What is the plan?

devilalum

Heavily Redacted
Joined
Jul 30, 2002
Posts
16,776
Reaction score
3,187
My guess: He now knows he's the starting point point guard here, so he can get his big money his last year, and he thinks he can earn a big payday for the future...whereas if the Suns gave any indication he was going to be buried down the depth chart (as he should be), he might have been inclined to turn down the short term money in favor of a long term deal with a better team.

That seems like a sound theory.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Evil Ash

Henchman Supreme
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Posts
9,732
Reaction score
1,933
Location
On a flying cocoon
So back to my original point . . . people think that waiting to exercise indicates he wants to stay in Phoenix over getting traded elsewhere.

No, he wants his choice of where to go. He'll be waived and stretched. That means he can decide to go to a contender and still get paid.

He can still be traded but the odds of it happening decreased (well at least in his mind anyways)
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
63,616
Reaction score
58,071
Location
SoCal
So why do you think he waited til the day after the drat to opt in?
Just a random choice?
Honestly I have no idea. But when I go through the mental gymnastics I don’t come to the conclusion it was strategically based on the draft. As always I could be wrong, but I just don’t see it.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
63,616
Reaction score
58,071
Location
SoCal
No, he wants his choice of where to go. He'll be waived and stretched. That means he can decide to go to a contender and still get paid.

He can still be traded but the odds of it happening decreased (well at least in his mind anyways)
Yeah not buying your insight into his mind. Waived and stretched could have happened if he exercised before the draft too.
 

Chaplin

Better off silent
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
46,420
Reaction score
16,938
Location
Round Rock, TX
Yeah not buying your insight into his mind. Waived and stretched could have happened if he exercised before the draft too.
Unless it was predicated on the results of the draft. And information about upcoming Free agency. Not saying it is, but definitely is a possibility. Nothing else makes sense.
 

SunsTzu

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Aug 28, 2003
Posts
4,866
Reaction score
1,674
But he still doesn’t have control. He could still be traded away. He had, and continues to have, ZERO control over where he plays. Timing just meant he couldn’t be traded for draft picks in this draft. Tell me where I’m wrong.

Honestly don't see his decision not to opt in prior to the draft even holding up any trades related to draft picks. First there is close to a 0% chance he doesn't opt in and any agreed upon trade can can be competed once it happens. Secondly if he doesn't opt in and the Suns made a trade using him as salary filler they would have opened up enough space to absorb that money into the cap without him needing to be included. The worst case scenario would be the Suns moving assets to dump him and then having him not opt in, which means they would have given assets for nothing in return but the end result of having him off the books would be the same.

The only trades that couldn't have been completed are by teams that really value him as a player at a $20mil salary and were needing to include 2019 picks to acquire him. This seems highly unlikely.
 

1Sun

ASFN Addict
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Posts
8,750
Reaction score
1,129
Location
Chandler, AZ
Unless it was predicated on the results of the draft. And information about upcoming Free agency. Not saying it is, but definitely is a possibility. Nothing else makes sense.

Which is where my theory comes in. We did not get a starting point guard on draft night, and he knows we're not getting one in free agency, either.
 

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,171
Reaction score
58,471
Multiple people in local media are saying he will never see another minute on the floor for the suns. They want him gone.

I suspect that Jackson has less value than Warren, perhaps a negative value, and it took #32 to move him.

Instead of attaching another asset, I'm guessing the Suns are hoping to include Jackson in another trade if the local media is correct.

I do not want the Suns including a first round pick to move Jackson unless they get something substantial in return.
 

Covert Rain

Father smelt of elderberries!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Posts
36,536
Reaction score
15,629
Location
Arizona
I suspect that Jackson has less value than Warren, perhaps a negative value, and it took #32 to move him.

Instead of attaching another asset, I'm guessing the Suns are hoping to include Jackson in another trade if the local media is correct.

I do not want the Suns including a first round pick to move Jackson unless they get something substantial in return.

Man I don't know. I mean the entire league at this point sees a franchise in turmoil that they can rake over the coals. If the Suns move Jackson it's to clear cap space to get a guard right? Not sure they are in the driver's seat here. I could be wrong.
 
Last edited:

Mainstreet

Cruisin' Mainstreet
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Posts
118,171
Reaction score
58,471
Man I don't know. I mean the entire league at this points sees a franchise in turmoil that they can rake over the coals. If the Suns move Jackson it's to clear cap space to get a guard right? Not sure they are in the driver's seat here. I could be wrong.

There aren't any good options if the Suns want Jackson gone now unless they can move him in a trade maybe for a guard but they are going to have to sweeten the deal. I guess they can waive and stretch him or play him and hope he increases his value. If the Suns can wait, it will be easier to move him at the trade deadline.
 

AzStevenCal

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Posts
36,760
Reaction score
16,532
Man I don't know. I mean the entire league at this point sees a franchise in turmoil that they can rake over the coals. If the Suns move Jackson it's to clear cap space to get a guard right? Not sure they are in the driver's seat here. I could be wrong.

Oh no, we're definitely not in the driver's seat here just like we weren't with Warren.

I thought and still think we'd have been better off playing the heck out of Warren and then traded him mid-season but that's without really knowing how toxic the chemistry might have been and the same goes with JJ. I'd play him as much as we can (without throwing away games) so that we could move him for value at the deadline but this past month has probably put an end to that dream.
 

elindholm

edited for content
Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Posts
27,497
Reaction score
9,718
Location
L.A. area
So why do you think he waited til the day after the drat to opt in?
Just a random choice?

