 5 rebounds 4 assists for 9 million a year. Especially great since we need either LOTS of scoring energy OR a tough workaholic rebounder!

With the ATL pick probably ending up at 10-12 we might as well use it to dump boris and tell marion to go suck an egg. Then we have some serious ass kicking capspace to go after not 1 but possibly 2 strong/major players.

Brand and Artest anyone?

YES PLEASE!

 

[Ollie]

With the ATL pick probably ending up at 10-12 we might as well use it to dump boris and tell marion to go suck an egg. Then we have some serious ass kicking capspace to go after not 1 but possibly 2 strong/major players.

If by "serious ass kicking capspace" you mean barely 10M$, I agree.

I can't wait to see who's gonna sign with the Suns for that kind of money, though, because if I'm not mistaken, you're basically trading 2 of our best 7 players and another first round pick for that guy. He'd better be good.

Note that I'm not even talking about signing 2 guys because well... you couldn't even sign 2 Kaponos or Najeras with 10M$.

 

[HooverDam]

Amare and Jamison would rival Curry and Randolph for the worst defensive PF/C combo in the league. We'd be getting raped even worse by Duncan and Boozer. I think that Brand and Artest would be great fits for this team. Bostjan Nochbar and Desagna Diop are other options.

Thats why we draft Jeff Pendergraph in 2009

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

If we were able to move move Diaw with the ATL and Marion opts out, assuming the cap for 08-09 is 58M that would leave a little more than 12M.

I believe youre allowed to offer a salary that increases by a max of 20% annually as the max. If I can count right, 6yr/118-119M (which we would never ever do) would be what we could offer as ridiculous as it sounds.

Brands current contract is 82M/6years, which averages out to a little over 13.5 a year

We could theoretically sign brand to a 5 year/80M contract (similar money less years, so still a competitive increase) or anyone else for that matter. We would also have the MLE (childress maybe, although he will prob get better offer) and vet min to use.

Moving Diaw with the ATL pick may be a bad idea though. Plus only a team like Golden state, charlotte or philly would be able to take him. I think philly would bite, he would fill a big need there.


On the other hand, Horry will be a UFA...So will KT.

 

[CaptainInsano]

If by "serious ass kicking capspace" you mean barely 10M$, I agree.

I can't wait to see who's gonna sign with the Suns for that kind of money, though, because if I'm not mistaken, you're basically trading 2 of our best 7 players and another first round pick for that guy. He'd better be good.

Note that I'm not even talking about signing 2 guys because well... you couldn't even sign 2 Kaponos or Najeras with 10M$.

Next year we are at almost 72 million.

Take off marions 17 million.

Use atl pick and take off diaws 9 million.

Our total salary: 45

Projected salary cap 57 (Last year salary cap = 53 current salary cap = 55 as per http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2932279)


We could sign artest for say 8 million per, which though from his attitude problems would be way overpaying since his contract value shouldn't match close to his talent.

We would still be under the cap and I believe still able to sign whatever we want (up to a point, but quite a large one). Say a rashard knockoff for 100 million/6? Yep, we could do it. Not that I would recommend it.

I think that gives us quite a bit more then just 10 million to work with, but nice sarcasm there, maybe you can not be so condescending next time. It really helps if you turn out to be wrong. It especially REALLY helps if you turn out to be REALLY wrong.

 

[CaptainInsano]

Moving Diaw with the ATL pick may be a bad idea though. Plus only a team like Golden state, charlotte or philly would be able to take him. I think philly would bite, he would fill a big need there.

Normally I would agree it is a bad idea, but the hawks are slowly creeping up and up the east until they will almost be in semi-playoff territory. At that point we could end up with a 13-15 pick.

So, since it is not lottery or even close to lottery that means sarver sells it. Well Mr. Sarver how about this time you actually sell it for some real value, netting us 9 million in capspace?

One can only dream.

I am just starting feel there is no way we are getting the 8th or better pick. Would D'antoni even play a 10+ pick? You all know he wouldn't.

 

[asudevil83]

find me a team who is going to shave off $9mil of their available cap space for a guy like Diaw and a late lotto pick, and i'll shave my head.

no team in the world is going to absorb Diaw's contract for a late lotto pick. it would be like offering Diaw a $9mil contract over guy's like Iggy, Smith, Deng, Okafor, and any of the other dozen or so 10x better guys.

its a dream, and a stupid one at that.

 

[mojorizen7]

Here's my financially irresponsible scenario for the off-season next year.

Trade Stat to Denver for Camby which will solve our defensive woes and allow Diaw to be the player he was/can be with Stat gone. Wave goodbye to Marion $ his contract in the off-season & bring in Artest & Childress.
Childress's numbers would explode in DA's system(as do everybody's) & i've already gone on record in saying that Artest would bring a toughness thats been sorely lacking come playoff time.

8 man rotation
Nash/Barbosa/Bell
Hill/Barbosa/Childress/Bell
Artest/Hill/Childress
Diaw/Skinner/Artest
Camby/Skinner

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Here's my financially irresponsible scenario for the off-season next year.

Trade Stat to Denver for Camby which will solve our defensive woes and allow Diaw to be the player he was/can be with Stat gone. Wave goodbye to Marion $ his contract in the off-season & bring in Artest & Childress.
Childress's numbers would explode in DA's system(as do everybody's) & i've already gone on record in saying that Artest would bring a toughness thats been sorely lacking come playoff time.

8 man rotation
Nash/Barbosa/Bell
Hill/Barbosa/Childress/Bell
Artest/Hill/Childress
Diaw/Skinner/Artest
Camby/Skinner

Interesting idea, although I'd doubt we'd be able to sign Childress and Artest. I still don't like Diaw even without Amare, and neither Diaw or Camby are great man on defenders (Camby didn't even guard Duncan last year in the playoffs). Plus 8 man rotations have me a bit worried, as well as Raja not getting a starting spot. I'd question Hill's effectiveness at the two.

Here's my plan: trade Amare and Banks for Sheed/Maxiell/Johnson, let Shawn go, and sign Artest (definitely the right idea). Detroit would probably be willing to take in Banks in exchange for getting a burgeoning superstar in Amare.

Nash/Barbosa
Bell/Barbosa
Artest/Hill
Maxiell/Johnson
Wallace/Skinner

We could easily go nine deep, and even ten depending on Strawberry's progress.

 

[cly2tw]

The team without a healthy Amare to score in late game situations is not gonna win anything. Teams around the league know how to better contain Nash by now. With Nash neutralized the way he was in the Spurs series, you can already forget Marion and Bell as offensive threat. Hill will help if not run to injury by DA by the time playoffs come around but he is not the enforcer Amare can be.

Anyway, I still think Diaw could be a great fit for the Bulls, say for Noccioni, if BYC didn't prevent it.