Memphis is special for Penny

[SweetD]

MEMPHIS - Some day, Penny Hardaway said he'd like to finish his career the way Dan Majerle did with the Suns last season - by going home.

A Memphis native who played his college ball at what was then known as Memphis State, Hardaway said he'd love to finish up with the Grizzlies if the opportunity arises.

"I'm such a hometown guy," he said. "I keep my roots here. I'm a Southern guy. I come back every summer. If the opportunity knocked and my grandmother is still living and with my daughter getting older, that would give me more of a chance to spend time with them here. There are a lot of positive things that would go along with coming back home."

But Hardaway, who still has three years left on his contract with the Suns after this season, didn't look like he was ready for a farewell tour at the Pyramid Wednesday night. He scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five assists in probably his best all-around game since returning from thumb surgery.

"I don't think I'm in a position now to retire or give up on basketball," he said. "Nobody asked me to do what I'm doing now, to tone my game down and be a role player. I decided that Shawn (Marion) and Steph (Marbury) really needed the ball to be effective and for our team to win. If I stepped in their way, that wouldn't work.

"A lot of people say, 'You make so much money, why don't you score 20 points a game?' The offense isn't set up that way.

"With the injuries I've had in the past, I think the organization thought it was the last straw last year."

Hardaway said the Suns might not have traded for Joe Johnson and drafted Casey Jacobsen if they had believed he could stay healthy.

"I'm glad we have those guys," he said. "But it just basically lets me know where I am on this team. I'll step on other people's toes if I go out and try to score 30 a night. So I have to be the guy who does a little of everything else."

He hopes someday he might be able to do it in Memphis.

"That's no negative on Phoenix," he said. "It's a beautiful city and organization gave me a seven-year contract so me and Jason (Kidd) could try to win a championship together.

"But it seemed like when Jason got traded, all of my hope and all the confidence the organization had in me went away."


Lets make this happen!!! Trade Options with Grizzs !

 

[SweetD]

Ok here is one:


Michael Dickerson(would be my pick) or Person(Michael becouse his contract is longer)
Bryant Reeves
Brevin Knight

for

Anfernee Hardaway
Tom Gugliotta
and are 2nd round pick or Cleve Future #1

This would give Memph.
Penny and still a small expriring contract next year with Googs. Penny could be a big for them like he said 20+pts a night?? Plus they actualy could play Googs instead of paying for Reaves to sit at his ranch.

Phx would get.
A right off next year with Reaves. a servicable sg in Person or Dickerson and a back up point or an IR player. We realy don't need next years pick all we need is a back up to Marion, could be Dan L. if he gets some minutes or a back up PG. This would also open up are cap to sign Steph, Outlaw, Big Jake, and maybe Amare(To a big contract)

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by SweetD

Lets make this happen!!! Trade Options with Grizzs !

There aren't any. We don't have a need for Stromile Swift anymore.

 

[schutd]

And why would Memphis mess with what they got going recently?

 

[hcsilla]

Reeves is already retired, you can't trade his contract.

I would do the Dickerson,Knight or Person for Penny trade at a heartbeat if MEM would be that stupid to take Penny's contract.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't want ANYTHING to do with Michael Dickerson. No way, no how.

 

[elindholm]

This would give Memph.
Penny and still a small expriring contract next year with Googs.

By what measure is Gugliotta's contract "small"?

Hardaway is not that big a problem for the Suns right now. He's doing his usual whining to the media, but it doesn't seem to be affecting team chemistry the way it earlier this season. If he needs to keep telling everyone about his bizarre delusion that he could still score 20 points per game (or 30, depending on the report), let him. There are a lot worse things out there.

Right now, I agree with Chaplin's assertion that the only real problem with Hardaway is that he is drastically overpaid. That certainly hasn't been true in the past, but I think it's basically true now.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't see why anybody on the Suns team or its fans would have a problem with Penny having games like he had last night. At least with those numbers he'd earn a lot of the money he's making.

