Morris Trade Options?

[Cheesebeef]

Selling low. If they trade him now they'll get nothing in return and he'll return to last years level for his new team. The Suns will look like idiots.

Does that matter?

how do you think his value is going to get any higher? He clearly doesn't want to be here, and already got paid, so it's not like he's going to have to up his game any time soon. The longer you hold on to him, the longer you are away from a time when people actually remember him being a solid player and the better chance you have of his cancer infecting the team.

this is an addition by subtraction moment if there ever was one.

 

[devilalum]

how do you think his value is going to get any higher? He clearly doesn't want to be here, and already got paid, so it's not like he's going to have to up his game any time soon. The longer you hold on to him, the longer you are away from a time when people actually remember him being a solid player and the better chance you have of his cancer infecting the team.

this is an addition by subtraction moment if there ever was one.

You may be right. If so I'm sure McD will move him. The fact that he's awaiting trial isn't helping.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You may be right. If so I'm sure McD will move him. The fact that he's awaiting trial isn't helping.

oh yeah... I didn't even remember that to throw into the equation. sheesh... what a disaster that guy is.

 

[Catlover]

how do you think his value is going to get any higher? He clearly doesn't want to be here, and already got paid, so it's not like he's going to have to up his game any time soon. The longer you hold on to him, the longer you are away from a time when people actually remember him being a solid player and the better chance you have of his cancer infecting the team.

this is an addition by subtraction moment if there ever was one.

I want to see what happens on our first extended road trip. We've seen players bounce back before and it often happens when the group gets away from home.

 

[elindholm]

Why would Sac make that trade?? How in the world does that benefit them?

That's always the problem. But my point is that it's better to wait until someone like Cousins becomes available -- even if that may never happen -- than to make a move to dump Morris for whatever price he'd currently fetch, which we all agree is probably low.

 

[JCSunsfan]

That's always the problem. But my point is that it's better to wait until someone like Cousins becomes available -- even if that may never happen -- than to make a move to dump Morris for whatever price he'd currently fetch, which we all agree is probably low.

Well said.

 

[Mainstreet]

If the Suns traded for Cousins you can bet the Kings would want Bledsoe or Knight in return plus Markieff and whatever other goodies they can extract. The Suns would not be competing in a vacuum and other teams would offer a lot for Cousins.

 

[overseascardfan]

Center pieces - lol!

Cody Zeller is horrible and would make us much worse.

Terrence Jones is not better than Kieff and always injured.

Jared Sullinger is an undersized center, always injured and does not fit an up-tempo style.

Kenneth Faried is extremely limited, can't space the floor, huge ego and paid much more than Morris.

Ryan Anderson would be a fit, but he is a liability on defense, on the wrong side of his prime and going to be a FA looking for a big payday.

These would probably be the best PHX could get in a Morris trade other than draft picks and cap space. Teams aren't going to give up much for Morris. SO either PHX keeps him and accepts his shortcomings or deals him for a lackluster return.

 

[hcsilla]

If the Suns traded for Cousins you can bet the Kings would want Bledsoe or Knight in return plus Markieff and whatever other goodies they can extract.

Yes, and I still think that would be a reasonable deal for the Suns to go for it.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think the best option if it's just a two team deal is to find a scoring guard to be the first guard off the bench. Booker isn't getting time, Goodwin doesn't have much of an outside shot, Ronnie Price is a good practice player, Weems seems to be a disappointment. I'm not sure who to target but the chances of the Suns upgrading talent wise by shipping Kieff off for another PF will be almost impossible without throwing in picks and the players we have on rookie deals. Adding someone like a Lou Williams or Jason Terry though that accepts his role as the first guard off the bench to come in for Knight or Bledsoe and play off the ball and be able to score is something this team lacks and as the season goes on and overall stamina becomes an issue I think having a third scoring 2 guard would ease the load of Bledsoe and Knight.

We'd be short a PF but they could dangle Tucker to see what he could fetch as far as a young PF. Weems could also be included in either the Tucker or Markieff deals for salary purposes. He seems like he's this years version of Tolliver. Seemed like he'd be a good fit on paper but doesn't actually contribute much in terms of real game production.

