2010 NBA Draft Lottery

[Griffin]

The draft lottery will be held tonight. Why should we care? Well, we shouldn't. Our own pick in this year's draft (26th) has long been traded away, and the pick we received from the Knicks in the Marbury trade, well, that's been traded away too to Utah. That turned out to be a lottery pick, and Utah will have a 2.2% chance of getting the top overall pick, but will most likely end up with the 9th overall (which is where we took Marion in '99 and Amare in '02).

Here's a write-up from Ball Don't Lie regarding the pick:

Isiah Thomas gave away plenty of draft picks, and he gave up this one back in 2004. But nobody can touch Sarver when it comes to thinking in the moment, so to speak. This should rightfully be Phoenix's pick after acquiring it from the Knicks, but the Suns traded it away to the Jazz soon after. Why? So Suns boss Jerry Colangelo could have a nicer bottom line to hand to Sarver, who was deep into negotiations to buy the struggling team.

Armed with two picks from the Knicks, Colangelo sent Tom Gugliotta, New York's 2004 first-round selection and a future Knick pick to the Jazz for Keon Clark and Ben Handlogten. Mind you, Googs wasn't under contract for 2004-05. He was an expiring contract. The Suns just traded the burden of playing the last half of the last season of Googs' deal (for about $11.7 million) for the rights to pay the last half of the last season of Clark's deal ($5 million), as Handlogten was waived soon after.

For a 16th pick in the 2004 draft that could have been used on Josh Smith(notes), Jameer Nelson(notes), Kevin Martin(notes) or Anderson Varejao(notes). All cheap salaried picks, mind you, that probably wouldn't have prevented the team from offering what it did to secure Steve Nash(notes) that summer. And for a lottery pick this year.

Why? That question, again? Because Sarver wanted fewer debts to assume. Agreeing to buy the team in spring and grabbing it outright in May meant still paying Googs' deal in the final couple of months (contracts expire on July 1), and this pre-emptive lottery trade was the first in several trade-downs that Sarver has forced during his time as owner.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ba...ific-2010-draft-lottery-primer?urn=nba,241797

 

[Covert Rain]

I have brought this up over and over to the Sarver defenders who say Sarver didn't do anything Jerry didn't do to save money. It's bunk. Sarver and Jerry were negotiating for months and months. This article just reaffirms what has been said. Sarver forced the Suns hands even before he owned the team to clean up the books.

Look, I give credit to Sarver for sticking with Kerr, hiring Gentry and revitalizing the team this year. However, that doesn't change the indisputable fact that this team would be in a better place with some of the talent he has let walk or traded away for the sake of saving money.

We are only 4 wins a way from the finals. I just question if we would have had multiple chances had this team been able to reload via free agency, signing our own free agents or holding up to some of those picks.

 

[elindholm]

Fortunately, the Suns are finally starting to dig themselves out from under the crushing draft pick giveaways that have characterized the last several years. Lopez and Dragic appear to be keepers, Dudley is also a long-term asset, and the Suns' financial situation is reasonably good.

 

[Mainstreet]

I never had any doubt JC cleaned the books to make the Suns more attractive to buy. I don't think JC kept it a secret although he probably didn't mention Sarver.

 

[Mainstreet]

Fortunately, the Suns are finally starting to dig themselves out from under the crushing draft pick giveaways that have characterized the last several years. Lopez and Dragic appear to be keepers, Dudley is also a long-term asset, and the Suns' financial situation is reasonably good.

Do you happen to know if Amare leaves the Suns without a sign and trade, will the Suns will be able to use the slot left by his salary to sign another player? I'm thinking the Suns will lose Amare's salary slot if he is not extended or traded. Just wondering if the Suns will be able to sign a larger contract player to fill his shoes if he walks away.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Do you happen to know if Amare leaves the Suns without a sign and trade, will the Suns will be able to use the slot left by his salary to sign another player? I'm thinking the Suns will lose Amare's salary slot if he is not extended or traded. Just wondering if the Suns will be able to sign a larger contract player to fill his shoes if he walks away.

Nope. We'll be right up on the cap if Amare leaves.

 

[Mainstreet]

Nope. We'll be right up on the cap if Amare leaves.

Would the Suns have at least the MLE to work with?

 

[SirStefan32]

Expected salary cap is projected at $56M.

Suns will be at $62,834,630 assuming Amare picks up his player option, and Hill and Frye do the same. Without Amare, Suns will be at $45M. $43M if Fryes leaves.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Would the Suns have at least the MLE to work with?

I'm not sure...I just recall going through the numbers awhile back that we wouldn't have much to spend if he did leave. Stefan's #'s indicate otherwise, maybe someone else has some insight?

 

[Mainstreet]

Expected salary cap is projected at $56M.

Suns will be at $62,834,630 assuming Amare picks up his player option, and Hill and Frye do the same. Without Amare, Suns will be at $45M. $43M if Fryes leaves.

So if I understand correctly, if Amare leaves the Suns will have at least 11 M to work with. I'm not sure about Frye. If he stays he will want a much larger contract so the Suns may not keep him. The Suns will need a quality FC. I'm not saying Frye isn't worth a modest contract but he is not worth 25M or something thereabouts TT got.

 

[Griffin]

Well, Utah did not move up, and the top 3 picks will be in the Eastern conference.

 

[eastcoastSUN]

well I guess there's a good reason to go to the Verizon center next yr when the Suns come in town. Dragic v. Wall, Bosh v. Blatche

 

[elindholm]

There are no such things as "salary slots" anymore; those are at least two CBAs ago. In order to get maximum cap space, a team has to renounce its current free agents, which in the Suns' case would include Frye and Amundson, making those players more difficult to re-sign. So, for all practical purposes, if the Suns lose Stoudemire for nothing, they'll have only the MLE to play with.

 

[Tyler]

Is Arenas going to back to the Wizards?

If so with the number 1 pick they will be doing what the Spurs did when Robinson got hurt and they drafted Duncan.

 

[Bufalay]

Is Arenas going to back to the Wizards?

If so with the number 1 pick they will be doing what the Spurs did when Robinson got hurt and they drafted Duncan.

Did you just compare Arenas to David Robinson?

I think Arenas made this same comparison last year.

 

[elindholm]

Did you just compare Arenas to David Robinson?

I think Arenas made this same comparison last year.

It's two entirely different meanings of the word "sportsman," but I can see how Arenas might have gotten confused.

 

[Tyler]

Did you just compare Arenas to David Robinson?

I think Arenas made this same comparison last year.

No comparison whatsoever. Just the fact that they were a playoff team the year before, best player misses entire year, gets #1 overall pick, becomes championship caliber almost over night.

 

[Bufalay]

No comparison whatsoever. Just the fact that they were a playoff team the year before, best player misses entire year, gets #1 overall pick, becomes championship caliber almost over night.

Best player has missed like 3 years, and he was shooting like 30% before he threatened to murder his teammate.

 

[chickenhead]

Wall and Arenas in the backcourt have the same effect as Avery Johnson + a hall of fame frontcourt. Teams would still take David Robinson over Arenas at his best, just for the rarity of quality centers.

 

[Tyler]

Wall and Arenas in the backcourt have the same effect as Avery Johnson + a hall of fame frontcourt. Teams would still take David Robinson over Arenas at his best, just for the rarity of quality centers.

Thats a given, I would much rather have a solid big man than LB.

 

[jagu]

I hope we can get a sign and trade for Amare at the very least.

 

[az1965]

It is depressing not to see a Suns pick in the first round.