Tyson Chandler and Emeka Okafor close to being swapped

[MastersofCombat]

Charlotte wouldve easily swapped Big Bens contract for Emekas.

 

[NastyOne]

Are we really freaking out about Emeka Okafor? He's an average player on a bad team signed at $12 million per for the next five seasons. That would really be brilliant, having a quarter of the cap (or considerably more than half if we re-sign Amare) being occupied by Okafor when Carmelo, CP3, or Deron Williams enter free agency in 2012.

Since the organization is refusing to rebuild, I have no problem with their current course of action which is treading water until the 2012 FA bonanza. Sure as hell beats taking on a bunch of bad long-term contracts in a futile attempt to take on the league powers.

And the question is do you see any of those Free Agents being interested in joining the Suns? Cause i sure as hell don't.

Anyone that buys into us spending money either next offseason or 2012 on free agents is going to really be heart broken when Sarver and Kerr announces how we signed some 28 year old role player to a small part of our MLE. Then talk about how great of a signing this is and how this guy will be a conerstone in our rebuilding process. And how they are exploring other options to help improve the roster. Meaning more garbage bin digging.


So matter what you think about Okafor, what he brings to the table is exactly what we need to become a contender again. Hes one of the leagues best rebounders and he defends the paint.

We could have had Okafor for just cash. That's it! We didn't need to trade Amare, Barbosa or any future draft picks. Just Ben Wallace's contract which basically makes it a Cash trade.

I don't see how anyone can argue about Okafor's contract and how it would be bad for us to take on that kind of salary.

Hes 26 years old for christ sake! How many centers get paid out of the azz because they show a small amount of potential?

Okafor has actually produced and hes still young.

You don't pass up on a 26 year old guy that can give you 15/11/2 a game while making about $12Mil per.

Especially when he brings exactly what we are missing to once again become a contender. And all it cost us to get him is money.

 

[Chaplin]

Charlotte wouldve easily swapped Big Bens contract for Emekas.

LOL And where did you hear that?

 

[NastyOne]

Charlotte wouldve easily swapped Big Bens contract for Emekas.

LOL And where did you hear that?

Maybe because everyone is saying Tyson Chandler is done.

This move was made because Chandler's contracts ends before Okafor's.

If that is the case Charlotte would have jumped at a Ben Wallace for Okafor deal. Cause they would saved even more money in the process.

And even if Charlotte is stupid enough to think Chandler has something left and actually wanted him. They should have been trading with us to get Chandler.

Kerr should have known Okafor was available and they'd be interested in obtaining Tyson Chandler for Okafor. Then we swap Wallace for Chandler and ship Chandler out to Charlotte.

But why would he do that when its now obviously clear that they only traded for Wallace so they could buy him out.

Getting Okafor would have made up for the complete idiotic trade of Shaq for junk. But nope, we are still the laughing stock of the league.

 

[Chaplin]

Maybe because everyone is saying Tyson Chandler is done.

This move was made because Chandler's contracts ends before Okafor's.

If that is the case Charlotte would have jumped at a Ben Wallace for Okafor deal. Cause they would saved even more money in the process.

And even if Charlotte is stupid enough to think Chandler has something left and actually wanted him. They should have been trading with us to get Chandler.

Kerr should have known Okafor was available and they'd be interested in obtaining Tyson Chandler for Okafor. Then we swap Wallace for Chandler and ship Chandler out to Charlotte.

But why would he do that when its now obviously clear that they only traded for Wallace so they could buy him out.

Getting Okafor would have made up for the complete idiotic trade of Shaq for junk. But nope, we are still the laughing stock of the league.

I suppose this is going to be the norm for awhile, right? Every single deal will make the Suns look bad in some way. Nice. I've got a puppy and a stick. Wanna take a swing?

