Suns 2011 roster outlook

[Covert Rain]

Max contract in Chicago the first chance he is allowed to. He will retire a Bull, there is no way old Jerry revisits not letting Michael retire a Bull on his own terms.

I don't know about that. I don't recall Jerry ever saying he regrets letting MJ go. It was a money thing for him was it not? If memory servers me correct Jerry was trying to convince MJ at one point not to leave basketball for baseball but when MJ's agent had asked Jerry if he was willing to make MJ the highest paid player in basketball (which he should have been), Jerry said NO.

Also, Jerry has had a reputation for being a cheapskate in baseball but many feel he is one of those owners who has his limits. So, he might sing a high priced FA but not just to have him on the team. If the team isn't on the verge of a title, he would rather let that player walk versus paying a high salary. In other words don't count on Jerry's business approach to not get in the way of locking up a ton of money into one player.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The difference is that in Miami all 3 of the stars took a little less than the max to do it. 16 16 and 15.5 last year.

In New York Melo and Amare both make 20M$ already in 2012. Compare that to Miami when their big 3 combined for 47.5 that would leave a starting salary of 7.5 for Paul.

It could be more than that but obviously Paul will have to take a LOT less to go to New York.

I think it is more likely that some team that can sign Howard and Paul to the max outright is more attractive than taking a huge paycut to play with 2 guys in New York that want the ball and can't play defense.
The Clippers will have capspace to sign Paul or Dwight to the max and have Gordon and Griffin. The Celtics can have a lot of capspace etc..

man.. you put Chris Paul with Gordon, Griffin and Kaman/Jordan and that team could run you off the court.

 

[overseascardfan]

Not a big fan of Gortat?

Oh man, it's been a long lock out. Well then that puts Frye back on the bench where he excelled so....winning.

 

[sunsfan88]

I would be trying to make a couple of trades if I was PHX.

Trade #1 - Trade C Robin Lopez to SAC for PF Jason Thompson

Analysis: SAC will lose Dalembert and already have Cousins and Hickson at the 4. Lopez allows them to keep Cousins at the 4. PHX gets the young, promising PF they targeted in 2009.

Trade #2 - Sign & trade PG Aaron Brooks to TOR for PG Jerryd Bayless.

Analysis: Both players are very similar in that they are scoring PG's but TOR gets a more proven player who will be under contract while Bayless is a RFA next year.

PHX rolls with a starting 5 of Nash, Bayless, Hill, Thompson & Frye. With a bench of Dudley, Pietrus, Siler, Morris, Childress and low level FA. That lineup gives us some pieces to build with in Bayless & Thompson and we more than likely end up with a Top 10 pick next year and nab another impact guy, hopefully #1 and select C Andre Drummond.

You do realize that makes our back court even worse defensively right?

Bayless at 6'3, 200 lbs starting at SG is almost comical.

I like your overall trade idea though but Bayless starting and leaving Gortat out is disappointing.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The difference is that in Miami all 3 of the stars took a little less than the max to do it. 16 16 and 15.5 last year.

In New York Melo and Amare both make 20M$ already in 2012. Compare that to Miami when their big 3 combined for 47.5 that would leave a starting salary of 7.5 for Paul.

It could be more than that but obviously Paul will have to take a LOT less to go to New York.

I think it is more likely that some team that can sign Howard and Paul to the max outright is more attractive than taking a huge paycut to play with 2 guys in New York that want the ball and can't play defense.
The Clippers will have capspace to sign Paul or Dwight to the max and have Gordon and Griffin. The Celtics can have a lot of capspace etc..

Sign Howard and Paul and I would be OK with trading Gortat.

touch of sarcasm here.

 

[Griffin]

Some excerpts from Coro's new article:

The Suns are focusing free-agency pursuits on adding a wing player and a point guard. Keeping the rights to Aaron Brooks, a restricted free agent averaging 12.3 points and 4.5 assists in China, puts a $5 million salary-cap hold on the books that keeps the Suns over the salary cap.

That prevents them from pursuing any amnesty waivers and limits spending to some or all of the $5 million midlevel exception for a wing player and another for a point guard. Brooks' Guangdong contract binds him to play in China until its postseason ends in March.

The Suns also have trade exceptions of $5.7 million and $1.9 million from the Amar'e Stoudemire sign-and-trade deal with New York and the five-player Orlando trade.

The Stoudemire one would have expired July 11, but the lockout began July 1, meaning the Suns likely will get a 10-day extension on using it to make up salary difference in trade. However, that would require taking on extra salary in a deal, an unlikely move if it undermines the 2012 cap space.

