Gortat Traded to Wizards

[sunsfan88]

That Blazer/Net trade would be a hard one to replicate. It was one of the absolute stupidest moves I've seen a team make on the Nets side of the deal. It made no sense, the Nets should not have been "desperate" to make that kind of move as they were well out of contention and it made their pursuit of Dwight Howard significantly more difficult. Then they compounded the stupidity by signing Wallace to a laughable contract extension. Billy King is damn lucky the Celtics decided to blow up their roster and he was able to worm out of Wallace's contract. He might be the worst exec currently in the league.

There are still really stupid GMs in the NBA. I get what your saying thoigh.

 

[SirStefan32]

I love this trade. Makes the team a bit worse this year while adding an asset for next year. I actually like every move McD made so far, but what impresses me the most is looking at all the trades together- it's obvious McD has a plan and every move is very consistent. I can't wait to see what he is going to do with 4 picks next summer.

 

[Mainstreet]

I love this trade. Makes the team a bit worse this year while adding an asset for next year. I actually like every move McD made so far, but what impresses me the most is looking at all the trades together- it's obvious McD has a plan and every move is very consistent. I can't wait to see what he is going to do with 4 picks next summer.

Only Len's injury problems give me concern.

 

[sunsfan88]

“I will never forget what u did for me!” Gortat tweeted about Phoenix. “U took my game to another level and made me a better player. always felt u guys were my family. I wanna say i dont have any hard feelings towards Suns front office people. Ryan is an amazing GM. He put them back on the right track. I knew its gonna happen so Im glad it happened now not in mid season.! Its still hard to leave such a great city.”

Wish nothing but the best for this guy!

 

[sunsfan88]

Only Len's injury problems give me concern.

Paul Coro ‏@paulcoro 2h Len (left ankle) might miss the #Suns opener. That'd leave Plumlee, Frye, Kravtsov and Marcus Morris as bigs with Markieff Morris suspended.

 

[Mainstreet]

Paul Coro ‏@paulcoro 2h Len (left ankle) might miss the #Suns opener. That'd leave Plumlee, Frye, Kravtsov and Marcus Morris as bigs with Markieff Morris suspended.

I read that earlier, hence my renewed concerns over injury problems.

 

[SirStefan32]

Only Len's injury problems give me concern.

Yeah, I have some concerns with that as well, though that entire draft was weird- there was really no "safe" pick once Oladipo and Porter were gone, so I am perfectly fine with taking a gamble on Len. I am guessing that either of the Washington/ Minny picks will be worth as much as #5 was in the last draft.

 

[Errntknght]

I think Minny has a decent shot at the playoffs this year. They've been fairly widely picked to be in the running and I noticed the other day that their two draft picks have done particularly well in the preseason games - Shabazz and Dieng. I'm going to follow the top thirty picks all year to see how they progress and I set it up then tested it on the preseason games - using my offensive efficiency rating, of course. In that test Dieng and Shabazz ranked 1 & 2, head and shoulders above any others. The average for the 23 that had appeared in the preseason was 75% of the average for all NBA players, about what you'd expect. Shabazz and Dieng were at double the NBA average and even with the small sample size thats a nice positive sign.

 

[Superbone]

I love all the deals McDonough has made (!!!) but I'd like to see Bledsoe/Dragic backcourt work out. I'm a bit worried about rumors Dragic could be next...

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...uns-finally-set-wednesdays-season-opener.html

Trading Gortat has prompted speculation about trading Dragic, who has three contract years worth $22.5 million remaining.

“He’s a good player on a good contract and a great guy,” McDonough said. “So, no, we’re not looking to move Goran Dragic.”

 

[Gaddabout]

1. Suns aren't going to trade Dragic. He's a 17.5 PER player on a 12 PER contract. He's not untradeable, but it's hard to imagine an awful team like this one getting that kind of value in return. He's not a PG that simply fits in to a good team's roster. He needs to be on the ball all the time. On a good team, he's a sixth man. The Suns can afford to keep him. Somehow, he's approaching Top 15 PG status. That means nothing, unless you're a team that doesn't have one. He might have more value next summer if he can somehow scrape together stats this year.

2. It's going to be a long year for Robert Sarver. He will have plenty of opportunities to get antsy about losing and seeing an empty arena. I'd be curious to look at his portfolio to see how much pain he can withstand this year, because it's probably going to cost the team about $10 million to $15 million to tank it. That's the estimated loss on the season. It will be especially brutal if the Suns are just a little better than expected, because this is all about getting one of those top 2 picks. If the Suns are, say, 5th from the bottom by mid-season, I can see them moving Dragic in that scenario.

