My latest whacky blowing it up strategy

[HooverDam]

So I am getting more and more in the camp of hoping the Suns don't go forward with the trifecta of Amare-Nash-Shaq, I think its too mediocre to ever do anything. Id be fine if the Suns just moved Nash and Shaq, but it looks like they want to move Amare too knowing they can get the most for him.

So here's my plan to completely destroy the team this off season, stockpile picks, expiring contracts, and young players.

Deal #1:
Phoenix Sends:
Shaq

Cleveland sends:
JJ Hickson
Ben Wallace
Sasha Pavlovich
2011 1st rounder (unprotected)

Buy out Wallae and Pavlovich, save $10M and wish them nice lives.

Deal #2:
Phoenix sends:
Steve Nash

New York sends:
Al Harrington
Dano Galinari
2010 1st rounder (unprotected)

Nash & D'Antoni can reunite, the Knicks can work out a new deal with Nash and hope to pair him with LBJ down the road. The Suns get an OK player in Harrington, a young wing player with potential and a pick which is what they desperately need.

Deal #3:
Phoenix sends:
Amare Stoudemire

OKC sends:
Jeff Green
Earl Watson
Nick Collison
2010 1st rounder (Phoenix's)

Suns get a nice combo forward and some other players on short, cheap contracts who can fill roster spots for the time being and their own (definitely lottery) pick back.

2009-10 Roster is:
C Nick Collison/Robin Lopez
PF Al Harrington/JJ Hickson/Louis Amundson
SF Jeff Green/Jarod Dudley/Dano Galinari
SG Jason Richardson/Leandro Barbosa
PG Earl Watson/Goran Dragic
+2009 drat picks

Its a pretty terrible team, they'd probably win between 20 and 30 games, but hey that just means the Suns have a chance to get the #1 pick for the first time ever! I think all the deals are well balanced and plausible that both sides would go for them, though the Knicks may not want to lose both a young player and a pick.

The Suns would then have 2 likely lottery picks in the 2010 draft (theirs and New Yorks) and 2 picks in the 2011 draft as well. If LBJ bolted for NY, its likely that could be a lottery pick as well.

Anyway these deals give the Suns a lot more flexibility and picks which I think they need, thoughts?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

It would be a much more attractive option if we had our first round pick next year. Other than that, I would be fine with blowing it all up.

 

[HooverDam]

It would be a much more attractive option if we had our first round pick next year. Other than that, I would be fine with blowing it all up.

Well in this scenario we get that pick back.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I stand corrected.

 

[dodie53]

can't you find a trade for Jrich?

 

[Bufalay]

can't you find a trade for Jrich?

JRich cannot even be traded in fantasy land.

 

[Andrew]

Where the hell does Hill go in this plan?

 

[mojorizen7]

So I am getting more and more in the camp of hoping the Suns don't go forward with the trifecta of Amare-Nash-Shaq, I think its too mediocre to ever do anything. Id be fine if the Suns just moved Nash and Shaq, but it looks like they want to move Amare too knowing they can get the most for him.

So here's my plan to completely destroy the team this off season, stockpile picks, expiring contracts, and young players.

Deal #1:
Phoenix Sends:
Shaq

Cleveland sends:
JJ Hickson
Ben Wallace
Sasha Pavlovich
2011 1st rounder (unprotected)

Buy out Wallae and Pavlovich, save $10M and wish them nice lives.

Deal #2:
Phoenix sends:
Steve Nash

New York sends:
Al Harrington
Dano Galinari
2010 1st rounder (unprotected)

Nash & D'Antoni can reunite, the Knicks can work out a new deal with Nash and hope to pair him with LBJ down the road. The Suns get an OK player in Harrington, a young wing player with potential and a pick which is what they desperately need.

Deal #3:
Phoenix sends:
Amare Stoudemire

OKC sends:
Jeff Green
Earl Watson
Nick Collison
2010 1st rounder (Phoenix's)

Suns get a nice combo forward and some other players on short, cheap contracts who can fill roster spots for the time being and their own (definitely lottery) pick back.

2009-10 Roster is:
C Nick Collison/Robin Lopez
PF Al Harrington/JJ Hickson/Louis Amundson
SF Jeff Green/Jarod Dudley/Dano Galinari
SG Jason Richardson/Leandro Barbosa
PG Earl Watson/Goran Dragic
+2009 drat picks

Its a pretty terrible team, they'd probably win between 20 and 30 games, but hey that just means the Suns have a chance to get the #1 pick for the first time ever! I think all the deals are well balanced and plausible that both sides would go for them, though the Knicks may not want to lose both a young player and a pick.

The Suns would then have 2 likely lottery picks in the 2010 draft (theirs and New Yorks) and 2 picks in the 2011 draft as well. If LBJ bolted for NY, its likely that could be a lottery pick as well.

Anyway these deals give the Suns a lot more flexibility and picks which I think they need, thoughts?

