Free Agents This Summer

[cly2tw]

The Suns are not gonna outbid any team for any player both in salary and in playing time. So, there ain't many realistic, good signings out there for us.

 

[dodie53]

if the suns win the championship, many washed up players would want to sign in hoping for a repeat

 

[Hugh D'Man]

Not if they want playing time. Just ask Jalen.

 

[slinslin]

Grant Hill would be nice for the veterans minimum.

Anderson Varejao, Andray Blatche, Amir Johnson, but not at the expense of not using our draft picks. Sign and Trades are always possible however.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

I'd love to see Andray Blatche on the Suns - at least for the summer to see what he has. He can't be 20 yet, right? He came in as a skinny 17 year old HS kid and he has languished on the bench. That story sounds familiar (J. O'Neal)....

 

[hafey]

I like Blatche too. Someone smart will offer him part of the MLE this year and reap the benefits for years.

 

[panfolk]

I think the only players off that list who could make the Suns better would be Luke Walton(to my chagrin) and Mo Pete. I certainly would like the Suns to give Diener a shot though.

 

[azirish]

I think the only players off that list who could make the Suns better would be Luke Walton(to my chagrin) and Mo Pete. I certainly would like the Suns to give Diener a shot though.

Chucky Atkins might be interested in a shot at a championship, but otherwise I don't think the Suns would pay him market.

 

[sunsfn]

I am not sure I believe the part below in bold.?
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A nip, tuck and a bit of luck

Because the Blazers are over the salary cap, they are limited in what they can offer a free agent. Signing a player such as Lewis, who has said he wants a maximum deal that starts at around $15 million a year, would require a sign-and-trade deal, meaning a high-priced Blazers player such as Zach Randolph ($13.3 million next season) would have to be included. It also probably would have to involve at least three teams.
Whether the Blazers are ready to part with Randolph remains to be seen, but without mentioning his star forward, McMillan this month raved at how the Blazers played without Randolph, who missed 13 of the team's final 16 games because of bereavement leave and a hand injury. The Blazers won six of their first seven games without Randolph, including a December victory over Toronto that he missed while suspended for making an obscene gesture to a fan at Indiana.
"I look at it this way: These last two weeks I have seen a team play the right way," McMillan said. "They played hard, they played together, and they won some games. But even more so for me, we were doing things the right way. It really showed me that doing things the right way and having the right people out there, you can give yourself a chance to win."

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In addition to pursuing free agents, the Blazers will have to address three free agents of their own: forward Ime Udoka, who started 75 games; forward Travis Outlaw, who scored 26 and 36 points in his last two games; and veteran center Jamaal Magloire, who had a strong finish to a season in which he was used primarily as a backup.
The Blazers have made it clear they want to re-sign Udoka and Outlaw, provided the price is right.
Udoka will seek a deal of at least three years, according to his agent, Erin Cowan, probably in the range of $2.5 million to $3 million a year.
Outlaw is a restricted free agent, meaning the Blazers will have the right to match any offer other teams make to him. In the past, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Charlotte have shown interest in Outlaw, and early indications are that Phoenix and Denver are among the teams that will pursue him this summer.
Magloire's situation is more complicated, mainly because McMillan said he is against playing Randolph and Magloire at the same time, because both are slow in transition defense and both command the ball in the low post, clogging the offense.
However, if Randolph is dealt -- and the Blazers have given no indication they are looking to shop him -- Magloire's chances at being re-signed increase. Once Magloire became a starter because of injuries to Joel Przybilla and LaMarcus Aldridge, he averaged 10.7 points and 10.1 rebounds in his final 14 starts.
Also clouding Magloire's chances at returning are the financial implications. Because the Blazers acquired Magloire in a trade, they own his "Bird Rights," meaning they are not limited in what they can offer him. However, Magloire said he will seek between $6 million and $8 million a year, figures that surely will make the Blazers wince.
At any rate, for the first time since summer 2004, the Blazers think they are in position to become a contender for a playoff spot.
"For me it's exciting to go into this offseason -- one, because Kevin is here, and two, because I have seen our guys, and I know we have something in place that we can build on," McMillan said. "If we do some good things in the summer, if we take our time and think about what we do, and add some pieces and be smart about it . . . we can put ourselves in a good position. And that makes it exciting, because last year at this time, we had so much to do."
Jason Quick: 503-221-4372; [email protected] To read his Behind the Beat blog, go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/ behindblazersbeat/

 

[F-Dog]

If the Suns want Travis Outlaw, they have to think they can fix his shot.

Oh, and if Warriors/Mavs game 1 was any indication, we can cross Matt Barnes off the list of possibles. Golden State is actually one of the wealthier teams and should have no problem outbidding the Suns if they feel Barnes is a priority.