What is the best strategy moving forward?

[carey]

If the Suns plays their cards right, they could have a lot of money available next summer. Brown, Gortat and Butler will be off the books, Beasley can be bought out, Morris brothers and Marshall have team options. Haddadi and Lee will be gone as well. That around $32M if my Beasley calculation is correct. He can be bought out, but that amount will still count against the cap- so around $3.5M. If Frye retires, that's another $7M or so. That's a lot of money to spend.

I can't access the post I made detailing our financial commitments because I put it on phxsuns.net and it's been having some issues lately, but the $32M number, though maybe gettable, means cutting bait with a lot of guys for nothing in return. There's $19.2M in the expiring contracts of Butler, Brown, and Gortat. So that's ours if we don't make any trades involving those 3. An additional $7M if we decide this Summer not to pick up the 4th year option on the Morris twins, the 3rd year option on Marshall, and decline Malcolm Lee's option as well. We have to make that decision before this season starts though. I don't see us doing that. An additional $3.25M if we buyout Beasley next season. We'd have to give up Scola for a 2nd round pick or trade him for some team's TPE. Then we'd have to opt not to sign Tucker for a 3rd year.

So basically we'd have to throw in the towel on 3 first round picks in the last 3 years, buyout Beasley, part with Tucker, not sign Oriakhi, not sign any F.A.'s to multi year deals whatsoever this year, hope Frye takes a medical retirement this year and move Scola for no salary in return to have close to that much off our cap number next season.

If we did all that, we'd have the following contracts in '14.

Dragic - $7.5M
Bledsoe - Whatever his extension costs.
Len - $3.5M
Frye - $6.8M if he returns to basketball activity this year.
Goodwin - $1.1M
Beasley - $3M from the buyout.
Likely draft hold for top 5 pick in '14 - $3M - $5M

So, assuming we pick around #5 again and Bledsoe gets $10M (I think that's the max he'll get) we're looking at $35M in commitments from 7 guys. I'm not taking into account the Minnesota draft pick which may come to us as well. That means we'd have roughly $23M if the cap were set at the usual $58Mil. So again, it's doable, but you'd have to let as many as 8 guys go for nothing. There's a whole lot of assumptions in the above scenario though. I can't think of a way that we'd get $32Mil without getting Frye and Scola off the books for nothing.

Then who do you sign? Not much available. Luol Deng? Danny Granger? Paul Gasol? Or do you use all that big cap space to do what we did with Bledsoe. Do you make an enormous offer for an RFA like Evan Turner or Derrick Favors? Lots to think about.

 

[carey]

Do we get the Laker's first round pick next year?

No. 2015 and it's top 5 protected. Then top 3 protected in 2016 and 2017 and unprotected in 2018.

 

[Matt L]

No. 2015 and it's top 5 protected. Then top 3 protected in 2016 and 2017 and unprotected in 2018.

Do we have any additional first round picks in next year's draft?

 

[PhxGametime]

Bledsoe would take a chunk out of cap space. If cap space is the ideal route though, the Suns could still move Gortat for say Terrence Ross, Kleiza (expiring at 4.6), and Protected 1st?? Not sure if Raptors do that deal but they'd have Gortat, Gay, DeRozan, and Lowry...

 

[carey]

Do we have any additional first round picks in next year's draft?

Minnesota's if their pick falls 14 or worse.

 

[carey]

Bledsoe would take a chunk out of cap space. If cap space is the ideal route though, the Suns could still move Gortat for say Terrence Ross, Kleiza (expiring at 4.6), and Protected 1st?? Not sure if Raptors do that deal but they'd have Gortat, Gay, DeRozan, and Lowry...

They have a C that is better than Gortat right now. Jonas Valunciunas.

 

[PhxGametime]

I'd slide Jonas to PF but I did forget about him lol

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yep. I forgot Goodwin. Add another 1.1.

 

[SirStefan32]

Either way, they will have plenty of money to work with.

 

[carey]

Either way, they will have plenty of money to work with.

Yup. Just no one worth spending it on. The draft is the way to go. And hopefully we can continue to use our cap space to snag players like we just did with Bledsoe. Only there's going to be a number of teams with space next Summer. The Lakers will have $55Mil I think. Haven't looked up their numbers in a while but think that's right.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Yup. Just no one worth spending it on. The draft is the way to go. And hopefully we can continue to use our cap space to snag players like we just did with Bledsoe. Only there's going to be a number of teams with space next Summer. The Lakers will have $55Mil I think. Haven't looked up their numbers in a while but think that's right.

The only thing the Lakers will have is Steve Nash's 9.7 million and whatever cap holds they have for rookies.

If the salary cap is at 60 million, they will have around 47 million available. But who is a free agent going to come and play with? They could resign Kobe, but I do not think he is dearly loved as a teammate. Miami had Wade. Next year's crop of free agents is extensive, but the top players are not likely to move to LA. I know Lakers fans want LeBron. I just don't see it. Cleveland would actually be more of a draw for him with that young talent surrounding. Plus, he might just want to stay in Miami and win more there. It seems to be working out alright for him.

 

[carey]

The only thing the Lakers will have is Steve Nash's 9.7 million and whatever cap holds they have for rookies.

If the salary cap is at 60 million, they will have around 47 million available. But who is a free agent going to come and play with? They could resign Kobe, but I do not think he is dearly loved as a teammate. Miami had Wade. Next year's crop of free agents is extensive, but the top players are not likely to move to LA. I know Lakers fans want LeBron. I just don't see it. Cleveland would actually be more of a draw for him with that young talent surrounding. Plus, he might just want to stay in Miami and win more there. It seems to be working out alright for him.

Yeah, you're right it's just Nash and his deal is fully guaranteed. I thought for some reason it was not. I'll be very interested in seeing what they do with all that room. Like you I just can't see James going there. It's either reupping with Miami (most likely) or going back to Cleveland.