Suns 2024-2025 Season Discussions

[Mainstreet]

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I am flat out of optimism when it comes to this franchise. I'm still a Suns fan, that will never change, but I survive by not living and dying with each game. I go into them expecting a loss just like I go into each season expecting turmoil and disappointment.

It's understandable you feel that way. I'm not expecting the Suns to win this season, either.

I guess I want to see how it all plays out this summer and into next season, then reevaluate.

My hope is the Suns ownership has learned a lesson. Now I want to see how it responds.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The Suns would need to get lucky, but it's not impossible. They traded for Chris Paul and Steve Nash when some thought they were near the end of their career.

Maybe a player like Jrue Holiday becomes available as @Hoop Head suggested.

Jrue is a great player but he’s not a Steve Nash/CP3-esque PG.

And even if we spent a bunch of assets to get a Jrue, we still don’t have assets to put anything else around Holiday/Booker to improve the team so where would that leave us?

 

[AzStevenCal]

When was the last time you were optimistic? I'd imagine the year after the finals loss. Besides that though it's not like us Suns fans have a lot of hope. We spent a decade counting ping pong balls.

I tried to "force" optimism after I'd adjusted to the KD trade but I was never fully committed. It was a gradual thing but I didn't become fully pessimistic until this season. I knew we were screwed long term but I thought maybe we could pull off a magic trick for the short term until this year.

 

[Mainstreet]

Jrue is a great player but he’s not a Steve Nash/CP3-esque PG.

And even if we spent a bunch of assets to get a Jrue, we still don’t have assets to put anything else around Holiday/Booker to improve the team so where would that leave us?

Holiday has a terrible contract. I'm thinking Boston would like to move him. However, it would have to be a spinoff trade and the Suns would have to get below the tax threshold first.

I'm only using Holiday as an example of veteran point guards that might become available.

 

[JRakes]

Suns have 2 winnable games from here on out.

Everybody is on the trade block.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Holiday has a terrible contract. I'm thinking Boston would like to move him. However, it would have to be a spinoff trade and the Suns would have to get below the tax threshold first.

I'm only using Holiday as an example of veteran point guards that might become available.

I get that, but do you see legendary PG in the league right now that might become available? I don’t even see a lot of legendary PGs like Nash/CP3 at all in the league, much less guys that could be available for what little assets we have to work with.

It’s one thing to want something, it’s another to ponder if it’s even possible.

 

[JRakes]

I get that, but do you see legendary PG in the league right now that might become available? I don’t even see a lot of legendary PGs like Nash/CP3 at all in the league, much less guys that could be available for what little assets we have to work with.

It’s one thing to want something, it’s another to ponder if it’s even possible.

Russell Westbrook.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Russell Westbrook.

no you didn't

 

[Mainstreet]

I get that, but do you see legendary PG in the league right now that might become available? I don’t even see a lot of legendary PGs like Nash/CP3 at all in the league, much less guys that could be available for what little assets we have to work with.

It’s one thing to want something, it’s another to ponder if it’s even possible.

I'm not locked onto point guards unless one becomes available, but it's a position to keep an eye on.

The Suns need to get back to team basketball.

It's more important for the Suns to get quality talent, no matter the position, and draft picks in return if they trade Durant.

I would like the Suns to hang onto Washington and Gillespie. They are both young and cheap talent.

 

[BirdGangThing]

idk - floor generals that can slow things down and pick defenses apart by utilizing mismatches and switches - we just don't see it much anymore - maybe during key stretches or at the end of games but not for four quarters like the kj's/nash's/cp3's

league is faster and taller now and shoots from waaaayyyyy further out - 7 footers shooting 40% from 3

we've always been a point guard team - it's been our identity since ive started watching and we returned to glory with cp3 - it's weird right? I know it was more book and the twins and even ayton but cp3 got the best out of all of them - same way nash got the best out of stat - matrix - whole damn team - kj too

ultimately i don't think we can recreate what we had - i don't see being able to put a better suited team around booker than the one we already had but im not even mad because cp3 was 87 years old anyway - and that team was kinda done when he was imo

so id rather reboot than rebook - blow it all up

 

[Carolinacacti]

I think both Of the Ball brothers as available

 

[AzStevenCal]

idk - floor generals that can slow things down and pick defenses apart by utilizing mismatches and switches - we just don't see it much anymore - maybe during key stretches or at the end of games but not for four quarters like the kj's/nash's/cp3's

league is faster and taller now and shoots from waaaayyyyy further out - 7 footers shooting 40% from 3

we've always been a point guard team - it's been our identity since ive started watching and we returned to glory with cp3 - it's weird right? I know it was more book and the twins and even ayton but cp3 got the best out of all of them - same way nash got the best out of stat - matrix - whole damn team - kj too

ultimately i don't think we can recreate what we had - i don't see being able to put a better suited team around booker than the one we already had but im not even mad because cp3 was 87 years old anyway - and that team was kinda done when he was imo

so id rather reboot than rebook - blow it all up

I think Ayton falling off a cliff hurt us much more than the decline of CP3, mostly because he would have factored into our plans for another decade plus and his presence made a significant difference on defense. I'm guessing our FO let frustration persuade them to make a really bad trade. DA had basically quit on us so I understand their motivation but we never even gave Vogel a chance to see if he could make it work. In hindsight that was a bad call by management.

