2012 Free Agency news

[JS22]

My bigger point is that I don't even think they would go through those motions without some formal knowledge of NO's intent - at least I HOPE this is what is happening....

I like it. Shows that they're trying to be prepared for any situation.

It's a miracle, but it looks like the Suns actually know what they are doing. (And players are actually interested in coming here.)

 

[JS22]

I think we'll be seeing Beasley at the 4 sometimes too. You'll see some Dragic-Mayo/Gordon-Dudley-Beasley-Gortat or even Frye at the 5 line-ups. Back to the days when there were 4 3-point shooters on the floor at the same time.

This will be fun to watch.

Ironically, it's happening as Nash leaves. Nash with that much offensive talent around him would have been exactly what he has been wanting the past few years.

 

[SweetD]

Almost everyone blames D'Antoni for not developing players he never had at his diposal.

Now the blame goes to Nash for jumping ship and joining the Lakers, by far too many.

If Sarver would have provided a deeper bench my guess is coach D would have played them and we would have won a championship along the way.

If Sarver would have offerred Nash a contract and not traded every player associated with 7 SOS, Nash would be a Sun not a Laker and we would be a lot more fun to watch.

It really is amazing how virtually all of our problems are spun to the players or coach when the owner has been at the root of destroying what he originally purchased. It always has been somone elses fault, or so it seems.

What? When we had 7 SOL, we had one of the deapest benches in the league, no other team could go 8-10 deep as we did. FYI every team during this time was also over the cap, we had role players leave for more money (Tim Thomas, Steven Hunter, ect)

 

[SweetD]

I think we'd agree that next year's Suns have no chance whatsoever of a deep playoff run, regardless of what system they run.

I agree maybe we can make it past the first round depending on match ups and injuries. But no way we get past Lakers, Spurs, Thunder and Clippers. Others could be intresting depending on what the team looks after any trades during the season.

 

[Griffin]

Should the Suns place bids on any of the amnestied players? Brand (33), Scola (32) and Milicic (27) are available.

Brand would help quite a bit up front, but this would be a temporary fix as he would likely leave next summer. He's also 33 and the Suns have been in the process of adding youth, not veterans. If they are not serious about making a playoff run this season, then there's no point. He also would not be happy if the Suns claimed him as he is already eying joining a contender like the Lakers, and Brand has a history of under-performing.

Scola is a bit more interesting. He's 32, but he could be had at a bargain price for the next two years. The Suns would not be able to trade him this season, but next summer he may actually have some trade value with one guaranteed year left on his contract if he has a productive season. He may be a good pickup just as a future trade asset.

Picking up Milicic would certainly help the Suns solidify its position as the NBA's top draft bust team. Milicic's numbers are very comparable to Lopez's and he would be a cheaper backup center solution. He is older than Lopez, but with only one guaranteed year left on the contract the risk is minimal compared to Lopez.

 

[binkar]

Almost everyone blames D'Antoni for not developing players he never had at his diposal.

Now the blame goes to Nash for jumping ship and joining the Lakers, by far too many.

If Sarver would have provided a deeper bench my guess is coach D would have played them and we would have won a championship along the way.

If Sarver would have offerred Nash a contract and not traded every player associated with 7 SOS, Nash would be a Sun not a Laker and we would be a lot more fun to watch.

It really is amazing how virtually all of our problems are spun to the players or coach when the owner has been at the root of destroying what he originally purchased. It always has been somone elses fault, or so it seems.

D'Antoni was also the GM, thus making many of the personel decisions. You're swinging to the opposite end of the extreme, blaming Sarver for things that are a bit unfair. You blame him for being to involved and "trading" everyone from SSOL and now that he has stepped away from the personel stuff (according to Coro) this year you blame him for Blanks and Babby deciding to move from the Nash era. You are just of the blame Sarver for everything mentality.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I agree maybe we can make it past the first round depending on match ups and injuries. But no way we get past Lakers, Spurs, Thunder and Clippers. Others could be intresting depending on what the team looks after any trades during the season.

Clippers I think are in for a disappointing year. It wouldn't surprise me if Griffin gets hurt again and then Paul leaves.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I don't believe the Suns will put any claim in on Brand. Scola is a very small possibility. Darko would only be an option if someone suddenly signed Lopez to an offer sheet.

How humilating is it to be Robin Lopez right now. Your twin brother is making the max and you can't even get a contract offer in a league starved for guys over 7 feet tall.

 

[Mainstreet]

Should the Suns place bids on any of the amnestied players? Brand (33), Scola (32) and Milicic (27) are available.

Brand would help quite a bit up front, but this would be a temporary fix as he would likely leave next summer. He's also 33 and the Suns have been in the process of adding youth, not veterans. If they are not serious about making a playoff run this season, then there's no point. He also would not be happy if the Suns claimed him as he is already eying joining a contender like the Lakers, and Brand has a history of under-performing.

