Suns keeping centers?

[Chaz]

I don't know what other choice they have. Unless they can work out a trade it looks like the center position will be the same next year.

Does anyone think they can work a trade for Googs?


Suns notebook: Williams welcome to return
By Mike Tulumello, Tribune
The Suns want to bring Scott Williams back for another season, meaning the club is looking at the same lineup of centers as last season: Williams and "Big Jake" Tsakalidis and "Little Jake" Voskuhl.

Williams would be looking at the same type of deal he got last season, a one-year, $1 million "veteran’s exception " to the salary cap, which actually would cost the Suns about $600,000 (with the rest of the money coming from a leaguewide pool).

The Suns also would like to work out a multi-year deal with the surprising Voskuhl, who ended up being their most effective center last season. For now, they’ll give him a oneyear qualifying offer of about $800,000 by the end of June, which guarantees his rights for next season, said club president Bryan Colangelo.

"You can look at both of them and say they made positive contributions, on and off the floor," Colangelo said.

Because of a back injury suffered by Tsakalidis, Williams played 872 regularseason minutes, "more than he probably expected or even wanted," Colangelo pointed out. Along the way, the 35-year-old Williams provided a solid example to the Suns’ young players, Colangelo said.

As for Voskuhl, 25, Colangelo said the backup center was reliable whether or not he got consistent playing time thanks to "his athleticism and energy."

Colangelo said he hoped the 6-foot-11, 245-pound Voskuhl will add strength in the offseason.

The Suns also are hoping for big improvements from Tsakalidis, who is under contract for the upcoming season.

MARKET FOR GOOGS

Don’t be surprised if the Suns work out a trade that deals away forward Tom Gugliotta.

Now that the highly paid Gugliotta finally is entering the last year of his contract, he may no longer be impossible to trade. Some teams may be interested because his salary disappears in a year, and that could allow them to go after free agents in the summer of 2004.

The Suns might be interested in trading Gugliotta if they can save money off the $11.7 million due him in the upcoming season.

The Suns are expected to be $10 million or so over the luxury tax threshold for the upcoming season, which could represent $20 million in losses, That’s because teams are assessed one dollar in tax for each dollar their payrolls exceed the tax threshold.

A trade involving Gugliotta could end up as a complicated three-way deal.

Colangelo, while not commenting on any specific player, said, "We have to explore scenarios to reduce our exposure to the tax threshold."

Another player the Suns likely are willing to deal is forward Bo Outlaw, who makes more than $6 million. But because his contract has two years to run, he may be impossible to trade.

SEASON TICKETS

The Suns’ season ticket renewals hit 90 percent, a number considered excellent in the business.

With new sales expected, the Suns should top their 10,500 season-ticket total of last season, the lowest figure since their current building opened 11 years ago.

"We have a huge opportunity to increase our revenue base, which is much needed in light of the tax scenario," Colangelo said.

 

[slinslin]

The interessting thing is trading Googs.

How do you trade Googs but still shed salaries to avoid the luxury tax?

The only real possibility would be if they were involved in those Brandon rumors because his salary will come off the books in february.

Googs makes more money so the team that wants Brandon to free money for 2004 FA market could take Googs instead and move another bad contract.

 

[JCSunsfan]

At what date is the lux tax figured?

Googs contract isn't up until July, so if the tax is figured in--say--April, trading Googs for Brandon could save the Suns the $10 mil plus on the tax, plus would get them a rebate from the league for all the other teams over the cap.

 

[Joe Mama]

I believe the luxury tax is is figured at some point towards the end of the season. Tom Gugliotta's salary next season will count against next year's luxury tax. Brandon's might not.

Joe Mama

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Brandon's salary will not count against the tax this season if he retires as planned.

The only real thing I can think of how the suns will save money is if they package googs and outlaw together.

Their total salaries is 16 million. If they were to trade both of them, they would only have to accept 13.6 million in salaries back (15% rule) which could have potentially 4.8 million since the luxary tax doubles the cost.