3. Very surprised to not see the team slashing ticket prices. Maybe that announcement will come in the coming months when they have 10,000 announced and 2,000 in attendance.

4. I forgot PJ Tucker was still on this team. Marketing department needs to give him some love, perhaps mounting some kind of all-defensive-team campaign for him. He's not a stopper, but he's pretty good. That's something. It will be hard to mount an argument for him with no center, though. Suns are going to give up 110 points a game I fear.

5. I wonder if Hornacek understood what he was getting into now.

 

[KloD]

1. Suns aren't going to trade Dragic. He's a 17.5 PER player on a 12 PER contract. He's not untradeable, but it's hard to imagine an awful team like this one getting that kind of value in return. He's not a PG that simply fits in to a good team's roster. He needs to be on the ball all the time. On a good team, he's a sixth man. The Suns can afford to keep him. Somehow, he's approaching Top 15 PG status. That means nothing, unless you're a team that doesn't have one. He might have more value next summer if he can somehow scrape together stats this year.

I agree, but I can see one scenario that may present itself where Dragic is moved. Hayward is likely not going to come to an extension agreement with the Jazz by the deadline and from what's being printed, they are far apart on terms. I'm wondering what both teams interest is in a swap of Dragic for Hayward with other pieces included (not sure what and from who?). The Jazz could use a starting point guard and Burke isn't going to be that. The Suns could use Haywards scoring and he plays a position of need for the Suns. There's the Hornacek connection too.

 

[Gaddabout]

This just in: the NBA is considering a post-lottery coin flip between the two worst teams for the 2014 draft.

[Kidding. Just trying to figure out how the NBA is going to screw the Suns out of the first pick now]

 

[Mainstreet]

This just in: the NBA is considering a post-lottery coin flip between the two worst teams for the 2014 draft.

[Kidding. Just trying to figure out how the NBA is going to screw the Suns out of the first pick now]

Don't they already use lotto balls to decide the Suns are not going to get the first overall pick.

 

[SunsTzu]

I agree, but I can see one scenario that may present itself where Dragic is moved. Hayward is likely not going to come to an extension agreement with the Jazz by the deadline and from what's being printed, they are far apart on terms. I'm wondering what both teams interest is in a swap of Dragic for Hayward with other pieces included (not sure what and from who?). The Jazz could use a starting point guard and Burke isn't going to be that. The Suns could use Haywards scoring and he plays a position of need for the Suns. There's the Hornacek connection too.

Hayward is wanting more money than Favors got. I certainly hope the Suns wouldn't have any interest in giving it to him.

 

[Mainstreet]

Hayward is wanting more money than Favors got. I certainly hope the Suns wouldn't have any interest in giving it to him.

I think the Suns have their own target in Bledsoe. I'd rather have Bledsoe than Hayward. Hope I'm not wrong. This is why it is important to extend players before they blossom.

 

[sunsfan88]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...uns-finally-set-wednesdays-season-opener.html

You know his words regarding if a player gets traded or not means absolutely nothing right?

Do you want me to post the 500 quotes where he said things like "Gortat is solid player and someone who we see as part of the Suns future. We will not trade him" "We have no interest in trading Gortat at all and we hope he will be apart of this team for a long time" etc.

 

[KloD]

You know his words regarding if a player gets traded or not means absolutely nothing right?

Do you want me to post the 500 quotes where he said things like "Gortat is solid player and someone who we see as part of the Suns future. We will not trade him" "We have no interest in trading Gortat at all and we hope he will be apart of this team for a long time" etc.

I would like to see a quote where he said, "We will not trade him." Sure they all say stuff like, "he's important to the team", "We're not interested in trading him at this time", ect. But, I will be shocked if you can provide a direct quote from McD saying they WILL NOT trade Gortat.

There's maybe a handful of guys that will not be traded by their team. I don't believe McD would or did put Gortat in that group.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I would like to see a quote where he said, "We will not trade him." Sure they all say stuff like, "he's important to the team", "We're not interested in trading him at this time", ect. But, I will be shocked if you can provide a direct quote from McD saying they WILL NOT trade Gortat.

There's maybe a handful of guys that will not be traded by their team. I don't believe McD would or did put Gortat in that group.

Correct. Besides, if a young player like Plumlee starts to come along, or you get a great offer, a GM would be an idiot to say, "But I said in the media that I was not interested in trading him, and some fan on some message board somewhere will view that as an ironclad contract, so, no deal."

Comments like "we have not interest in trading Gortat at this time" are honest expressions of intent at that moment and nothing more. Things can always change.

