Suns trade 27 for cash

[Evil Ash]

The roster as it stands is 10 deep (excluding House and TT). If they stay with the Suns, then we still have to fill 3 more roster spots. With what money do we get them filled?

Vet min contracts, splitting the MLE

It doesn't really matter because its doubtful that they'd play anyways (ie Dijon Thompson, Pat Burke, etc)

 

[TBaslim]

I'm still waiting for someone to address the point made about drafting someone (Rodriguez, Freeland) and leaving him overseas. What would be the downside to that, as opposed to just giving away the pick?

That's a valid point.

Is there any cap hit to leaving a first round player overseas?

Do you every have to bring them over to the states or have it impact your cap?

 

[jbeecham]

With the moves made today, I think they can sign tim thomas for around 4 million next year, and not pay luxury tax. So they should be able to have the above mentioned roster next year.

The bigger question is will they extend BOTH diaw and barbosa. That is where we will see what sarver is about.

It really depends on what Barbosa & Diaw want per year. Some article had Barbosa looking for $8-9 mil per year and if he's asking for that then he's not getting an extension. I think they need to extend Diaw for anything less than $7.5 mil per year.

 

[Evil Ash]

I'm still waiting for someone to address the point made about drafting someone (Rodriguez, Freeland) and leaving him overseas. What would be the downside to that, as opposed to just giving away the pick?

Because its rather pointless. If they don't like the guy then he'd just stay over there and it would be doubtfult that his stock goes up that much higher

 

[jbeecham]

That's a valid point.

Is there any cap hit to leaving a first round player overseas?

Do you every have to bring them over to the states or have it impact your cap?

If they stay overseas then they are not under contract (no cap hit), but you continue to hold their draft rights so only you can sign them (for 3-4 yrs). They continue to get experience playing in the Euroleague, but maybe Sergio didn't want to stay overseas. If you want them then you might have to pay to buy them out of their contract.

 

[jlove]

Out of our players under contract it sits like this:

Nash
Marion
Amare
Diaw
KT
Barbosa
Bell
Jones

Bench Warmers:
Burke
Tskita (If kept)

 

[CaptainInsano]

I wonder what bank sarver is going to stash the money from #27 in along with the 40 million he made over this year that he just couldn't spend going over the cap.

I used to hate Joe Johnson, but it is starting to become clear now..

 

[Griffin]

Because its rather pointless. If they don't like the guy then he'd just stay over there and it would be doubtfult that his stock goes up that much higher

But there is no risk. If they still don't like him in a year or two they can just forget about him or package him in a trade. Maybe not much to gain, but certainly nothing to lose.

 

[Evil Ash]

But there is no risk. If they still don't like him in a year or two they can just forget about him or package him in a trade. Maybe not much to gain, but certainly nothing to lose.

You lose if he decided he wanted to come here. A player staying in Europe is based on whether they want to stay (the team has no real say in the decision) and if he decided he wanted to come here the team would be SOL

 

[Griffin]

You lose if he decided he wanted to come here. A player staying in Europe is based on whether they want to stay (the team has no real say in the decision) and if he decided he wanted to come here the team would be SOL

In such a case the NBA team could always renounce their rights to the player, making him a free agent. But a player like Joel Freeland is almost certain to play in Europe for a couple more years. He just signed a three-year contract.

 

[devilalum]

I don't mind trading #21. They got a future #1 and they unloded B Grant who's useless.

What really bothers me is trading #27 for CASH?!?!

This is really cheap, if they wanted to save money they could have drafted the best Euro on the board and left him Europe for a year or 2. Instead they took a handful of dollars.

CHEAP!

 

[NastyOne]

Did we win the championship? No

You're not disproving my point here

U'm yeah i am

We didnt get beat in 6 games by the Mavs cause we lost Amare, we couldnt get pass the mavs cause the other injuries crippled us.

Raja Bell getting hurt killed us, not to mention Kurt Thomas.

We were doing fine with Amare being out.

This team is loaded with Allstar Talent, our problem is we need a backup for Nash and we need to start grooming a future replacement for Nash.

We could've killed two birds with one stone with the #21 pick with all the talented PGs left on the board.

 

[Evil Ash]

U'm yeah i am

We didnt get beat in 6 games by the Mavs cause we lost Amare, we couldnt get pass the mavs cause the other injuries crippled us.

Raja Bell getting hurt killed us, not to mention Kurt Thomas.

We were doing fine with Amare being out.

This team is loaded with Allstar Talent, our problem is we need a backup for Nash and we need to start grooming a future replacement for Nash.

We could've killed two birds with one stone with the #21 pick with all the talented PGs left on the board.

