2010 Free For All

[Treesquid PhD]

Looks like we can get Wallace too, that would make the board pretty happy.

 

[Irish]

Two years is a long time. I'm serious. We don't know what this team will look like in two years, but it will look different.

Our problem is that there is a whole bunch of young players whose development is not known. Lopez, Dragic, Tucker, and Strawberry COULD all be good or all flop. This is true with all young players and big reputations mean little. (Redick anyone?)

In getting Porter the Suns now have a coach and staff much more focused on player development than D'Antoni. They also have a staff focused on defense as well as up tempo.

Can they get Amare to learn defensive rotations and positioning? Can the get Diaw to play with more energy? Can they get Barbosa to play position defense rather than gambling all the time?

Pointing to the past doesn't answer any of those questions. If everything, works the Suns could be really good. If NOTHING works, then they'll be really bad. But there is no doubt the team will be very different.

ONE PARTING SHOT: It is not 100% that Nash disappears summer of 2010. Stockton played until he was 40, just fewer minutes. He might come back if the game is still fun for him; just not for as much money.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

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?

Ownership.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

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

I wasn't. I believe we have taken a large step back in credibility as a franchise and thus we will not be as attractive as we once were.

I would say that by 2010 here is where we will fall:

New York
New Jersey (brooklyn)
Miami
LA
Boston

Hopefully the Suns fall in line right after here. Obviously the aforementioned Boston has shown how you can quickly turn around your reputation as a franchise, I can only hope that Kerr has the same skills (though he has far less assets to make such a turnaround possible).

In any event, I just don't see 2 top tier free agents coming to the Suns without Colangelo's influence.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

What disturbs me quite a bit is how San Antonio has somehow become a preference by free agents over us. I have lived in San Antonio. It is a ******** town with a cavernous and crappy arena.

Scottsdale by itself is a better city than 80% of the other NBA cities, yet so far no one is knocking down our door this year (or even really mentioning us).

 

[elindholm]

yet so far no one is knocking down our door this year (or even really mentioning us).

Well, that's not really fair. Lue keeps mentioning Phoenix, and hoopshype this morning said that Devean George is considering the Suns as well. These are low-priced players, but everyone knows that the Suns aren't going to spend any more money for the next two years. That in itself is a telling indictment, but it doesn't necessarily indicate a long-term loss of the franchise's credibility.

 

[82CardsGrad]

What disturbs me quite a bit is how San Antonio has somehow become a preference by free agents over us. I have lived in San Antonio. It is a ******** town with a cavernous and crappy arena.

Scottsdale by itself is a better city than 80% of the other NBA cities, yet so far no one is knocking down our door this year (or even really mentioning us).

Completely agree with you about San Antonio! Regarding players not mentioning Phoenix - how do you know? Last year we snagged Shaq and Grant Hill... not too shabby...
How do you know which other cities FA's are targeting this season?? Let it all play out dude... and know that the Valley is indeed a sought-after destination for NBA FA's...

 

[Bigdez22]

What disturbs me quite a bit is how San Antonio has somehow become a preference by free agents over us. I have lived in San Antonio. It is a ******** town with a cavernous and crappy arena.

Scottsdale by itself is a better city than 80% of the other NBA cities, yet so far no one is knocking down our door this year (or even really mentioning us).

Well, when all you are offering is the vet min, I dont think your going to be a hot spot.
And not everyone wants to play in NY. A lot of players Like warm weather cities and golf opposed to the NY boardroom. I think we will have no problem trying to get players to come to phoenix with the 20 to 30 million $ we will have to offer.

 

[Bigdez22]

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.

haha Oh tricky Dicky.

 

[Sunshooter]

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

If he opts out, we can resign him at lower starting point, and get one or two star players. Just like Clippers.

 

[Chaplin]

Ownership.

That's not an answer.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ownership.

That's not an answer.

No, that's stating the problem.

 

[dodie53]

sign wade and amare to max deals.

sign nash for the minimum, let him come off the bench

sign tmac for the full MLE

 

[LV-Suns]

Last I heard, T-Mac wants to retire after his current contract is up.

 

[tobiazz]

I'm thinking that 2010 will be somewhat anti-climatic, at least for the first-tier players. In 2009, the soon-to-be free agents will worry about the number of players they have to compete with and just re-up for max deals with their current teams.

With our luck, Amare will be the only max player that changes teams. Of course, by then it might be a good thing because he may be due for another surgery.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

I'm thinking that 2010 will be somewhat anti-climatic, at least for the first-tier players. In 2009, the soon-to-be free agents will worry about the number of players they have to compete with and just re-up for max deals with their current teams.

With our luck, Amare will be the only max player that changes teams. Of course, by then it might be a good thing because he may be due for another surgery.

If the Suns could get something fair value for Stat, then by all means, explore. I do not think they will just let him walk. Sarver has said over and over he wants to be like SA, you can be like san antonio by letting your stars walk.

I would never advocate dumping him for less than value or will I just let him walk. Of course the Sarverites will lead the charge that Amare didn't want to be here! And the Sarverites will clap like seal.

 

[mojorizen7]

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

Because he's one of the top 5 or 6 PF's in basketball for one.
Number two his game has improved each year despite knee surgury and re-habbing.
He shows no ill effects of said knee problems.
He's active in the community with children & the like.
He's a fan favorite.
He has the potential to be a 27-30 ppg a night scorer given the ball.
I could go on
If i don't see improvements in his defensive awareness & effort next year then yeah, i'll be dissappointed but still, WTF would you consider trading this guy? Let me put it to you this way.....if you feel that trading Amare away would benefit the team moving forward then fine.
Nash goes first though using that logic.

