The Ayton Plan

[Mainstreet]

You can’t go into next year with Paul as your starter not after this.

I'm not sure if Paul would be willing to accept a lesser role and he is owed about $45 million guaranteed over the next two seasons.

The Suns best bet may be to add a backup point guard capable of starting. I don't think Cam Payne qualifies anymore.

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm not sure if Paul would be willing to accept a lesser role and he is owed about $45 million over the next two season.

The Suns best bet may be to add a backup point guard capable of starting. I don't think Cam Payne qualifies anymore.

This part right here. It's a must this offseason. It's time for Payne to go and Shamet signing was a failure. I think if Paul got even 5 minutes less a game that could be a huge lift come playoff time.

 

[dscher]

To give up on Ayton at this point for anything less than a star would be a huge mistake. (Sabonis ain't a star)

If they are entertaining it at this point...they clearly don't believe so. IMO. So, maybe that says something about what's in between the ears for Ayton and his potential ceiling they might have hoped for...

 

[Folster]

Orlando got the #1 pick. That gives them some ammo if the report citing them as a pursuer of Ayton is true.

 

[Covert Rain]

Orlando got the #1 pick. That gives them some ammo if the report citing them as a pursuer of Ayton is true.

If you are Orlando and want a center they might just draft Holmgren who is going to be cheaper than Ayton IMO unless you are 100% convinced the first couple players in the draft will never be as good. Man that is risky. You better get that right.

 

[Joe Mama]

Much like this year, every season in the SSOL era the expectation was championships and anything less was a failure. Personnel moves like letting JJ leave and trading Matrix for Shaq destroyed that hope. I dont feel lucky for having Diaw, I feel pissed that Sarver crapped the bed, went cheap, and cost us titles.

SSOL is one of the biggest “what ifs” in basketball history, especially 2007

The biggest screwup with that roster what is the draft pick the traded to Chicago that summer of 2004 where they could have had two players they really wanted what else thought them selves. We could have had either Andre Iguodala or luol Deng. then they made it worse by paid too much for Q Richardson when memet okur signed with Utah . I'm convinced Sarver would have had no problem giving JJ his money if they had not just given Richardson a big contract.

They screwed that draft hard and our consolation Prize was the sausage king of Chicago.

 

[JerkFace]

The biggest screwup with that roster what is the draft pick the traded to Chicago that summer of 2004 where they could have had two players they really wanted what else thought them selves. We could have had either Andre Iguodala or luol Deng. then they made it worse by paid too much for Q Richardson when memet okur signed with Utah . I'm convinced Sarver would have had no problem giving JJ his money if they had not just given Richardson a big contract.

They screwed that draft hard and our consolation Prize was the sausage king of Chicago.

I completely agree with everything you said here, but with that being said, the Q Richardson year (2004-05) was a super fun year. Easily in my top 5 of favorite Suns teams. I remember dominating All Star weekend. Nash won the Skills competition, Q won the Three Point contest, and STAT made it an oh so close sweep with a 2nd place finish in the Dunk comp.

 

[sr7706]

Paying guys like Sabonis is a clear way to create a mediocre team. He is high usage and a terrible defender, pretty much the opposite of Ayton.

Ayton has his flaws, but it's crazy to me that he's the guy you're giving up. He's 23! He's already been the anchor to a NBA Finals quality team. He's be incredibly unselfish and played within the system. His ceiling is incredibly high, as well as his floor.

To give up on Ayton at this point for anything less than a star would be a huge mistake. (Sabonis ain't a star)

Sabonis is a better option than Ayton in the Suns system, I think he's 26 around there, not much older...Ayton will be the highest paid player on some terrible team like Detroit ORL or OKC...

 

[Finito]

Sabonis is a better option than Ayton in the Suns system, I think he's 26 around there, not much older...Ayton will be the highest paid player on some terrible team like Detroit ORL or OKC...

No he’s not.

Sabonis is horrible on defense and an undersized center. If you play him at PF he can’t stretch the floor.

If you get Sabonis you switch up your system and you go more old school with a traditional PF and C

 

[AZ Native]

This whole DA thread is BS. He is 23. Never played basketball before age 12. He is one of the best centers in the NBA. His upside is Grand Canyon dimensions. Can’t anyone coach up now? He needs coaching up by someone who knows what they are doing. His upside is HUGE with the right coaching. Goofy, yes. Best center prospect the Suns have ever had, YES. Where are the great NBA coaches? Just my humble opinion.

 

[GatorAZ]

In this thread I’ve learned that teams will line up to trade their PGOTF for Ayton even though the point of them overpaying Ayton is to pair him with their PGOTF. I love the off-season.

Plz show me the best players teams have gotten back in a sign and trade. We’re looking at Diaw and a pick. Someone threw out Wendell Carter which is probably realistic.

 

[DJ Tabooh]

This part right here. It's a must this offseason. It's time for Payne to go and Shamet signing was a failure. I think if Paul got even 5 minutes less a game that could be a huge lift come playoff time.

