So the deal is finally done. For those of you that have been waiting to rejoice in the Richardson-for-Thomas trade can now finally celebrate. You are finally getting your rebounder and are saying goodbye to what some people consider an expendable, one-dimensional player.
You got your wish, so now we have to deal with the ramifications of this deal, which ended up costing the Suns much more than they initially thought. There is no use in crying over spilled milk, or in this case crying over not seeing someone like Francisco Garcia in a Suns uniform for the next five years or so.
So what now? Aside from the re-signing of Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire, the Suns still have a lot of work to do and a good amount of the roster to make over. Here is a quick rundown of what they need to focus on this off-season.
Backup point guard
Everyone in the organization wants Leandro Barbosa to succeed so he will get another shot as the main backup to Steve Nash. He will get a long look at the point this season and will slide over to play some at the two now that the Q deal has opened up some playing time in the rotation.
Unfortunately, the Suns can't wait on Barbosa to develop. If it is true that the Suns feel the urgency to win now before their window closes then they have to address the backup point spot. It is not enough to go into the season with Barbosa and JJ as the only guys that can give Nash some rest. The Suns have to sign a third point, preferably a veteran who won't mind playing limited minutes while the Barbosa experiment plays out.
Suns fans can forget about players like Antonio Daniels or Earl Watson. Those players will require too much money and more playing time than the Suns have to offer. The Suns need to target someone who can step in and play about 10 minutes a game, won't shrink under the lights of postseason play and comes cheap. Unfortunately there aren't many players that fit that mold.
Darrell Armstrong proved in his harassing of Steve Nash in the Dallas series that he can still play a role on a contender. Armstrong played last season for the veteran minimum and he might like the Suns' chances of winning a ring. Having someone like Armstrong on the bench is a good insurance policy to have if Barbosa doesn't pan out.
The other big name that has been bandied about is Gary Payton. The veteran point guard may be coaxed to play for the veteran minimum, but is he worth the hassle at this point of his career? The Glove may seem to fit in Phoenix on the court, but he may not be the ideal fit in the locker room.
Steven Hunter
While it may seem that with the addition of Thomas that Hunter becomes expendable, nothing is further than the truth. After Amare and Thomas there is no one on the bench that can provide the quality minutes Hunter can. Signing Hunter should be right behind Amare's and JJ's on the Suns' priorities this off-season.
He fit in well last season and played some solid defense against the likes of Tim Duncan in the playoffs. The Suns have to hope that Hunter doesn't get offers that go above the million dollar exemption since it is doubtful the Suns will get into a bidding war. A two-year deal for the $1.5 million slot would give Hunter a little security by doubling his salary from last year.
If Hunter signs elsewhere the Suns will have to look for another big man, and we know how difficult and expensive that can be. Hunter may not be part of the "core," but he is an important player for the Suns.
Filling the roster
Bo Outlaw and Paul Shirley won't be back next season and it seems probable that Walter McCarty and Jake Vohskul will also be on the way out. That leaves four spots that the Suns need to fill and, unlike last season, it shouldn't just be bottom-of-the-barrel players that will never get off the bench.
Assuming the Suns can convince Hunter to return and they sign a veteran point guard, that still leaves two spots to fill. The Suns still have the midlevel exception available to them and that slot should be filled by someone who can help fill the hole opened up by Q's departure. Of the players on the market no one fills that need better than Michael Finley, who is expected to be released by the Mavericks in a salary cap move.
While Finley's better days are behind him, he is still an effective player and he won't be asked to do as much offensively as he was in Dallas. But the question would be if Finley will accept the $5.5 million exception to come back to the desert. Finley will be hot a commodity as teams like the Nuggets and Bulls will surely come knocking, but Finley is familiar with Phoenix, is friendly with Steve Nash and the Suns are closer to a title than either of those teams. Nabbing Finley would make everyone forget about losing Q.
With their final spot the Suns need to look for another big man that could eventually develop into a solid player. One option would be forward/center James Thomas, who had a cup of coffee last season with the Trail Blazers and Hawks. The NBDL Rookie of the Year in 2004-05 is a rebounding machine and could be the type of player that the Suns develop to replace Kurt Thomas once his contract expires in a couple of seasons.
There is little doubt after the recent trade that Colangelo and company will be aggressive during the free-agent signing period. The aggression has paid off in the past, but with the Suns so close to finally realizing their goal of a championship, it is imperative that these moves are made not only for the present but with an eye for the future.
