2023 Phoenix Suns Offseason

[Proximo]

It's on the UCLA sites too. DC is in shape he's a workout guy now he has been working out a ton of kids in HS and college, Kylan Boswell of UA and Dylan Andrews of UCLA are both kids who worked out at Collison's setup and he's very involved himself out there with the kids so he's still in shape.

But obviously hasn't played in NBA games in awhile.

His stats before retirement are actually quite good. If he could get back to that form he might not be a bad pickup.

I really would like a center or a defensive wing though. I don't think we need any more PG's.

 

[Mainstreet]

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Not the most reliable reporter but Mainstreet might get his wish of adding another point guard.

Although, I think it's more likely we sign a wing player.

Let's see what he has left in the tank. I read he looked good in workouts. He used to be a solid NBA point guard.

 

[95pro]

At the end of the season, we looked cooked with very few avenues to improve. Many thought it impossible to field credible players short of trading Ayton away. That instinct was completely wrong.
Gordon was really the icing on the cake of the offseason - a guy that clearly could have gotten more elsewhere, but who understands the opportunity in front of him.

I was ready to dump James Jones for his inaction the last 2 years, but his attacking this offseason really has changed my mind.

But are you still ready to dump Ayton?

 

[95pro]

What we don't know is how big of an issue Monty and DA's relationship was. He may have assumed before Monty was fired it was inevitable he was going to be traded and he was somewhat going through the motions.

Now that a trade looks unlikely at least for this season and he has basically found out it's because most other teams don't value him very highly he might be motivated to prove everybody wrong.

Or nothing will change.

But at least there is a chance it will.

Yep we’ve beaten this topic to death. I was always on the keep Ayton train, I feel a bad manager/boss can make life hell. Vogel is just so positive and I can see that helping Aytons psyche so much, he’s fragile yes!, but that’s what coaching has to manage and deal with, comes with the job.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

But are you still ready to dump Ayton?

Not now. I've already talked myself into him being locked in! (Or realizing we're just getting offers for pennies on the dollar, and now is not the time to move him)

 

[Hoop Head]

Losing Craig sucks. I had him penciled in as our 5th starter. We signed depth pieces and while that was needed I'm not exactly excited over any of them starting.

 

[Mainstreet]

At the end of the season, we looked cooked with very few avenues to improve. Many thought it impossible to field credible players short of trading Ayton away. That instinct was completely wrong.
Gordon was really the icing on the cake of the offseason - a guy that clearly could have gotten more elsewhere, but who understands the opportunity in front of him.

I was ready to dump James Jones for his inaction the last 2 years, but his attacking this offseason really has changed my mind.

I'm in a holding pattern on James Jones.

I didn't like how he filled out the playoff roster at the trade deadline last season, but he has vigorously gone the other direction this off season. Now will he be able to keep top quality veteran minimum players from year to year.

I'm waiting for is him to establish a pattern for restocking the team with younger players for the future.

I think the Suns can do both, win now and build for the future, much like the Heat.

If Mat Ishbia made a strong commitment to scouting, it would make me feel better.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Collison. Camp contract maybe. Not interested in anything more than that.

 

[Hoop Head]

We still need a 3rd Center. Ayton, Eubanks, and ???

Metu and Eubanks are 4/5's and not true 5's. We need a real 5 to cover that position when Ayton misses his 20 or so games he does every year.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Losing Craig sucks. I had him penciled in as our 5th starter. We signed depth pieces and while that was needed I'm not exactly excited over any of them starting.

Yeah… losing Craig sucks. Would have liked to see him as another veteran in that group of youngins off the bench.

Man… this team is going to be SOOOOO different from the CP3 Suns and the post trade work in progress suns. So excited to see how they come together.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Torrey Craig signs with the Bulls.


Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn

about 18 minutes ago

Free agent F Torrey Craig has agreed on a two-year contract with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. Deal includes a player option. Craig averaged 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24 minutes for Suns last season.


The Bulls and Torrey Craig have agreed on a 2-year deal, per @wojespn.Craig in 5 starts vs. the Clippers during the playoffs:– 12.4 PPG– 64.7% FG– 55.6% 3FG pic.twitter.com/29zUBIuCVW


Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops

about 7 minutes ago

So the Bulls offseason is Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig ... two players that would be great finishing pieces to a team that was knocking on the Larry O'Brien Trophy Room. But for this group ... pic.twitter.com/WHRqfZOhc6

IDGAF what anyone says..... That charge he took on Giannis in game 2 was absolutely epic level ish for me.

Thank you for everything TC. I wish we would could have gotten you back but hope you have success on the Bulls.

