Omer Asik

[PhxGametime]

Rumor at Realgm (Raptors section) about: Emeka Okafor and 1st for Amir Johnson and Steve Novak - salaries don't match but I'd like the deal. I'm not too high on Novak but Johnson is solid.

With Len's ankle, and Kravtsov being a deep bench reserve - having another F/C than defend, rebound, roll to basket, and shoot on perimeter; could be an option.

Plumlee, Frye, Johnson, and Morris bros would be solid at the 4/5. Tucker, Marcus Morris, Green, and Christmas would be solid at SF. The Suns would also have multiple Picks to address SF spot, via Draft.

 

[Phrazbit]

I dont buy it. The Suns take on Novak, a worthless player with 3 years 10+ mil on his contract and give up a first so they can rent Amir Johnson for 5 months? Hardly a move that pushes the needle. I dont think McD has been loading up on assets so he can start to break them up on small moves that might equate to two or three more wins over the course of the year.

I dont see the Suns doing a "buy" move until something big comes along. IMO we're more likely to still be sellers at this point.

 

[KloD]

Rumor at Realgm (Raptors section) about: Emeka Okafor and 1st for Amir Johnson and Steve Novak - salaries don't match but I'd like the deal. I'm not too high on Novak but Johnson is solid.

Actually, they might. I'm not 100% on how it works, but I believe Toronto now has a $4 million trade exception for the Gay trade. So that would offset the difference between Okafor's $14 million and Novak/Johnson's $10 million combined.

Also, I believe the rumored pick is the T-Wolves.

Novak's contract is small so I don't believe that would really make the Suns shy away if they really wanted Johnson.

I think I agree with Phrazbit though that McD has been collecting these assets for a purpose and I don't see him giving them away to rent Johnson (although he does have a team option for $7 million next year).

As with most trade rumors though, there is no source for this one other than "I heard it on the radio" so there's likely nothing to this.

 

[Suns_fan69]

I'm a bit shady on the rules, but can a player sign an extension as part of a trade? Maybe as two separate transactions? I think it's been done before but I'm never sure what governs when it is allowed and when it is not.

Sigh... time to dive into Coon's FAQ.

*Edit - Nope, you can't. At least not in Johnson's scenario: http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q92

A player cannot be traded in an extend-and-trade after the season (for example, on draft day) in the last season of his contract, or in any season that might be the last season due to an option or ETO.

 

[Chaplin]

If this was on "Arizona radio", someone here or at RealGM would have known about it before some Toronto fan.

 

[Errntknght]

Amir Johnson looked like an all-star against us last week - kept Toronto in the game. Can you believe this - he's in his ninth year in the league and he's only 26 year old.

He's not what the team needs most but adding him would probably result in a fair number more wins - our offense is slightly below average in efficiency and he is very efficient, so he'd push us above average if we took minutes away from Frye and gave them to him. I estimate he'd add 5-6 wins, so by my calculations we'd be at 45-46 wins - we've been steadily parked between 38-41 wins thus far.
He's not a defensive stalwart but he isn't likely to be worse than Frye... he looks mobile enough to defend SFs and Toronto lists him as a center. He'd probably have trouble with the same hulks that the other guys do. He's an average rebounder among PF's, the same as Markieff this year, so he won't ignite fastbreaks much above what we're seeing now. (Frye is 2 boards below avg.)

Okafor, healthy, would be a much better addition to the team than Johnson, IMO, because he brings just what we need - the strength to combat the biggest centers, very solid defense and rebounding. Those things carry even more weight in the playoffs so I don't think we'd be an easy out for anyone. Just scraping into the playoffs with Johnson wouldn't likely be a good experience for our guys - and it costs about about nine drafts slots because the bottom five teams in the EC playoffs would draft ahead of us plus the four or five teams we'd have to climb over to make the playoffs.

 

[Superbone]

Can you believe this - he's in his ninth year in the league and he's only 26 year old.

What?! This IS crazyl

 

[hcsilla]

Amir Johnson looked like an all-star against us last week - kept Toronto in the game. Can you believe this - he's in his ninth year in the league and he's only 26 year old.

He's not what the team needs most but adding him would probably result in a fair number more wins - our offense is slightly below average in efficiency and he is very efficient, so he'd push us above average if we took minutes away from Frye and gave them to him. I estimate he'd add 5-6 wins,

That's a huge number.

Johnson is the 2nd coming of Plumlee, a very athletic, hardworker bigman with limited offensive moves. It's debatable, IMO, whether adding him results one single win more.

He is overpaid, so is Novak, so I'm not sure I would trade Okafor's contract for them straight-up. Adding a draft pick kills the deal immediately.

 

[Errntknght]

That's a huge number.

Johnson is the 2nd coming of Plumlee, a very athletic, hardworker bigman with limited offensive moves. It's debatable, IMO, whether adding him results one single win more.

He is overpaid, so is Novak, so I'm not sure I would trade Okafor's contract for them straight-up. Adding a draft pick kills the deal immediately.

I know it is, but he helps the team where it is the weakest - at PF and backup C. He's been an offensively very efficient player his whole career and swapping him in place of Frye - who has never been even average in that statistic - gave an improvement of 5.5 games.

Note that I was not in favor of the deal even so because I don't think he provides the defense and rebounding needed to progress in the playoffs, which Okafor could if he was healthy. If the trade was Johnson for Frye I wouldn't hesitate.

Novak, no way. I'd rather have Frye.

 

[sunsfan88]

I would trade Frye, Indiana 1st round pick for Amir Johnson easily.