Stoudemire Sign and Trade Agreed Upon

[Yuma]

Suns will do sign and trade

Phoenix Suns update:

The Suns will use Amar'e Stoudemire's official departure today to make a pair of sign-and-trade deals with New York and Chicago, netting the Suns a $16.5 million trade exception from the Knicks and using part of that for Hakim Warrick's acquisition, according to Stoudemire's agent, Happy Walters.

Walters said the trade exception the Suns are receiving in return for first signing Stoudemire to his five-year, $99.7 million contract with New York is for $16.5 million, equivalent to Stoudemire's first-year salary. That means the Suns would not be getting a player, like free agent David Lee in return.

However, if LeBron James picks New York today, the Suns could still have a chance at Lee. The Suns would have to do a sign-and-trade with New York before the Knicks signed James. Even then, they would have to outdo other suitors, who might be offering Lee more money or be offering New York a better package. Golden State was close to an agreement that would send Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike to New York but Lee would have to agree to going to the Warriors. Also, Phoenix is debating whether it would give Lee a contract averaging about $13 million annually like he wants. By comparison, Steve Nash will make $10.3 million this season.

The Suns could use a trade exception over the next year to acquire a player of less than or close to the exception's value (about $13.5 million after the Warrick deal is done) without having to send any Suns players in a deal.

It was expected that New York would receive a second-round pick in such an arrangement, as well as about $800,000 in extra salary cap space this year by being able to start Stoudemire's contract at a lower first-year salary. By Phoenix signing Stoudemire before trading him, the contract can have 10.5 percent raises to get to the same $99.7 million total as he would have by signing with New York with eight percent raises.

"We really did care about Robert (Sarver) and Alvin (Gentry) and the team and how we could help any way we could," Walters said. "It doesn't give Amar'e any more money. He actually takes a pay cut in the first year of $800,000. It gives them flexibility and hopefully it helps them in the future."

By doing the Stoudemire sign-and-trade first, the Suns then need to use $4 million of that trade exception to acquire Warrick by having Chicago, where he finished last season, sign him to the contract offer he accepted from the Suns last week. Phoenix would be expected to receive a second-round pick from Chicago and would not be willing to take Luol Deng's contract with the exception too.

If the Suns get a full exception from New York and do the Warrick sign-and-trade, the would have a $13.5 million trade exception for the next year.

If they don't acquire Lee, the Suns also will have about $4 million in salary cap space this summer for a free agent.

Sorry, I started another thread. Mods delete.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

i fully expect the bulk of that exception to be allowed to lapse unused.

Clearly you forget the major assets we picked up from our last trade exception...oh yeah, nothing.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

i fully expect the bulk of that exception to be allowed to lapse unused.

Agreed.

 

[devilalum]

Clearly you forget the major assets we picked up from our last trade exception...oh yeah, nothing.

The Suns had to do a lot of work AND help out another team to get this trade exception. They must at least be considering using it.

 

[Sunburn]

Like Yuma said, better than a kick in the teeth. It's ammo for an acquisition pistol. We'll see if any shots are fired or we go down with our piece still holstered.

 

[Bayless2Budinger]

Very cool of Amare even if Sarver doesnt use it as a asset.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Like Yuma said, better than a kick in the teeth.

Ha, our standards have lowered significantly.

 

[Mainstreet]

I really think the only reason Sarver is using the TPE is it became a public issue. What's Sarver going to say, no I don't want it. I think Happy Walters had a role in this happening.

 

[Chaplin]

I really think the only reason Sarver is using the TPE is it became a public issue. What's Sarver going to say, no I don't want it. I think Happy Walters had a role in this happening.

The guy gave KT away with 2 picks, do you honestly think he's doing this as a ploy to sway public opinion?

 

[Gaddabout]

If we cant get at least 4-5 first round picks or talented prospects out of that trade exception and Jason Richardson's expiring contract the new GM deserves to be fired.

Unless we're talking about a mid-20s pick, the Suns will be happy to get one first-round pick between the two. Neither are as valuable as you think they are. I'm also guessing Richardson's expiring contract will be more valuable to the Suns under the new CBA, but that's just a guess.

The trade exception's value is really only in acquiring salary without matching it. It's a positive piece and not one that saves Sarver any money. If it's used it actually costs him a great deal of money.

 

[SunsTzu]

The guy gave KT away with 2 picks, do you honestly think he's doing this as a ploy to sway public opinion?

I tend to agree. Going through all that was needed to get this to work just wouldn't be worth it.

I'm not saying they will use the TPE but I do think they intend to if they can get any takers for players/prospects they like.

 

[SunsTzu]

If it's used it actually costs him a great deal of money.

If used near the trade deadline for expirings from a team in tax range it wouldn't cost that much. Suns would just need to pay the final couple months of the salary.

 

[Chaplin]

I tend to agree. Going through all that was needed to get this to work just wouldn't be worth it.

I'm not saying they will use the TPE but I do think they intend to if they can get any takers for players/prospects they like.

