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As the 40th Suns season tips off tonight in Seattle, a source in the Phoenix organization said the brain trust is “95 percent committed” to moving forward with the team on the floor — confident a motivated Marion won’t be a distraction and that the addition of Grant Hill and the further maturation of a team still in its prime will tip the scales and leave theSuns the last team standing.
The coach isn’t expecting any upgrade or reinforcements, and doesn’t see the need.
“I always felt that this was the team we would go with,” D’Antoni said. “We’re really happy with it. We think we’re better than last year and that’s about all an organization can do.”
But that remaining five percent of indecision is still on the table. And currently, that all revolves around Kobe — and the possibility of Phoenix acting as either a facilitator in a deal that would land Bryant in Chicago or, in an even further long shot, put Bryant in aSuns uniform.
The Lakers-Bulls talks have stalled due to Chicago’s refusal to part with Luol Deng in any deal involving Bryant — leading to the likelihood a third team is now necessary to solve the impasse.
The Suns and Bulls have talked within the past 48 hours, with three-way possibilities the primary topic.
If the Lakers can’t get Deng along with Ben Gordon, would they take Marion and Gordon? That might fetch Phoenix two young players they are known to have coveted (Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha), a veteran banger (P.J. Brown) and a draft pick.
Such a deal would give the Suns young talent and financial flexibility. But, by trading Marion, how do you convince fans that you aren’t slamming the championship window shut as Nash closes in on his 34th birthday?
Then there is the longest of shots. If the Lakers and Bulls can’t get a deal done and the situation in Los Angeles gets uglier — Kobe was booed by Staples Center fans before Tuesday’s opener — does the idea of sending Bryant within their own division to Phoenix (with Marion, Leandro Barbosa and Atlanta’s 2008 first-round pick the major chips in play) become palatable if it’s simply the best deal available?
The overwhelming sentiment is, the Suns you see today are the Suns you’ll get — at least until the February trade deadline looms.
Many critics argue Phoenix is “built for the regular season,” with seven players set to play between 27 and 37 minutes at a pace that make the heads of teams with no time to adjust or prepare spin wildly. And perhaps that’s the idea: Ride this team and its seven front-line players through the bulk of the regular season, then reload and reconfigure when the dynamics change in the playoffs.
With Marion, Amaré Stoudemire and Boris Diaw the only three trustworthy front-line players left following the cost-cutting trade of Kurt Thomas in July, Phoenix may well keep the core intact and seek to add some size — someone younger and better than Brown with a bottom-line price tag that won’t push it too far over the looming luxury tax threshold.
“Who knows what this team will look like by the end of the season,” Nash said. “The deadline is four months away. You never know what can happen.”
www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/100940
The coach isn’t expecting any upgrade or reinforcements, and doesn’t see the need.
“I always felt that this was the team we would go with,” D’Antoni said. “We’re really happy with it. We think we’re better than last year and that’s about all an organization can do.”
But that remaining five percent of indecision is still on the table. And currently, that all revolves around Kobe — and the possibility of Phoenix acting as either a facilitator in a deal that would land Bryant in Chicago or, in an even further long shot, put Bryant in aSuns uniform.
The Lakers-Bulls talks have stalled due to Chicago’s refusal to part with Luol Deng in any deal involving Bryant — leading to the likelihood a third team is now necessary to solve the impasse.
The Suns and Bulls have talked within the past 48 hours, with three-way possibilities the primary topic.
If the Lakers can’t get Deng along with Ben Gordon, would they take Marion and Gordon? That might fetch Phoenix two young players they are known to have coveted (Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha), a veteran banger (P.J. Brown) and a draft pick.
Such a deal would give the Suns young talent and financial flexibility. But, by trading Marion, how do you convince fans that you aren’t slamming the championship window shut as Nash closes in on his 34th birthday?
Then there is the longest of shots. If the Lakers and Bulls can’t get a deal done and the situation in Los Angeles gets uglier — Kobe was booed by Staples Center fans before Tuesday’s opener — does the idea of sending Bryant within their own division to Phoenix (with Marion, Leandro Barbosa and Atlanta’s 2008 first-round pick the major chips in play) become palatable if it’s simply the best deal available?
The overwhelming sentiment is, the Suns you see today are the Suns you’ll get — at least until the February trade deadline looms.
Many critics argue Phoenix is “built for the regular season,” with seven players set to play between 27 and 37 minutes at a pace that make the heads of teams with no time to adjust or prepare spin wildly. And perhaps that’s the idea: Ride this team and its seven front-line players through the bulk of the regular season, then reload and reconfigure when the dynamics change in the playoffs.
With Marion, Amaré Stoudemire and Boris Diaw the only three trustworthy front-line players left following the cost-cutting trade of Kurt Thomas in July, Phoenix may well keep the core intact and seek to add some size — someone younger and better than Brown with a bottom-line price tag that won’t push it too far over the looming luxury tax threshold.
“Who knows what this team will look like by the end of the season,” Nash said. “The deadline is four months away. You never know what can happen.”
www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/100940