I'm all for it. The Cleveland deal seems realistic to me.
The NY deal i'm confused, I've also been trying to work out deals that would send Nash to the Big Apple and I thought that Harrington's contract expired....it's a sound deal though.
I think that getting these 1st rd picks in return is the bread & butter of what we ultimately want(need). I think it would be very difficult to squeeze a first rounder back from OKC.
I would do fricken cartwheels and spank my own ass in public if this scenario came to fruition.

 

[HooverDam]

^Harrington has a player option for next year I believe. So he'd have to agree to pick it up to make the deal happen.

Where the hell does Hill go in this plan?

The Suns just don't resign him.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Where the hell does Hill go in this plan?

Hill's not coming back anyways. He's in the '******* out for a ring' part of his career much like your boy Shaq.

And I think is a reasonable scenario that unlike most of the fiction on this board is very realistic. Gives us solid prospects, draft picks, and salary flexibility and is not completely one-sided.

 

[Austin]

I can't believe you people want these trades to go down. This makes us a terrible team next year and a terrible team in the future too. We need to get assets AND picks back for our expirings, or we should just let them expire and sign a max free agent. This trade is the WORST thing I have ever seen and I am just so happy that it is unrealistic in reality.

I love it though... "Hey, let's give up our 3 best players on the team and get aboslute crap from some of the worst teams in the league and the worst players on the best team in the league..." WTF people common?!?!?!

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I can't believe you people want these trades to go down. This makes us a terrible team next year and a terrible team in the future too. We need to get assets AND picks back for our expirings, or we should just let them expire and sign a max free agent. This trade is the WORST thing I have ever seen and I am just so happy that it is unrealistic in reality.

How is Jeff Green not an asset? 22 years old, former #5 pick, averaged 16/7 last year. We'd get him for an injury-prone headcase who wants out of Phoenix.

How is Dano Galinari not an asset? 6'10 wing that can shoot, 20 years old, averaged 6/2 in an injury-plagued rookie season out of Europe and former #6 pick in the draft. We'd get him for a PG who clearly wants out and is on the downside of his career.

How is JJ Hickson not an asset? 20 years old with an NBA body, averaged 4/3 for the team with the best record in the league. Former MD's AA and lotto pick. We'd get him for an uninterested soon-to-be-overweight center.

We also get plenty of draft picks and cap space in 2010 and 2011. Time to face reality - we can either miss the playoffs and be nostalgic about the good old days or miss the playoffs and begin trying to get back to those times. Getting versatile young talent is the way to build a contender.

 

[Bufalay]

How is JJ Hickson not an asset? 20 years old with an NBA body, averaged 4/3 for the team with the best record in the league. Former MD's AA and lotto pick. We'd get him for an uninterested soon-to-be-overweight center.

Why even mention his stats? Sure he could probably be a good player, but those stats do nothing to support your argument. Those are Pat Burke numbers.

 

[Ollie]

I like the idea too. That will be some pretty realistic and balanced trades to do if Sarver and Kerr realized it's time to blow up that team.

But since they seem to consider that the Suns are more an entertainment business than a basketball team, nothing that radical will happen, unfortunately.

 

[krazyasiankid]

I dont think NY are willing to give up that much, even for Nash being under D'Antoni. I think we must throw in something else. But I like it. Jeff Green has got potential, and I like Earl Watson. SOme of his passes are SICK

 

[HooverDam]

I dont think NY are willing to give up that much, even for Nash being under D'Antoni.

You may be right but you have to remember the trade is really just Nash for Galinari and the 2010 pick. The Knicks don't care about Harrington and likely have no intention of signing him, he's just there to make the salaries match. I know they're high on Galinari, but if they want to bring in LeBron in 2010, they aren't going to be too much in the business of developing young players (like Danilo) or draft picks. Theyll be trying to sign already established FA's to go with Nash and LBJ.

The Suns could also send Amundson or Tucker to the Knicks and the salaries would still match, but I don't know why NY would want them other than maybe to meet the roster minimum.

can't you find a trade for Jrich?

Im not really sure what JRich's trade value is right now, but he didn't exactly set the world on fire while a Sun last year, so I think its probably a bit low.

If the Suns did follow the plan I've laid out here in the offseason, JRich would likely become the focal point of the offense. That would of course inflate his numbers and perhaps make him more desirable to some rube GM out there and they could ship him out at the deadline.

 

[cly2tw]

no way NY give up an unprotected 1st round pick for Nash. Maybe Lee signed to 7mil start salary + Duhon for Nash and Tucker.

And, I don't really like Green who looks like a Deng, Al Harrington type of player.

 

[HooverDam]

^^Id say Green could end up being more of a Rashard Lewis type

You may be right about NY not wanting to give it up unprotected, maybe they'd do it for top 5 or top 10 protected. I keep hearing they like Lee, so Im not sure if they'd want to get rid of him or not.

Though you bring up a good point about them shipping out Duhon, if they brought in Nash, Duhon is making way too much to be a backup. Jeffries+Duhon+Gallinari for Nash also works salary wise though it blows all of NYs depth at the wing.

 

[cly2tw]

^^Id say Green could end up being more of a Rashard Lewis type

You may be right about NY not wanting to give it up unprotected, maybe they'd do it for top 5 or top 10 protected. I keep hearing they like Lee, so Im not sure if they'd want to get rid of him or not.