 

[TucsonDevil]

The sad and unfortunate tale in all of this has been mentioned, yet deserves repeating. If the Suns believe they are saving money for big free agent acquisitions this next summer or any summer thereafter... they are going to be very disappointed with their results. The ownership and his personal financial problems is slowly driving people away (fans and players). If the trainer leaves (can't remember his name right now), this franchise will only have the weather as a selling point.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

And the question is do you see any of those Free Agents being interested in joining the Suns? Cause i sure as hell don't.

Not as many teams are slated to have free agency money in 2012, so you never know. veryone's gearing up for 2010. Players are going to go where they get paid and Phoenix is highly desirable in that aspect in 2012. They'll have a lot of cap room and play in a relatively cheap area to live with a lot of tax savings.

Anyone that buys into us spending money either next offseason or 2012 on free agents is going to really be heart broken when Sarver and Kerr announces how we signed some 28 year old role player to a small part of our MLE. Then talk about how great of a signing this is and how this guy will be a conerstone in our rebuilding process. And how they are exploring other options to help improve the roster. Meaning more garbage bin digging.

The Suns have spent a lot of money in free agency in the past including with Sarver. Hell, they just overpaid Steve Nash and Grant Hill for no particular reason. They'll spend again in 2012.

So matter what you think about Okafor, what he brings to the table is exactly what we need to become a contender again. Hes one of the leagues best rebounders and he defends the paint.

You lost me at "contender" with Emeka Okafor. He's a 6'8 center with way too big and long of a contract and who's never been better than the third or fourth best player on some bad teams. If Okafor was valued across the league then Charlotte would've gotten more back than some washed-up damaged goods.

We could have had Okafor for just cash. That's it! We didn't need to trade Amare, Barbosa or any future draft picks. Just Ben Wallace's contract which basically makes it a Cash trade.

Funny you bring up cash. Because that's exactly what we would've been paying him lots of in 2013 when he's an unathletic undersized center on the downside of his career.

I don't see how anyone can argue about Okafor's contract and how it would be bad for us to take on that kind of salary.

Maybe if it was just a year or two, but a contract through 2015 means we're stuck with a max player who doesn't play like one for a very long time. And assuming we re-up Amare that means our two highest paid players for the foreseeable future would be two severely flawed big's in a game dominated by perimeter players. Definitely not conducive to winning a title.

Hes 26 years old for christ sake! How many centers get paid out of the azz because they show a small amount of potential?

You said it - potential. Okafor has none. He is what he is and that's an above average player.

Okafor has actually produced and hes still young.

He's been the third or fourth best player on really bad teams. How exactly has he produced?

You don't pass up on a 26 year old guy that can give you 15/11/2 a game while making about $12Mil per.

Yes, you do when that $12 million runs for five more years. Unless of course said player would get you over the hump which Okafor surely would have no chance of doing. He wins us maybe a few more games next season at most.

Especially when he brings exactly what we are missing to once again become a contender. And all it cost us to get him is money.

This team need several things to become a contender - youth, talent, perimeter defense, post defense, rebounding, backup PG play, and a lot of luck. Okafor accomplishes about two of those things. Smart front offices don't pay $60 million to hopefully get a five seed for a couple years.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Not as many teams are slated to have free agency money in 2012, so you never know. veryone's gearing up for 2010. Players are going to go where they get paid and Phoenix is highly desirable in that aspect in 2012. They'll have a lot of cap room and play in a relatively cheap area to live with a lot of tax savings.

The Suns have spent a lot of money in free agency in the past including with Sarver. Hell, they just overpaid Steve Nash and Grant Hill for no particular reason. They'll spend again in 2012.


You lost me at "contender" with Emeka Okafor. He's a 6'8 center with way too big and long of a contract and who's never been better than the third or fourth best player on some bad teams. If Okafor was valued across the league then Charlotte would've gotten more back than some washed-up damaged goods.

Funny you bring up cash. Because that's exactly what we would've been paying him lots of in 2013 when he's an unathletic undersized center on the downside of his career.