 

[mojorizen7]

As far as FA's not wanting to come here, there's another thread on that subject.
Fortunately D'Antoni's 7-man teachers pet farm rotations are history....... so i believe that will begin to change for the better moving forward. Warm weather,Snottsdale night life and golf are nice attractions but so is playing time.

 

[Irish]

In 2004 players were beating the doors down trying to joing the Suns. What changed? Well, back then they had $14 million in cap space.

The real question is whether the Suns are attractive to Vet Min level players. In recent years the Suns have picked up minimum priced guys like Tim Thomas and Gordan Giricek in mid season because they saw a chance to play. According to reports, Lue didn't come over because he thought he wouldn't play and instead went to Dallas where he barely played.

Blaming this on Sarver is just silly.

 

[overseascardfan]

I say sign Amare, Kobe and Richard Jefferson, next year we need to take the best PG available when we pick in the draft unless we deal either Barbosa and Diaw for one.

 

[elindholm]

WTF would you consider trading this guy? Let me put it to you this way.....if you feel that trading Amare away would benefit the team moving forward then fine.
Nash goes first though using that logic.

1. Stoudemire's trade value is far, far higher than Nash's.

2. Stoudemire's knees are due to blow up again in two or three years. The problem that led to the cartilage breakdown has not been solved. Microfracture is a band-aid.

3. What's the point of hanging onto an elite scorer who can't elevate the play of his teammates when his supporting cast will be lousy? Do you honestly think the Suns are going to find a way to put a better team around Stoudemire than the one he's had the last two years?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

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

Pretty specious reasoning. You think Kerr was sitting there saying "gee - I wish I could get rid of these first round draft picks for some more cash for my owner!"? That was a Sarver directive.

Then you say "shaq for Marion" which at this point is still a wash. If anyone else noticed Marion didn't exactly lift the Heat to new heights once he came on board. In fact they were worse. So anyone who was trumpeting Marion as a Top 20 player and the most "underatted player in the league" should by now realize he was a nice player who was helped immensely by Nash and Stoudemire. Careful what you wish for Shawn.

As for Phoenix not being a Top 5 NBA city? Making everything else equal these are the top 5 CITIES - that is the key word (does anyone really think the Knicks are a TOP 2 destination team at this point?) This list is assuming we are winning and all else is equal between all other teams:

LA Lakers
NY Knicks
Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns
Orlando/Dallas/Houston

NBA players like the 365 day heat, big city feel and metropolitan natures of the cities above. As long as ownership is half way competent (which is debatable at this point) Phoenix is in fact a destination city no matter how cynical we want to be.

As always though for the All Star players it all begins and ends with $$$$$ so if sarver offes the max its not unlikely at all we could pull a Wade type player.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Please understand this. The city itself is not enough to make the Suns an attractive free agent destination (the Cards are a case in point). What makes a team an attractive destination is

Money
Winning potential
Money
Ownership commitment
Money
Coaching philosophy
Money
Teammates
Money

JC made this place a popular FA destination because he did not nickel and dime players. He talked straight with players and treated them fairly and with respect.

I hope that Sarver will learn this, but it is not his reputation so far.

 

[Skkorpion]

Let's weed out this supposedly overwhelming list by eliminating players who will certainly be on their downside by 2010, shall we? Of course, this is just my personal opinion only.

Joe Johnson
Ray Allen pass
LeBron James (player option)
Dirk Nowitzki (player option)
Ben Wallace pass
Richard Hamilton (player option in 2009)
Tracy McGrady
Yao Ming (player option) underwhelming
Luis Scola
Kobe Bryant (player option) don't want him here, ever
Dwayne Wade (player option) those kinds of injuries are often chronic
Michael Redd (player option)
Richard Jefferson (player option)
Mike Miller
Predrag Stojakovic (player option) pass
Tyson Chandler (player option) very average player
Amare Stoudemire (player option)
Shaq O'Neal pass
Steve Nash pass
Manu Ginobli
Chris Bosh (player option)
Boozer (option in 2009)
Okur (option in 2009)

That list looks a lot shorter now and some of the remainder will stay with their original teams.

Various GMs will have similar shortened lists. I just don't see the free agency bonanza there that others do. Considering the total number of NBA teams, six, maybe seven of the above players having real market demand, the bidding should not be frenzied and will be concentrated on a few targets.

In plainer language -- I see no 2010 magic fix.

 

[Mainstreet]

Pretty specious reasoning. You think Kerr was sitting there saying "gee - I wish I could get rid of these first round draft picks for some more cash for my owner!"? That was a Sarver directive.

Then you say "shaq for Marion" which at this point is still a wash. If anyone else noticed Marion didn't exactly lift the Heat to new heights once he came on board. In fact they were worse. So anyone who was trumpeting Marion as a Top 20 player and the most "underatted player in the league" should by now realize he was a nice player who was helped immensely by Nash and Stoudemire. Careful what you wish for Shawn.

It sounds like you think Kerr was the hatchet man for Sarver. Okay, I'll buy that. However, please explain how Kerr could not move KT, James Jones and three first round picks for something more than cash? I definitely think a good GM could because James Jones contract was relatively small and KT's contract was an expiring contract. Maybe Sarver should become the GM and save a few more bucks in the process.