Suns 2024-2025 Season Discussions

[Mainstreet]

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McD wanted Ayton and SGA. Jones overruled him for Bridges because they wanted an older NBA ready wing. That was the start of Sarver siding with JJ and McD was fired a few months later.

Idk why ppl think Ayton going to AZ affected their mindset. If it’s about eye balls and hype you take the internationally known phenom.

I read reports Robert Sarver wanted Mikal Bridges, perhaps James Jones as well. How ironic it would be, with all the bad drafts under Ryan McDonough, if he had his way and traded for Shai. Drafting Devin Booker would be on his resume as well.

This is not taking anything away from Mikal Bridges, but Shai would have been the better choice for Phoenix.

I don't think Ayton going to UofA had anything to do with it either, but there is a connection. Personally, I wanted the Suns to draft Ayton. Where he attended college should have nothing to do with it.

 

[GatorAZ]

Sarver went to UofA. He was set on Ayton. I don't think Jones was really that involved on the Luka or Ayton decision.

While McD did want SGA that was after he was told Ayton was the pick. He's said since being fired he wanted Luka. He did hire Luka's coach also.

I don't believe McD was entirely sold on SGA where he was locked into taking him but since he knew the Suns needed a PG, Shai was just the best PG available at that point.

Sarver went there but that’s the extent of his connection to UA. Multiple AD’s have tried to get him as a booster to the program and failed. He doesn’t care.

SGA fit the McD prototype as a prospect. Young, raw with athletic upside. He never would’ve taken Bridges in the lottery IMO. I think McD is probably lying about the Luka stuff after he became a star.

 

[BirdGangThing]

if we want to be relevant again right away ish needs to pony up pay for his mistakes and buy beal the funk out - straight up - we can still and undoubtedly will trade kd but beal literally hurts this team in the way some try and say kd does but back to ish

if ish doesn't pay beal $100 million to leave then ish is paying $100 million to ensure better lottery picks for whoever has our picks - between the injuries - the salary - and us having no draft picks this signing is unsustainable - we can't wait around for the expired contract dilly


beal needs to be the first to go - if he isn't gone we can't move on - and screw ish - you brake it you buy it

 

[Hoop Head]

if we want to be relevant again right away ish needs to pony up pay for his mistakes and buy beal the funk out - straight up - we can still and undoubtedly will trade kd but beal literally hurts this team in the way some try and say kd does but back to ish

if ish doesn't pay beal $100 million to leave then ish is paying $100 million to ensure better lottery picks for whoever has our picks - between the injuries - the salary - and us having no draft picks this signing is unsustainable - we can't wait around for the expired contract dilly


beal needs to be the first to go - if he isn't gone we can't move on - and screw ish - you brake it you buy it

Buy him out, sit him, or send him home is all the same really as his $50m+ salary is counted against the cap.

 

[Mainstreet]

Buy him out, sit him, or send him home is all the same really as his $50m+ salary is counted against the cap.

If there were enough first round picks to do it, I wonder how many it would take to trade Beal.

 

[Yuma]

If there were enough first round picks to do it, I wonder how many it would take to trade Beal.

ALL OF THEM! I guarantee that's the answer.

 

[Carolinacacti]

Whatever the Suns do in the off season it can't get much worse then this years team. Unless they unload Durant and Booker. I really can't see the owner wanting two or three really lean years. Most interesting off-season I can remember.

 

[boisesuns]

The need: major surgery
The fear: “let’s put a bandaid on it”

 

[BirdGangThing]

we have nothing to lose - already lost it all - bleak as hell - haven't even bottomed out yet - so what we need to do is avoid making the same desperate moves/mistakes - if a trade isn't completely in our favor and for our future hang up - ride it out - we'll suck and others will receive great draft picks because of it but we gotta stop digging ourselves deeper - this is madness

 

[Superbone]

Whatever the Suns do in the off season it can't get much worse then this years team. Unless they unload Durant and Booker. I really can't see the owner wanting two or three really lean years. Most interesting off-season I can remember.

Ishbia is already on record saying Book will not be moved.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ishbia is already on record saying Book will not be moved.

Yes. It would take Devin Booker wanting out.