Scola is a bit more interesting. He's 32, but he could be had at a bargain price for the next two years. The Suns would not be able to trade him this season, but next summer he may actually have some trade value with one guaranteed year left on his contract if he has a productive season. He may be a good pickup just as a future trade asset.

Picking up Milicic would certainly help the Suns solidify its position as the NBA's top draft bust team. Milicic's numbers are very comparable to Lopez's and he would be a cheaper backup center solution. He is older than Lopez, but with only one guaranteed year left on the contract the risk is minimal compared to Lopez.

I'd be most interested in Scola and Milicic. I guess a lot depends on what happens with Gordon and the CAP situation. Also I'm wondering how the Suns view Lopez if he can be kept on a reasonable contract.

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't believe the Suns will put any claim in on Brand. Scola is a very small possibility. Darko would only be an option if someone suddenly signed Lopez to an offer sheet.

How humilating is it to be Robin Lopez right now. Your twin brother is making the max and you can't even get a contract offer in a league starved for guys over 7 feet tall.

I agree about Brand. It's interesting to note there have been a lot of big men available this off season. Normally finding big man that can play some is a rare commodity in the NBA.

 

[Joe Mama]

Almost everyone blames D'Antoni for not developing players he never had at his diposal.

Now the blame goes to Nash for jumping ship and joining the Lakers, by far too many.

If Sarver would have provided a deeper bench my guess is coach D would have played them and we would have won a championship along the way.

If Sarver would have offerred Nash a contract and not traded every player associated with 7 SOS, Nash would be a Sun not a Laker and we would be a lot more fun to watch.

It really is amazing how virtually all of our problems are spun to the players or coach when the owner has been at the root of destroying what he originally purchased. It always has been somone elses fault, or so it seems.

I'm not blaming Steve Nash for jumping ship and going to the Lakers. I think we could have played a little harder negotiating and possibly swung this into the Howard deal somehow, but you never know. I do think the whole thing about being close to his children is BS, but nevertheless...

I can't remember exactly what those Phoenix Suns teams have that each, but my guess is that wasn't a whole lot less or more than gentry has to work with each year. The difference is that gentry actually understands that having a solid bench rotation is necessary. Mike D'Antoni ran seven guys into the ground.

Joe

 

[Chaplin]

I'm not blaming Steve Nash for jumping ship and going to the Lakers. I think we could have played a little harder negotiating and possibly swung this into the Howard deal somehow, but you never know. I do think the whole thing about being close to his children is BS, but nevertheless...

Really? Why do you think that?

 

[Phrazbit]

Really? Why do you think that?

I dont think its a coincidence that Nash signed with the only team that offered him a large salary AND a chance to contend for a title.

I love Nash, but the "kids" stuff is PR. Its not like there are breaks in the NBA schedule that allow players to leave the team. He is going to get the same opportunities to see his kids in Phoenix while playing for the LA that he would have just about anywhere else. Unless you count the one extra road game in Phoenix as the deciding factor.

I dont blame him for tossing out the "kids" line in an effort to soften the blow... buts its BS. Contending and money we 1A and 1B on his priorities and anything else was a very distant 3rd.

 

[jlove]

Per Larry Coon:

SCOLA: A minimum amnesty claim for Scola would start at the non-guarantee portion of exactly $10,041,037. That amount needs to be paid over three years, so the lowest claim would be $3,347,012.

MILICIC: In a similar situation, Darko Milicic of the Minnesota Timberwolves, also an amnesty cut, has just $1.8 million of his salary for 2013/14 guaranteed out of $5.7 million which would set the minimum bid to $3.9 million over two years so $1.95 million.

HAYWOOD: The case is different with Brendan Haywood whose final year is completely non-guaranteed. A claim could be sent in at just $1.35 million per year over the next three, which is certainly a reasonable amount for a solid, if imperfect, seven-footer.

BRAND: (Badly wants Dallas to claim him) Similar situation as Haywood

With all that said, it depends on what happens with Gordon. If the Hornets match and we get Mayo or another SG, then we'll have the money to add a big through bid or through FA.

 

[Chaplin]

I dont think its a coincidence that Nash signed with the only team that offered him a large salary AND a chance to contend for a title.

I love Nash, but the "kids" stuff is PR. Its not like there are breaks in the NBA schedule that allow players to leave the team. He is going to get the same opportunities to see his kids in Phoenix while playing for the LA that he would have just about anywhere else. Unless you count the one extra road game in Phoenix as the deciding factor.

I dont blame him for tossing out the "kids" line in an effort to soften the blow... buts its BS. Contending and money we 1A and 1B on his priorities and anything else was a very distant 3rd.

Disagree. You may not have kids so you might not care, but once you do have kids, it's a big deal.

He was right--he can't just hop to Phoenix if he's playing in NY. On a single off day he can take a private plane and get to Phoenix in an hour. Hell, some people in LA drive more than that every day to get their jobs.