Though you bring up a good point about them shipping out Duhon, if they brought in Nash, Duhon is making way too much to be a backup. Jeffries+Duhon+Gallinari for Nash also works salary wise though it blows all of NYs depth at the wing.

Green might never shoot like Lewis but is a better paint player. NY's main concern is cap flexibility next year. Signing Lee to a big contract compromise it. Shipping Jeffries' out would be huge. But Suns wouldn't be willing to reduce their own cap room next year by his 7mil. I also don't know why you are so enamored with Gallinari or why NY want to ship him as he'd profit the most with Nash. So, realisticallly, either Duhon + Lee or Duhon + Q/Mobley + pick(s) for Nash+Tucker or what filler we might have from other trades.

 

[HooverDam]

Im not really 'enamored' with Galinari, but have you seen the Knicks roster? Its pretty atrocious, and I want the Suns to get young talent with potential. Furthermore Galinari is 6'10'' but plays the 3, can run the floor and shoot. I personally like players like that, and if the Suns had Galinari+Green it might be grow into their version of Hedo+Rashard which I like because it spreads the floor and creates matchup issues.

 

[SunsTzu]

I love it though... "Hey, let's give up our 3 best players on the team and get aboslute crap from some of the worst teams in the league and the worst players on the best team in the league..." WTF people common?!?!?!

The Suns are a lottery team so it gives you some indication how valuable their "3 best players" actually are. Eventually you have to face reality and realise if your best, highest paid players aren't getting it done it's time to rebuild. The longer you wait to pull the trigger the lower the value those players will have and the more prolonged the rebuilding will be. Honestly they should have just blown it up when they decided they didn't want to pay KT.

The only real problem I have with this is it relies on the Suns being able to make good draft choices with all those picks, something I have little confidence in.

 

[arwillan]

The cleveland deal is not realistic. The cavaliers would be nuts to part with the only young big man on their roster for shaq. They'd be even more nuts to package said big man with their two most valuable trade assets, the expiring contracts of pavlovic and wallace, for shaq. Age, poor defense, and lack of athleticism are the last things the cavs need more of up front. Z, Wallace, and Smith do a fine job of covering those things as it is.

I also highly doubt New York would be willing to part with Gallinari and Harrington for Nash, who probably has just a couple of years left. New York has some great young players so picking up Nash wouldn't do them much good, especially with the surprisingly effective play of duhon last year (and at a cheaper price than what Nash would cost).

 

[HooverDam]

The cleveland deal is not realistic. The cavaliers would be nuts to part with the only young big man on their roster for shaq. They'd be even more nuts to package said big man with their two most valuable trade assets, the expiring contracts of pavlovic and wallace, for shaq. Age, poor defense, and lack of athleticism are the last things the cavs need more of up front. Z, Wallace, and Smith do a fine job of covering those things as it is.

This deal has been discussed before and is generally viewed as something that would work out for both sides. Im adding Hickson and a pick, but I don't see how that makes a ton of difference. Hickson at best is a more skilled Lou Amundson, a 10th man, I doubt he's a deal breaker when Cleveland is trying to prove to LeBron theyll do anything to win.

I also highly doubt New York would be willing to part with Gallinari and Harrington for Nash, who probably has just a couple of years left. New York has some great young players so picking up Nash wouldn't do them much good, especially with the surprisingly effective play of duhon last year (and at a cheaper price than what Nash would cost).

You seem to be implying Harrington has some sort of positive trade value. I only include him in this deal to match salaries with Nash, Im sure the Knicks couldn't care less about him. He's not apart of their future plans to be certain.

Secondly you seem to be implying that the Knicks goal is to build from within with young players when all evidence suggest they are hoping to use their position in the largest media market and huge cash reserves to go after big free agents- which is smart of them. Why roll the dice on building a team entirely through the draft when you can buy proven commodities?

Also what "great young players" do the Knicks have? Nate Robinson, David Lee, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are all nice players but 'great' seems like quite a reach.

 

[Austin]

How is Jeff Green not an asset? 22 years old, former #5 pick, averaged 16/7 last year. We'd get him for an injury-prone headcase who wants out of Phoenix.

How is Dano Galinari not an asset? 6'10 wing that can shoot, 20 years old, averaged 6/2 in an injury-plagued rookie season out of Europe and former #6 pick in the draft. We'd get him for a PG who clearly wants out and is on the downside of his career.

How is JJ Hickson not an asset? 20 years old with an NBA body, averaged 4/3 for the team with the best record in the league. Former MD's AA and lotto pick. We'd get him for an uninterested soon-to-be-overweight center.

We also get plenty of draft picks and cap space in 2010 and 2011. Time to face reality - we can either miss the playoffs and be nostalgic about the good old days or miss the playoffs and begin trying to get back to those times. Getting versatile young talent is the way to build a contender.

all players whom you said would get us 25 wins next season... no thanks!

 

[ASUCHRIS]

all players whom you said would get us 25 wins next season... no thanks!

Try to be a bit less short sighted. WE AREN'T WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT YEAR! WE NEED TO MOVE ON!