Jake is gone to the bobcats

[Mainstreet]

LOL, how much "big money" do you think Hunter will get? My guess is he'll get (if he stays) around the same amount Jake got.

People are saying trading Jake helps in signing Joe Johnson--I disagree, I think it helps in signing Steven Hunter. So here's the decision process...

JJ resigned
Voskuhl on the roster
Hunter walks

or

JJ resigned
Voskuhl gone
Hunter resigned

Which scenario is better?

I agree. Hopefully we are correct and the Suns sign Hunter. I really didn't think the luxury tax was an issue for next year anyway. The part I don't know about is, can the Suns give the years to Hunter that he reportedly wants in a contract?.

 

[SirStefan32]

LOL, how much "big money" do you think Hunter will get? My guess is he'll get (if he stays) around the same amount Jake got.

People are saying trading Jake helps in signing Joe Johnson--I disagree, I think it helps in signing Steven Hunter. So here's the decision process...

JJ resigned
Voskuhl on the roster
Hunter walks

or

JJ resigned
Voskuhl gone
Hunter resigned

Which scenario is better?

I agree with you Chap. I think JJ is gonna be resigned one was or another. This indicates that Hunter will be as well.

 

[coloradosun]

Yeah I agree 2cnd round picks suck. Oh wait, Dijon is a second rounder... Now, I'm confused!

Voskuhl was a second rounder as well, so value for value.

 

[JPlay]

LOL, how much "big money" do you think Hunter will get? My guess is he'll get (if he stays) around the same amount Jake got.

People are saying trading Jake helps in signing Joe Johnson--I disagree, I think it helps in signing Steven Hunter. So here's the decision process...

JJ resigned
Voskuhl on the roster
Hunter walks

or

JJ resigned
Voskuhl gone
Hunter resigned

Which scenario is better?

I honestly think Hunter will make more than Jake. The Suns may try to cut costs and start bringing in very cheap players. They already have to sign Raja Bell.

How many other teams in the league are there with 3 max players..... and not one is a true center.

 

[Chaplin]

I honestly think Hunter will make more than Jake. The Suns may try to cut costs and start bringing in very cheap players. They already have to sign Raja Bell.

How many other teams in the league are there with 3 max players..... and not one is a true center.

How many other teams in the league have 1 max player that IS a true center? 1? Soon to be 2? And did Houston OR Miami even sniff the championship?

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

The pic they used of Jake on AZcentral is incredible


http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=showPhoto&albumID=406307729&photoID=406308238&security=NkSYnp

 

[Cheesebeef]

Correct me if I'm wrong - but don't we have a 1.85 trade exception now? I don't believe any of that can be used to resign one of our own so how does this help in getting Hunter back? Am I wrong on this?

That being said, if they resign JJ AND get Hunter back (probably at a year deal - I can see Hunter thinking that another season at 1.7 could parlay him into a better contract next season - I will see NO reason why this team can't give SA every bit of the fight they can handle. In fact - if they get Hunter and JJ back, I will be dissappointed in anything less than a title.

 

[coloradosun]

I would not be opposed to bringing Jahidi White back, I believe he is still a FA and will not get much attention because he is coming off surgery. I think that he could be signed for contract similar to what Hunter signed last year, 750K.

Also the conditional second round pick could be the one that they are rumored to get from the Kings in the Jason Hart deal.

 

[Mainstreet]

I know everyone is hopeful about the signing of JJ and possibly even Hunter as well.

However, I wish to express my appreciation for Jake Voskuhl for being a class individual and being a positive influence on the Suns despite his lack of playing time last year. I still think he can play a backup role with the right team, hopefully the Bobcats. I will always remember that game winning tip-in in the playoffs against the Spurs when Marbury was with the team.

 

[SweetD]

How many other teams in the league are there with 3 max players..... and not one is a true center.

Not sure what your definition of a "true center" is but how about a productive center
New York
Dallas (I am not sold on Damp)
Lakers
Portland (Theo could be gone)
TWolves
Wizards

ok I am board and don't feel like looking anymore.

 

[Mainstreet]

I would not be opposed to bringing Jahidi White back, I believe he is still a FA and will not get much attention because he is coming off surgery. I think that he could be signed for contract similar to what Hunter signed last year, 750K.

Also the conditional second round pick could be the one that they are rumored to get from the Kings in the Jason Hart deal.