If the injury to Bell was what killed us then shouldn't your argument be for a backup SG. You're right we lost because we lost 3/5ths of our starting lineup and if we do so again we still won't

I think people are being way too dramatic here not to mention that they're making an awful lot of assumptions (its not a sure thing that we would have beaten dallas even with Bell healty and even if we did its not a sure thing that we would've beaten the Heat).

There's still alot that can go on this offseason and I don't think we should judge the team until we know what it will actually look like by the time the season starts. That and I still stand by my opinion that if you don't like anybody where you're drafting, you don't take someone for the sake of taking someone.

 

[arthurracoon]

I've got no problem with this draft IF and ONLY IF all of the following happens:

KT, TT AND LEO are all on the squad come next season.

If we look like this next year:

Nash
Bell
Marion
Amare
KT/Boris

Bench:
Leo
Boris/KT
TT
James Jones

than I'm happy as a clam.

That team has more depth at G than the 2004-5 team with Nash, JJ and Barbosa who couldn't get off the bench and the depth at F/C is just disgusting.

Not to mention the fact that we still have atl's #1 next year in the deepest draft in ages.

This team is loaded up and ready to go next year, with the lure of a high pick next year to start the bridging process to the next era.

However, if all of the abvoe doesn't happen, then Sarver's a freaking chepa ass boob.

You are 100% correct

 

[NastyOne]

If the injury to Bell was what killed us then shouldn't your argument be for a backup SG. You're right we lost because we lost 3/5ths of our starting lineup and if we do so again we still won't

I think people are being way too dramatic here not to mention that they're making an awful lot of assumptions (its not a sure thing that we would have beaten dallas even with Bell healty and even if we did its not a sure thing that we would've beaten the Heat).

There's still alot that can go on this offseason and I don't think we should judge the team until we know what it will actually look like by the time the season starts. That and I still stand by my opinion that if you don't like anybody where you're drafting, you don't take someone for the sake of taking someone.

We have a backup SG, his name is Leandro Barbosa.

We still need someone to spell Nash for 10-15mins, and we still need someone to replace Nash in a couple of years.

I rather get that guy now while Nash is still here and can groom him.

 

[jlove]

I still think there is something going on behind the scenes. The Suns have roster spots to fill and minimal cash flow. They Suns were said to be high on Rondo yet they trade him away. I don't know what's upi D'A and Sarvers sleeve, but I think we will all be thrown about when it comes down. I don't think they sit tight with what they have.

 

[Covert Rain]

Barbosa is more of a point guard then shooting guard. Barbosa drives too much to really being a shooting guard. They only used him there to give Eddie House some time on the floor.

Barbosa can give Nash some minutes. The only problem is that if House leaves, that mean James Jones will probably log most of the backup minutes at shooting guard. That is scary in my opinion.

 

[NastyOne]

Barbosa is more of a point guard then shooting guard. Barbosa drives too much to really being a shooting guard. They only used him there to give Eddie House some time on the floor.

Barbosa can give Nash some minutes. The only problem is that if House leaves, that mean James Jones will probably log most of the backup minutes at shooting guard. That is scary in my opinion.

Barbosa is not a point guard, and unless we want this team to be dead in the water everytime Nash goes to the bench and Leo takes over at point, we better go out and find a real backup point.

How many times does Barbosa have to fail at PG before everyone realize he has horrible court awareness?

Hes a scorer and thats it, so its either resign him to play SG or just trade him before he walks.

Either way we're still left looking for a pointguard.

 

[Covert Rain]

Barbosa is not a point guard, and unless we want this team to be dead in the water everytime Nash goes to the bench and Leo takes over at point, we better go out and find a real backup point.

How many times does Barbosa have to fail at PG before everyone realize he has horrible court awareness?

Hes a scorer and thats it, so its either resign him to play SG or just trade him before he walks.

Either way we're still left looking for a pointguard.

No matter who the Suns get in free agency he will do no better then Barbosa. Barbosa most of the time relieved Nash. So we can basically expect the same thing next season.

Is he idea? No, I agree. However, Barbosa will not spend most of his bench minutes coming in for Raja Bell.

 

[SweetD]

WOW I don't understand you guys all this talk about Sarver is cheap and the Suns don't know what they are doing... come on this team doesn't need over priced beanch warmers. You can still pick up free agents for the vet min. that will produce much better than these guys would ever do. Just think this will allow us to also have the cap space for Atlanta's loto pick next year also. Dijon did nothing for us last year and they said even before the draft they liked 5 players if they were not there, they would trade out.

 

[Errntknght]

I understand using #21 to move Grant and we did get a first rounder for 2007 so I'm okay with that. But I'm going to be really ticked about selling #27 if Maurice Ager turns out to be a decent SG next year. He's 6'5 and regarded as athletic and a pretty good defender so on that basis he would fill a gaping hole in our bench - and we have to add four players so we are going to be paying someone else about the .8 mil to round out the roster. Assuming TT is resigned we are left with three slots and fewer needs. Are the odds really that much in favor of finding three cheap vets that can help that we couldn't afford a slight gamble on one rookie? Absolute worst case - meaning we do find three cheap vets that help - Skita has to be dumped before his Aug 10th deadline. And the Suns may do that anyway according to one report.