It's theoretically possible that he thought he might get traded to a team that loved him so much that they would offer him a generous extension immediately. In that case, he'd forgo his option in order to take the extension instead.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

I'm better than Mulli!
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Posts
63,616
Reaction score
58,071
Location
SoCal
It's theoretically possible that he thought he might get traded to a team that loved him so much that they would offer him a generous extension immediately. In that case, he'd forgo his option in order to take the extension instead.
I don’t even know if that’s possible. I don’t think suns could trade him until he exercised the option bc he wouldn’t have been under contract. And once he exercised it and got traded I don’t think he could unwind his exercise.
 

Yuma

Suns are my Kryptonite!
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Posts
22,690
Reaction score
12,441
Location
Laveen, AZ
I don’t even know if that’s possible. I don’t think suns could trade him until he exercised the option bc he wouldn’t have been under contract. And once he exercised it and got traded I don’t think he could unwind his exercise.
That's the way I have seen it explained on SEVERAL NBA websites. I don't remember the names, but some teams are still held up by their players not picking up, or declining their option yet. It's not just the Suns. Until a guy picks up his option, he is really not your asset, but he could be. It's his option if he stays. Until he accepts or declines, you are in a purgatory state with that player.
 

hcsilla

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Posts
3,353
Reaction score
187
Location
Budapest,Hungary
Lol. Wrong. But okay believe that.

Those two have very similar numbers with the defensive advantage considerably in covington’s favor but age in saric’s favor. Either one wouldn’t be worth butler individually. It was the combination of both that created value.

I think that Covington has significantly higher value than Saric. He was the main piece and Saric the sweetener.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
I think that Covington has significantly higher value than Saric. He was the main piece and Saric the sweetener.

Statistics say they are almost equal in value.

Covington might have a slight advantage due to his defense, but basically they are almost equal, especially if you go back to their time in Philly.
 

elindholm

edited for content
Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Posts
27,497
Reaction score
9,718
Location
L.A. area
I don’t even know if that’s possible. I don’t think suns could trade him until he exercised the option bc he wouldn’t have been under contract.

Hmm, I thought his 2018-19 contract was still in force, but you're probably right.
 

Cheesebeef

ASFN IDOL
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2003
Posts
91,483
Reaction score
68,753
is our outlook on the off-season really this grim that the only thing worth talking about are the reasons why Tyler Johnson picked up his option when he did?
 

elindholm

edited for content
Joined
Sep 14, 2002
Posts
27,497
Reaction score
9,718
Location
L.A. area
is our outlook on the off-season really this grim that the only thing worth talking about are the reasons why Tyler Johnson picked up his option when he did?

I guess we can indulge the Russell and Holiday fantasies a little longer, but that seems pretty pointless.

I do have some hope for Saric, though.
 

Proximo

ASFN Icon
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Posts
12,717
Reaction score
10,617
I suspect that Jackson has less value than Warren, perhaps a negative value, and it took #32 to move him.

Instead of attaching another asset, I'm guessing the Suns are hoping to include Jackson in another trade if the local media is correct.

I do not want the Suns including a first round pick to move Jackson unless they get something substantial in return.

They don’t need to. They just have to wait for a few weeks once free agency is effectively over.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,378
Reaction score
12,560
Location
Tempe, AZ
I suspect that Jackson has less value than Warren, perhaps a negative value, and it took #32 to move him.

Instead of attaching another asset, I'm guessing the Suns are hoping to include Jackson in another trade if the local media is correct.

I do not want the Suns including a first round pick to move Jackson unless they get something substantial in return.

Attaching an asset to Jackson would be bad, really bad. We should let him warm the bench before doing that. At least there's a chance someone would take a chance on him later if they got an injured player exception or something later in the year. I could see a team like Golden State being interested in adding him for nothing if they end up getting exceptions for KD and Klay. He's a high pick that would cost nothing and he's better than the undrafted free agents they'll add this summer. Jackson has proven he can contribute but I think he needs strong vets to keep him in line, which is something the Suns lack.

If it comes down to it we can stretch him. That's preferable to attaching an asset since we'd only be on the hook for roughly $2.35 million a year for the next 3 years, which isn't too bad and is definitely preferable to losing a future 1st or high 2nd. I don't want to waive and stretch him either but if it's that or attaching a 1st, I think most here would prefer waiving. We'd open up about $4.7 million in cap space that way as well. That's not $7 but again, we won't owe a 1st.
 

hcsilla

ASFN Lifer
Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Posts
3,353
Reaction score
187
Location
Budapest,Hungary
Statistics say they are almost equal in value.

What stats do say that?

Covington might have a slight advantage due to his defense, but basically they are almost equal, especially if you go back to their time in Philly.

Slight? They are on a different planet as defenders. Covington is the best defender among SF's based on stats, while Saric is one of the worst defenders at PF.
 

Hoop Head

ASFN Icon
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Posts
17,378
Reaction score
12,560
Location
Tempe, AZ
What stats do say that?

Their basic stats, have you never looked at them before?

Saric - 12.7 ppg 6.2 rpg 2.1 apg 43% FG
Covington - 12.7 ppg 5.5 rpg 1.6 apg 40% FG

If you want to get into advanced stats then Covington has good defensive stats but their basic stats are very similar, however they actually favor Saric.
 
Top