 

[Mainstreet]

Losing Craig sucks. I had him penciled in as our 5th starter. We signed depth pieces and while that was needed I'm not exactly excited over any of them starting.

I was high on Craig last season but the inconsistent way Monty played him, left me shaking my head.

I would have rather had Craig starting instead of Okogie.

Maybe it's better the Suns get a fresh start because I didn't like the rotation.

 

[BirdGangThing]

I like Craig, plays smart and goes hard

 

[Covert Rain]

This has been an unbelievable offseason. Despite all the naysayers on this board saying the Suns hands would be tied and we wouldn’t be able to do anything?!?

I hope this course corrects a ton of opinion. I never thought with Ishbia the Suns were ever going to stand pat. I thought he wouldn’t stand for it. I knew the team would have to be creative and I get some of the pessimism. I really do because if you would have told me at the start of the offseason that this bench would be completely revamped the way it has been? I would have had some skepticism as well.

There is zero doubt and I mean zero that Ishbia in the coming years will do whatever it takes, including getting creative to ensure this team competes for titles.

 

[Chaplin]

Craig is a great regular season player but is a no show in the playoffs.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Craig is a great regular season player but is a no show in the playoffs.

He is a solid defender and decent 3 point shooter. However, in the playoffs "solid" defense isn't that big of a deal and his 3 point shot can't be trusted as we saw last year.

 

[Proximo]

We still need a 3rd Center. Ayton, Eubanks, and ???

Metu and Eubanks are 4/5's and not true 5's. We need a real 5 to cover that position when Ayton misses his 20 or so games he does every year.

I agree Metu isn't a Center, he actually looks like a pretty interesting power forward prospect. Eubanks is a questionable one, a lot like Biz.

We need a big guy that can bang once Ayton is in foul trouble.

 

[Covert Rain]

Craig is a great regular season player but is a no show in the playoffs.

I was wondering why the Suns had not made a move to resign him already. Now we know. Gordon takes up that roster spot. They must have been working on this for some time to convince him.

 

[Proximo]

Craig is a great regular season player but is a no show in the playoffs.

I don't know about that, he played pretty darn well in the first round against the clips.

 

[Russ Smith]

We still need a 3rd Center. Ayton, Eubanks, and ???

Metu and Eubanks are 4/5's and not true 5's. We need a real 5 to cover that position when Ayton misses his 20 or so games he does every year.

Metu is one of those guys who's never accepted what he is and that's why he's not as good as he should be IMO. He's a long athletic big who wants to play face up and shoot 3's but that's not what he does well. When he rebounds, blocks shots and rim runs he's quite good, but he wants to expand his game and winds up doing things he can't do.

One of the huge misses of the Steve Alford error at UCLA, everyone was telling him, including ironically Darren Collison, to take Metu, but Alford took other guys instead. Metu destroyed UCLA basically every game against us and wound up in the NBA.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don't know about that, he played pretty darn well in the first round against the clips.

Agreed. And back in 2021, he was a killer in transition in that Nuggets series and played tough hard minutes against the Clips.

I still remember that break when we were just TORCHING the Nuggets when he got the steal, broke out, Payne saw him and lofted a perfect half court alley-oop and Craig CRUSHING the dunk, seemingly tearing the roof off the arena. That was the moment where I foolishly believed we were gonna win that thing. Not just because of the dunk but it was just the punctuation on our dominance to that point ripping off 4 massive blowouts in a row.

I think he can be replaced but still be missed. Was a good glue guy.

 

[Chaplin]

First three games were good but he was awful the rest of the time.

Point is I’m not going to complain about losing Torrey Craig.

 

[Sparky16]

His value would’ve skyrocketed in an offseason where contenders that fell flat were looking to add a guy to put them over the top. Celtics made big changes, heat looking to do the same. We absolutely would’ve had competition for Durant and we would’ve been focusing on that instead of adding a Beal to he and book.

This is true - if KD was not in Phx, Phx would not have been on Beal's list of teams to be traded to which looks to have inlcued only 1 in Phoenix. Also no way in hell Phx gets the FA haul of min contracts w/o KD.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

John Hollinger -

"We can’t say the Suns might have “won” free agency just yet — to do that, they need at least one of these guys to be a plus next June – but in terms of value for the dollar, this might be some of the best 48 hours we’ve ever seen. Phoenix maximized its minimums.."

Heady stuff.

 

[Covert Rain]

This is true - if KD was not in Phx, Phx would not have been on Beal's list of teams to be traded to which looks to have inlcued only 1 in Phoenix. Also no way in hell Phx gets the FA haul of min contracts w/o KD.

Yep, this is a cascade effect. I don’t think we get Beal, Gordon or possibly a couple of these vets who signed without that deal.