Chapman wanted Dwyane Wade for Suns in '03

[lancelet's cousin]

LINK

Chapman said he had Amare Stoudemire ranked No. 1 overall on his draft board in 2002; the Suns drafted him ninth. He said he tried, unsuccessfully, to get Suns management to trade up to draft Dwyane Wade in 2003 and Ben Gordon in 2004.

I wonder what trade he was proposing.

Wade & Amaré on the same team? Can we have that draft over again?

 

[Chaplin]

:drool:

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

LINK
I wonder what trade he was proposing.

Wade & Amaré on the same team? Can we have that draft over again?

My guess is that the trade that was closest was the Marbury one that fizzled. There was a report that before the December streak in 2002 that Marbury was almost dealt to the heat. It was something like Marbury/Penny for Zo, their pick and maybe Butler. Of course, their pick wouldn't have been the #5.....


The Suns wanted Ben Gordon, but like you said - who were we parting with to move up?


All this sounds a lot like Jim Paxson after he was ousted from Cleveland. He said that he wanted to take both JJ and Amare, but folded under pressure from coaches.

 

[SweetD]

I have Wade and Amare on my NBA Live team that is 7 yrs in.

 

[arthurracoon]

omg

 

[JCSunsfan]

How conveniently self-serving of Rex to remember things that way.

Gag

 

[Yuma]

Yeah, If I was a GM when I was a kid, I would have had Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor on my team!

 

[BigDavis75]

It just wouldn't be fair to other teams if we had Wade and Amare, but if we got Wade to play the 1 then we probably wouldn't have gotten Nash.

 

[Mad Psyentist]

its not like Gordon or Wade were low draft picks though. This isnt like a Manu or Josh howard that slipped thru the cracks or something. We wouldve had to give up a significant piece to trade up that high. I mean, the Bulls gave up Brand just to draft Chandler meaning the asking price for a top 5 pick is usually high in any draft.

 

[PhxGametime]

I wanted Dwyane Wade and some may remember I LIKED him more than LeBron James (I never once said, he'd be better though) but Wade is 1 of my all-time favorite CB players, Shawn Marion as well...


Danny Granger was probably my favorite this year, I really liked watching Deron Williams after the Nash pick-up, and Hakim Warrick is a highlight film type of guy but Granger was my favorite... last year Iguodala.

 

[KANIDJA]

its not like Gordon or Wade were low draft picks though. This isnt like a Manu or Josh howard that slipped thru the cracks or something. We wouldve had to give up a significant piece to trade up that high. I mean, the Bulls gave up Brand just to draft Chandler meaning the asking price for a top 5 pick is usually high in any draft.

Its not. But if anyone knew that these players will turn into player they turned out to be then you do EVERYTHING to get them. I am sure if we ofered all we had at that time we couyld have pulled that trade off. Problem is people are usually noit sure its going to turn out great. OOO man what team would that be. Damn! Sometimes you just have to take chances.

 

[Mad Psyentist]

Its not. But if anyone knew that these players will turn into player they turned out to be then you do EVERYTHING to get them. I am sure if we ofered all we had at that time we couyld have pulled that trade off. Problem is people are usually noit sure its going to turn out great. OOO man what team would that be. Damn! Sometimes you just have to take chances.

Well....If its true that he thought so highly of Wade and Gordon, what if we HAD given up a lot to get them because Chapman claims that they had superstar potential. Your right, id be kicking myself right now if i knew that we had that opportunity to trade for wade but we didnt because now that guy is a superstar. But what if we had to give up the same package (say...oh, someone like marion) just to get gordon...i know i would be kicking myself but for a different reason.

I think Chapmans claim is misleading....im sure he believed that they were going to be good players, but i doubt he knew they were going to be superstars and would put his job and name on the line to back it up. Even in gordons case, i still think hes only a good player. One of the few times i felt like they would trade the farm for a player just to get him if need be was when they wanted Amare....and they got that one right.

 

[Joe Mama]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Phoenix Suns also liked Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, and Kobe Bryant. It sounds great, but it doesn't mean much now.

Besides, Ben Gordon was what, the #3 pick in the draft. He was great in the fourth quarter last year, who knows if he'll ever be worth what it would have taken to move up to get him.

