We did tank hard last year but we didn't benefit from it because of how the lottery played out. I don't think we should tank this year, at least not from the start, but things will be interesting around the trade deadline. We should be better than last year, how much better is questionable. If we're in the bottom 3 or 4 teams in the league around the All Star break then we should aim to improve our draft position but I think we should also be looking to move players that don't fit longterm like Bledsoe and Chandler rather than benching them.
I know they're looking to put rules in place because of how all of the contenders rested their stars toward the end of the regular season but to get everyone on board for rule chances they need to appeal to the contenders also and deal with the blatant tank jobs that some teams have been pulling. Almost all of the lottery teams last year pulled their veterans for the last 2 weeks of the season. I can't recall ever seeing a season end as poorly as this last one did in terms of all the healthy scratches.
I especially agree with the first paragraph. The Suns should not consider tanking unless they are among the worst teams in the NBA at the All-Star Break. If this happens, as you note, then some of the older players should be traded to fit the Suns timeline for winning.
However, if the Suns are playing well, not necessarily a winning at the All-Star break, I would be happier if they could add a key player via trade so they hit next season running. I liked Portland trading for
Nurkic in February. If not for injury, he made the Trail Blazers a much stronger team.
