Suns trade

[jibikao]

Do you think Suns would make a trade at all? I don't know who we should trade for that is good enough.

 

[jibikao]

Oh!! We've already got a guy named Tskitishvili???

He is 7'0 tall!!!!! I hope he can rebound!

PS: I've never seen a Negative Efficiency.... WTF?

 

[sunsfn]

Minimum contract not much risk here.

Nikoloz Tskitishvili ......... $745,248 [minimum, 2 year contract]

 

[The Commish]

It's funny that we have talked about the possibility of acquiring him for the past couple years and it just suddenly happens out of the blue. This move is more of an insurance policy for right now, and a project for later. I guess we will have to stay tuned to see how it all works out. He did come cheap though which is always nice.

 

[BillsCarnage]

I still would like to see Jackson moved just to clear up salary and maybe get a 2nd or young PG to develop.

It's only a matter of time.

 

[fordronken]

Diaw part II? Please? Pretty please?

 

[elindholm]

Funny thought: Assuming the Suns find a taker for Jackson, Tskitishvili will assume the mantle of "Suns player who was taken with the highest pick of his draft." (Jackson #4 1992, Tskitishvili #5 2002)

 

[Yuma]

XMAS CAME AGAIN IN JANUARY!!!!!

I am so stoked!

 

[planaria]

XMAS CAME AGAIN IN JANUARY!!!!!

I am so stoked!

Nice! Skita younger brother is already posting on this board!!

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

True, the Suns didn't give up much (about a third of the trade exception), so it's hard to complain, but I'll be amazed if Tskitishvili proves to be worth a darn thing.

They didn't even give that up. Like I posted earlier, Skita is on a minimum deal. Therefor the Suns (or any team) do not need to have a TE or room under the cap to aquire the player.

From Coon:

The "Minimum Salary exception" allows teams to acquire minimum-salary players without regard to salary matching under the Traded Player exception (see question number 68). For example, a team over the cap can trade a second round draft pick to another team in exchange for a minimum-salary player, even a 10-year veteran earning over $1 million. To qualify, the player can be signed for no more than two seasons, can be paid no more than the then-minimum salary in any season, and can have no unlikely bonuses.

So essentially they gave up a 2nd round draft pick (probably near #55 overall) in a weak draft where they will most likely already have 2 first round picks.

He probably won't amount to anything, but this is absolute least amount we could give up in a trade.

 

[HooverDam]

I think the Nash effect will help Skita.

Nash helped turn Diaw into a good player. Diaw was drafted 21st overall, Skita was drafted 5th overall. So Nash should make Skita approximately 4 times as good as Diaw.

How does 46.4 points, 25.6 rebounds and 24 assists sound!?

But really, this is a good move for the Suns. At worst, its a handful of more fouls coming off the bench. He is also a big body to practice against. He'll probably compete w/ Pat Burke for garbage big man minutes. Maybe if he can show some improvement, some of our forwards can rest a few more minutes a game.

 

[devilalum]

I think the Nash effect will help Skita.

.

You're assuming Nash and this guy will ever be on the court together.

 

[HooverDam]

When is he expected to join the team?

 

[Chaplin]

When is he expected to join the team?

Guessing tomorrow.

EDIT: My bad, doesn't look like we'll get him until the middle of next week.

Suns acquire T-Wolves 7-footer
Tskitishvili, 22, fits D'Antoni's style of play

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 26, 2006
advertisement

The Suns could have drafted a player at the end of the second round this June but they saw more potential in Nikoloz Tskitishvili, the fifth pick in the 2002 draft.

Phoenix acquired Tskitishvili today, sending Minnesota a 2006 second-round draft choice in return. Tskitishvili, who played a season for Suns coach Mike D’Antoni in Italy before being drafted, will report to Phoenix for a physical by Tuesday at the latest before joining the club.

“It’s going to take some nurturing but I do think there’s some potential there,” D’Antoni said of their season together at Benetton Treviso when Tskitishvili was an 18-year-old backup. “I could’ve sworn (in 2002) that he’d be great.”

The Suns have remained interested in landing Tskitishvili ever since Denver took him and Nene before the Suns picked Amaré Stoudemire at No..9. Phoenix was required to make a move because it can’t go two weeks without 12 active players. Josh Davis’ 10-day contract earlier this month helped pass some time.

Tskitishvili, 7 feet and deceptively strong at 225 pounds, projects to play one of the two post positions in Phoenix’s system. He signed with Minnesota after a big summer-league performance but broke his hand in July and has recently been rehabilitating a foot sprain that is not expected to hold up the deal. He played five games this season.

“If there is an ideal coach and ideal system for ‘Skita’ to do well, it’s here in Phoenix with Mike D’Antoni,” Suns President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo said.

