Do The Suns Have a Plan For Adding a 13th Player?

[Mainstreet]

Are the Suns waiting for manna to fall from heaven or do they have a plan to add a contributor with the 13th roster spot (hopefully at center). I see the Sixers have signed center Primoz Brezec and an unknown team is working on a deal with Pops Mensah-Bonsu. A number of other role playing centers have come and gone before. The Suns are extremely weak at center and need help at this position. I hope the Suns are not waiting for the worst of the leftovers to filter down. They can ill afford not to address this position as I do not see anyone as a lock to be the starting center on the Suns roster.

 

[Superbone]

I don't think they have any plans to add a center.

Might even run Amare there like the D'Antoni years.

 

[HooverDam]

Any sentence that begins with "Do the Suns have a plan..." can easily be answered with "no."

 

[Griffin]

I think the Suns have no intention of picking up an experienced player for that last spot. Only 12 players can be on the active roster, so the 13th player is not going to be activated unless there are injuries. If they were to sign someone like Brezec, Tucker would most likely be inactive, but he can no longer be sent down to the D-League. Thus, I think the Suns will want a rookie or a second-year player to fill the final roster spot so that he can be sent down.

 

[Covert Rain]

Any sentence that begins with "Do the Suns have a plan..." can easily be answered with "no."

Come on now. You know the Suns have a "savings" plan.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think the Suns have no intention of picking up an experienced player for that last spot. Only 12 players can be on the active roster, so the 13th player is not going to be activated unless there are injuries. If they were to sign someone like Brezec, Tucker would most likely be inactive, but he can no longer be sent down to the D-League. Thus, I think the Suns will want a rookie or a second-year player to fill the final roster spot so that he can be sent down.

I believe the Suns can place Tucker or whoever on the inactive list to keep a 12 man active roster. I don't believe they have to be sent to the D-League. So the Suns could conceivably pick up a player at near the veteran minimum that could help them at the center position. I'd rather have another center on the roster than Tucker on the active list.

 

[95pro]

in addition, is there a plan for pavlovic??

dont tell me we just traded shaq for pav+ben, only to pay wallace off with $10mill and to hang on to pav. sure it save $$, but i wondering about the big picture here.

 

[mojorizen7]

Any sentence that begins with "Do the Suns have a plan..." can easily be answered with "no."

Oh i dunno, i think the SUNS plan is very similiar to this one:

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[PhxGametime]

Did Petro sign with anybody yet?? I heard Gambo mention him weeks back but haven't heard if he's signed yet...

 

[shazaam6]

Do the suns have a plan?



Yes, watch the Lakers.

How the hell can I make my teammates better by practicin?
Playoffs p p p playoffs?
The Bears are who we thought they were.Thats why we took the damn field.
I wanna kiss you. I could care less about the team strug gl ing.

 

[krazyasiankid]

in addition, is there a plan for pavlovic??

dont tell me we just traded shaq for pav+ben, only to pay wallace off with $10mill and to hang on to pav. sure it save $$, but i wondering about the big picture here.

I dunno.. Looks like Kerr forgot about Pavlovic. We should try to get someone like Reggie Evans, who can rebound.. or maybe a 1st rounder..

 

[Ollie]

Did Petro sign with anybody yet?? I heard Gambo mention him weeks back but haven't heard if he's signed yet...

Nope, he's still a free agent. I've read that the Hawks were interested in him since they're pretty depleted inside and would sign any 7' player with a pulse. Oh wait, the Suns are too...

Anyway he's currently with the french NT and he plays scarcely, buried on the bench behind Turiaf, Diaw and F.Pietrus. And he's still pretty inconsistent.

 

[Sunshooter]

Heat acquire Q for Blount.

Timberwolves likely buy out Blount's contract.

Did he fit Suns style?

 

[HooverDam]

Mark Blount doesn't fit anyones style, he's awful. Though surely some here will clamor for him if for no other reason than 'he's a legit 7 footer!'

 

[Griffin]

I believe the Suns can place Tucker or whoever on the inactive list to keep a 12 man active roster. I don't believe they have to be sent to the D-League. So the Suns could conceivably pick up a player at near the veteran minimum that could help them at the center position. I'd rather have another center on the roster than Tucker on the active list.

I know they don't have to send anyone down to D-League, but I'm guessing they would prefer that as opposed to someone who's not going to play at all. Also, a rookie will be cheaper.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The Suns should have grabbed Powe.