 

[Catlover]

I think the best option if it's just a two team deal is to find a scoring guard to be the first guard off the bench. Booker isn't getting time, Goodwin doesn't have much of an outside shot, Ronnie Price is a good practice player, Weems seems to be a disappointment. I'm not sure who to target but the chances of the Suns upgrading talent wise by shipping Kieff off for another PF will be almost impossible without throwing in picks and the players we have on rookie deals. Adding someone like a Lou Williams or Jason Terry though that accepts his role as the first guard off the bench to come in for Knight or Bledsoe and play off the ball and be able to score is something this team lacks and as the season goes on and overall stamina becomes an issue I think having a third scoring 2 guard would ease the load of Bledsoe and Knight.

We'd be short a PF but they could dangle Tucker to see what he could fetch as far as a young PF. Weems could also be included in either the Tucker or Markieff deals for salary purposes. He seems like he's this years version of Tolliver. Seemed like he'd be a good fit on paper but doesn't actually contribute much in terms of real game production.

Coming into the season I thought little of Price but he's been much more than a practice player IMO. Someone like Jason Terry would be a huge stepback and I'm not even sure Lou Williams is an upgrade when you consider defense too. And neither of our "stars" is averaging even 35 minutes so I don't see the problem you're talking about.

Ignoring position and simply trading Markieff for talent makes sense but I don't see a need for another shooting guard. Booker's minutes will come, he's already logged 10 more minutes than this season's whipping boy (Weems).

 

[Dback Jon]

Bad idea. Got to make the most of your assets.

You also have to know when something you think is an asset is actually a liability

 

[Catlover]

You also have to know when something you think is an asset is actually a liability

Sure but do you really believe that distance gives us insight in this regard? He looks like a liability to me but this is one of those areas where I think you just have to trust the front office and coaching staff. And hope they are in agreement and know what they're doing.

Unlike some fans, I don't see him dogging it. I see him trying to play without emotion for some reason. His teammates still act supportive even though everyone seems subdued when he's around and Jeff is still trying to coach him. IOW, I'm not sure we've reached the point where we have no choice but to sell low.

 

[devilalum]

The Suns would have to completely re-imagine the team to bring Cousins on board.
I'm not sayin that's the wrong move but Cousins is gonna want a lot of touches on the block and that's not what the Suns are built to do.

 

[devilalum]

Anybody else hear Knight? Every time somebody sticks a mic in his face all he talks about is TEAM. I don't think Morris speaks this language. Sometimes I have to turn the channel when he's in the game.

 

[Catlover]

The Suns would have to completely re-imagine the team to bring Cousins on board.
I'm not sayin that's the wrong move but Cousins is gonna want a lot of touches on the block and that's not what the Suns are built to do.

I'll say it. It's the wrong move. If he was on sale, it would be a great gamble. But if you have to pay full value for Cousins it would strip us bare and it would still be a gamble.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think the best option if it's just a two team deal is to find a scoring guard to be the first guard off the bench. Booker isn't getting time, Goodwin doesn't have much of an outside shot, Ronnie Price is a good practice player, Weems seems to be a disappointment. .

There is no better solution than Booker. He will get time.

 

[JCSunsfan]

You also have to know when something you think is an asset is actually a liability

He is only a liability if the money you are paying him is prohibitive. He is not a liability because some fans are sick of seeing him.

 

[devilalum]

I'd like to know if McD has any interest in Cousins.

Its really become a guards league and the Suns have at least 2 really good ones.

IMO the best upgrade would be an athletic big that can shoot and defend. Basically a star quality version of Leuer/Merza.

 

[JCSunsfan]

So, where are we really in this rebuild process?

1. We have all the main pieces but need to adjust the role players.
2. We have all the players but the youngsters just need to mature.
3. We need to add one star player. (maybe adjust some role playing positions)
4. We need to add two star players or maybe a superstar and a quality starter.
5. We need to take the assets we have aquired and churn the entire roster for the right mix.
6. We need to blow it up and start over.