To me, it's just making excuses for those days that he DOESN'T hit those numbers. But if he thinks he can get 18/5/5 all the time, why DOESN'T HE?? Because Steph and Shawn don't want him to? Shyeah, right.

These guys want to win basketball games, if that means Penny needs or wants to score 18 points, then dammit, DO IT!!!! Don't try to cover your bad performances by saying that "I don't want to step on anyone's toes". Who the hell has been complaining about Penny anyway? I haven't heard any players complaining about Penny doing too much. In fact, Penny is mentioned a lot as one of the integral parts of the team.

Dammit, act like it!

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by Chaplin
I don't want ANYTHING to do with Michael Dickerson. No way, no how.

You don't have to want anything from Dickerson.

If he would retire because of his injuries then this trade would be even better for Suns because Dickerson's contract would comes uot from the books in 2005 and Suns would get even bigger cap room.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by elindholm

Hardaway is not that big a problem for the Suns right now.

No,he isn't.His contract is.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by hcsilla
You don't have to want anything from Dickerson.

If he would retire because of his injuries then this trade would be even better for Suns because Dickerson's contract would comes uot from the books in 2005 and Suns would get even bigger cap room.

If, if, if!

IF Googs would forgo his option, it'd be great.

IF Penny would restructure his contract, it'd be great.

IF Dickerson would retire, it'd be great.

I'm sorry, but I'm not concerned with IFs. I'm concerned with what IS.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by Chaplin


I'm sorry, but I'm not concerned with IFs. I'm concerned with what IS.

Either Dickerson will be healthy again and then he is still a decent player AND Suns got a serious cap relief with Person's or Knight's expiring contract.
Or Dickerson will retire because of his injuries then Suns get even more cap relief.

There aren't any IFs in this trade.It's either-or.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by hcsilla
Either Dickerson will be healthy again and then he is still a decent player AND Suns got a serious cap relief with Person's or Knight's expiring contract.
Or Dickerson will retire because of his injuries then Suns get even more cap relief.

There aren't any IFs in this trade.It's either-or.

Michael Dickerson IS a huge risk. There's no guarantee he will be healthy OR retire. He could be on the Injured list the rest of his career--just collecting a paycheck. All those scenarios are IFs.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to talk about anything with you. So I will not.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by Chaplin
It is IMPOSSIBLE to talk about anything with you. So I will not.

It's your decision.
If you don't understand what you are reading,I can't help.

 

[elindholm]

Either Dickerson will be healthy again and then he is still a decent player AND Suns got a serious cap relief with Person's or Knight's expiring contract.
Or Dickerson will retire because of his injuries then Suns get even more cap relief.

Oh come on. People have been saying exactly the same thing about Hardaway for years. Sure, if he's 100%, great, and if he's unable to walk, great (for the team). It's all of those possibilities in between that are the problem.

Don't you think it's possible that Dickerson will be "healthy" but less effective? Or "healthy" and then re-injured over and over again, like Grant Hill?

The only players who "retire because of injuries" -- before just being too old -- are those that never really wanted to play in the first place, like Reeves or Longley or Ralph Sampson. Heck, even Mourning is making noise about playing next season. Most players hang on until the bitter end.

 

[Chaplin]

Originally posted by hcsilla

If you don't understand what you are reading,I can't help.

You should follow your own advice.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by elindholm

Oh come on. People have been saying exactly the same thing about Hardaway for years. Sure, if he's 100%, great, and if he's unable to walk, great (for the team). It's all of those possibilities in between that are the problem.

Even if Dickerson can't play AND won't retire Suns still got a signinficant cap relief with Knight's or Person's contract.
Not to mention that both would be a decent players for Suns especially Person.
Anyway Knight's or Person's expiring contract alone would make this trade good enough for Suns.

 

[elindholm]

Anyway Knight's or Person's expiring contract alone would make this trade good enough for Suns.

Well, I agree with that ... which is why I think this trade is very bad for Memphis.

Your trade proposals are all the same: the Suns' garbage for some other team's garbage. Then the discussion rapidly degenerates into an argument about which team's garbage smells worse.

