I trust Gadd over Sheridan here.
That's quite an affirmation, but I'm merely basing my opinion on what Kerr said on the radio yesterday. I didn't think he left any doubt why the Suns traded KT and what they were planning to do next. What Kerr said:
- KT just does not fit what the Suns want to do.
- He cost too much, particularly considering his salary cost as much as Marion's when the LT is considered
- They believe trading KT allows them to "keep the core intact." By that, I think he means they're prepared to keep Marion for the remaining two years on his contract.
- The Suns are looking at adding another player in free agency,
probably a frontcourt player, but they're not going to break the bank. At most they will use perhaps half of their MLE to sign a player they think will help them, and if you look at the best of who's remaining, they're all small forwards or tweeners at this point.
- He doubted any player they added would be a primary rotation player.
I'm on the same page as Bordow, whom I consider a friend if not someone I get to talk to much anymore. Management wants to cash in while they still have the current popular core of players in tact. They don't want to wait until Nash retires or Stoudemire gets injured again to show a nice profit. While ownership and FO continues to underline their status as contenders with The Big Three, trading KT clearly demonstrates they will not do anything to win a championship. Being competitive is good enough for them.
The trade exemption allows a team over the cap to take on $8 million in salary without giving up anything. Based on what the Suns had to give up to move an expiring contract in KT (two first-round picks), why would anyone think the trade exemption would be considered an asset for this front office? They just put that sucker on the shelf never expecting to even use half of it. They just want it to expire for the temptation to go away.
I'm in property management. I have 45 units and nearly 20 owners. I think I have a small understanding of what Kerr is going through. I've got owners screaming about their rates going up so they want more rent, but I have to balance that with the market and what tenants are capable and willing to pay, as well as additional costs like air conditionings that are fading left and right in one of the hottest summers I can remember. Kerr has to balance what the ownership group is telling him (cash in now that we've paid off the Colangelo ownership group) with what his tenants (the fans) will pay to see. Simply put, the ownership group knows we're not going to stop going to the games and buying merchandise just because the Suns traded KT. The average fan can't see how that weakens us.