Maybe if it was just a year or two, but a contract through 2015 means we're stuck with a max player who doesn't play like one for a very long time. And assuming we re-up Amare that means our two highest paid players for the foreseeable future would be two severely flawed big's in a game dominated by perimeter players. Definitely not conducive to winning a title.


You said it - potential. Okafor has none. He is what he is and that's an above average player.


He's been the third or fourth best player on really bad teams. How exactly has he produced?

Yes, you do when that $12 million runs for five more years. Unless of course said player would get you over the hump which Okafor surely would have no chance of doing. He wins us maybe a few more games next season at most.

This team need several things to become a contender - youth, talent, perimeter defense, post defense, rebounding, backup PG play, and a lot of luck. Okafor accomplishes about two of those things. Smart front offices don't pay $60 million to hopefully get a five seed for a couple years.

Okafor has produced 14 pts (50% shooting), 11 boards, and nearly 2 blocks, in 34 mins for his short two year career. He is also known more as a defensive player. That is production we would be thrilled with along side Amare. I cannot imagine how anyone categorizes those number as "hasn't produced."

Those are all-star numbers for a center in the nba.

BTW. He is 6-10 250+, with a 7-4 wingspan. He did 22 reps at the bench coming out of college (he is strong) and has a 34 inch vert.

 

[Chaplin]

Okafor has produced 14 pts (50% shooting), 11 boards, and nearly 2 blocks, in 34 mins for his short two year career. He is also known more as a defensive player. That is production we would be thrilled with along side Amare. I cannot imagine how anyone categorizes those number as "hasn't produced."

Those are all-star numbers for a center in the nba.

BTW. He is 6-10 245.

Um, he's been in the league for 5 years, not 2. And he averaged all that on a horrible Charlotte Bobcat team.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Okafor has produced 14 pts (50% shooting), 11 boards, and nearly 2 blocks, in 34 mins for his short two year career. He is also known more as a defensive player. That is production we would be thrilled with along side Amare. I cannot imagine how anyone categorizes those number as "hasn't produced."

Those are all-star numbers for a center in the nba.

OKafor just completed his fifth year in the NBA.

If Okafor was an All Star player he would've been awarded with an AS appearance. He's a decent player with no upside and a bad contact. All you do is continue the circle of suck if you're a middle-of-the-road team and add such a player.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

He is 6-10 245.

Measured 6'8 w/out shoes after college.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This entire franchise is becoming a joke. How long before Robert Sarver is thought of as the new Donald Sterling, and we are the laughing stock of the league like the clippers were in the 90's.

The first time I read this Suns=Clippers comment on a Suns board we had just completed the Barkley trade (outgoing). Since then, I've come across it at least a dozen times and I'm still waiting. It's never going to happen (okay, never say never, but still).

Sarver appears to have been the driving force for some pretty questionable decisions but you are not talking about a franchise that lives somewhere under the league minimum every year and that contents itself to focus solely on profits. He's tried to win it all while doing his best to keep costs at a minimum and in doing so he's failed at both but that's a huge difference from what Sterling has done, IMO.

Steve

 

[mojorizen7]

Imagine that, a center who's specialty is rebounding,blocking shots and defense being undervalued by SUNS fans.....i'm shocked.

IMO Okafor would've helped replace what we're going to miss with Shaq gone. On the other hand i don't think Okafor fits into what the SUNS are trying to do here this upcoming season and probably beyond that either, unfortunately. Channing Frye is the perfect addition for what Nash/Gentry are running in '09 .

I'm not surprised that deals like these are slipping thru the cracks of our FO. If Sarver/Kerr are positioning the team for a big payoff in '10 or'12 why haven't they come out and even hinted to that to the fanbase? Are there any season ticket holders here who can share with the rest of us any letters/emails they might have recieved explaining what's going on and what the plan is?

