Kerr on Nash, Stoudemire and possible trades

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

From AZCentral

Question: "Where do things stand with Steve Nash's contract?"
Steve Kerr: "We had a great meeting a couple weeks ago and he is absolutely our priority. We want him, as I've said many times, we want him to finish his career here. We're trying to make that happen and it's at the top of the list."


Question: "How is Amare Stoudemire's eye?"
Kerr: "He's doing great. I spoke with his doctor about three days ago and Amare has done a nice job of following orders and staying in bedrest and allowing the remaining fluid to drain out of his eye. It's been a longer process than we expected but the doctor said everything's going really smoothly. ... It's been tough on Amare. He's bored. He wants to move around."


Kerr added that Stoudemire won't play in Summer League ball. He thought Stoudemire worked too hard last offseason and came into camp with some ankle issues because of it.


Question: "Given the contract situations of Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal, would you listen to any deals about those players?"
Kerr: "The thing about our financial situation is we're one year away from having flexibility, so we're going to make it through this year one way or the other. We'll look at every option. We may do something, we may not, but the nice thing is our hands are not tied in the future. Frankly, the last three, four years, we've had salary issues because we've had really good teams. We''ve had ownership step up ... We've gone for it. Obviously, now we're in transition a little bit. We're not the team we were a couple of years ago. We're in a position where a year from now we can say, 'We've got options.' That just means that we'll look at everything out there and if we have to grind our way through this year, we'll do so."


Kerr added there is not much discussion now among teams but once the draft lottery order is set, the phone calls pick up.

 

[Blackification]

good news, seems like they might just keep it together for another year.

 

[elindholm]

The thing about our financial situation is we're one year away from having flexibility, so we're going to make it through this year one way or the other. We'll look at every option. We may do something, we may not, but the nice thing is our hands are not tied in the future.

Translation: This year is lost anyway, so we might as well not do anything to compromise our upcoming financial flexibility.

That's funny, I seem to recall the same thing being said on this board, repeatedly.

 

[Mainstreet]

The thing about our financial situation is we're one year away from having flexibility, so we're going to make it through this year one way or the other. We'll look at every option. We may do something, we may not, but the nice thing is our hands are not tied in the future.

Translation: This year is lost anyway, so we might as well not do anything to compromise our upcoming financial flexibility.

That's funny, I seem to recall the same thing being said on this board, repeatedly.

My immediate thought, maybe Kerr and Sarver have finally learned from the KT giveaway and the two first round draft picks it cost. Just hoping the Suns are willing to bite the bullet (LT) for one season unless better choices present themselves.

 

[elindholm]

Just hoping the Suns are willing to bite the bullet (LT) for one season unless better choices present themselves.

At this point they hardly have any choice. The only way to avoid luxury tax would be to trade a big salary to a team with cap space. Stoudemire is pretty much the only one with positive trade value, and it's hard to see a trading partner willing to give up much to rent him for a year, especially since his health is again suspect.

Oh, right, they could also dump Barbosa for nothing. Let's hope they aren't that desperate.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

he basically said nothing other than finally, in a roundabout way, admitting that they just aren't a contender any longer. wish they had figured that out last offseason.

oh wait, they said they wanted nash to retire a sun. so in essence he's saying we want flexibility, but flexibility be damned if it means steve nash.

and there, of course, is the dreaded word that just can't seem to keep from falling from kerr's lips . . . FLEXIBILITY! funny, he just intimated that for the past few seasons we didn't have flexibility, but almost every move they made that angered us was done in the name of FLEXIBILITY. bunch of two-faced liars and spin artists. enough. i just can't stand this FO.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Well, look on the bright side...we have all the pieces to rebuild nicely, including our future lottery picks....oh wait...

 

[jandaman]

There is no way around it.

Suns cannot afford to re-build this season without their 2010 pick.
Suns trading "good" asset for their own 2010 pick is going backwards, unless Thunder wants O'Neal.

Pretty much, might as well give them a crack for a season, contend for the playoffs and then re-structure 2010.


