Suns decline 2013/14 option on Wes Johnson

[Griffin]

As expected, the Suns will not pick up Wesley Johnson's 2013/14 $5.4M option, making him an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Coro reported this via twitter.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Hmmm. So what's the point in developing him.

 

[SunsTzu]

Hmmm. So what's the point in developing him.

The only reason he is on the team is because the Suns got a draft pick, but since he's on the team why not try to get the most out of him?

 

[Mainstreet]

If Wes Johnson plays well this season there may be reciprocal interest by both parties to stay together if his demands are not outlandish.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

If Wes Johnson plays well this season there may be reciprocal interest by both parties to stay together if his demands are not outlandish.

This

 

[Hoop Head]

Personally I wish they would have picked up the option on him and not resigned Brown.

Best case - He plays really well and we save money on him next year and possibly after because then he would have been a restricted free agent.

Worst case - He sucks, we try to move him with someone else at the deadline for an expiring, maybe throw in a 2nd rounder. We get more ping pong balls while figuring out if he would have been a piece for the future.

 

[SunsTzu]

Personally I wish they would have picked up the option on him and not resigned Brown.

Best case - He plays really well and we save money on him next year and possibly after because then he would have been a restricted free agent.

Worst case - He sucks, we try to move him with someone else at the deadline for an expiring, maybe throw in a 2nd rounder. We get more ping pong balls while figuring out if he would have been a piece for the future.

Johnson is still on the team this season and has really nothing to do with the resigning of Brown. Johnson's biggest value as a trade chip is that of an expiring contract. If you pick up the option then you have to add value to move him, it's completely counter productive.

 

[Hoop Head]

I understand Johnson is still on the team. It was just a hypothetical. If we hadn't resigned Brown for this year and next, the minutes that he will be getting would have been better used spread between Johnson, Dudley, and Marshall.

If we picked up the option on Johnson we would not be in much different shape cap wise next year if there was no Brown so we wouldn't need to unload him if he didn't work out. I just think with the team needing a youth movement that would have been a better route for now and the future than bringing back a journeyman 2 guard who is not going to get any better.

 

[SunsTzu]

I understand Johnson is still on the team. It was just a hypothetical. If we hadn't resigned Brown for this year and next, the minutes that he will be getting would have been better used spread between Johnson, Dudley, and Marshall.

If we picked up the option on Johnson we would not be in much different shape cap wise next year if there was no Brown so we wouldn't need to unload him if he didn't work out. I just think with the team needing a youth movement that would have been a better route for now and the future than bringing back a journeyman 2 guard who is not going to get any better.

Brown's contract is only partially guaranteed next year and with the stretch provision will only have a slight cap hit should the Suns decide to cut him to create more space. If the Suns picked up Johnson's option that would be 5.4mil less in cap space next year and that is quite significant.

 

[JCSunsfan]

If he plays well, he probably will get an offer bigger than what we would offer. If he does not, we won't sign him either.

I am not sure why we want to keep cap space for next summer. I just don't see much on the market worth preserving cap space for.

Oh well.

 

[SunsTzu]

If he plays well, he probably will get an offer bigger than what we would offer. If he does not, we won't sign him either.

I am not sure why we want to keep cap space for next summer. I just don't see much on the market worth preserving cap space for.

Oh well.

Maintaining cap space is important because it gives the Suns a lot of flexibility in trades. I'd be really disappointed if the Suns signed any of the 2013 FA to big money.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Lopez is still looking good for NO. His MO is usually that he starts the year well and then starts to break down as the games wear on.

I sure would hate this to be a repeat of the Dragic story. Suns trade the player just before he breaks out.