I hope you are right about the draft pick, Coloradosun, and the Suns will actually see it.

Also I felt like one of the few fans sorry to see Jahidi White leave the Suns. I think Steve Nash could make Jahidi a useable piece. Yes, his hands have always been suspect (and I still want Hunter), but I would enjoy having him back on the team as I still think he can be an occasional force inside.

 

[Mainstreet]

How many other teams in the league have 1 max player that IS a true center? 1? Soon to be 2? And did Houston OR Miami even sniff the championship?

How about Ming, Shaq, and our soon to be max point center, Amare.

No need to respond, I'm just feeling good after all this stress about JJ.
I'm sure Amare would love to be just a situational center, but with D'Antonni one never knows.

Amare might be the center of the future in the NBA.

 

[Chaplin]

How about Ming, Shaq, and our soon to be max point center, Amare.

No need to respond, I'm just feeling good after all this stress about JJ.
I'm sure Amare would love to be just a situational center, but with D'Antonni one never knows.

Amare might be the center of the future in the NBA.

I'm wondering what you're responding to... 1, obviously is Shaq, "maybe 2" is for Ming. And those two teams with "true centers" didn't make it to the Finals.

There are plenty of PFs masquerading as centers in the league, but they are far from "true" centers.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm wondering what you're responding to... 1, obviously is Shaq, "maybe 2" is for Ming. And those two teams with "true centers" didn't make it to the Finals.

There are plenty of PFs masquerading as centers in the league, but they are far from "true" centers.

I was responding to your comment:

How many other teams in the league have 1 max player that IS a true center? 1? Soon to be 2? And did Houston OR Miami even sniff the championship?

Obviously neither team made it to the finals. I thought the issue was how many true max centers were there in the league. My response was Shaq, and soon to be: Ming and Amare.

Now if you want to tell Amare he is not our true point center, then so be it. Amare would make three max centers. I'm not trying to argue the issue at all except that D'Antonni may still want Amare to play center.

I understand what you are saying (at least from the old school philosphy) that Shaq and Ming are true max centers.

 

[Joe Mama]

How many other teams in the league have 1 max player that IS a true center? 1? Soon to be 2? And did Houston OR Miami even sniff the championship?

Miami definitely sniffed a championship last year. They were a Wade injury from playing in the finals. still, I don't understand why people ask these questions about what teams have done in the past. Who cares if the Phoenix Suns are the first team to pay three guys near maximum contracts without one of them being a center.

Correct me if I'm wrong - but don't we have a 1.85 trade exception now? I don't believe any of that can be used to resign one of our own so how does this help in getting Hunter back? Am I wrong on this?

That being said, if they resign JJ AND get Hunter back (probably at a year deal - I can see Hunter thinking that another season at 1.7 could parlay him into a better contract next season - I will see NO reason why this team can't give SA every bit of the fight they can handle. In fact - if they get Hunter and JJ back, I will be dissappointed in anything less than a title.

If Hunter was going to sign another modest deal to increase his value I doubt he would want to do it with the Phoenix Suns now. Hunter a whole lot of playing time last year despite the fact that he was the only big man off the bench who played. Now that Kurt Thomas and Bell are here I think it's possible Hunter would get even fewer minutes next season.

IMO Stephen Hunter is as good as gone. I would love to have him back, but assuming they re-sign JJ I think they'll feel the rest of the roster with minimum contracts.

Joe Mama

PS - paying the luxury tax under this new CBA won't be nearly as bad as it was in the past. It won't be a big deal to go over the luxury tax limit by a few million dollars because the proceeds of the luxury tax will be distributed evenly among the 30 NBA teams. Teams will still try to avoid it, but only the teams that are well over the luxury tax will really get hurt by it.

 

[sunsfn]

By getting rid of Jake's contract, we can spend that on another player that will probably play more minutes. Jake was really going to strap this team and take us either close or into the luxery tax area. Now if the suns sign other players and do go into the luxery tax area, at least they will be players that actually play or are young and hope to stay with the club and contribute later on.


But like Joe said, the suns now will probably not have to pay any money, or it will be such a small amount that Sarver might even sign a backup center to help us win the NBA title.......keep your fingers crossed on that....

