Your Free Agent Targets

[Folster]

I thought it would be interesting to get an idea of what players many of us were hoping the Suns will target this offseason. I'm not advocating going after all of these guys or overpaying to get any of them. Obviously how the draft unfolds may remove some of them off my list. Here is a listof potential free agents: http://www.hoopsworld.com/2012-nba-free-agents

Point Guard:
1. Not Steve Nash: His era is over; we need to move on.
2. Deron Williams: Beyond unlikely, but no explanation is needed as to why he should be a target.
3. Goran Dragic: A year out of Nash's shadow may have been just what he needed to develop. The question is whether he would come back after we tossed him aside. He definitely would not come back to be Nash's back-up again.
4. Aaron Brooks: We could do a lot worse than Brooks transitioning from Steve Nash to the future.
5. Jerryd Bayless: I'd rather draft a rookie, but he would be better than Telfair.

Shooting guard:
1. OJ Mayo: The Grizzlies are in some cap trouble, so matching Mayo may not be an option. However, competition for his services may drive up his price more than I would want the Suns to pay.
2. Lou Williams: He played well for Philly this year. He's your classic combo guard, but he could be a solid addition especially if we acquire a taller point guard like Kendall Marshall in the draft to pair with him.
3. Brando Rush: He shot 50% from the field and 45% from three last year for Golden State.
4. Terrence Williams: He has that rare ball handling and playmaking ability that is coveted in shooting guards. The problem is his lack of intelligence and maturity. He played well for the Kings to finish the year and would be worth taking a flyer on for the right price.

Small Forward:
1. Nic Batum: Prying him away from the Blazers will require overpaying, but his length and sweet shot would work well here in Phoenix.
2. Alonzo Gee: I'll admit, he wasn't on my radar until the recent rumors. I like his athleticism and tenacity.

Power Forward:
1. Darell Arthur: I've had my eyes on him for a few years now. A serious achilles injury ruined what I though would be a break out year for him, especially considering Randolph was sidelined for much of the year. The injury makes him a risk for any team and Memphis is near the LT so they may not match. I'd love to snag him for a decent price. He is a great pick-and-pop power forward and would fit in well here.
2. Ersan Ilyasova: He's likely not the answer at PF, but he's better than anything we have currently. Competition for his services will likely mean overpaying for him.
3. JJ Hickson: Blanks obviously likes him, so I can see us going after him. He's a great change of pace from Frye, and his combination of athleticism and size is always worth a giving a chance.
4. Jordan Hill: He showed some flashes with the Lakers.
5. Lou Amundson: We could use his grittiness in the paint.

Center:
Unless Gortat is traded or we lose Lopez, I doubt we pursue a center of any note. Hibbert will be retained by Indy and I doubt we have interest in McGee.

 

[cly2tw]

Without the future franchise player(s) to build on in place, the motto should be: Not overpaying any role player, be he even the best of them like Marion or Batum. With reasonable contracts, you could later profit from trading them away.

It's funny that the best talent aside from Nash on his team managed to step up their games after separation from him. Dirk, Dragic and even Amare last season in NY.

 

[Mainstreet]

I thought it would be interesting to get an idea of what players many of us were hoping the Suns will target this offseason. I'm not advocating going after all of these guys or overpaying to get any of them. Obviously how the draft unfolds may remove some of them off my list. Here is a listof potential free agents: http://www.hoopsworld.com/2012-nba-free-agents

Point Guard:
1. Not Steve Nash: His era is over; we need to move on.
2. Deron Williams: Beyond unlikely, but no explanation is needed as to why he should be a target.
3. Goran Dragic: A year out of Nash's shadow may have been just what he needed to develop. The question is whether he would come back after we tossed him aside. He definitely would not come back to be Nash's back-up again.
4. Aaron Brooks: We could do a lot worse than Brooks transitioning from Steve Nash to the future.
5. Jerryd Bayless: I'd rather draft a rookie, but he would be better than Telfair.

In regard to PG, I no longer have confidence in Dragic. Down deep I worry he may have quit on Phoenix. Also the success of Dragic, and maybe even Brooks, may have been due to their success in Houston's offensive scheme. Unless Phoenix acquires another first round draft pick, they may need to look strongly at PG in the draft if there is a fit there in regards to BPA.

