Wrap your brains around this....

[Divide Et Impera]

The moves over the past couple of days work out as such:

Jahidi White/#7/Cavs #1/cash for #31/Bulls #1/cash/Salary cap of $8M

OK. So the cash negates as does Jahidi and the #31. Now we are left with the #7/Cavs #1 for the Bulls #1/Salary cap of $8M, which could end up being a #5-#7 next year.

Does that look like a good deal? No, but I suppose it's not quite as bad as it seems individually. Are the Suns targeting someone in next year's draft?

So, now consider that the Suns ARE targeting Kobe and are not going to trade out for anyone else. We are then left with Johnson/Kobe/Marion/Stoudemire/Voskuhl. That's a damned good lineup.

Let's say they are able to get McGrady by trading Marion/Casey/Vujanic/Bulls#1. Then we have Johnson/Kobe/McGrady/Stoudemire/Voskuhl. Even better.

Let's say they whiff on Kobe, but get McGrady. We have Barbosa/Johnson/McGrady/Stoudemire/Voskuhl. Not quite as good, but nothing to sneeze at.

Now, if they whiff on Kobe AND McGrady, we are stuck using the cap money for decent FAs like Barry, Blount, and Bowen and we still have our guys to boot. We'd instantly be the deepest team in the league with those guys on board.

We can STILL come out smelling like roses, guys. Keep the faith....

Oh, and let's say they whiff on Kobe and McGrady, but get Martin/Blount and either Barry or Bowen. That's another scenario to consider....

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Does that look like a good deal? No, but I suppose it's not quite as bad as it seems individually. Are the Suns targeting someone in next year's draft?

So when you break down:

#7
Pick > #14

for

a presumed #4-#8 pick next year
and 8 million in cap space

You think it isn't a good deal? We put off drafting #7 in this class, with the potential to have a higher pick next year (It may be a pick or two lower, but not much more), and turn a future mid selection into all that cap space?

 

[George O'Brien]

Right now the Suns have nine players under contract. We don't know exactly how much cap space they have, but at $45 million for the cap it would be around $17 million. It would be tight, but at $45 million they could get three players starting at just over the MLE and still stay under the cap. Even if they did a max deal at $14.1, there would still be almost $3 million to get a second player.

My guess is that the Suns want experienced players who have the ability to start or at least give 25 minutes of strong play. That's where their money will go.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

So when you break down:

#7
Pick > #14

for

a presumed #4-#8 pick next year
and 8 million in cap space

You think it isn't a good deal? We put off drafting #7 in this class, with the potential to have a higher pick next year (It may be a pick or two lower, but not much more), and turn a future mid selection into all that cap space?

Please reread my post. I said, "Does that look like a good deal? No , but I suppose it's not quite as bad as it seems individually."

All I'm saying is that it is not quite as bad a deal as our initial responses have indicated. However, the effect of the trade cannot be FULLY judged until all the wheeling and dealing is done....

 

[Goldfield]

Do what you have to do to get TMAC, I want Kobe more, but I am sure he is staying in LA...


Then sign Martin. Big's are more important than smalls. If we have enough left go after Nash... If not I would bring in Fisher.

 

[green machine]

Then sign Martin. Big's are more important than smalls. If we have enough left go after Nash... If not I would bring in Fisher.

Where exactly do we play Martin? We already have a PF.

Besides, Martin is soft, and really a whiney little *****. He would be nothing out west. Nothing.

 

[George O'Brien]

Where exactly do we play Martin? We already have a PF.

Besides, Martin is soft, and really a whiney little *****. He would be nothing out west. Nothing.

The only reason K-Mart is even on the market is because he wants far more than he is worth. Without Kidd to feed him easy assists, he is just an undersized defensive stopper with some athleticism. This is not a max guy, but he thinks he is.

 

[cly2tw]

With the Bulls trade, we're well positioned to get either Kobe and TMac.

First, with 17mil cap space, we can sign Kobe to max. and get Celtics to sign and trade Blount for 4 mil for CJ and #31. If we sign Dice for one year min., then our lineup

Blount/Jake/Lampe
amare/Dice
Marion/Zarko
Kobe/JJ
Barbosa/Eisley

Given our ability to build a winner without s&t to sign Kobe, the Lakers may change their stance of no s&t for Kobe and wish to get something back for him from the Suns. Interested in a Kobe sign and trade + George (maybe + Fisher) for Marion + Zarko + Eisley + #31?

Suns will have Amare/Kobe/JJ/Barbosa/Jake/Lampe/George/CJ(/Fisher) and still about 14 mil to spend on FAs, say Barry, Blount, Swift.

Lakers will have Shaq/Zarko/Cook/Walton/Marion/Rush/Payton/Eisley/#31, if they get Malone and Medv back, and sign a Barry or someone with MLE, they still have a contender, now Payton has the ball in his hand to be effective. Otherwise, they'd be stuck with the old Lakers team just without Kobe --- they'd be going nowhere in the next 10 years.

Alternatively, Kobe sign and trade for Marion straight. It means for us trading Marion for 11 mil cap space to sign complements to the Amare/Kobe/JJ core.