Even if they just traded googs, and took back 8.5 million in salary it would still save the team 3 mil this year.

The only real problem is it is essentially a one year fix, since We would have to assume the players they would recieve back would have at least 2 years remaining on their deals. To make it fiscally reasonable over the long term, they would have to have a long line of deals planned out I would think.

Andy

 

[hcsilla]

Originally posted by Joe Mama
I believe the luxury tax is is figured at some point towards the end of the season.

The luxury tax is figured at the point when your team played the last game of the season

f Tom Gugliotta's salary next season will count against next year's luxury tax. Brandon's might not.

Joe Mama

Brandon's salary won't count against next year's luxury tax if he retires.

 

[Skkorpion]

Why, oh why would any team take Googs? He's a chronically injured, slow, overpaid, underachiever, who refuses to retire.

He's the fallout from McDyess refusing to play for Danny Ainge. And we have suffered ever since.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by Skkorpion
Why, oh why would any team take Googs? He's a chronically injured, slow, overpaid, underachiever, who refuses to retire.

He's the fallout from McDyess refusing to play for Danny Ainge. And we have suffered ever since.

They are speculating that another team would want Tom Gugliotta because his massive contract will be expiring at the end of this season. Even if the Phoenix Suns were willing to make a trade now I doubt another team would want to do it until around the trading deadline.

Joe Mama

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Originally posted by Joe Mama
Even if the Phoenix Suns were willing to make a trade now I doubt another team would want to do it until around the trading deadline.

Joe Mama

I think that depends a lot on the scenario, and suns logic behind making the trade.

If the suns are trading googs for talent, for example what Minny is trying to do, then you are right about a trade probably not happening till the deadline, unless there is a bit of competition going for the contract between other teams.

However, if a trade were to be made for the reason's that BC implied (cutting down as many luxary dollars as possible) then I think a team may be more willing to deal this summer. If that is the motiv behind the trade, talent would probably take a back seat to salary numbers. A team may be able to get googs and his ending contract for a couple role players. I think that a couple of teams needing the cap relief (Memphis seems like a standout to me) could in theory part with two 4 million guys that make role player contributions before the season started if it meant they got an expiring max contract without having to part with their top 1 or 2 players.

Not sure if that made any sense....

 

[cly2tw]

Why would a team want to trade for Googs?

They want as much cap room as possible for summer 2004 while adding Googs' contract won't put them over the luxuary tax limit.

Minny might swap Brandon for Googs if we give them some cash, a future pick or even accept another small long contract while they were not inclined to trade Brandon for long term contracts. If Googs won't put them over the limit, they'd just gain the cash and the pick from Phx.

Also, if Denver, Detroit or any other team with cap space this year for whatever reason still have cap left after they got their FAs this summer to stay a free-agency player next season, they could "auction" their cap space for one season to the "highest bidder", which might be the Suns with Googs' contract.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Kobe Bryant is a free agent next year. As will be Elton Brand and a few other legit all stars.

Googs will be very valuable if the Suns are looking to improve near the trading deadline.

 

[JCSunsfan]

There are a couple of interesting options that could get us some cap space (lux tax space, not FA space).

A Penny for Terrell Brandon trade is an interesting idea. Minny could use a pg, and they already are paying Brandon for nothing. That would free us of Brandon's salary in January.

The talk is of Minny trading Brandon for Eddie Jones or another player like him. After the year Penny had, he could be an attractive player for Minny, and would fit that category.

Googs then could be traded to a team looking to drop cap space. There might be a possibility of picking up a decent 2 who is a cap casualty.

Of course, we could always keep Googs and save the cap space for ourselves next summer. It would drop about $22 million of of our payroll. Of course, Shawn's new deal would go on.

I'm not sure if that would give us FA $ to spend or not.

If we traded Penny, I would want to add some veteran depth at the 2. We would also need a backup pg.