2010 Free For All

[Irish]

LeBron James is a great player who led a fairly ordinary team to the finals just a year ago. The chance to get him has led to an amazing league wide effort to get cap space in the summer of 2010 accompanied by players setting up their contracts to expired at the same time. In my memory, there has never been a year like what 2010 looks to be. Here is preliminary list of unresticted guys who may be available.

http://www.storytellerscontracts.info/resources/08-09salaries.htm

Joe Johnson
Ray Allen
LeBron James (player option)
Dirk Nowitzki (player option)
Ben Wallace
Richard Hamilton (player option in 2009)
Tracy McGrady
Yao Ming (player option)
Luis Scola
Kobe Bryant (player option)
Dwayne Wade (player option)
Michael Redd (player option)
Richard Jefferson (player option)
Mike Miller
Predrag Stojakovic (player option)
Tyson Chandler (player option)
Amare Stoudemire (player option)
Shaq O'Neal
Steve Nash
Manu Ginobli
Chris Bosh (player option)
Boozer (option in 2009)
Okur (option in 2009)

This list is overwhelming. You can see why everybody is trying to clear cap space and no one wants to give more than two years to anybody not already an all star. Even with an All Star like Marion, there is nobody willing to offer more than a two year deal.

It will be an unbeleivable summer.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Suns should target Amare and Wade.

 

[da_suns_fan]

Why do I get the feeling Amare's going to be one of the most probable to leave?

 

[joshstmarie]

because youre pessimistic about everything??? thats just a shot in the dark.. oh and if amare does leave that gives us about ohhh 500 billion dollars in cap space when shaq/amare/nash ect are off the books.

 

[Irish]

Why do I get the feeling Amare's going to be one of the most probable to leave?

He will certainly get a lot of attention. As the only all star big, he coult be behind only LeBron and Kobe in impact. The Suns will retain Amare's Bird rights and can offer a longer deal than anyone else; but Sarver needs to realize just how expensive it will be to keep him.

With the Suns having cap space, they should be able to get one more top player. They can use that space without having to worry about Amare, since they do not have to use their cap space on him. There will be an LT problem, but since Amare's contract will start at $17 million, it won't be an immediate problem.

 

[sunsallday]

We should keep Amare, use the freed up money of Bell, Nash, and SHAQ's contract expiration and focus on getting a All-Star wing player (Wade or Lebron or a very good wing player)to play along side of him. That would cover all bases as we would have a inside presents with Amare and spectacular wing players

So our lineup after 2010 would be

PG:Goran Dragic
SG:All Star Free Agent or Tucker or Strawberry
SF:Boris Diaw or a All Star Free Agent
PF:Amare Stoudemire
C:Robin Lopez

That seems pretty deadly to me. Personally, I would love for Amare to stay as he is my favorite big man and I can't imagine him in another uniform other than the Suns.

 

[Irish]

We should keep Amare, use the freed up money of Bell, Nash, and SHAQ's contract expiration and focus on getting a All-Star wing player (Wade or Lebron or a very good wing player)to play along side of him. That would cover all bases as we would have a inside presents with Amare and spectacular wing players

So our lineup after 2010 would be

PG:Goran Dragic
SG:All Star Free Agent or Tucker or Strawberry
SF:Boris Diaw or a All Star Free Agent
PF:Amare Stoudemire
C:Robin Lopez

That seems pretty deadly to me. Personally, I would love for Amare to stay as he is my favorite big man and I can't imagine him in another uniform other than the Suns.

It sounds like a plan.

It is hard to tell how 2010 will work, but I'm guessing the top players will try to focus on playoff teams rather than JUST the money. They'll get big bucks under any condidtion, but movement will be mostly to better teams.

Clearly we don't know how things will work out with the Suns younger players. If they develop reasonably well, this team should be promising enough that free agents will consider the Suns. t they have a chance to get an impact player at SG/SF, although I'd like to get Bosh...

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Can I ask what makes anyone believe the Suns will be an attractive free agent destination in 2010?

