elindholm said:
New Offseason Plans for the Suns
1. Instant Contender
Sometimes you've got to say, "What the @#$%", and Suns fans are already tired of backing a loser. Here’s the fast track to getting back to the playoffs:
Suns give up Jahidi White and Cleveland #1 in the expansion draft
Trade w/Philadelphia
Philly receives: Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, #7 pick
Phoenix receives: Eric Snow, Marc Jackson
Free Agency:
Erick Dampier—5 years, $50m ($8m)
Bruce Bowen—6 years, $30m ($3.8m)
Brian Cardinal—3 years, $6.5m ($2m)
New Lineup:
PG: Eric Snow, Leandro Barbosa
SG: Joe Johnson, Casey Jacobsen
SF: Shawn Marion, Bruce Bowen
PF: Amare Stoudamire, Brian Cardinal, Zarko Cabarkapa
C: Erick Dampier, Jake Voskuhl, Marc Jackson
Combined Salary (2004): $43m
2. Wait ‘til Next Year
It’s still not too late to write this year off entirely; the key is to hoard expiring contracts.
Trade w/Golden State
Golden State receives: Howard Eisley, #7 pick, $3m cash
Phoenix receives: Nick Van Exel, #11 pick
Draft
#11 Luke Jackson
Free Agency:
Milos Vujanic—3 years, $6m ($1.7m)
New Lineup:
PG: Leandro Barbosa, Milos Vujanic, Nick Van Exel
SG: Joe Johnson, Luke Jackson
SF: Shawn Marion, Casey Jacobsen
PF: Amare Stoudamire, Zarko Cabarkapa
C: Jake Voskuhl, Maciej Lampe, Jahidi White
Combined Salary (2004): $43m
Combined Salary (2005): $22m
3. Youth Movement
You think the Suns are young now? You haven’t seen ‘young’ yet. With a few simple moves, this team could make the Bulls and the Clippers look like Old-Timer’s squads:
Suns give up Jahidi White and Cleveland #1 in the expansion draft
Trade w/Chicago
Chicago receives: Shawn Marion
Phoenix receives: Scottie Pippen (retires), Eddie Robinson, #3 pick
Draft
#3: PG Shaun Livingston
#7: SF Josh Smith (or SF Andre Iguodala if Smith is taken)
Free Agency:
Milos Vujanic—3 years, $6m ($1.6m)
Mehmet Okur—6 years, $50m ($6.5m)
New Lineup (eventual starters in bold):
PG: Leandro Barbosa, Shaun Livingston
SG: Joe Johnson, Milos Vujanic
SF: Casey Jacobsen, Eddie Robinson, Josh Smith
PF: Amare Stoudamire, Zarko Cabarkapa
C: Mehmet Okur, Maciej Lampe, Jake Voskuhl
Combined Salary (2004): $39m
4. Beautiful Basketball
Even when the Suns’ offense was effective last season, it was often ugly. With a new PG and a couple of the smoothest spare parts in the business, though, the team’s young players will look like baby Sacramento Kings; hopefully, Amare’s presence will keep most opponents from squeezing the Charmin.
Suns give up Jahidi White and Cleveland #1 in the expansion draft
Draft:
#7 Devin Harris
Free Agency:
Marcus Camby—6 years, $60m ($7.5m)
Brent Barry—4 years, $23m ($5m)
New Lineup:
PG: Brent Barry, Devin Harris, Howard Eisley
SG: Joe Johnson, Leandro Barbosa
SF: Shawn Marion, Casey Jacobsen
PF: Amare Stoudamire, Zarko Cabarkapa
C: Marcus Camby, Jake Voskuhl, Maciej Lampe
Combined Salary (2004): $43m
5. Euro Trash
Euro basketball is the wave of the future, so it’s time to start running the Suns like a FIBA team: with the minimum two players from the league’s home country. Marion and Amare had better start brushing up on their Italian, because that’s what will be spoken in the huddle from now on…
Suns give up Jahidi White and Cleveland #1 in the expansion draft
Trade w/Spurs
Spurs receive: Joe Johnson, Jake Voskuhl, Casey Jacobsen
Suns receive: Manu Ginobili (S&T)—6 years, $50m ($6.5m), #28 pick
Trade w/Trail Blazers
Portland receives: #7, #28
Phoenix receives: #13, #22
Draft:
#13 Sergei Monya
#22 Sasha Vujacic
Free Agency:
Milos Vujanic—3 years, $6m ($1.6m)
Mehmet Okur—6 years, $50m ($6.5m)
Pedrag Drobnjak—3 years, $4m ($1.2m)
Toni Kukoc—2 years, $9m ($4.0m)
New Lineup:
PG: Leandro Barbosa, Milos Vujanic, Sasha Vujacic, (Howard Eisley)
SG: Manu Ginobili, Sergei Monya
SF: Shawn Marion, Toni Kukoc
PF: Amare Stoudamire, Zarko Cabarkapa
C: Mehmet Okur, Maciej Lampe, Pedrag Drobnjak
Combined Salary (2004): $43m
6. Rafer Madness
The NBA is entertainment, so if the Suns are going to lose anyway, they’d better entertain while they do it. The Suns could put together a roster that fills a mixtape a week by following one simple rule: if you don’t come with a nickname, don’t bother showing up for the bus.
Suns give up Jahidi White and Cleveland #1 in the expansion draft
Trade w/Memphis
Memphis receives: Joe Johnson, Leandro Barbosa, Jake Voskuhl, Howard Eisley, rights to Milos Vujanic
Phoenix receives: Jason Williams, Dahntay Jones, Stromile Swift (RFA), future #1 pick (for the Professor)
Draft:
#7 SF Josh Smith
Free Agency:
Rafer Alston—3 years, $7m ($2m)
Quentin Richardson—6 years, $50m ($6.5m)
Chris Anderson—3 years, $7m ($2m)
New Lineup:
PG: Jason “White Chocolate” Williams, Rafer “Skip to my Lou” Alston
SG: Quentin “Q-Dog” Richardson, Dahntay “Stumpy Teabagger” Jones
SF: Shawn “Matrix” Marion, Josh “I Lost to a Girl” Smith, Casey “30-foot” Jacobsen
PF: Amare “Your Mama” Stoudamire, Zarko “Weak Bones” Cabarkapa
C: Stromile “Sleepy” Swift, Maciej “Magic Lamp” Lampe, Chris “Birdman” Anderson
Combined Salary (2004): $43m
OK--any of those appeal to you?