 

[Yuma]

From Kellen Olson:

The biggest development of the weekend was the Sacramento Kings (38-40) pulling off a major upset over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, greatly increasing their odds of making the play-in. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks (38-41) lost back-to-back games to the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Davis missed the first contest and did the Anthony Davis thing in the second game, laboring through injuries while playing.

So, what we know is the Suns (35-43) have to win two games minimum out of their last four. Sacramento’s magic number to secure a play-in spot is now a combination of two Kings wins and Suns losses. Phoenix could still catch Dallas, in theory.

I think Kellen is wrong. winning two games minimum puts us at 37 wins. Sac and Mavs already have 38. WTF? Kellen?

 

[AzStevenCal]

From Kellen Olson:


I think Kellen is wrong. winning two games minimum puts us at 37 wins. Sac and Mavs already have 38. WTF? Kellen?

Yeah I think he's hyper-focused on the 2 game advantage Dallas has over us and missing the fact that it will be at least a 3 game lead if we only win twice going out. So, at minimum, we need 3 wins assuming Dallas loses out.

 

[Yuma]

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Looks like Kings and Mavs Magic number is 2 versus us. Any combinations of wins/losses that amount to that number, and we are out.

 

[BirdGangThing]

like i said - let kd be a part of the process to get the best return - kd didn't want the golden state trade and we respected his wishes - hopefully he remembers that

if we get rid of kd we kinda have to do the same with book imo but ask book what he wants before deciding anything - before declaring anything - never know - he could want a change of scenery too - he could already have a place in mind - all I know is it isn't los angeles or minnesota

i think book might be a good fit with the pacers

i can't stand beal - what's it going to take because if he thinks he wants to be here next year he either hasn't thought it out or he must have the toughest skin ever because the hate from the fan base is only getting worse - dilute the contract - bribe another team - idfk

 

[Carolinacacti]

Ishbia is already on record saying Book will not be moved.

If you ask me the last three games the Suns put Booker in the Big Glass window at the store. He is for sale, I'd rather watch a superstars last few years. Then watch Bookers decline

 

[Cheesebeef]

Yes. It would take Devin Booker wanting out.

Ishbia will only continue to dig his hole deeper if this is the case.

 

[Covert Rain]

If you ask me the last three games the Suns put Booker in the Big Glass window at the store. He is for sale, I'd rather watch a superstars last few years. Then watch Bookers decline

I don’t buy it but it does show the likely return of empty stat Book without a number one on this team. It’s pointless to hold onto Book if you can’t pull off a major move.

 

[BirdGangThing]

never knew how much the little things matter til i saw a whole ass team care about none of them - this team has a.d.d.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ishbia will only continue to dig his hole deeper if this is the case.

The hole Ishbia dug since he became owner is already pretty deep. It would be nice if he left the fans with something.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The hole Ishbia dug since he became owner is already pretty deep. It would be nice if he left the fans with something.

I guess the difference between us is I don’t consider Booker’s meaningless scoring while getting waxed every night “something”… especially when we could actually get something for him to start the rebuild.

 

[Phrazbit]

I guess the difference between us is I don’t consider Booker’s meaningless scoring while getting waxed every night “something”… especially when we could actually get something for him to start the rebuild.

It wasn't meaningless until we destroyed the roster, surrounding him with a group that featured a toxic malcontent and castoffs from some of the worst teams in the league. He went out there tonight and played with the corpse of Brad Beal, a couple rookies and dudes that were very recently role players on bottom feeding Hornets and Nets rosters.

That said... we should trade Booker, it will make him another casualty of one of the worst trades in history... and at the same time a brutal betrayal of an incredibly loyal star. But, at some point you gotta look upon the ruins of the self-destruction and do the brutal math.

That said... if we don't get our picks back from Houston... there is no rebuild. Booker or no, we won't matter for a decade.

Also, there is no scenario where we control our 2026 pick, we get the last bite among 4 teams for that pick, trading Booker and Durant so we can go 10-72 and then pick 24th in the following draft is a scenario beyond revulsion.

And IF we can make a trade with Houston, we should do it before the lotto happens this season. Trades between eliminated teams are allowed as soon as they're out, and we need Houston to be out before the draft lotto. If our pick jumps to the top end of that draft (currently 12% odds, nothing to sneeze at), then Houston won't even remotely consider sending us back any of the absolute gold mine they possess.