Hey Chap sometimes you remind me of the mayor in Jaws.... the way you demand proof for things that can sometimes be established thru common sense. Its all good, just messin with ya, I'm sure you dress better than he did.
SUNS fans: "We coulda had Okafor!"
Chap: " Do you have a link? Sorry gentlemen."

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Chaplin]

Imagine that, a center who's specialty is rebounding,blocking shots and defense being undervalued by SUNS fans.....i'm shocked.

IMO Okafor would've helped replace what we're going to miss with Shaq gone. On the other hand i don't think Okafor fits into what the SUNS are trying to do here this upcoming season and probably beyond that either, unfortunately. Channing Frye is the perfect addition for what Nash/Gentry are running in '09 .

I'm not surprised that deals like these are slipping thru the cracks of our FO. If Sarver/Kerr are positioning the team for a big payoff in '10 or'12 why haven't they come out and even hinted to that to the fanbase? Are there any season ticket holders here who can share with the rest of us any letters/emails they might have recieved explaining what's going on and what the plan is?

Hey Chap sometimes you remind me of the mayor in Jaws.... the way you demand proof for things that can sometimes be established thru common sense. Its all good, just messin with ya, I'm sure you dress better than he did.
SUNS fans: "We coulda had Okafor!"
Chap: " Do you have a link? Sorry gentlemen."

You must be registered for see images attach

That's not what was quoted. What was quoted was "Charlotte would have traded us Okafor for Wallace's contract!"

That is nowhere near "We coulda had Okafor".

 

[Darth Llama]

Um, he's been in the league for 5 years, not 2. And he averaged all that on a horrible Charlotte Bobcat team.

And it's less impressive because he was a Bobcat? how does that work?

If he was surrounded by crappy players his whole career then his numbers are actually more impressive because defenses could focus on him if they needed to. Who was going to burn the defense if they doubled Okafur down low?

Okafur is a quality player, his numbers don't lie. He would have been a great addition for several teams including the Suns. New Orleans definitely got the best end of this deal. Amare and Okafur would have made a very solid front court without doubt. I would put the Suns at a #4 or #5 seed with Okafur on the team. Still probably not good enough to beat LA, San Antonio or Portland, but better then most everyone else.

 

[Chaplin]

Fine, if it makes everyone feel better, the Suns suck and are the worse team in the NBA. Have to make sure I follow the status quo.

 

[mojorizen7]

That's not what was quoted. What was quoted was "Charlotte would have traded us Okafor for Wallace's contract!"

That is nowhere near "We coulda had Okafor".

Same result right?
Anyway sorry, just tryin' to be cute...my bad.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Fine, if it makes everyone feel better, the Suns suck and are the worse team in the NBA. Have to make sure I follow the status quo.

Throwing yourself a pity party isn't going to help matters.

Fact is, Okafor would've been a nice addition for the next couple years as a role player. Unfortunately he's signed to a big contract for five more years and mediocre teams don't get better by locking themselves into such deals.

 

[mojorizen7]

Throwing yourself a pity party isn't going to help matters.

Fact is, Okafor would've been a nice addition for the next couple years as a role player. Unfortunately he's signed to a big contract for five more years and mediocre teams don't get better by locking themselves into such deals.

I agree with your post but in terms of his long term contract.....centers that can defend,rebound, block shots AND get you 14 ppg don't grow on trees.....unlike big,slow goofy centers drafted outta Stanford that can't do anything well.

I wouldn't have considered the yrs of his contract an issue if i were the SUNS GM. Okafor is a very nice piece to have at the 5....especially when you've already got some other young pieces at the 2(Barbs)3(Dudley/Clark)4(Amare) who can play.

Who better than Okefor are we going to get to play center in the next 2 or 3 years?
I suppose it all comes back to paying Nash when we could've more wisely spent it elsewhere....oh well.

 

[elindholm]

The first time I read this Suns=Clippers comment on a Suns board we had just completed the Barkley trade (outgoing). Since then, I've come across it at least a dozen times and I'm still waiting. It's never going to happen (okay, never say never, but still).