 

[Phrazbit]

It's near impossible to find a new Top 5 PG of all time. That seems like an absolute exercise in futility and a total waste of what's left of Devin's prime... and trade value.

I will never understand the "he's earned it", especially for a guy who's never brought this team a title, much less for a guy who's been the leader of a franchise during an era where the team has been in the toilet or a laughingstock the overwhelming majority of his career. He got paid HUGE money - he earned that. Nothing more, nothing less.

If they get an overwhelming offer for Booker, they should take it. That said... he's basically the Larry Fitzgerald of the Suns right now, and in a sport where the stars have far more power than the NFL.

He stuck around when they were horrible, he was the gravitating force to lift them out of the abyss... and now they are sinking into obscurity again and he is still loyal... even if you'd rather move on, it is still commendable. He has never put the least bit of pressure or been the center of any drama, he has always been committed. He is a different breed that the vast majority of the current star class.

 

[Phrazbit]

I think both Of the Ball brothers as available

Two balls, both in pain.

 

[taz02]

Ayton not panning out was the biggest hit. CP3 was great but he couldn't take us where we needed to go, just like the great PG's before him.

At a minimum, we need a significantly better PG than we currently have and an aggressive, young and athletic big who can take over big games to pair with Booker, (what we hoped Ayton would become). Hard to do with our current assets and restrictions.

If we want to build a championship team with Booker, we can't realistically start the process until KD is traded and Beal is off the books 27-28.

 

[swagron]

If they get an overwhelming offer for Booker, they should take it. That said... he's basically the Larry Fitzgerald of the Suns right now, and in a sport where the stars have far more power than the NFL.

He stuck around when they were horrible, he was the gravitating force to lift them out of the abyss... and now they are sinking into obscurity again and he is still loyal... even if you'd rather move on, it is still commendable. He has never put the least bit of pressure or been the center of any drama, he has always been committed. He is a different breed that the vast majority of the current star class.

Books on easy street here. Soft media, soft fans, low expectations. I wouldn’t rock the boat either while cashing those big ol’ checks…

 

[Proximo]

Ayton not panning out was the biggest hit. CP3 was great but he couldn't take us where we needed to go, just like the great PG's before him.

At a minimum, we need a significantly better PG than we currently have and an aggressive, young and athletic big who can take over big games to pair with Booker, (what we hoped Ayton would become). Hard to do with our current assets and restrictions.

If we want to build a championship team with Booker, we can't realistically start the process until KD is traded and Beal is off the books 27-28.

Having a big and a PG is not necessary.

Look at the two best teams OKC and Boston neither have a PG in the traditional sense and neither have a dominant big, their bigs are just shooters. You need a bunch of quality wings that can defend and shoot above all else.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Having a big and a PG is not necessary.

Look at the two best teams OKC and Boston neither have a PG in the traditional sense and neither have a dominant big, their bigs are just shooters. You need a bunch of quality wings that can defend and shoot above all else.

Having a big and a PG is necessary. Just because there's another way to succeed doesn't mean you can just copy that and match their success. Unique talents or a special mix of talents might give you other options but most teams follow the script for a reason. It's not like OKC isn't trying to do it with a big man, he's just injured and they are so loaded they can survive without him (regular season, at least). And while they might not be traditional PGs, Boston certainly uses point guards.

 

[BirdGangThing]

somewhere someone out there sees how we used to utilize book and what he's become - i know monti does lol but let's hope others do too if we're looking for optimum trade value

 

[BirdGangThing]

wife asked why the big 3 didn't work - i said the same reason having kj - nash and cp3 on the court at the same time wouldn't work

 

[Cheesebeef]

wife asked why the big 3 didn't work - i said the same reason having kj - nash and cp3 on the court at the same time wouldn't work

I’d push back against this a little, only because KJ/Nash/Kidd did actually work pretty well the second half of the 1996 (I think) season. Can never have too many playmakers on the court.

Problem with our three guys is none of them are playmakers first and they are dead last as far as leadership’s concerned.

 

[BirdGangThing]

I’d push back against this a little, only because KJ/Nash/Kidd did actually work pretty well the second half of the 1996 (I think) season. Can never have too many playmakers on the court.

Problem with our three guys is none of them are playmakers first and they are dead last as far as leadership’s concerned.

we had those three at the same time??

 

[Cheesebeef]

we had those three at the same time??

Briefly. It was that crazy season we started 0-13 and then traded for Kidd and KJ went nuts from 3 point land in the second half of the season where we played the smallest ball possible with Wes Person playing PF and just bombed 3 pointers en route to a huge turnaround.

That was the season our 42-40 8 seed took a 64 win Seattle team to a deciding Game 5 and lost… but should have won after that epic Rex Chapman ludicrous running 3 to put Game 4 into OT where we could have won the series 3-1.

 

[Mainstreet]

Chris Paul will be a free agent this summer.

If he accepted a teacher role and a vet minimum type salary, he might be worth checking out.

Of course, the NBA has switched from fast to faster.

 

[Suns_fan69]

The PG free agents for 25 are looking pretty grim: https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/_/year/2025/position/pg

I was hoping for a Ricky Rubio type playmaker that wasn't a total disaster defensively but it's slim pickings out there.