Signing Nash hopefully for under 10 million a year. Even though he is worth more.
Maybe guarantee him an assistant coaching job after the 3 year contract, so 3yr/28 Million contract then guarantee an assistant coaching role or a management role after that contract... so he stays a Sun.

 

[Andrew]

I was all for keeping this roster together for one more shot, seems like great minds think alike.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I was all for keeping this roster together for one more shot, seems like great minds think alike.

Even more confirmation that blowing it up is the only sane option.

 

[devilalum]

At this point they hardly have any choice. The only way to avoid luxury tax would be to trade a big salary to a team with cap space. Stoudemire is pretty much the only one with positive trade value, and it's hard to see a trading partner willing to give up much to rent him for a year, especially since his health is again suspect.

Oh, right, they could also dump Barbosa for nothing. Let's hope they aren't that desperate.

They COULD save $10 million by just not picking up Nash's option. Doesn't get them under the cap but saves a LOT of money.

 

[Bufalay]

I was all for keeping this roster together for one more shot, seems like great minds think alike.

Please, just ban me before I succumb to temptation and reply to this.

 

[Blackification]

Please, just ban me before I succumb to temptation and reply to this.

 

[AceP]

At this point they hardly have any choice. The only way to avoid luxury tax would be to trade a big salary to a team with cap space. Stoudemire is pretty much the only one with positive trade value, and it's hard to see a trading partner willing to give up much to rent him for a year, especially since his health is again suspect.

Oh, right, they could also dump Barbosa for nothing. Let's hope they aren't that desperate.

I'm not sure what you mean for "positive trade value". We certainly can't expect much from trading Nash and Shaq, but it shouldn't be too hard just for something "positive".

For example, Cleveland should like Shaq for Ben Wallace straight up, Ben's contract also has just 1 year left, such a deal would save the Suns 10M (5M salary + 5M LT). With a little bargaining, we should also be able to get a second round pick. Isn't it quite positive?

I bet Kerr can find similar deal for Nash.

 

[elindholm]

They COULD save $10 million by just not picking up Nash's option. Doesn't get them under the cap but saves a LOT of money.

Yes, good point. I had rejected that possibility because Kerr already said that they aren't even considering it, but you never know. Maybe the extension talks will get ugly and the relationship will blow up on the spot.

 

[elindholm]

I'm not sure what you mean for "positive trade value".

"Positive trade value" means a player that a team would rather have than nothing at all. If the Suns could snap their fingers and make O'Neal and his salary disappear, they probably would. Similarly, if another team could snap their fingers and add both O'Neal and his salary, few if any would be interested.

For example, Cleveland should like Shaq for Ben Wallace straight up

Possibly. If they win this year's title, I doubt it, but otherwise, it's worth exploring. But this example is a case of one negative-value contract being traded for another. No one wants Wallace, not even the Suns -- it's just that, given their financial situation, they'd probably rather have Wallace than O'Neal, although it's a close call.

With a little bargaining, we should also be able to get a second round pick. Isn't it quite positive?

Not really. Trading O'Neal for Wallace means losing revenues, alienating fans, and angering the rest of the roster. I'm not sure that's worth the money saved. (A second-round pick from Cleveland, of course, is worthless.)

 

[Mainstreet]

At this point they hardly have any choice. The only way to avoid luxury tax would be to trade a big salary to a team with cap space. Stoudemire is pretty much the only one with positive trade value, and it's hard to see a trading partner willing to give up much to rent him for a year, especially since his health is again suspect.

Oh, right, they could also dump Barbosa for nothing. Let's hope they aren't that desperate.

How about Jason Richardson? Think any team would consider he has positive trade value. I know his salary is up there.

 

[elindholm]

How about Jason Richardson? Think any team would bite.

Well, again, for a savings this year, it would have to be a team under the cap (or with a perfectly sized smaller salary). I don't see a fit, but maybe there's one out there.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

So does Nash pull a Stockton and lock in a contract that guarantee him til he's 43?