 

[Joe Mama]

By getting rid of Jake's contract, we can spend that on another player that will probably play more minutes. Jake was really going to strap this team and take us either close or into the luxery tax area. Now if the suns sign other players and do go into the luxery tax area, at least they will be players that actually play or are young and hope to stay with the club and contribute later on.


But like Joe said, the suns now will probably not have to pay any money, or it will be such a small amount that Sarver might even sign a backup center to help us win the NBA title.......keep your fingers crossed on that....

I was actually talking about the luxury tax as it relates to 2006-07 and beyond. Because of the amnesty rule and the Phoenix Suns ability to dump Eisley's buyout they really weren't in any risk of paying the luxury tax for the 2005-06 season..

I don't see that this trade was made to save money for any particular player. I figure it was made because the Phoenix Suns would rather pay a big man off the bench the veteran minimum. They probably anticipate that there will be players available for that spot who they would rather have Jake Voskuhl.

1. It frees up a roster spot for another free-agent.
2. It will probably save them about $1.3 million assuming they replace him with someone for the veteran minimum.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Joe Mama

 

[Mainstreet]

By getting rid of Jake's contract, we can spend that on another player that will probably play more minutes. Jake was really going to strap this team and take us either close or into the luxery tax area. Now if the suns sign other players and do go into the luxery tax area, at least they will be players that actually play or are young and hope to stay with the club and contribute later on.


But like Joe said, the suns now will probably not have to pay any money, or it will be such a small amount that Sarver might even sign a backup center to help us win the NBA title.......keep your fingers crossed on that....

Excellent point Sunsfn and Joe Mama. D'Antonni was certainly not going to give Jake any minutes.

However, I really did not think the Suns were that close to the luxury tax limit for next season. Anyway, it may allow the Suns more flexibility to get the player(s) they want.

This move was good for Jake and good for the Suns.

 

[George O'Brien]

There is a scenerio where the luxury tax might make a difference this year - if the Suns did a counteroffer for 6 years. It might make sense to front load some of the cap hit before Amare's contract takes off to minimize the luxury tax hit later.

 

[JCSunsfan]

We have, in essence, two lle's now.

The 1.8 million trade exception could get us Pachulia or Hunter, or we could use it to sign Finley (a little better than the vet min most teams could offer) and let JJ walk

 

[Cheesebeef]

We have, in essence, two lle's now.

The 1.8 million trade exception could get us Pachulia or Hunter, or we could use it to sign Finley (a little better than the vet min most teams could offer) and let JJ walk

Again I ask - can we sign someone with the 1.8 trade exception? I thought that cap space could only be used in the confines of making a trade - am I wrong?

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Again I ask - can we sign someone with the 1.8 trade exception? I thought that cap space could only be used in the confines of making a trade - am I wrong?

You are right. A trade exception cannot be used to sign a free agent. We went over this a ton when Zarko was traded last season.

A trade exception in essence acts as a cap space in a trade. A 1.8 million trade exception means that we can accept back a player that fits into that exception. Keep in mind that exceptions cannot be combined, so you cannot use the 25% + 100k exception in these deals.

 

[wilecoyotesupergenius]

Again I ask - can we sign someone with the 1.8 trade exception? I thought that cap space could only be used in the confines of making a trade - am I wrong?

No you are correct. The trade exception is a "credit" teams can use to replace the salary of a player traded to another team. This credit cannot be used to sign free agents -- it is only available for trades.

We also still have the $1 million exception (actual value around $1.7 mil) and unlimited minimum contracts to fill out the roster.

 

[scotsman13]

Yo do realize that all the moves they are making are geared towards saving money for 2006-2007 when Amare's contract is expired. Obviously Amare's new contract will put him with the highest payed players in the league. Yes it would be great if Hunter signed a one year contract, but he's not going to.

no it wont. his contact will be well under what some of the big old timers make like shaq. the max contract that a player can sign after his rookie contract is 25% of the salery cap. after he is done with that contract he can move above that to a contract like what kobe and tmac signed signed last year.

 

[cly2tw]

I think how many minutes Hunter would get depends on how committed we are to play "normal" ball and how well he develops during the season. If he sees a chance to prove his value here, he might want accept the LLE for one year and hope to get a MLE level deal next year. Otherwise, he'd be gone to where the most money is.

With this trade exception, we might get Payton by s-n-t from Boston. Gamble on Kemp for the min. We should be good enough to beat everybody for the title this year.