 

[Yuma]

Griffin is going to be number 13! Is he our center? No. Can he fill a spot on the end of the bench? Yes. Unless someone absolutely falls through the cracks, ie, Pao Gasol deal, I doubt the Suns will take on anyone else. Just a gut feeling.

 

[shazaam6]

Reggie "Squirrel" Evans

I hope not.

 

[leclerc]

Linas Kleiza would have been nice. Maybe a bit redundant but he's a tough guy who can shoot.

 

[Mainstreet]

I know they don't have to send anyone down to D-League, but I'm guessing they would prefer that as opposed to someone who's not going to play at all. Also, a rookie will be cheaper.

I think we are approaching the same answer but from different directions.

The Suns are going to have to pay Tucker's salary this season so that is why they keep him, unless some other team wants him ... very doubtful. It is also doubtful he will get much playing time with the Suns. The Suns will have another roster spot to fill when Pavlovic leaves. A veteran minimum player would not be much more costly than a rookie. The bottom line, I think the Suns could find a veteran minimum type center that could help the Suns more than Tucker so let Tucker sit on the inactive list.

 

[AfroSuns]

Linas Kleiza would have been nice. Maybe a bit redundant but he's a tough guy who can shoot.

Although Kleiza can score in bunches when he gets hot. I don't think he is what the Suns need. A defensive big is what they should be looking for. Not an all offense, sub-par defensive player.

 

[mojorizen7]

Although Kleiza can score in bunches when he gets hot. I don't think he is what the Suns need. A defensive big is what they should be looking for. Not an all offense, sub-par defensive player.

Agreed, a guy that doesn't need or want the ball to score....can defend 4's and 5's and rebound like a beast.
Like B.Wallace 5 yrs ago....or hey! even better, a Kurt Thomas of 3 yrs ago....

At the risk of sounding like the ultimate Crab-on-a-stick.....I don't think the SUNS are even looking for legit solutions to the massive defensive hole in the middle of this team. I also don't think that they think that they're good enough offensively to make up for this weakness(although thats what they're selling us).....if that's true then you can understand why i don't care too much about the team this year.
Of course I'll still watch though...haha


I hope the plan 4 Sarver is to sell the team and get out of the kitchen.

 

[Ollie]

About Kleiza, he signed a $12M/2years deal with Olympiakos. That's about $10M more than the Suns would have offered him...

Word is that Larry Brown is interested by Michael Pietrus' older brother, Florent, who's basically a poor man's Malik Rose (an undersized defensive hustling PF) and would like to bring him to the Bobcats. I'd rather see him sign a minimum contract with the Suns than a 7' veteran scrub like Blount, Moore or "Aluminium" Foyle.

 

[Yuma]

The Suns might have made their choice for their final roster spot June 25 when they drafted Oklahoma's Taylor Griffin with the 48th overall pick.

Griffin, a 6-foot-7 small forward, signed a deal with the Suns that includes a partial guarantee. Should Griffin remain on the roster in January, his $457,588 contract for the season becomes guaranteed.

Despite payroll slashing, the Suns still face a luxury tax for the coming season, and Griffin is the least-expensive option to give them the minimum 13-man roster (assuming Sasha Pavlovic is waived). Any added salary is doubled in cost by the tax.


The Suns had considered the addition of a point guard or big man, but they like the character, athleticism and toughness of Griffin, who could play for D-League affiliate Iowa. Griffin began adapting to playing small forward at the NBA Summer League in July, when he averaged 6.2 points and 3.0 rebounds and shot 31 percent.

The Suns' current 14-man roster likely won't stay that way long. They acquired Pavlovic, 25, in the Shaquille O'Neal trade to waive him because it saves $6.9 million in non-guaranteed salary and tax. Pavlovic's agent, Marc Cornstein, said teams are interested in his client.

"This isn't a panic," Cornstein said. "He does have a contract. We can afford to be patient and find the best possible situation.

"We've had good communication all summer. I feel very comfortable with the position Phoenix has taken."

If not for the savings, Pavlovic might be a good fit for the Suns as a young, 6-7 swingman who has shooting range.

"That irony has not been lost on me," Cornstein said. "The big thing is for him to be in a place he's wanted. Anytime he's been given an opportunity, he's made the most of it."

Note

After a cameo on HBO's "Entourage" on Sunday, Steve Nash will answer a $50,000 question for his foundation on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" at 7 p.m. Thursday on Channel 15.

Pretty much like I thought, Taylor Griffin will be the Suns 13th player.