“We certainly know he’s an athletic, young player that hasn’t realized much success and this is a good opportunity for him to do so.”

Tskitishvili has a minimum-salary contract that would kick in a second season if he remains with the club through August.

 

[Yuma]

Noone remembers the stiff we drafted in the fifties last year. He was so good we traded him on draft night. So ESSENTIALLY we got Tskitisvilli for NOTHING!

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Oh man do i love this move....yeah hes averaged 30% on his shots....yeah hes avg. .6 a game.....but this is just a less costly version of the Darko post i put up a couple days ago....Many of you will scoff and say this move means nothing and he is destined to be a garbage player....and you are likely right. But damn if i dont love my team for making smart-low risk basketball moves like this.

And the Boris Diaw part 2 comparison is very apt. Consider this: Tskita was talented enought to be drafted top 5 (the suns were enamored with him) and was actually having a great run in the summer league this year before he got hurt. Being young and european, he has likely never been comfortable since coming here. Like BC said, if he is going to ever have any success, it will be here with his old coach. And for a second rounder? Highway robbery. I would rather have had Darko, but not at at what it would have cost. Great move. Says here he shows some sign by the end of the year and we MIGHT have another rotation player going into next year...

All in all a great move............And remember what some of you said (myself included) about acquiring Diaw and even House. I like the chances of this system being just what this kid needs......

 

[slinslin]

I can't believe we traded for this bust. I guess all the reports about the Suns love affair about this guy were indeed true.

Anyway I'll do my best and hope that he realizes some of his potential now because there must be some at least, of course I really doubt that.

Skita sucks.

We got a big man? This guy is tall but he doesn't help us with anything a big guy should have added to the team.

Dan Langhi - Zarko Cabarkapa - Scott Padgett (Nets bailed us out ) - Nikoloz Tsikitsvill.

I see a pattern here. What is this thing about the Suns and tall white guys that are supposedly shooters and all that.

 

[elindholm]

Didn't realize the thing about the minimum salary exemption, so this is really cost-free. Barely a million dollars over the next season and a half, plus a worthless draft pick. Whatever.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Didn't realize the thing about the minimum salary exemption, so this is really cost-free. Barely a million dollars over the next season and a half, plus a worthless draft pick. Whatever.

Exactly....how can you say something like "i cant believe we traded for this bust.." slinsln? were you holding that roster spot for the impending Lebron trade?

Even if you think this guy wont amount to nothing but another seven foot body in practice, what the hell di dwe give up exactly? I dont think some of you are looking at this the right way....i might be optimistic in my hope that he actually develops and many of you might not agree, but what exactly is the downside or worst case scenario in trading for this seven foot, 23 year old who can shoot and is comfortable with D'antoni? The only thing this cost was another plasma screen TV in Sarver's mansion. I think we as Suns fans will all live.....

 

[jibikao]

I don't know anything about this new player we just traded for but is he better than Burke? PLEASE SAY YES. Burke is just so horrible out there... I am very sorry to say that.

 

[slinslin]

Well I still think a 2nd round pick is better than a sure fire bust which I think Skita is.

The trade doesn't hurt us I guess but I'd never say it helps us although I now hope that Skita does something with his talent.

 

[Chaz]

I love this trade.

We get a young, talented, tall player for very little cost.


I think he could be a nice fit with the young talent already on the team.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Well I still think a 2nd round pick is better than a sure fire bust which I think Skita is.

You're right, we could have gotten a second Dijon Thompson who is definitely going to be better than Skita....

I am not saying that he will do anything, but I mean really - this is probably the 55th or 56th pick in a very poor draft class. One where we already have 2 firsts to deal with. There is probably a 2% chance that our second rounder would have even made the team next season.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

dont be sorry....and yes he is a ton better physically and younger so thats a good place to start....im willing to bet hes better production wise to so all in all we have a higher ceiling, younger, more skilled, taller better version of burke...and for a second rounder that we likely would not have has room on the roster for if we keep the current set of draft picks we had....

 

[Arizona's Finest]

You're right, we could have gotten a second Dijon Thompson who is definitely going to be better than Skita....

I am not saying that he will do anything, but I mean really - this is probably the 55th or 56th pick in a very poor draft class. One where we already have 2 firsts to deal with. There is probably a 2% chance that our second rounder would have even made the team next season.

ahh graham, where have you been...the voice of reason....

No one at 55 or 56 (in this weak 06 class especially) is as close to as physically talented as a top 5 pick like Skita.....

He could be another Lampe, but even then, Lampe was the centerpiece to the trade that brought us JJAx which was the impetus for us going to the WCF once JJ went down. Have faith in the system guys, if he scores .6 on the T-wolves, he will bump that scoring avg. to 3 points here

But he COULD be more and at that cost its worth it risking....