Suns next max player?

[Griffin]

There was a time when the Suns had a problem of figuring out how to keep potentially three max players plus Nash on the same roster. Apparently, the solution was not to. Amare was maxed-out in 2006 but only after Joe Johnson was low-balled and signed for the max in Atlanta. Marion, who was already maxed-out by the Suns in 2003 was soon gone as well. And after making a non-fully guaranteed contract offer to Amare in 2010, he left town too for max money and brighter lights in NY. Now the Suns are one of few teams in the league that do not have a max contract on their roster or even a max-caliber player.

So the question is, when will the Suns again have a player on their roster who will command a max salary and how will the Suns acquire such player. Will they overpay for someone not worthy? Will they convince a genuine superstar to sign? Will they ever accumulate enough assets to trade for one? Will they draft their future franchise player and extend him to the max when the time comes? Will they even offer such money to anyone?

 

[elindholm]

I have a hunch they're going to go after Eric Gordon this summer. They'll offer him the max and dare Stern to match.

 

[slinslin]

I am not a huge fan of Eric Gordon and he has missed a big number of games every year and well I think that New Orleans is for sure going to match any offer. They offered him a big extension now and probably did not reach an agreement because Gordon thinks in the offseason the offersheet he will sign with another team (his hometown Indiana appears to be frontrunners) will net him more money even if the Hornets match it anyway.

I hope our next max contract will be a guy that we drafted because that likely means we will be a good team again.

 

[carey]

It's going to be a max offer for Gordon and probably resign Nash for 2 years (though I'm against that). Starting 5 next year will be Nash-Gordon-Dudley-Morris-Gortat. We'll win 30 games and have a pick in the 10 to 12 range in 2013. The real rebuilding will start the year after that, and by then Gortat will be on his Tyson Chandler-esque deal.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I am not sure Gordon has performed at a high level for long enough time to prove that he is really there. It would be a risky signing.

 

[JustWinBaby]

It's going to be a max offer for Gordon and probably resign Nash for 2 years (though I'm against that). Starting 5 next year will be Nash-Gordon-Dudley-Morris-Gortat. We'll win 30 games and have a pick in the 10 to 12 range in 2013. The real rebuilding will start the year after that, and by then Gortat will be on his Tyson Chandler-esque deal.

I think you are on the right track but I think we will actually draft, or we should, our potential 2 Guard, maybe Rivers. We will sign Nash after we sign a couple of over paid free agents and we will win less than 30 games.

Ultimately we will either over pay for Gortat, if we do not find a better younger big man gem in the draft. He also might get frustrated with the losing and will go elsewhere, probably for nothing in return. That is the Sarver way.

 

[slinslin]

Why would Gordon come here, even in the unlikely case that New Orleans does not match why would he chose us over the Pacers.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think you are on the right track but I think we will actually draft, or we should, our potential 2 Guard, maybe Rivers. We will sign Nash after we sign a couple of over paid free agents and we will win less than 30 games.

Ultimately we will either over pay for Gortat, if we do not find a better younger big man gem in the draft. He also might get frustrated with the losing and will go elsewhere, probably for nothing in return. That is the Sarver way.

Is it really? I think you're letting your frustration get the better of you. I don't care who the owner was, nobody was going to get much in return for Amare. And other than him, who has Sarver allowed to leave for nothing in return? I think a good owner/Gm probably could have got us something in return for Shaq and maybe even Wallace but I doubt either would have brought more than a 2nd rounder at best.

Sarver has made some huge mistakes here, most of them centering around draft picks. But, during his ownership we've enjoyed some of the best basketball Phoenix has ever seen. I know that no one is willing to give him any credit for those years but it seems a bit unreasonable to blame him for everything that's gone wrong without acknowledging the things that went well.

Sarver has always been a bit of a clown, that probably will never change. I'm hoping though that he has learned a lesson or two along the way. This current management team has made at least one good trade and the environment can't be as unhealthy as many here seem to think or Nash wouldn't have stayed and Hill would have never come back (I wish he hadn't but that's a different story).

It's possible that you and others are correct, nobody of note will ever come play here and nobody decent will sign his next contract because Sarver is the worst owner in all sports and will always remain so. But, if you guys are right then the future is simple for you. You don't need to worry about draft picks or trades or FA signings or even the outcome of games; you have nothing to look forward to as a Suns fan except the day Robert Sarver parts ways with the organization.

As for myself, I'm going to hold onto the hope that Sarver has learned a lesson or two. Hopefully, he's hired the right guys to manage this team and will now sit back and allow his name and reputation to disappear from the public eye. If he does that, I see no reason that we can't be competitive in the FA market. We know he's willing to spend money and now it's just a question whether the front office knows which guys are worth that money.

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

I am not sure Gordon has performed at a high level for long enough time to prove that he is really there. It would be a risky signing.