What do you think of Tyus Jones from Memphis. He’s still young, only 26 and is a solid shooter, number one in the NBA in assists to turnover ratio and is a solid defender as well. Let him and CP3 split the point minutes.

Memphis isn’t going to be able to afford him. I’d say he send back either one of Payne or Shamet. Grizzlies are a young team and can use more spacing for Ja so Shamet makes sense.

 

[sr7706]

No he’s not.

Sabonis is horrible on defense and an undersized center. If you play him at PF he can’t stretch the floor.

If you get Sabonis you switch up your system and you go more old school with a traditional PF and C

I don't know how much of that is true....Sabonis is much more of a distributor of he ball. More active on the perimeter, seems to get others involved on offense, would be a good addition to our team, if we are losing Ayton.

 

[Folster]

No he’s not.

Sabonis is horrible on defense and an undersized center. If you play him at PF he can’t stretch the floor.

If you get Sabonis you switch up your system and you go more old school with a traditional PF and C

Undersized at center??? He's listed at 6'11" 240lbs. Take a look at the teams left in the playoffs. All of the teams have a 6'8"-6'9" center. Ayton couldn't consistently establish position on Kleba and or Powell, and if he did he would bail them out with a fadeaway.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm really high on Haliburton. I think he has star potential. The trade would have filled a couple of needs.

JMO but I really don't see it. I think he's a solid point guard but to me he's more that PG that won't hurt the team but always has you looking for an even better one. Even if you could advance him to prime age I don't think he'd pass current level Curry, Trae, Ja, Lillard, Lamelo (?), Jrue, Shai, Kyrie, Dejounte, Garland or Fox and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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I wasn’t full of **** when I said Pop was interested

LMAO presenting this as evidence of pop’s interest.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

That can't be a factor if you are in win now mode. You 2year rent any all-star difference maker you can get your hands on if you think you are in your window. Period. Having said that you can't make a move that will take you out of that window either. So it has to be a reasonable trade on both sides. If we can do that? You grab Lillard.

Again, lilliard was playing awfully prior to getting injured this season and then . . . got injured. He’s a declining, recently injured 32 year old. No thanks.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It doesn't sound like much but I would take a guy who almost gets one over a guy who is .4 from never getting one.

When you consider .7 as being “almost getting one” you’re saying .3 is a relatively meaningless differential. It’s also the difference between .7 and .4

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

If you are Orlando and want a center they might just draft Holmgren who is going to be cheaper than Ayton IMO unless you are 100% convinced the first couple players in the draft will never be as good. Man that is risky. You better get that right.

Holmgren is never going to have the weight to play center. That dude is a modern day stretch four.

 

[Folster]

Holmgren is never going to have the weight to play center. That dude is a modern day stretch four.

Holmgren makes Bertans look like the Hulk.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Again, lilliard was playing awfully prior to getting injured this season and then . . . got injured. He’s a declining, recently injured 32 year old. No thanks.

Come on! This plan worked like gangbusters for Philly getting Harden!

Folks… those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it. Reality is that this run is over, a lot like 2010 with a team about to lose it’s ONLY IMPACTFUL BIG MAN, built around an aging PG. we can either try desperately to hang on to a shred of relevance and go pupu platter of whoever the hell this year’s Turkoglu, Warrick and Childress are or we can be smart and start the rebuild around Booker so in two years, hopefully we’re on our way back up and he doesn’t bail on us too.

Make no mistake… the evidence is clear… CP3 will never be healthy in the playoffs, Ayton will never be tough enough in the playoffs and the sooner we surround Booker with young pieces (draft picks hopefully from an Ayton trade/or those picks flipped for an unhappy star), the better chance we have of having a future.

 

[Phrazbit]

Whoever suggested 3 1st round picks and 2 pick swaps for a (soon to be) 32 year old Lillard coming off hernia surgery is out of their damn mind.

I want nothing to do with Lillard. He is in obvious decline, we'd probably have to throw a bunch off assets along with Ayton to get him and I don't see how he, Paul and Booker on the court at the same time would make any sense. That team seems like one that would be really exciting 2 out of 3 nights, but gets blown out by every decent defensive team they face, gets murdered on the glass, wins about 48 games and gets blasted in round 1.

 

[Western Font]

Reading through the horrible possibilities in this thread makes me realize that with an agent’s help this situation is a good team meeting + a good Ayton/Monty conversation away from being settled for the beginning of next season. Even then the Suns still have to strategize since Ayton is hitting RFA.

 

[TJ]

LMAO presenting this as evidence of pop’s interest.

Double LMAO at you for not understanding how Vegas operates when creating these odds

 

[Finito]

Undersized at center??? He's listed at 6'11" 240lbs. Take a look at the teams left in the playoffs. All of the teams have a 6'8"-6'9" center. Ayton couldn't consistently establish position on Kleba and or Powell, and if he did he would bail them out with a fadeaway.

He’s listed at 6’11 but looks much smaller and he has a T-Rex wingspan

I like Sabonis but if we get him we change our system and that’s what I was responding to