 

[elindholm]

Can I ask what makes anyone believe the Suns will be an attractive free agent destination in 2010?

Or why Stoudemire should be a long-term cornerstone of the franchise?

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Can I ask what makes anyone believe the Suns will be an attractive free agent destination in 2010?

We are one of the fastest developing cities in the nation. We have 360 days of sunshine. We have high end residential communities that are close to their job. We have more golf courses per capita than anywhere on the planet. We will have unbelievable cap space. We have a miracle working training staff. We are six hours from Mexico and the coast.

I hope you understand most of us are aware LA, NYC. etc are better, but we have a lot to offer. Your comment suggests that you haven't traveled much...

 

[Joe Mama]

Or why Stoudemire should be a long-term cornerstone of the franchise?

My thoughts exactly. Depending on what other teams are offering I would think long and hard about trading him next summer or at the trade deadline in 2010 if this team doesn't look like it will be contending for a championship. Quite frankly I thought they were a better team without him in 2005-06 until Kurt Thomas went down.

Joe

 

[Chaplin]

Can I ask what makes anyone believe the Suns will be an attractive free agent destination in 2010?

Besides NY and LA for endorsement money, I'd like to hear your rationale that Phoenix will not be an attractive destination compared to say, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City. We most definitely won't be the #1 destination, but what makes Phoenix so awful in your mind?

 

[HooverDam]

Or why Stoudemire should be a long-term cornerstone of the franchise?

Why shouldn't he be? He's arguably one of the top 3 Power Forwards in the game, and could reasonably develop into the games premier PF. As a general rule, I'm all for having the best player of his position on my team, call me crazy.

 

[sunsallday]

Chris Sanders has had nothing nice to say about the Suns for a while(which is understandable after our first round exit). Look at his signature.

Amare Stoudemire is the cornerstone of our franchise. Make fun of his defense all you want, but he like HooverDam says is one of the premier PF. People also seem to forget he made Tim Duncan look like a little boy in 2005 when he averaged 37ppg against the Spurs. He can score big when you need it most, and his offensive game is on a another level. Many people blame Amare for his hard headed decisions against the Spurs this year, but the guy basically was our offense against the Spurs. Almost everybody else disappeared.

Sure the Suns did better than expected without Amare in 2006, but he is still a major piece of this team. Once Nash leaves, he will become the leader. If Amare was traded, who would become the leader of this team? Boris Diaw. Barbosa. Amare strives to be the best and he is going to shut his critics and doubters up like he always done.

He shut them up when he dominated against the Spurs in 05. He shut them up when he came back from three career threatening knee surgeries in 06 and 07, and he will shut many up again this year.

 

[LV-Suns]

My thoughts exactly. Depending on what other teams are offering I would think long and hard about trading him next summer or at the trade deadline in 2010 if this team doesn't look like it will be contending for a championship. Quite frankly I thought they were a better team without him in 2005-06 until Kurt Thomas went down.

Joe

Suns were twice the team they were in 06, last year. We didn't look back at all after the slow start, then KT went down for couple months.

 

[sunsallday]

Suns were twice the team they were in 06, last year. We didn't look back at all after the slow start, then KT went down for couple months.

The 2007 Phoenix Suns are twice the team that the 2006 Phoenix Suns were. People say we were better without Amare Stoudemire. Please.

We went 7 games against the 7th seeded Lakers and the formidable Clippers in 2006. We struggled basically for the entire playoffs. We also only won 54 games. Amare Stoudemire comes back and we have a 61 win season, a 17 games winning streak, and easily dispatch the Lakers in five games in 2007. Yes we lost in the semi-finals, but that was arguably affected by the refs and the league's best interest.

 

[HooverDam]

but that was arguably affected by the refs and the league's best interest.

How on Earth is the leagues best interest to favor a slow, not terribly fun to watch, small market team, thats proven to have terrible ratings in the Finals? I agree that the suspensions were a HUGE factor in the series, but I don't think it was some sort of conspiracy. I just think David Stern is a really stupid person, who can't think past the end of his nose. He almost always misses the point, and can't see the forest for the trees (i.e. a good example of this is "well the league is losing popularity, it must be that players look like thugs, lets start a dress code!"). I honestly think that Stern thought he was doing the right thing with the suspensions, its just, he's a buffoon.

