The Ayton Plan

Phrazbit

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They don’t they just keep him. He’s got 4 years left.

He’s not gonna sit out

I think he would probably pull a Harden. Show up, give next to no effort, the go out with “soreness”.

At which point its value would plummet even further.
 

Mainstreet

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I'm still having a tough time wrapping my head around this reported quote by James Jones made in a interview with ESPN.

How does he not mention Deandre Ayton in the quote below. Deandre was a huge part of the Suns run to the Finals.


Donnie Druin Jun 22, 2022:

"He even confesses that, had he been at the helm in 2015, he probably would have passed on Booker," said Arnovitz.

"It all depends on what your goal is," Jones says. "Devin is great, but there are 50 skeletons tied to that swing for the star. It wasn't until winning was imported -- Chris, Jae Crowder, drafting a three-year guy who could help right away like Mikal -- that it translated to success. And if you don't import winning around him, there are even more skeletons. So if you want to find the guy with the highest potential to be the future star, then it makes sense to draft him -- if you're willing to navigate the land mines."


 

Cheesebeef

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I'm still having a tough time wrapping my head around this reported quote by James Jones made in a interview with ESPN.

How does he not mention Deandre Ayton in the quote below. Deandre was a huge part of the Suns run to the Finals.


Donnie Druin Jun 22, 2022:

"He even confesses that, had he been at the helm in 2015, he probably would have passed on Booker," said Arnovitz.

"It all depends on what your goal is," Jones says. "Devin is great, but there are 50 skeletons tied to that swing for the star. It wasn't until winning was imported -- Chris, Jae Crowder, drafting a three-year guy who could help right away like Mikal -- that it translated to success. And if you don't import winning around him, there are even more skeletons. So if you want to find the guy with the highest potential to be the future star, then it makes sense to draft him -- if you're willing to navigate the land mines."


if you can't see the writing on and not on the wall here re: Ayton at this point, I don't know what to tell you.

I don't agree with the total minimization of Ayton's impact on the team and think we've handled this pretty poorly, but if you believe that the team wants him back, I think you're being naive at this point. Maybe they match an offer sheet so they can unload him later, but it wouldn't even surprise me to see them just let him walk at this point either. The guys on 98.7 started talking about that today.

again, that's not an endorsement of the Suns if it's what happens. I'll be REAL pissed if that's the outcome.
 

Finito

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I'm still having a tough time wrapping my head around this reported quote by James Jones made in a interview with ESPN.

How does he not mention Deandre Ayton in the quote below. Deandre was a huge part of the Suns run to the Finals.


Donnie Druin Jun 22, 2022:

"He even confesses that, had he been at the helm in 2015, he probably would have passed on Booker," said Arnovitz.

"It all depends on what your goal is," Jones says. "Devin is great, but there are 50 skeletons tied to that swing for the star. It wasn't until winning was imported -- Chris, Jae Crowder, drafting a three-year guy who could help right away like Mikal -- that it translated to success. And if you don't import winning around him, there are even more skeletons. So if you want to find the guy with the highest potential to be the future star, then it makes sense to draft him -- if you're willing to navigate the land mines."


Give someone enough rope and they’ll hang themselves.

I got serious questions about this guy now.
 

Finito

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we've seen a ton of really questionable moves/comment the last 12 months from the FO.

Halliburton or Bane even Stix would be looking real good right about now

Pretty much saying he doesn’t care about the draft or developing talent

Not trading for a big last year

Not trading for Gordon this year.

Mishandling Stix

Mishandling Ayton

The mistakes are starting to really add up.
 

Mainstreet

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if you can't see the writing on and not on the wall here re: Ayton at this point, I don't know what to tell you.

I don't agree with the total minimization of Ayton's impact on the team and think we've handled this pretty poorly, but if you believe that the team wants him back, I think you're being naive at this point. Maybe they match an offer sheet so they can unload him later, but it wouldn't even surprise me to see them just let him walk at this point either. The guys on 98.7 started talking about that today.

again, that's not an endorsement of the Suns if it's what happens. I'll be REAL pissed if that's the outcome.

I not only can see the writing on the wall but I think the thought process that went into this is blatantly wrong.

Almost every GM realizes they have to stock up with cheap young talent along the way.