Yes, the money is a big deal, but don't trivialize the kids thing until you have some of your own.

 

[Covert Rain]

Because its fun to watch and it works.

I dont know why people say it doesnt work. If it wasnt for san antonio, the suns would have walked into the finals 2-3 times..

It doesn't work. There is always going to be a good defensive team that Suns will run into where it will die on the vine. So we are suppose to wish that the entire Western Conference goes belly up in defense and 7 seconds works?

Might as well play the lottery.

If it "worked" there would be multiple banners. No similar 7 second offense has won a title while playing suspect defense at the same time. No more small ball. No more 7 seconds or less. No more offense first...defense whenever.

There is nothing fun about watching your team continually getting so close but never being able to close. There is nothing fun about being so dependant on a system that if you don't have the right guy running it....you sit at the 8th seed or worst don't make the playoffs.

Suns fans have had 50 years of fun. Where are the fraking titles?

 

[Griffin]

Mavs win Brand for $2.1M. Seems rather low. Maybe other teams were scared off from placing bids. Reportedly, Brand wanted to go to Dallas.

 

[mojorizen7]

I honestly didn't even know that Darko the former 2nd overall pick BUST was still in the league.
How a seven-footer can avg 4 rebounds over the course of a nine year career is mind boggling to me.

 

[SirStefan32]

Most of this board has wanted Nash gone for a while now. The fact that he went to the Lakers shouldn't change that. Gone is gone.

Thank you! While it is going to suck seeing him in the Lakers uniform- the Suns made the deal that got them some assets. Nash is finally gone, and we have some assets to work with.

 

[SirStefan32]

How a seven-footer can avg 4 rebounds over the course of a nine year career is mind boggling to me.

It's amazing to me that the Suns haven't signed him ONCE in those nine years. Seven-footer who can't rebound, or play D- perfect match.

 

[Mainstreet]

Thank you! While it is going to suck seeing him in the Lakers uniform- the Suns made the deal that got them some assets. Nash is finally gone, and we have some assets to work with.

Too bad the Suns did not have the foresight to get it done when Amare left. Nash would have had considerable more value back then.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

It doesn't work. There is always going to be a good defensive team that Suns will run into where it will die on the vine. So we are suppose to wish that the entire Western Conference goes belly up in defense and 7 seconds works?

Might as well play the lottery.

If it "worked" there would be multiple banners. No similar 7 second offense has won a title while playing suspect defense at the same time. No more small ball. No more 7 seconds or less. No more offense first...defense whenever.

There is nothing fun about watching your team continually getting so close but never being able to close. There is nothing fun about being so dependant on a system that if you don't have the right guy running it....you sit at the 8th seed or worst don't make the playoffs.

Suns fans have had 50 years of fun. Where are the fraking titles?

So your saying the suns had no chance of beating san antonio in the western conference finals?? Thats rediculous. The east was such garbage at the time that the western conference finals was basically the finals. I remember the one season when the suns actually had a leg up on San Antonio and then the Joe Johnson injury happend and amare go suspended.

And the suns have beaten plenty of great defensive teams throughout the years, it was only popavich who knew how to slow the suns

 

[SirStefan32]

Too bad the Suns did not have the foresight to get it done when Amare left. Nash would have had considerable more value back then.

While I agree that the Suns should have traded Nash when Amare left, I really don't think it would have made that much difference. Nobody is going to give up anything of any real value for an old PG, whether he is 35 or 37.

You're probably right, and they could have gotten a little bit more for him back then, but I don't think it would have been significant.

 

[mojorizen7]

It's amazing to me that the Suns haven't signed him ONCE in those nine years. Seven-footer who can't rebound, or play D- perfect match.

Lol right?
I really hope that Babby and his people try a new approach rebuilding this team. Signing Dragic gives me hope because he's a PG,but not a guy you build around....but only time will tell.

 

[Cheesebeef]

So your saying the suns had no chance of beating san antonio in the western conference finals?? Thats rediculous. The east was such garbage at the time that the western conference finals was basically the finals. I remember the one season when the suns actually had a leg up on San Antonio and then the Joe Johnson injury happend and amare go suspended.

how are you calling anything ridiculous when you don't even remember what actually happened in any of the above series? When did the Suns EVER have a leg up on the Spurs? Each time they played during their heyday (05/07) we lost HCA in game 1 BOTH times. And JJ wasn't even on the team when Amare was suspended.

and you can say what you want about the East, but during that stretch, the Pistons were a VERY good team, having won 1 title and then they took SA to 7 the next year. There's no way the '05 team would have beaten that Pistons team. They always gave DA's teams fits, even after their hey-day.

And the Spurs just owned us. Plain and simple. We played them twice, with HCA and lost those two series by a combined total of 3 wins-8 losses, going an absolutely PATHETIC 1-5 at home in those series.