Amare in 2009

[Chris_Sanders]

So Gambo and Ash were talking Suns today and they both reasonably believe that Amare will not pick up his player option in 2010. I agree that there is no chance he goes into 2010 without a long term deal.

If Amare has no contract extension by the trade deadline of 2009, do you consider trading him? Do you hope you can resign him as a free agent? Do you try a sign and trade after he excercises his option?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

You have to resign him. I don't think you can sign and trade him because you won't get equal value.

 

[elindholm]

I say trade him along with first-round picks in 2012, 2014, and 2016 for Zach Randolph. Then the Suns can use Randolph's cap space in 2011 when he comes off the books.

 

[KloD]

My guess is Amare will want to wait on signing anything until he is able to feel the market, who signs where, and what the Suns are going to do... but, he will opt out. The Suns, unless able to draw a big name to play with Amare should plan on his leaving. The realistic situation I see is a sign and trade and the Suns in rebuild mode with lots of picks and short contracts.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You have to resign him. I don't think you can sign and trade him because you won't get equal value.

I assume Chris is saying sign and trade instead of letting him walk for nothing. He can get more $ with us in a sign and trade than just signing somewhere else outright.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Sarver will give him a max contract. I have no doubt. By the time it kicks in, Shaq/Nash/Bell will be off the books, so there is no financial crisis.


The suns will match whatever he is offered if he even opts out. Hell chris paul just signed an extension with the hornets without blinking and he could have been in the 2010 running too.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I assume Chris is saying sign and trade instead of letting him walk for nothing. He can get more $ with us in a sign and trade than just signing somewhere else outright.

Yes that is what I was saying. At lunch they had a list of the 2010 free agents and there was Amare on it. At least we can rule out on him going to New York

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Sarver will give him a max contract. I have no doubt. By the time it kicks in, Shaq/Nash/Bell will be off the books, so there is no financial crisis.


The suns will match whatever he is offered if he even opts out. Hell chris paul just signed an extension with the hornets without blinking and he could have been in the 2010 running too.

This is my hope as well. The quandy is if this isn't done by the trade deadline in 2009. Then you risk him walking away for nothing or very little in the case of a sign and trade.

 

[cly2tw]

I believe Amare is playing his cards out slowly. If the direction Suns go pleases him at the end of 2009/10 season, he might sign an extention with us. Otherwise, he will opt out and wait and see what other teams do, knowing well he'd get a max with the Suns anyway.

So, if we get uncomfortable with him and the team would be going nowhere with aged Shaq and Nash, we might indeed want to trade him to start rebuilding.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Sarver will give him a max contract. I have no doubt.

does anyone have a doubt about this? I think the doubt is whether or not Amare will stay here even when offered a MAX deal if he can go somewhere on a MAX deal with a better shot to win/better shot at endorsements.

The suns will match whatever he is offered if he even opts out.

we can match whatever offer is given to him but that doesn't mean he has to sign what we match. He won't be a restriced FA so whatever our offer is, it's still dependent on Amare wanting to be here.

Hell chris paul just signed an extension with the hornets without blinking and he could have been in the 2010 running too.

i'm not sure what the really tells us re: Amare's situation because chris paul signed that deal on a team where he's the unquestioned leader and on a team which just won 57 games and looks like they're gonna be a power for years. Amare on the other hand has never been treated as the unquestioned leader on this team and the future is very murky.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

My worst nightmare for the team is to lose Amare and then make a panic Googs-type signing. Amare has his flaws, still you cannot let him go.

 

[Mainstreet]

So Gambo and Ash were talking Suns today and they both reasonably believe that Amare will not pick up his player option in 2010. I agree that there is no chance he goes into 2010 without a long term deal.

If Amare has no contract extension by the trade deadline of 2009, do you consider trading him? Do you hope you can resign him as a free agent? Do you try a sign and trade after he excercises his option?

IMO, if Amare is given a max contract extension by the Suns I think he would be wise to sign it. The reason, microfracture. So I think Amare will re-sign with the Suns. However, if he decides he is going to opt out in 2009, the Suns should get the best sign and trade available because he is not coming back as a FA.

 

[ShuHanGuanYu]

LeBron/Amare NY 2010?

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Amare would leave phoenix only to be the man somewhere else. 2nd fiddle to lebron would be the opposite reason.

 

[ShuHanGuanYu]

Amare would leave phoenix only to be the man somewhere else. 2nd fiddle to lebron would be the opposite reason.

I don't think so. Everything Amare says seems to be that he wants to win a championship. Phoenix isn't shaping up to be that place.

Amare is practically playing second fiddle here to Shaq on offense and I haven't heard him complaining about it.

 

[Covert Rain]

Amare is a franchise big man. The Suns have complained for years about not having one until they drafted Amare. No if ands or buts.....you resign him. There is no guarantee that if you trade Amare for future picks etc...that you will get another legit big man in the draft.

Unless you can trade Amare for another franchise player around the same age, I just don't see how you consider not bringing him back.