 

[sunsallday]

How on Earth is the leagues best interest to favor a slow, not terribly fun to watch, small market team, thats proven to have terrible ratings in the Finals? I agree that the suspensions were a HUGE factor in the series, but I don't think it was some sort of conspiracy. I just think David Stern is a really stupid person, who can't think past the end of his nose. He almost always misses the point, and can't see the forest for the trees (i.e. a good example of this is "well the league is losing popularity, it must be that players look like thugs, lets start a dress code!"). I honestly think that Stern thought he was doing the right thing with the suspensions, its just, he's a buffoon.

The Spurs are very well know internationally. They have international players like Parker and Ginobli, and Stern wants the NBA to be popular in places like China and most of Europe. Maybe in the league's best interest comment is going overboard, but their has been a lot of very questionable actions and events that have happened over the past few years. Even if it is not a conspiracy, Stern is a idiot and I hope Phoenix residents boo him in the 2009 All-Star games in Phoenix.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

It's in the league's best interest to stimulate the small markets when the big markets are over the luxury tax.

How is that so hard to apprehend?

Silliest argument ever.

 

[Mainstreet]

Chris Sanders has had nothing nice to say about the Suns for a while(which is understandable after our first round exit). Look at his signature.

I see nothing wrong with Chris' signature below. He is just stating facts. Sometimes the truth hurts.

Steve Kerr's guide to GMing:

You trade:
Kurt Thomas, Marcus Banks, James Jones Jr, Shawn Marion, and 3 first round draft picks.

You get:
Shaq and cash.

 

[Mainstreet]

LeBron James is a great player who led a fairly ordinary team to the finals just a year ago. The chance to get him has led to an amazing league wide effort to get cap space in the summer of 2010 accompanied by players setting up their contracts to expired at the same time. In my memory, there has never been a year like what 2010 looks to be. Here is preliminary list of unresticted guys who may be available.

I think the key word is "may." I'm bet a lot of the quality players will never hit the open market as UFAs. Or some that do, will likely be on the downside of their career.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

My thoughts exactly. Depending on what other teams are offering I would think long and hard about trading him next summer or at the trade deadline in 2010 if this team doesn't look like it will be contending for a championship. Quite frankly I thought they were a better team without him in 2005-06 until Kurt Thomas went down.

Joe

More likely a product of low expectations being exceeded than being a better team without Amare.

As to whether you look at trading him, yeah you should always be open to a deal, but you don't move someone of his caliber unless you are getting a lot back. Around the league Amare is regarded as one of the top 2 front line scorers in the NBA.

 

[Bigdez22]

Can I ask what makes anyone believe the Suns will be an attractive free agent destination in 2010?

We are a top 5 city in the United States. Please stop talking like this is 1980.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

The 2007 Phoenix Suns are twice the team that the 2006 Phoenix Suns were. People say we were better without Amare Stoudemire. Please.

We went 7 games against the 7th seeded Lakers and the formidable Clippers in 2006. We struggled basically for the entire playoffs. We also only won 54 games. Amare Stoudemire comes back and we have a 61 win season, a 17 games winning streak, and easily dispatch the Lakers in five games in 2007. Yes we lost in the semi-finals, but that was arguably affected by the refs and the league's best interest.

You're new here, just as an FYI there is a faction of fans on this board that dislike Stoudemire, and as you can see think that he is the main reason the Suns are not in the final year in and year out. My advice would be to ignore them, but certainty don't try to give them numbers like wins, highlights and never offense numbers as they are still bitter and yearning for the Ben Wallace that nbadraft.net promised them 5 years ago.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

We are a top 5 city in the United States. Please stop talking like this is 1980.

Well according to Dick Sarver the Suns are in the bottom third of the NBA market wise. Probably even lower now the Oklahoma City has a team.