 

[Mainstreet]

So does Nash pull a Stockton and lock in a contract that guarantee him til he's 43?

How about just until 40.

I'd like to find a way for the Suns to use Nash in a two PG system but his defense will always be problematic. I wonder if Dragic could be converted to a SG. I am torn in many ways because I want the Suns to draft PG Jonny Flynn. I think he will be a very good NBA PG. Never can have enough PGs. If a team gets too many they can always be traded.

 

[cly2tw]

I'm not sure what you mean for "positive trade value". We certainly can't expect much from trading Nash and Shaq, but it shouldn't be too hard just for something "positive".

For example, Cleveland should like Shaq for Ben Wallace straight up, Ben's contract also has just 1 year left, such a deal would save the Suns 10M (5M salary + 5M LT). With a little bargaining, we should also be able to get a second round pick. Isn't it quite positive?

I bet Kerr can find similar deal for Nash.

Shaq for Ben can wait till trading deadline. For the same saving of LT, we'd have a lot more flexibility. Like maybe we were in playoff run and the additional revenue then would offset the LT saving.

Yes, good point. I had rejected that possibility because Kerr already said that they aren't even considering it, but you never know. Maybe the extension talks will get ugly and the relationship will blow up on the spot.

Well, nothing is binding. Maybe Nash wanted out already but agreed to be silent to not hurt Kerr's spinning attempt for positive image, as the price of letting him go via option out.

So does Nash pull a Stockton and lock in a contract that guarantee him til he's 43?

I'd actually have no problem with that, were Nash to play like Stockton or Kidd in latest form.

 

[cly2tw]

How about just until 40.

I'd like to find a way for the Suns to use Nash in a two PG system but his defense will always be problematic. I wonder if Dragic could be converted to a SG. I am torn in many ways because I want the Suns to draft PG Jonny Flynn. I think he will be a very good NBA PG. Never can have enough PGs. If a team gets too many they can always be traded.

His defense is secondary to the potential damage his dominant ballhandling would incur in such settings. Everythings collaps without him dominating the ball as they don't work on it, over-rely on him, making it impossible for any backup to be useful other than being defensive specialist. It forces the coach to play him longer, with worse defense. This cycle gets repeated each game and we'd be going nowhere with it.

 

[Mainstreet]

His defense is secondary to the potential damage his dominant ballhandling would incur in such settings. Everythings collaps without him dominating the ball as they don't work on it, over-rely on him, making it impossible for any backup to be useful other than being defensive specialist. It forces the coach to play him longer, with worse defense. This cycle gets repeated each game and we'd be going nowhere with it.

I think the dominant ball handling tag is lame on Nash. I think Nash has to handle the ball more than he would like because other Suns players are unable to create their own shot. Throwing the ball inside low to Shaq has been one of his few options. Most of the other Suns players are like chickens waiting to be fed their next meal. I think Nash would be quite content to dump the ball off early if he had players around him that could create their own shot.

 

[AceP]

I'm also on board trading J.Rich. For anything, or even nothing, just like KT deal. Get us cap space, and hopefully, a useful role player.

With the cap space, we should be able to use MLE to fish FAs. Many good players are out of contract this summer while the marke is very cold. Just to name a few former stars who might accept MLE, Bibby, Andre Miller, Rasheed, Mcdyess, and some others, Gooden, Ariza, Pargo.

Resign Barnes and Hill is got to be done anyway, we can count on them as starters. Barbosa is still the major reserve, or start at SG occassionally. Keep developing Tucker and Dudley, we are solid enough on the wings, if not actually crowded. J.Rich is expendable.

One of the key point here: we need a legit BIG to backup Shaq/Amare, no more Barnes/Hill at PF!

 

[Mainstreet]

One of the key point here: we need a legit BIG to backup Shaq/Amare, no more Barnes/Hill at PF!

Maybe if the Suns could move JRich the Suns could sign Marion as a FA to play PF. Just joking. But I always liked Marion... however, not at his previous salary.