Suns better hope they get something valuable in return for Ayton.
 

Mainstreet

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Halliburton or Bane even Stix would be looking real good right about now

Pretty much saying he doesn’t care about the draft or developing talent

Not trading for a big last year

Not trading for Gordon this year.

Mishandling Stix

Mishandling Ayton

The mistakes are starting to really add up.

After awhile, it's hard to know what to say.

It's like trying to cross a stream and hoping not to run out of rocks to step on.
 

Mainstreet

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Give someone enough rope and they’ll hang themselves.

I got serious questions about this guy now.

Halliburton or Bane even Stix would be looking real good right about now

Pretty much saying he doesn’t care about the draft or developing talent

Not trading for a big last year

Not trading for Gordon this year.

Mishandling Stix

Mishandling Ayton

The mistakes are starting to really add up.

These are not just mistakes, they are planned decisions.
 

Town Drunk

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Halliburton or Bane even Stix would be looking real good right about now

Pretty much saying he doesn’t care about the draft or developing talent

Not trading for a big last year

Not trading for Gordon this year.

Mishandling Stix

Mishandling Ayton

The mistakes are starting to really add up.
Don’t forget Shamet and his contract.

I haven’t really been that impressed with him since he was hired. Paul wanted to come here, though I’ll give him some credit for that trade. I give him full credit for Mikal and Cam. Outside of that, it’s a mixed bag for me.
 
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Folster

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Don’t forget Shamet and his contract.

I haven’t really been that impressed with him since he was hired. Paul wanted to come here, though I’ll give him some credit for that trade. I give him full credit for Mikal and Cam. Outside of that, it’s a mixed bag for me.

I am really starting to think a large part of the Shamet signing was to have a tradeable contract for the superstar trade strategy. I'm sure we thought/hoped he would play up to the contract and be seen as an asset. I obviously think it was bad, but if Shamet goes out as filler in a KD trade, then there will be some redeeming aspect. I bet a KD trade has been on our radar and discussed internally for a while now with Book and CP3 backchanneling.
 

Mainstreet

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I am really starting to think a large part of the Shamet signing was to have a tradeable contract for the superstar trade strategy. I'm sure we thought/hoped he would play up to the contract and be seen as an asset. I obviously think it was bad, but if Shamet goes out as filler in a KD trade, then there will be some redeeming aspect. I bet a KD trade has been on our radar and discussed internally for a while now with Book and CP3 backchanneling.

Agree. I think the Suns saw Shamet as a asset in a trade.

Now, not as much, although his salary could provide filler in a trade.
 

Fumats20

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if you can't see the writing on and not on the wall here re: Ayton at this point, I don't know what to tell you.

I don't agree with the total minimization of Ayton's impact on the team and think we've handled this pretty poorly, but if you believe that the team wants him back, I think you're being naive at this point. Maybe they match an offer sheet so they can unload him later, but it wouldn't even surprise me to see them just let him walk at this point either. The guys on 98.7 started talking about that today.

again, that's not an endorsement of the Suns if it's what happens. I'll be REAL pissed if that's the outcome.

This part of the reason in real life you just don't quit your job. You strategically plan by not telling anybody you are looking for another job and plan your 2 week vacation around the time you give your two week notice when you know you got the new job.

You need the reference first. So you keep quiet. Nobody is going to believe you weren't the problem when your boss says you sucked because they mad you leaving.
 

Cheesebeef

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This part of the reason in real life you just don't quit your job. You strategically plan by not telling anybody you are looking for another job and plan your 2 week vacation around the time you give your two week notice when you know you got the new job.

You need the reference first. So you keep quiet. Nobody is going to believe you weren't the problem when your boss says you sucked because they mad you leaving.
It’s pretty terrible from a PR perspective alone. If the Suns are actively showing they don’t value Ayton, how can they expect to get value back in trade?

Unless they’re just planning on letting him walk…
 

TJ

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Don’t forget Shamet and his contract.

I haven’t really been that impressed with him since he was hired. Paul wanted to come here, though I’ll give him some credit for that trade. I give him full credit for Mikal and Cam. Outside of that, it’s a mixed bag for me.
#SkinnyKeim
 

GatorAZ

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I not only can see the writing on the wall but I think the thought process that went into this is blatantly wrong.

