Maybe for the first time in my lifetime, the Suns have no awful contracts.
Here's a look at who makes what, who's signed through what year, and who might be trade bait:
Emeka Okafor: Not even currently in Phoenix. Rehabbing in NY. Current assumption is he'll be ready for the playoffs, and the Suns intend to buy him out for half a season and trade him at the deadline to a playoff team. That could change, but he's not ever going to see a game in a Suns uni no matter what.
Goran Dragic: Locked in at $7.5 mil per through 2015-16. National guys keep waiting for the Suns to trade him. I think he's here at least through the rebuilding process. I expect he will play out his contract with the Suns. Not untradeable, just unlikely because of his value.
Channing Frye: $6.4 mil this year, $6.8 mil next. I don't think the Suns can or will trade him this year, but he will make a nice sub for a playoff team for the right price. Unless he totally goes in the tank, I think he'll get traded eventually. The closer the Suns are to .500 at the trading deadline, the greater the likelihood he gets traded.
Gerald Green: $3.5 mil per next two years. Decent contract and trade bait as a minor wing scorer off the bench. He just has little value, because he doesn't do anything besides rack up shot attempts.
Alex Len: Rookie contract. He has two years, IMO, to show promise. I don't think the Suns are as committed to him as others around the league think they are. If he looks stiff this year, he could be packaged and shipped. I did not think this way to start the week, before we saw Miles Plumlee.
The Morri: A combined $5 to 6 mil the next two years guaranteed. These are the two marginally bad contracts. It would be nice to lose them, but they would have to be packaged. Otherwise, I think they're both buyout possibilities at the end of the year. Suns aren't worried about their cap space, and these guys would just be stealing minutes from other players who could actually use it next year.
Kravtsov: $1.5 million this year. Luckily, he will never play enough this year that I will have to learn how to pronounce his name.
Eric Bledsoe. Two years left on his rookie contract. His shooting hasn't improved a lick, and it doesn't look like it ever will. He's not taking a lot of bad shots. He's just not a good shooter, and it's hard to imagine how you can commit to a guard shooting in the low 40s. He puts up good defensive numbers, but he's not a great perimeter defender. He's a good passer for a shooting guard, not a point guard, where his body suggests he should play. I think he's fine for this team this year, but I think he's an enigma long term. If he gets a deal more than $8 mil a year, I suggest the Suns take a pass. An extended run of form late in the season could change my mind. He may just be one of those players who doesn't heat up until the games mean something. I dunno. I'd rather just analyze players based on their overall performance. I'm all about value.
Miles Plumlee: What a steal. $1.1 mil this year, $1.2 mil next year, $2.1 mil team option, and $3.1 in a QO year. I suspect he projects as a 4/5 bench player on a really good team, but we'll see how he develops. I don't know how you keep 3 blocks a game on the bench, but I think over the course of a season, he's going to wear down. I also think his rebound numbers are deceiving since he's getting a LOT of minutes. He still has a lot of "SHOW ME" ahead of him against better big men.
Archie Goodwin: Minuscule rookie contract. This looks like a really good deal. Unless he never develops on the offensive end. He has a LOOOOOOONG way to go to become a player who deserves to be in the regular rotation. It's alarming how lost he looks on offense.
PJ Tucker: Suns only UFA of note next off-season. I hope this guy hasn't had to pick up the tab for anyone, because Okafor makes as much in one month what Tucker is collecting for a season ($884K). The most consistent player on the roster. Due for a big raise. How much would you pay him? I think he's going to be in the $5 mil or $6 mil range after this season.
Here's a look at who makes what, who's signed through what year, and who might be trade bait:
Emeka Okafor: Not even currently in Phoenix. Rehabbing in NY. Current assumption is he'll be ready for the playoffs, and the Suns intend to buy him out for half a season and trade him at the deadline to a playoff team. That could change, but he's not ever going to see a game in a Suns uni no matter what.
Goran Dragic: Locked in at $7.5 mil per through 2015-16. National guys keep waiting for the Suns to trade him. I think he's here at least through the rebuilding process. I expect he will play out his contract with the Suns. Not untradeable, just unlikely because of his value.
Channing Frye: $6.4 mil this year, $6.8 mil next. I don't think the Suns can or will trade him this year, but he will make a nice sub for a playoff team for the right price. Unless he totally goes in the tank, I think he'll get traded eventually. The closer the Suns are to .500 at the trading deadline, the greater the likelihood he gets traded.
Gerald Green: $3.5 mil per next two years. Decent contract and trade bait as a minor wing scorer off the bench. He just has little value, because he doesn't do anything besides rack up shot attempts.
Alex Len: Rookie contract. He has two years, IMO, to show promise. I don't think the Suns are as committed to him as others around the league think they are. If he looks stiff this year, he could be packaged and shipped. I did not think this way to start the week, before we saw Miles Plumlee.
The Morri: A combined $5 to 6 mil the next two years guaranteed. These are the two marginally bad contracts. It would be nice to lose them, but they would have to be packaged. Otherwise, I think they're both buyout possibilities at the end of the year. Suns aren't worried about their cap space, and these guys would just be stealing minutes from other players who could actually use it next year.
Kravtsov: $1.5 million this year. Luckily, he will never play enough this year that I will have to learn how to pronounce his name.
Eric Bledsoe. Two years left on his rookie contract. His shooting hasn't improved a lick, and it doesn't look like it ever will. He's not taking a lot of bad shots. He's just not a good shooter, and it's hard to imagine how you can commit to a guard shooting in the low 40s. He puts up good defensive numbers, but he's not a great perimeter defender. He's a good passer for a shooting guard, not a point guard, where his body suggests he should play. I think he's fine for this team this year, but I think he's an enigma long term. If he gets a deal more than $8 mil a year, I suggest the Suns take a pass. An extended run of form late in the season could change my mind. He may just be one of those players who doesn't heat up until the games mean something. I dunno. I'd rather just analyze players based on their overall performance. I'm all about value.
Miles Plumlee: What a steal. $1.1 mil this year, $1.2 mil next year, $2.1 mil team option, and $3.1 in a QO year. I suspect he projects as a 4/5 bench player on a really good team, but we'll see how he develops. I don't know how you keep 3 blocks a game on the bench, but I think over the course of a season, he's going to wear down. I also think his rebound numbers are deceiving since he's getting a LOT of minutes. He still has a lot of "SHOW ME" ahead of him against better big men.
Archie Goodwin: Minuscule rookie contract. This looks like a really good deal. Unless he never develops on the offensive end. He has a LOOOOOOONG way to go to become a player who deserves to be in the regular rotation. It's alarming how lost he looks on offense.
PJ Tucker: Suns only UFA of note next off-season. I hope this guy hasn't had to pick up the tab for anyone, because Okafor makes as much in one month what Tucker is collecting for a season ($884K). The most consistent player on the roster. Due for a big raise. How much would you pay him? I think he's going to be in the $5 mil or $6 mil range after this season.
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