Sarver appears to have been the driving force for some pretty questionable decisions but you are not talking about a franchise that lives somewhere under the league minimum every year and that contents itself to focus solely on profits. He's tried to win it all while doing his best to keep costs at a minimum and in doing so he's failed at both but that's a huge difference from what Sterling has done, IMO.

Then you're underrating Sterling and the Clippers. In fact the Clippers have spent pretty generously recently, and in other situations where they tried to spend, it wasn't their fault that things didn't work out (like Elton Brand's agent suddenly making up his mind to bolt for the Sixers). It's fashionable to dump on Sterling because he hasn't won -- and I would never say he's a good owner -- but willingness to spend has not been his big problem over the last several seasons. Sterling/Dunleavy's teams have failed because, like Sarver/Kerr, their judgment is terrible. With a few more years of failure, the Suns will have just as much difficult attracting free agents as the Clippers currently do.

 

[overseascardfan]

Measured 6'8 w/out shoes after college.

They ain't playing barefoot in the NBA. But on a serious note, he isn't an AS caliber guy but he is solid and provides the defense and rebounding we sorely lack.

An arguement can be made that it takes away from possible 2010 or 2012 FA spree but with the state of th economy, an impending lockout, and the league salary cap possibly going down again, we and other teams may not have the money we think we'll have. Some league officials think that the marquee FA's will re-sign with their teams because of the uncertainty.

The way I see it, we are paying $10M for no one when we might have had a shot at Okafor and guaranteed OKC a non lottery pick.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Then you're underrating Sterling and the Clippers. In fact the Clippers have spent pretty generously recently, and in other situations where they tried to spend, it wasn't their fault that things didn't work out (like Elton Brand's agent suddenly making up his mind to bolt for the Sixers). It's fashionable to dump on Sterling because he hasn't won -- and I would never say he's a good owner -- but willingness to spend has not been his big problem over the last several seasons. Sterling/Dunleavy's teams have failed because, like Sarver/Kerr, their judgment is terrible. With a few more years of failure, the Suns will have just as much difficult attracting free agents as the Clippers currently do.

Well, first off, I'd agree that Sterling has spent more the past few seasons but I doubt that it's anywhere close to what Sarver has spent during that same time. Secondly, I was referring to a poster's suggestion that we were becoming the Clippers of the 90's and I think that's a horse of a different color.

If we're on a downhill slide and come 2013 we start looking at last year as a "good" year than maybe I'll buy a comparison to the modern Clippers but that's still a far cry from the 90's organization.

I know I'm not the first to say this here but I just can't agree with the "Sarver is cheap" people. In an effort to balance fiscal soundness with on-court success he's made several horrible mistakes but he has spent more money than all but a small handful of owners during his time here.

And, as for the point of this thread, I have no idea how grossly overspending on Okafor changes us for the better in the long run and I'm not sure it helps us all that much this season either.

Steve

 

[shazaam6]

How about a starting line up of Amare, Tim Thomas and Grant Hill? Tim Thomas just signed with Dallas for the league min.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4362157

 

[shazaam6]

Okafor highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHkq2EcbENA&feature=related
Okafor on shot blocking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQjY3M-X3h0&feature=related
I'm so glad we got nothing for our 10 mil instead of this clown.

 

[Ollie]

It's a well known fact that you truly evaluate a player's abilities with highlight reels. Every scout does that. For instance, you can clearly see how Okafor gets regularly stuffed under the basket, how well he fumbles the ball and how bad he passes it.

Seriously Okafor lovers, how many Bobcats games did you watch last season? Probably as much as the laudators of the trade for the 'All-Star' J-Rich: zilch.

Trade for this guy asap, Kerr (he has more post moves than Okafor and Chandler combined) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkdFUDgIwP8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Y7WtlRjVM