 

[ShuHanGuanYu]

Amare is a franchise big man. The Suns have complained for years about not having one until they drafted Amare. No if ands or buts.....you resign him. There is no guarantee that if you trade Amare for future picks etc...that you will get another legit big man in the draft.

Unless you can trade Amare for another franchise player around the same age, I just don't see how you consider not bringing him back.

Totally agreed.

 

[Mainstreet]

If I'm interpreting it correctly, Amare can do whatever he wants in 2010 if he choses to opt out. So it's not like the Suns have full control of the situation. The Suns need to offer him the max and not quibble about salary in a 2009 extension.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Amare's not a real franchise big man IMO. He's like the rich man's version of Tom Chambers. another athletically freakish 6'10 guy who's game consisted of facing up, shooting the jumper, being able to take his man off the dribble and scoring at will but was mediocre on the boards and on D.

a franchise big man has to be great at three areas to be a legit "franchise big man" IMO - score, pass and rebound. Right now, Amare's great at 1/3.

 

[KloD]

I don't believe anyone here is saying you don't offer him the max when he opts out. Of course... the issue is whether he wants to return. If he has the option to play in NY w/ James compared to a Suns team that will be left with scrubs and him, what do you think he'll choose? The ball is in his court and sadly I believe he will choose to play elsewhere where he has a shot in his prime.

Of course maybe James or Wade will want to come here and play with Amare? Who knows what will happen in the next 2 years?

 

[hsandhu]

Amare's not a real franchise big man IMO. He's like the rich man's version of Tom Chambers. another athletically freakish 6'10 guy who's game consisted of facing up, shooting the jumper, being able to take his man off the dribble and scoring at will but was mediocre on the boards and on D.

a franchise big man has to be great at three areas to be a legit "franchise big man" IMO - score, pass and rebound. Right now, Amare's great at 1/3.

Couldn't disagree more, give him 19 shots a game he'll get 29 points. That's the only way we can truly judge him.

I mean anybody who's even played a pick up game in which you're not getting the touches you think you deserve on offense knows what it feels like. Chances are you're not going to try as hard in other areas.

Does that mean amare getting 19 shots will be a better rebounder and defender, no way to know. But that's the thing we don't know. if he's getting 19 shots i would be shocked if couldn't find a way to work a little more and get at least ten boards.

Btw, this is the primary reason i could care less about this team. They've got a player whose offensively as strong as karl malone and they don't even give him touches. I can't watch these games it's too infuriating.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Couldn't disagree more, give him 19 shots a game he'll get 29 points. That's the only way we can truly judge him.

I mean anybody who's even played a pick up game in witch you're not getting the touches you think you deserve on offense knows what it feels. Chances are you're not going to try as hard in other areas.

Does that mean amare getting 19 shots we'll be a better rebounder and defender, no way to know. But that's the thing we don't know. if he's getting 19 shots i would be shocked if couldn't find a way to work a little more and get at least ten boards.

that is a definite possibility.

Btw, this is the primary reason i could care less about this team. They've got a player whose offensively as strong as karl malone and they don't even give him touches. I can't watch these games it's too infuriating.

i'm kinda with ya there.

 

[hsandhu]

I can't understate how good amare is offensively right now. The reason I compare him to malone is that his 17 ft and in jumper seems as good as malone's was in his mvp years. And he just turned 26.

With the jumper the man is almost unguardable. Unless you have a freak like garnett who can get out on the floor and get in his face and is quick enough to recover once amare gets gets a first step, how are you going to stop him.

I'm not one who has ever over-hyped my team's players but amare stoudemire's offensive talents right now are as good as any big man in the league, yet this team doesn't seem to believe that or even worse, doesn't really care.

Just give him the ball let him carry the team and the team will be pretty good. Championship level good, probably not, but pretty good nonetheless.

 

[dodie53]

trade Amare for a bunch of 1st rounds picks and some shooters and let Diaw run the show.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I can't understate how good amare is offensively right now. The reason I compare him to malone is that his 17 ft and in jumper seems as good as malone's was in his mvp years. And he just turned 26.

With the jumper the man is almost unguardable. Unless you have a freak like garnett who can get out on the floor and get in his face and is quick enough to recover once amare gets gets a first step, how are you going to stop him.

I'm not one who has ever over-hyped my team's players but amare stoudemire's offensive talents right now are as good as any big man in the league, yet this team doesn't seem to believe that or even worse, doesn't really care.

Just give him the ball let him carry the team and the team will be pretty good. Championship level good, probably not, but pretty good nonetheless.

Totally...to see them forced to feed the big man in the middle, while everyone stands around and the big man forces up his patented flop shot is painful. Sure, Shaq is playing great, but maybe not the best idea to build an offense around when he's missing about 20 games a year and is going to be long gone in two years. Everything you said about Amare is true as well, just feel lucky to be able to watch Stat and Nash on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, they've both been marginalized in the early going.