I don't think there is a borderline superstar or potential superstar out there that will be available for us other than Gordon. At this point, I'd offer the guy the max and hope for the best. Unless his injury issues look to be chronic, he may be the only real difference maker in our market.

Steve

 

[jagu]

if (sarvar = owner)
{
re-signs Robin Lopez to max
}

 

[slinslin]

if (sarvar = owner)
{
re-signs Robin Lopez to max
}

player robinLopez = new Player('Robin Lopez');
if (sarver == owner)
{
robinLopez.setContract(105000000 , 6);
}

 

[JustWinBaby]

Is it really? I think you're letting your frustration get the better of you. I don't care who the owner was, nobody was going to get much in return for Amare. And other than him, who has Sarver allowed to leave for nothing in return? I think a good owner/Gm probably could have got us something in return for Shaq and maybe even Wallace but I doubt either would have brought more than a 2nd rounder at best.

Sarver has made some huge mistakes here, most of them centering around draft picks. But, during his ownership we've enjoyed some of the best basketball Phoenix has ever seen. I know that no one is willing to give him any credit for those years but it seems a bit unreasonable to blame him for everything that's gone wrong without acknowledging the things that went well.

Sarver has always been a bit of a clown, that probably will never change. I'm hoping though that he has learned a lesson or two along the way. This current management team has made at least one good trade and the environment can't be as unhealthy as many here seem to think or Nash wouldn't have stayed and Hill would have never come back (I wish he hadn't but that's a different story).

It's possible that you and others are correct, nobody of note will ever come play here and nobody decent will sign his next contract because Sarver is the worst owner in all sports and will always remain so. But, if you guys are right then the future is simple for you. You don't need to worry about draft picks or trades or FA signings or even the outcome of games; you have nothing to look forward to as a Suns fan except the day Robert Sarver parts ways with the organization.

As for myself, I'm going to hold onto the hope that Sarver has learned a lesson or two. Hopefully, he's hired the right guys to manage this team and will now sit back and allow his name and reputation to disappear from the public eye. If he does that, I see no reason that we can't be competitive in the FA market. We know he's willing to spend money and now it's just a question whether the front office knows which guys are worth that money.

Steve

I will put it this way.

That has been the Sarver way since he got rid of both Colangelo's.

It is very hard to find many good moves after the 1st year or so with Jerry and Bryan holding his hand. There was hope for Babby and the trade for Gortat but when he traded Goran for Aaron Brooks he lost a lot of support. The draft of Morris appears to be good, but school is still out. It appears to be the best choice since the Colangelo's have left the scene.

Hopefully Sarver has learned his lesson and will listen to Babby and Babby knows what he is doing. This roster needs a whole lot of help.

I have supported most of Sarvers moves and am not one of those calling him cheap. He has spent the money but not on the right players. That must change.

 

[slinslin]

Colangelo is so glorified. We could go on and rant about the terrible moves Colangelo made as well.

You know Colangelo wanted to draft Walter McCarthy instead of Nash? Penny Hardaway, Luc Longley, Hot Rod Williams, Dennis Johnson, Tom Gugliotta, McDyess fiasco the list is long..

You judge 7 years of Sarver compared to the best moves Colangelo made in like 35 years without really considering the bad. I am not a fan or Sarver but a lot of the criticism he gets is way over the top and comparisons to Colangelo not fair at all.

 

[BC867]

Colangelo is so glorified. We could go on and rant about the terrible moves Colangelo made as well.

Hey, I'm agreeing with slin. Jerry Colangelo was an outstanding marketing guy and politician.

But as an NBA G.M., he was absolutely mediocre. Just as when he had the audacity to name himself Head Coach twice.

And he trained his Phoenix Son in the same mold.

It wasn't until the Diamondbacks that he formed a team competitive enough to win a title. They say his heart was broken that it wasn't the Suns who won it all.

That is because he never put the total package together. The Suns cinderella year vs. the Celtics was the worst thing that could happen, because it glorified former college coach John MacLeod and his former college 212 lb. Center Alvan Adams as a large part of the Suns legacy.

Look at how many decades it has taken for us to have a long-term legitimate Center. Oops, that is where slin and I part company.

 

[Superbone]

I have a hunch they're going to go after Eric Gordon this summer. They'll offer him the max and dare Stern to match.

Another possible target I've heard is Nick Young. Personally, I don't know anything about him.

 

[PhxGametime]

The Suns could always do what the Sonics/Thunder did (Kurt Thomas Trade) to get more Picks. I'm not sure who'd be available though...

 

[SirStefan32]

I hope it's not Gordon. In my opinion, he is not really worth anything over $10M per year.

Having said that, I am not going to be surprised if they overpay him. The other interesting possibility is B. Lopez. If you have to overpay, might as well overpay the big man.