You got your wish, so now we have to deal with the ramifications of this deal, which ended up costing the Suns much more than they initially thought. There is no use in crying over spilled milk, or in this case crying over not seeing someone like Francisco Garcia in a Suns uniform for the next five years or so.
So what now? Aside from the re-signing of Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire, the Suns still have a lot of work to do and a good amount of the roster to make over. Here is a quick rundown of what they need to focus on this off-season.
Backup point guard
Everyone in the organization wants Leandro Barbosa to succeed so he will get another shot as the main backup to Steve Nash. He will get a long look at the point this season and will slide over to play some at the two now that the Q deal has opened up some playing time in the rotation.
Unfortunately, the Suns can't wait on Barbosa to develop. If it is true that the Suns feel the urgency to win now before their window closes then they have to address the backup point spot. It is not enough to go into the season with Barbosa and JJ as the only guys that can give Nash some rest. The Suns have to sign a third point, preferably a veteran who won't mind playing limited minutes while the Barbosa experiment plays out.
Suns fans can forget about players like Antonio Daniels or Earl Watson. Those players will require too much money and more playing time than the Suns have to offer. The Suns need to target someone who can step in and play about 10 minutes a game, won't shrink under the lights of postseason play and comes cheap. Unfortunately there aren't many players that fit that mold.
Darrell Armstrong proved in his harassing of Steve Nash in the Dallas series that he can still play a role on a contender. Armstrong played last season for the veteran minimum and he might like the Suns' chances of winning a ring. Having someone like Armstrong on the bench is a good insurance policy to have if Barbosa doesn't pan out.
The other big name that has been bandied about is Gary Payton. The veteran point guard may be coaxed to play for the veteran minimum, but is he worth the hassle at this point of his career? The Glove may seem to fit in Phoenix on the court, but he may not be the ideal fit in the locker room.
Steven Hunter
While it may seem that with the addition of Thomas that Hunter becomes expendable, nothing is further than the truth. After Amare and Thomas there is no one on the bench that can provide the quality minutes Hunter can. Signing Hunter should be right behind Amare's and JJ's on the Suns' priorities this off-season.
He fit in well last season and played some solid defense against the likes of Tim Duncan in the playoffs. The Suns have to hope that Hunter doesn't get offers that go above the million dollar exemption since it is doubtful the Suns will get into a bidding war. A two-year deal for the $1.5 million slot would give Hunter a little security by doubling his salary from last year.
If Hunter signs elsewhere the Suns will have to look for another big man, and we know how difficult and expensive that can be. Hunter may not be part of the "core," but he is an important player for the Suns.
Filling the roster
Bo Outlaw and Paul Shirley won't be back next season and it seems probable that Walter McCarty and Jake Vohskul will also be on the way out. That leaves four spots that the Suns need to fill and, unlike last season, it shouldn't just be bottom-of-the-barrel players that will never get off the bench.
Assuming the Suns can convince Hunter to return and they sign a veteran point guard, that still leaves two spots to fill. The Suns still have the midlevel exception available to them and that slot should be filled by someone who can help fill the hole opened up by Q's departure. Of the players on the market no one fills that need better than Michael Finley, who is expected to be released by the Mavericks in a salary cap move.
While Finley's better days are behind him, he is still an effective player and he won't be asked to do as much offensively as he was in Dallas. But the question would be if Finley will accept the $5.5 million exception to come back to the desert. Finley will be hot a commodity as teams like the Nuggets and Bulls will surely come knocking, but Finley is familiar with Phoenix, is friendly with Steve Nash and the Suns are closer to a title than either of those teams. Nabbing Finley would make everyone forget about losing Q.
With their final spot the Suns need to look for another big man that could eventually develop into a solid player. One option would be forward/center James Thomas, who had a cup of coffee last season with the Trail Blazers and Hawks. The NBDL Rookie of the Year in 2004-05 is a rebounding machine and could be the type of player that the Suns develop to replace Kurt Thomas once his contract expires in a couple of seasons.
There is little doubt after the recent trade that Colangelo and company will be aggressive during the free-agent signing period. The aggression has paid off in the past, but with the Suns so close to finally realizing their goal of a championship, it is imperative that these moves are made not only for the present but with an eye for the future.
