elindholm
edited for content
I know a lot of this has been said before, so if you don't like reruns, skip this post.
Apparently D'Antoni won't rule out a Phoenix pursuit of O'Neal. I'm with Chaplin (and others) thinking that it's impossible, but if the Suns weren't thinking about it at all, wouldn't they just say so?
At what point do you cash in your present for your future? If the Suns' best chance to win a title is by making a play for O'Neal, shouldn't they do that? Right now, the Suns' big-man hopes rest on Stoudemire (who seems worthy of the hype) and Lampe (who, in my opinion, doesn't). Wouldn't it be better to go for something closer to a sure thing?
My guess is that the minimum offer the Lakers would even consider for O'Neal would be Marion, Johnson, Lampe, and the #7. They won't trade O'Neal without getting a big man (or prospect) in return, and they also won't settle for a single borderline All-Star among the established players they get. Assuming the White/Bobcats deal goes through, this would leave the Suns with a couple million in cap space still to work with. They could try to get Vujanic, try to keep McDyess, or look for a minimum player or two. Vujanic is probably the most likely of those options.
Then the team is
C - O'Neal/Voskuhl
PF - Stoudemire/?
SF - Cabarkapa/?
SG - Vujanic/Jacobsen
PG - Barbosa/Eisley
I don't like the look of that at all. If the Suns could get O'Neal more cheaply, it might be worth considering, but I don't see that happening.
However, if the Lakers would also accept Eisley, that might change things. The extra $6.4 million in cap room could attract at least two more decent role-playing FAs. The Suns wouldn't be much good in 2004-05, but with the MLE next year, who knows after that?
It would be a small window of opportunity, but it might be their best chance. You can't plan for "the future" forever.
Apparently D'Antoni won't rule out a Phoenix pursuit of O'Neal. I'm with Chaplin (and others) thinking that it's impossible, but if the Suns weren't thinking about it at all, wouldn't they just say so?
At what point do you cash in your present for your future? If the Suns' best chance to win a title is by making a play for O'Neal, shouldn't they do that? Right now, the Suns' big-man hopes rest on Stoudemire (who seems worthy of the hype) and Lampe (who, in my opinion, doesn't). Wouldn't it be better to go for something closer to a sure thing?
My guess is that the minimum offer the Lakers would even consider for O'Neal would be Marion, Johnson, Lampe, and the #7. They won't trade O'Neal without getting a big man (or prospect) in return, and they also won't settle for a single borderline All-Star among the established players they get. Assuming the White/Bobcats deal goes through, this would leave the Suns with a couple million in cap space still to work with. They could try to get Vujanic, try to keep McDyess, or look for a minimum player or two. Vujanic is probably the most likely of those options.
Then the team is
C - O'Neal/Voskuhl
PF - Stoudemire/?
SF - Cabarkapa/?
SG - Vujanic/Jacobsen
PG - Barbosa/Eisley
I don't like the look of that at all. If the Suns could get O'Neal more cheaply, it might be worth considering, but I don't see that happening.
However, if the Lakers would also accept Eisley, that might change things. The extra $6.4 million in cap room could attract at least two more decent role-playing FAs. The Suns wouldn't be much good in 2004-05, but with the MLE next year, who knows after that?
It would be a small window of opportunity, but it might be their best chance. You can't plan for "the future" forever.