I think we are at number 3. Bledsoe and Knight can be two of a top 3. Warren, Booker, Len, Chandler, PJ, Leuer, Tele all provide excellent role playing support. More than enough. We just need another star--a big man, to complete our big three. Here is the job description:

1. Efficient scorer, but does not have to be a 20 point per game player.
2. Has to have an effective back to the basket post game. He does not have to be dominant but good enough he can be effective with it down the stretch in a close game.
3. Above average defender.
4. 7+ per game rebounder.
5. Reliable shot to 15 feet.
6. Has to be able to function in the flow of the game without being a ball stopper.
7. Better than average passer.

Sure can see why the Suns were after Alderidge this summer.

 

[elindholm]

So, where are we really in this rebuild process?

Depends on what the aspiration is. For a 55-win team that might make a conference final or two, probably a combination of your numbers 2 and 3. For an actual title contender, you're still going to need a top-5 player in almost every instance. Once in a while you'll get an entire team where the parts mesh perfectly and exceed their sum, but that's very rare. By far the surest path to building a contender is to get that top-5 guy.

Sure can see why the Suns were after Aldridge this summer.

Yeah, he would have been perfect, but unfortunately his advisors weren't able to recognize that.

 

[JCSunsfan]

With all that in mind. This is the only trade that I think would make sense. It would have to happen after December 15

Houston gets: Markieff Morris, PJ Tucker and Ronnie Price
Phoenix gets: Donatas Motiejunas, Ty Lawson

Why for Houson: They need a veteran hustle player that they get in PJ. They get Markieff that adds depth to replace DMo in a less injury prone body. They get out from under Lawson's salary. He has played horribly for them is not worth anywhere near the $12 million per they pay. Markieff becomes a trade piece for Morey to tinker with. Price has played admirably for the Suns and would be welcome pg depth on a team that really needs a starting pg.

Why for Phoenix: DMo fits the job description for the low post threat the Suns are looking for. They take the risk that their training staff can keep him healthy. Lawson is the cost of doing business. They don't want him, but have to take him to make the deal work. He plays the Ronnie Price role. If he is unhappy, they negotiate a buyout.

For this trade to happen, Houston has to continue to struggle and come to the place where they give up on Lawson.

 

[elindholm]

With all that in mind. This is the only trade that I think would make sense. It would have to happen after December 15

Houston gets: Markieff Morris, PJ Tucker and Ronnie Price
Phoenix gets: Donatas Motiejunas, Ty Lawson

I don't like it. The Suns have some financial flexibility to take on a bad contract, but they should get a better incentive than Motiejunas if they're going to go that route. And a back issue that takes much longer to heal than expected is a pretty severe warning sign.

Overall it looks like PF is a pretty thin position in the league right now. Maybe the Suns should focus on seeing what they can get out of Leuer. He started the season great but has dropped off quite a bit the last few games. Even so, his ceiling should be higher than Teletovic's.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yes, and I still think that would be a reasonable deal for the Suns to go for it.

I think it is a reasonable price for Cousins the player. However, like Kevin Love, I wonder if he is the franchise player that would put the Suns over the top. In a way, I look at him like Rondo. A great player but there is something there... maybe chemistry issues that prevents a team from going further. The Suns are well along in their rebuild with Bledsoe, Knight, Booker and Warren. Plus they are solid at center. As I view it, the Suns are one star player away and he may even be on the current roster. I think trading for Cousins would deplete the Suns talent and assets so much, I wouldn't do it. If it were just Bledsoe or Knight and Markieff, I would be tempted but the Kings likely would want much, much more.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think it is a reasonable price for Cousins the player. However, like Kevin Love, I wonder if he is the franchise player that would put the Suns over the top. In a way, I look at him like Rondo. A great player but there is something there... maybe chemistry issues that prevents a team from going further. The Suns are well along in their rebuild with Bledsoe, Knight, Booker and Warren. Plus they are solid at center. As I view it, the Suns are one star player away and he may even be on the current roster. I think trading for Cousins would deplete the Suns talent and assets so much, I wouldn't do it. If it were just Bledsoe or Knight and Markieff, I would be tempted but the Kings likely would want much, much more.

Add picks.