Joe Mama

 

[lancelet's cousin]

I'm not sold on Gordon at all. He's a very small 2 guard that can't defend. I can't see him starting for many NBA teams.

It is to Skile's credit that he found a niche for him, IMO. He really looked like a bust until he became a shoot-at-will guard of the bench. From reading the Bull's message boards, it seems most fans aren't sold on him starting either. I'm glad he didn't get ROY, because I think he is rediculously overrated.

I honestly think Salim Stoudemire could have filled a very similar role.

 

[George O'Brien]

Chapman likes short shooting guards....

No one was really sure how well Wade would do in the NBA. He was an extraordinary college player, but we've seen innumerable guys with even more impressive college careers do very poorly in the NBA. I was impressed, but not sure he be the one to strike it big.

Can you imagine if the Pistons had taken him...

 

[JCSunsfan]

And they were going to take Kobe, but the Lakers jumped ahead of them. And they were going to take Vince Carter, too, but he didn't slip far enough.

 

[Gaddabout]

If we had Wade, think of how many trade scenarios we could work up here so we could acquire Theo Ratliff!

 

[PhxGametime]

The thing about Wade other than stats because he had GREAT stats is athleticism, same with Garnett, with Bryant, with Stoudemire, McGrady, James, Jefferson, Iguodala, B Davis, Iverson, Marion, etc.

Okay outside of Marion, they all had POINT skills at their respective positions, size, and solid all-around stats, etc. Most athletes have the chance to become a defender...

A Prospect with top-tier athleticism, size, all-around game, and POINT ability is more than likely going to be pretty good - not all will be stars, but with the Point ability, they can make others better while having athleticism (crucial) and all-aorund game...

IMO all these were easy to tell, that they would be good... Stoudemire wasn't a great passer stat-wise but in the All-star games you could some passing ability.


Marion didn't really have great passing ability but at 6'7 the guy averaged like 1.8 BLKs in College while putting up great stats in all other areas (minus 3PT) - almost exact same numbers, he's putting up now.


Gerald Green IMO was harder to scout, because I only saw 1 game and I didn't get to see rebounding skills, Point skills, ball-handling, steals, blocks, etc. and I really didn't get to see overall game. I don't recall seeing stats, to see if he has an all-around game either - REB, AST, STL, BLK, etc. but he is an athlete, that's for sure.

Garnett, Bryant, Odom, James, etc. those players in H.S all showed an all-around game. Stoudemire showed the fire, he plays with now... I never got to see McGrady in H.S McDonalds game but he was rated higher than Odom and Odom impressed ME a lot in H.S before going to College...

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Chapman likes short shooting guards....

No one was really sure how well Wade would do in the NBA. He was an extraordinary college player, but we've seen innumerable guys with even more impressive college careers do very poorly in the NBA. I was impressed, but not sure he be the one to strike it big.

Can you imagine if the Pistons had taken him...

i loved wade. and as jj had not yet blossomed i considered us to be in dire need of a sg. i wanted the suns to find a way to trade up to get wade, but i wouldn't have imagined him going quite as high as he did.

ah . . . amare and wade . . . good lord.

 

[Mulli]

I also heard from a source familiar with the Suns that Rex Chapman thought Michael Jordan would be a better pro than Sam Bowie.

 

[coloradosun]

If we had Wade, think of how many trade scenarios we could work up here so we could acquire Theo Ratliff!

Hey, is that directed at me. I have not concocted a Theo Ratliff trade in over two weeks, come on.

 

[JPlay]

Ratliff sucks. Overpaid one dimension shot-blocker. Doesn't rebound well and is awful on offense. Not to mention too small to guard Duncan.

 

[BigDavis75]

Ratliff sucks. Overpaid one dimension shot-blocker. Doesn't rebound well and is awful on offense. Not to mention too small to guard Duncan.

And Shawn Maion isn't?

 

[Gaddabout]

Hey, is that directed at me. I have not concocted a Theo Ratliff trade in over two weeks, come on.

I directed that at a lot of people, including myself. I was ready to give up Marion last year.

 

[JPlay]

And Shawn Maion isn't?

Are you smoking the reefer. Shawn Marion is the opposite of one dimensional. He's one of the best all around players in the league besides Lebron and Kirilenko.

Scores, Rebounds, Shot blocks, steals and assists, not to mention can shoot the three. Fantasy monster.