The Suns were interested in restricted free agent Marcus Thornton, a 24-year-old shooting guard who averaged 21.3 points in 27 games last season after being traded from New Orleans to Sacramento.

However, the Kings need to spend at least $16 million to get to the new minimum salary cap and made Thornton a priority. Phoenix also has to weigh whether a weak defender helps their emphasis on defensive improvement.

Like Arron Afflalo, Thornton's stock likely is rising out of the Suns' price range.

Another swingman of interest is Anthony Parker, 36, from Cleveland, where Suns General Manager Lance Blanks worked. Parker has interest from Boston, a contender, and New York, where his brother-in-law, Shelden Williams, plays.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...0111203phoenix-suns-cautious-free-agency.html

So apparently the Suns still have portions of the trade exceptions. I think it could be used on a player with an expiring contract from a team wishing to shed some additional salary, but the Suns aren't likely to use it to trade for players with more than one year left on their contracts.

I thought last year that Marcus Thornton could be a good addition, but I doubt the Kings let him go. But I see no point at all in adding a player like Anthony Parker. Yes, the Suns need a wing player, but a wing player who can create his own shot and be a go-to guy. Parker does not fit that bill, so why bother?

 

[sunsfan88]

It's only my own speculation, which is all I've got since the Suns are completely silent on the FA front except for Grant Hill.

But at least we've learned a couple things so far:

1) Suns really want a 39-year old Small Forward to start for a non-playoff team

2) Given #1, it's obvious that the Suns are intent on keeping their 37-year old PG as well

3) Given #1 and #2, you can surmise that the Suns would like to make a playoff run without sacrificing long-term cash flow to do it (unless a young, healthy star falls in their lap)

4) Suns are going nowhere without a little more scoring from their Shooting Guard position

5) Due to salary cap restrictions, the most the Suns can offer any one player in free agency is $5 million in year 1

Given those assumptions, any transactions made by the Suns this month would be on 1 or 2-year deals (ruling out marginal guys like Shannon Brown and Marcus Thornton) of $5 million or less per year (ruling out guys like Jason Richardson, Jamal Crawford, Nick Young and Arron Afflalo).

So what's left? How will the Suns attempt to become relevant this season while keeping Nash and Hill?

Trades.

And there's one trade that came to me this morning that just might work for both sides (big leap, I know).

Utah trades Paul Millsap and Raja Bell to the Suns for Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick and Mickael Pietrus.

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2011/ ... ck-pietrus

Nash/Dowdell
Dudley/Raja
Hill/Chilly
Milsap/Markieff
Gortat/Frye

If Utah wanted to really save money and Millsap wasn't ok with coming off the bench for Utah (who might want to start the youngster Favors & Kanter) then this might be a deal they do. Again, there could be better offers for them but who knows.

For us if we're absolutely stubborn on keeping Nash & Hill and not rebuilding, then this is a great deal. And next off season if we amnesty Childress, then we will still have enough $$$ to offer 2 max contracts.

 

[Folster]

Anyone heard anything about Sean Williams. The guy would be worth a shot and likely could be added for the minimum

 

[Mainstreet]

Brooks venture into China really hurts placing a $5 million salary-cap hold on the books that keeps the Suns over the salary cap. I wonder if his contract could be used in a sign and trade although I don't know if any team would want to do it without further compensation. The Suns have already given up to much to get him.

 

[sunsfan88]

I wouldn't mind bringing Sean Williams here. He can bring some toughness, rebounding and defensive presence off the bench.

 

[overseascardfan]

Let's be honest PHX management is blowing smoke about saving cap space for 2012 like any of the major FA's will want to play for Sarver. Young, promising young guys like Bayless, Jason Thompson, Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers are guys we should be pursuing through trades. Not only can they be had, they wouldn't cost much in contract extensions.

If we could somehow land Thompson, Rush & either Bayless or Chalmers I would be really excited about the Sun's future.

 

[mojorizen7]

Can you imagine if Jerry were still running things? He'd probably trade Nash to get a draft pick, set up two max slots, then have an off-season where he'd try to entice Howard and Paul/Williams to pair with a high lotto pick.

but, we've got Sarver, who will probably keep Nash, lose him for nothing, be just not bad enough to get a high lotto pick and have no player of any consequence want anything to do with us.

Good times huh? Another season of high effort,Nash,Hill and 42 wins. Great.