 

[Mainstreet]

I would like to see a quote where he said, "We will not trade him." Sure they all say stuff like, "he's important to the team", "We're not interested in trading him at this time", ect. But, I will be shocked if you can provide a direct quote from McD saying they WILL NOT trade Gortat.

There's maybe a handful of guys that will not be traded by their team. I don't believe McD would or did put Gortat in that group.

As I listened to Lon Babby on the radio back then, he came as close to saying Steve Nash would not be traded as I have ever heard.

Now Jerry Colangelo promised Kevin Johnson he would not be traded verbally (I don't believe such things could be included in a written contract) and he kept his word. JC operated the franchise on the premise, his word was his bond. This even extended to Danning Manning. He was re-signed to a lucrative contract after he tore his ACL and had to sit out a season.

 

[JCSunsfan]

As I listened to Lon Babby on the radio back then, he came as close to saying Steve Nash would not be traded as I have ever heard.

Now Jerry Colangelo promised Kevin Johnson he would not be traded verbally (I don't believe such things could be included in a written contract) and he kept his word. JC operated the franchise on the premise, his word was his bond. This even extended to Danning Manning. He was re-signed to a lucrative contract after he tore his ACL and had to sit out a season.

There is a big difference between comments made to the press and personal commitments made in private conversations. Even then, if both parties agree that the situation has changed, they can change. The Suns traded Nash where he wanted to go.

 

[Mainstreet]

There is a big difference between comments made to the press and personal commitments made in private conversations. Even then, if both parties agree that the situation has changed, they can change. The Suns traded Nash where he wanted to go.

Nash, from all reports, wanted to stay with the Suns because of his family situation at the time. If you are saying Nash wanted his second choice, the Lakers, you are correct.

 

[Griffin]

This just in: the NBA is considering a post-lottery coin flip between the two worst teams for the 2014 draft.

[Kidding. Just trying to figure out how the NBA is going to screw the Suns out of the first pick now]

Actually, the coin toss would be much preferable in this case (50% chance at first overall pick) than the present lottery system which gives only 25% chance at the top pick to the team with the worst record.

As it stands, a team could go 0-82 and still be three times more likely to draft 2-4 than to get the top pick.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Actually, the coin toss would be much preferable in this case (50% chance at first overall pick) than the present lottery system which gives only 25% chance at the top pick to the team with the worst record.

As it stands, a team could go 0-82 and still be three times more likely to draft 2-4 than to get the top pick.

I'm trying to wrap my head around this, it just doesn't stand the test of logic to me. I guess I'll have to find the numbers to be convinced. I understand you're talking about three draft slots versus one draft slot but still, it shouldn't be a 3 to 1 advantage given that each spot is weighted somewhat in favor of the lesser teams.

Steve

Edit: Unless Wikipedia is wrong, it looks to me like they have a 25% chance of drafting first and a combined 46.4% chance of drafting between 2 and 4. Nowhere close to a 3 to 1 difference, am I reading it wrong?

 

[Neo]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this, it just doesn't stand the test of logic to me. I guess I'll have to find the numbers to be convinced. I understand you're talking about three draft slots versus one draft slot but still, it shouldn't be a 3 to 1 advantage given that each spot is weighted somewhat in favor of the lesser teams.

Steve

Edit: Unless Wikipedia is wrong, it looks to me like they have a 25% chance of drafting first and a combined 46.4% chance of drafting between 2 and 4. Nowhere close to a 3 to 1 difference, am I reading it wrong?

I think that you are reading wikipedia wrong. It correctly shows on the table that there is a 25% chance for the first pick, 21.5% 2nd, 17.8% 3rd, 35.7% 4th. That adds up to 75%.

Only 3 teams can move up in the lottery so the worst pick that the bottom team can get through the lotter is 4th. If there is a 25% of getting the top pick it has to be a combined chance of 75% of ending up in the next three picks.

 

[Griffin]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this, it just doesn't stand the test of logic to me. I guess I'll have to find the numbers to be convinced. I understand you're talking about three draft slots versus one draft slot but still, it shouldn't be a 3 to 1 advantage given that each spot is weighted somewhat in favor of the lesser teams.

Steve

Edit: Unless Wikipedia is wrong, it looks to me like they have a 25% chance of drafting first and a combined 46.4% chance of drafting between 2 and 4. Nowhere close to a 3 to 1 difference, am I reading it wrong?

Not sure where you got that number from but Wiki has the following odds for the team with the worst record (1st through 4th pick odds):

.250 .215 .178 .357


But it's really quite simple. A team with the worst record has 25% chance of drafting 1st, so they have 75% chance of not drafting 1st, and the only other picks they can get are 2, 3 or 4. They get the 4th pick in the even that none of their combinations come up when the first three picks are drawn.