Almost every GM realizes they have to stock up with cheap young talent along the way.

Suns better hope they get something valuable in return for Ayton.

As @Finito and I were saying during the Sabonis stuff, if they knew they weren’t bringing Ayton back they should’ve traded him at the deadline best record or not. The only hope is swindling him in a KD which might be our lifeline. I don’t think the current regime ever wanted DA and have been looking for reasons to move on from him. Monty solely snapping at DA during a game 7 in which every single player melted down?
 

Cheesebeef

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As @Finito and I were saying during the Sabonis stuff, if they knew they weren’t bringing Ayton back they should’ve traded him at the deadline best record or not. The only hope is swindling him in a KD which might be our lifeline. I don’t think the current regime ever wanted DA and have been looking for reasons to move on from him. Monty solely snapping at DA during a game 7 in which every single player melted down?
Man… the difference a year makes. On this day last year, we went up 2-0 in the Finals and looked like we were not only gonna win our first title, but set up for a really nice decade with a budding Booker/Ayton combo to build around in the post-Paul future.
 

Mainstreet

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As @Finito and I were saying during the Sabonis stuff, if they knew they weren’t bringing Ayton back they should’ve traded him at the deadline best record or not. The only hope is swindling him in a KD which might be our lifeline. I don’t think the current regime ever wanted DA and have been looking for reasons to move on from him. Monty solely snapping at DA during a game 7 in which every single player melted down?

Ayton should have been traded at the trade deadline if the Suns didn't want to pay him for sure.

I don't like the idea of favoritism when it comes to players. IMO, too much of that is going on with the Suns. Ayton already proved what he could do in that Finals run.
 

Raindog

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These are not just mistakes, they are planned decisions.

In Jones defense, it's hard to say how much is his own incompetency and how much is due to being handcuffed/kneecapped by the giant turd that is the Suns owner. I have a hard time believing that all of the stupidity is entirely on Jones given the history of stupidity by other front office people here under Sarver... again, the one common link behind all of the stupidity of the franchise since he took over.

I mean, Jones may also be a doofus who has just been extraordinarily lucky with some of the good moves. But there are echoes throughout multiple FO regimes here.
 

Finito

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Ayton should have been traded at the trade deadline if the Suns didn't want to pay him for sure.

I don't like the idea of favoritism when it comes to players. IMO, too much of that is going on with the Suns. Ayton already proved what he could do in that Finals run.

Yeah Monty definitely has his guys no matter how much they suck
 

Finito

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Man… the difference a year makes. On this day last year, we went up 2-0 in the Finals and looked like we were not only gonna win our first title, but set up for a really nice decade with a budding Booker/Ayton combo to build around in the post-Paul future.

If Ayton is gone and KD don’t walk through that door this window is closed
 

Mainstreet

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In Jones defense, it's hard to say how much is his own incompetency and how much is due to being handcuffed/kneecapped by the giant turd that is the Suns owner. I have a hard time believing that all of the stupidity is entirely on Jones given the history of stupidity by other front office people here under Sarver... again, the one common link behind all of the stupidity of the franchise since he took over.

I mean, Jones may also be a doofus who has just been extraordinarily lucky with some of the good moves. But there are echoes throughout multiple FO regimes here.

If James Jones hadn't come out with those comments in the recent ESPN article I'd be more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. Then of course there is the matter of not picking up the option on Stix and possibly trading Ayton.

I like veteran players but I think there needs to be steady influx of young talent building towards the future.
 

Sparky16

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At this point I sign Ayton to 5 year max. Unless PHX gets back a double double front court player in return there is no point in trading him. Management botched the situation so now they need to take their medicine, new TV money will make Ayton's contract more palatable. BRK is being unreasonable and so is IND if they think Turner is fair return value for Ayton.
F that, you sign DA to a 4 year deal well below the Max. To bad, his value is not Max $
 

Mainstreet

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We may find out something today concerning the future of Ayton. The Pacers should be able to submit an offer sheet if that is their plan.

Hopefully something else is in the works like a sign-and-trade or better yet, the Suns match.

I hope the Suns do not drag this matter out.
 
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