The problem is, garbage-for-garbage trades never happen. Am I forgetting an example? I'm not talking about small trades with minor players, or trades where one team gets immediate cap relief. And I'm not talking about big-salaried players who are just "unhappy." I'm talking about one long-term garbage deal for another. I don't think it has ever happened.

And that's because no one wants to acquire garbage in a trade, even if they get rid of some of their own garbage. At least one side in a trade must actually want what they are getting. Of course the Grizzlies do not want Hardaway, any more than the Suns want Dickerson.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by elindholm
Anyway Knight's or Person's expiring contract alone would make this trade good enough for Suns.

Well, I agree with that ... which is why I think this trade is very bad for Memphis.

Your trade proposals are all the same: the Suns' garbage for some other team's garbage

Come on, where is "my trade proposal" in this thread?Where did I say that "this trade" is good for MEM?

SweetD made a trade proposal and I said only "I would do the Dickerson,Knight or Person for Penny trade at a heartbeat if MEM would be that stupid to take Penny's contract."

So what do you argue against?

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by elindholm
Anyway Knight's or Person's expiring contract alone would make this trade good enough for Suns.


The problem is, garbage-for-garbage trades never happen. Am I forgetting an example?

Yes,you are.

How about this one?
Baker,Williams for Anderson,Forte,Potapenko.

I'm not talking about small trades with minor players, or trades where one team gets immediate cap relief.

Then why do you bash the Penny for Dickerson,Knight or Person "dream-idea"?
In that Suns get immediate cap relief.

 

[elindholm]

Come on, where is "my trade proposal" in this thread?Where did I say that "this trade" is good for MEM?

My mistake, sorry.

I agree with you that this trade would be good for Phoenix, even though Dickerson is garbage, and bad garbage at that.

 

[SweetD]

I am not say I wouldn't want Person but MEM would not give up an other expiring contact to get Penny's big contract back. If they dealt Dickerson they would be basically cutting Penny's contact in half because Dickerson's extends past Penny's and it is half the price of Penny's. They add 12mil a year but also cut 6mil a year. So they only take a 6mil hit instead of 12.... As for MEM not wanting to do it IMO MEM needs a vet like Penny to take over in the final minutes to win the close games. Plus a hometown guy like Penny would bring some fans in ala E. Smith. They have the youth and the draft pick we would include may help them move on the deal. We are really a few bench players and a SG away from being title contenders. If Penny stays I am cool with that also. Thanks for all the feedback on this tread. Good to see the board have some action.

 

[SirStefan32]

Guys, Jerry West is not going to touch Penny Hardaway with a ten foot pole. They've got a good thing going in Memphis, why would they make any trades right now.

Why trade Penny Hardaway for garbage anyways? He is somewhat healthy (his knees are, anyways) he is playing decent basketball, every once in a while he has a very good game. Why trade him? All you're gonna get in return is garbage, and to me, Penny is better than a lot of garbage out there.

Memphis has Mike Miller, Wesley Person, and Shane Battier on 2 position anyways.

Penny is not going anywhere.

Stefan

I do wish he would either score 30 points a night or shut up about taking a back seat. It's really getting old.

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by SirStefan32
He is somewhat healthy (his knees are, anyways) he is playing decent basketball, every once in a while he has a very good game. Why trade him?

Because his contract totally ruins our cap flexibilty and drastically limits our FA's signing possibilities.

Memphis has Mike Miller, Wesley Person, and Shane Battier on 2 position anyways.

Yes,they do but they think that Battier is only a 6th man (I don't know why), they think that Miller is a SF (again I don't know why) and Person's contract is an expiring one next season so they maybe could think that they need a SG but one more time I don't really understand why.

 

[SirStefan32]

His contract is terrible, but I just don't think the Suns could get anything good in return. Dickerson- always injured, Stromile- I like him a lot, but the Suns already have a PF. However, it would be interesting to see Swift/ Stoudemire on 4 and 5. Probably wouldn't work though. Wesley Person would be a nice fit. He can shoot open threes, which is important when you play with with Stephon.

I still say keep Hardaway. He is very valuable to this team.

Stefan