 

[Gaddabout]

Barbosa is more of a point guard then shooting guard. Barbosa drives too much to really being a shooting guard.

???

The primary complaint against Barbosa is he is shooting guard in a point guard's body. Drives too much? That's not usually a complaint against shooting guards. If anything, most 2 guards either aren't capable or aren't aggressive enough to drive more often. Driving = higher percentage shots for 2 guards who aren't playing out of position. And I hate to repeat this stat, but Barbosa shot 44% from behind the arc, which he accomplished playing the 2. He can score in multiple ways, which is exactly what you want from that position.

Barbosa can give Nash some minutes.

In the current roster condition, Barbosa will have to, but this only works if Barbosa vastly improves his PG skills. He's been the primary backup PG for two years now, and the Suns have had to be creative in finding other ways to keep the offense flowing when Nash is off the floor.

D'Antoni has left no room to speculate: Barbosa is his backup PG. What we are doing is second-guessing his confidence in Barbs because of A) historical evidence suggests this won't work and B) Nash's minutes are far, far too high for a player with a history of breaking down late in the season.

The only problem is that if House leaves, that mean James Jones will probably log most of the backup minutes at shooting guard. That is scary in my opinion.

I'm with you on that one, and said so previously. I'm less concerned about Jones' shooting and more concerned with his limited ball-handling skills and ability to defend vastly superior athletes on the perimeter.

I can't fathom the Suns going into the season without signing another guard worthy of logging minutes in the rotation, but I admit it's possible. I sure hope the trainers are working with Jones to slim down some if that's the case. He might be capable of playing *some* 2 at 215 rather than 225 or 230 (or whatever he weighed at the end of the season).

 

[Errntknght]

I give D'Antoni credit for knowing he cannot have Leandro as the primary backup PG and keep Nash's minutes down if we are running the P&R offense we've used the last two years. In fact, I think he knows after the Dallas series that he cannot use Leandro the way he did last year - letting him take the ball way out high and essentially announce that he was going to drive. Dallas shut him down when he did that and other teams slowed him greatly after they'd seen it enough times.

Obviously, Boris is going to be a key component of the new offense - and I can't imagine doing anything other than working at the high post as he did throughout the playoffs. Beyond that its not crystal clear but Amare is going to be involved and he will either be posting up low or high or both. My bet is mostly high to take advantage of his highly accurate jumper - and opposite Boris. It will make it very hard for the defense having their two biggest defenders just far enough away from the hoop they'll have a hard time helping against drivers/slashers - and leaving guys capable of making them pay for it in a variety of ways.

 

[panfolk]

I give D'Antoni credit for knowing he cannot have Leandro as the primary backup PG and keep Nash's minutes down if we are running the P&R offense we've used the last two years. In fact, I think he knows after the Dallas series that he cannot use Leandro the way he did last year - letting him take the ball way out high and essentially announce that he was going to drive. Dallas shut him down when he did that and other teams slowed him greatly after they'd seen it enough times.

Obviously, Boris is going to be a key component of the new offense - and I can't imagine doing anything other than working at the high post as he did throughout the playoffs. Beyond that its not crystal clear but Amare is going to be involved and he will either be posting up low or high or both. My bet is mostly high to take advantage of his highly accurate jumper - and opposite Boris. It will make it very hard for the defense having their two biggest defenders just far enough away from the hoop they'll have a hard time helping against drivers/slashers - and leaving guys capable of making them pay for it in a variety of ways.

What I don't understand is how they could run an offense with KT, Amare, and Diaw all at the elbows. I think Amare or KT would have to be forced down low and I don't know if that'll work. If Diaw logs significant minutes with Amare would he be forced baseline or to the perimeter? I think Diaw is a high post PF by nature and I think D'A does as well. How will this workout?

 

[George O'Brien]

What I don't understand is how they could run an offense with KT, Amare, and Diaw all at the elbows. I think Amare or KT would have to be forced down low and I don't know if that'll work. If Diaw logs significant minutes with Amare would he be forced baseline or to the perimeter? I think Diaw is a high post PF by nature and I think D'A does as well. How will this workout?

I don't expect to see Amare, KT, and Boris in the lineup at the same time very often.

With Amre at high post, KT would be on the baseline. With Boris at high post, Amare would be at the baseline which is where he played for the first two years he was on the team.

I'm still intrigued by the idea of having Boris do a two man game with Amare and Boris with TT in the corner.