Exactly. I mean, what has Sarver done over his tenure that was strictly for the fans' benefit? It makes no sense for people who hate Sarver and what he has done since becoming owner to all of a sudden believe he's pandering to the fans, when in the past, it is CLEAR that he just doesn't do that.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Exactly. I mean, what has Sarver done over his tenure that was strictly for the fans' benefit? It makes no sense for people who hate Sarver and what he has done since becoming owner to all of a sudden believe he's pandering to the fans, when in the past, it is CLEAR that he just doesn't do that.

first, it doesn't take all that much work to get the exception. so let's not make it out like sarver was burning the midnight oil to make it work. in fact, i'll bet it was relatively easy, particularly if amare's squad wanted to make it happen.

next you're confusing pandering with PR. pandering would mean that he's bending to the will of the fans, which he's never done (thanks for pointing that out). this move could EASILY be a PR move to say, "we got SOMETHING" instead of "we got BENT OVER and lost an asset for NOTHING." and don't say he hasn't pulled PR. his reign has been a TON of smoke and mirrors. how many times did they trot out the "flexibility" line (hell i was calling them the phoenix flexibilities for a while), how about the "amare's our first round pick!" sarver's always been about the PR and this gives him the chance at positive PR without having to spend a dime ('cuz he doesn't have to use the exception). everytime in the past they've screamed out "flexibility!" it resulted in nothing. what makes any of you think this time will be any different?

 

[green machine]

If they were to use it to add a guy like Al Jefferson, who is a young and rising star, I'd be ecstatic. Problem is Jefferson is a poor fit with Nash, but probably a great fit for the post-Nash era.

 

[SunsTzu]

first, it doesn't take all that much work to get the exception. so let's not make it out like sarver was burning the midnight oil to make it work. in fact, i'll bet it was relatively easy, particularly if amare's squad wanted to make it happen.

They also had to get the Bulls to agree. And even though it's not much it does give one of their primary FA rivals a little more cap.

 

[Griffin]

The trade exception's value is really only in acquiring salary without matching it. It's a positive piece and not one that saves Sarver any money. If it's used it actually costs him a great deal of money.

The thing is, operating an NBA team costs a lot of money. Even if the Suns were to use the entire exception, they still wouldn't be in LT territory and their payroll would still be less than last season.

 

[Mainstreet]

The guy gave KT away with 2 picks, do you honestly think he's doing this as a ploy to sway public opinion?

Yes. Since when does Sarver not know about sign and trades or has the common sense to ask about it. It doesn't cost him any money. However, Ouchie-Z-Clown said it better in his post. The sign and trade with Amare was out there to be scrutinized for nearly a week. Sarver couldn't just claim ignorance or blame it on the GM because he is the acting GM.

 

[Chaplin]

Yes. Since when does Sarver not know about sign and trades or has the common sense to ask about it. It doesn't cost him any money. However, Ouchie-Z-Clown said it better in his post. The sign and trade with Amare was out there to be scrutinized for nearly a week. Sarver couldn't just claim ignorance or blame it on the GM because he is the acting GM.

Sarver is a chump, but to think he doesn't have anyone, not Gentry, not Mark West, around him talking about sign-and-trade possibilities, you're impossibly naive.

 

[Mainstreet]

Sarver is a chump, but to think he doesn't have anyone, not Gentry, not Mark West, around him talking about sign-and-trade possibilities, you're impossibly naive.

That's exactly what I'm saying, Sarver had to know about it. IMO, Sarver would have preferred to forget about a sign and trade with Amare, however, others were pointing it out to him. They were telling the king he had no clothes. See my earlier post.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Sarver is a chump, but to think he doesn't have anyone, not Gentry, not Mark West, around him talking about sign-and-trade possibilities, you're impossibly naive.

Agreed. If we know about this stuff it's impossible to believe the organization isn't full of staffers that are much more aware of the specifics of NBA negotiations than we are. They may not all have Sarver's ear but clearly someone does.

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

That's exactly what I'm saying, Sarver had to know about it. IMO, Sarver would have preferred to forget about a sign and trade with Amare, however, others were pointing it out to him. They were telling the king he had no clothes.

Like so many of the other Sarver vs trade scenarios are concerned, it's nothing but assumptions. We have no idea what's been going on behind closed doors and while speculating is fun, reaching conclusions is dangerous. Especially since it doesn't take long for an uninformed conclusion to spread across the the internet disguised as a well established fact.

Steve

 

[cly2tw]

Suns could still sign and trade for Lee at a starting salary of 12.5mil later on, if they were dumb enough to do so.

 

[Chaplin]

His first year, David Lee had Larry Brown as a coach, but he only played 16 minutes a game. Since then, his coaches have been Isaiah Thomas and Mike D'Antoni. Sure, his defense hasn't been good, but look who he's learning from. I think Gentry is a better coach than either of those guys, especially on the defensive side of the floor. Is it premature to say that he's a bad defender with no chance of being better?

 

[SunsTzu]

Is it premature to say that he's a bad defender with no chance of being better?

Lee was a weak defender throughout 4 years of college(with a college coach thats had good defensive big men) which was the biggest knock on him and why he was a questionable 1st round pick. He's only 5 months younger than Amare and people have written Amare off as becoming a good defender despite some flashes early in his career.

Is it possible for him to improve? Possibly, but it's not likely. He's 27 years old, a little undersized and never shown any strong defensive qualities.