Shooting guard:
1. OJ Mayo: The Grizzlies are in some cap trouble, so matching Mayo may not be an option. However, competition for his services may drive up his price more than I would want the Suns to pay.
2. Lou Williams: He played well for Philly this year. He's your classic combo guard, but he could be a solid addition especially if we acquire a taller point guard like Kendall Marshall in the draft to pair with him.
3. Brando Rush: He shot 50% from the field and 45% from three last year for Golden State.
4. Terrence Williams: He has that rare ball handling and playmaking ability that is coveted in shooting guards. The problem is his lack of intelligence and maturity. He played well for the Kings to finish the year and would be worth taking a flyer on for the right price.

I guess it boils down to what position the Suns want to spend their FA money on.

Small Forward:
1. Nic Batum: Prying him away from the Blazers will require overpaying, but his length and sweet shot would work well here in Phoenix.
2. Alonzo Gee: I'll admit, he wasn't on my radar until the recent rumors. I like his athleticism and tenacity.

Again, I feel much the same about SF as SG in regards to it might come down to how much money will the Suns offer.

Power Forward:
1. Darell Arthur: I've had my eyes on him for a few years now. A serious achilles injury ruined what I though would be a break out year for him, especially considering Randolph was sidelined for much of the year. The injury makes him a risk for any team and Memphis is near the LT so they may not match. I'd love to snag him for a decent price. He is a great pick-and-pop power forward and would fit in well here.
2. Ersan Ilyasova: He's likely not the answer at PF, but he's better than anything we have currently. Competition for his services will likely mean overpaying for him.
3. JJ Hickson: Blanks obviously likes him, so I can see us going after him. He's a great change of pace from Frye, and his combination of athleticism and size is always worth a giving a chance.
4. Jordan Hill: He showed some flashes with the Lakers.
5. Lou Amundson: We could use his grittiness in the paint.

Ilyasova and Humphries are my primary targets at PF as they are FAs and they are vastly superior to any PFs the Suns have. It will cost the Suns. This is the position where the Suns may choose to invest their money.

Center:
Unless Gortat is traded or we lose Lopez, I doubt we pursue a center of any note. Hibbert will be retained by Indy and I doubt we have interest in McGee.

I would have interest in McGee but he is a RFA as I believe many others on your list.

IMO, the best chance for Phoenix to make progress in the off season is to pick up a second first round draft pick and then go BPA with both picks, then spend their money on a big man.

If the Suns decided to trade Gortat, it might open up many more options.

Below is a link to RFA and FAs for 2012. It may be out of date.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-11-12

 

[95pro]

there's really not anyone special to go after, aside from possible Dwill and Howard.

 

[sunsfan88]

PG: Kyle Lowry via trade or Goran Dragic

SG: Eric Ambrose Gordon aka Phrazbit's favorite NBA player of all time

SF: Terrence Williams

PF: Louuuuuuuuuu

C: Only Hibbert and McGee are the decent ones and they will both definitely be resigned by their current teams

 

[PhxGametime]

PG:

1. Deron Williams +
2. Jerryd Bayless +
3. George Hill
4. Raymond Felton
5. Ramon Sessions
6. Lou Williams G

SG:

1. Nicolas Batum +
2. Shannon Brown
3. O.J. Mayo
4. Gerald Green
5. Alonzo Gee
6. Jamal Crawford

SF:

1. Gerald Wallace (maybe) +
2. Daniel Green
3. Terrence Williams
4. Derrick Brown

PF:

1. Ersan Ilyasova +
2. Jordan Hill
3. Kris Humphries +
4. Jason Thompson
5. Kevin Garnett +
6. Darrell Arthur
7. Yi Jianlian

C:

1. Brook Lopez (maybe) +
2. Robin Lopez
3. Louis Amundson
4. Hasheem Thabeet
5. Tony Battie



Some of these guys could be had for decent contracts. I'm really not in favor going after Eric Gordon and I'd understand if the Suns brought back Steve Nash.

 

[Phrazbit]

PG: Kyle Lowry via trade or Goran Dragic

SG: Eric Ambrose Gordon aka Phrazbit's favorite NBA player of all time

SF: Terrence Williams

PF: Louuuuuuuuuu

C: Only Hibbert and McGee are the decent ones and they will both definitely be resigned by their current teams

I actually think Gordon is a solid player, when healthy, and could be a big asset on a contender. But he is not worth anything close to a max contract, he cannot stay healthy and we, even with him, are not contenders for anything besides 8th seeds.

And I honestly think with the sale of the Hornets and now landing the #1 pick your fantasy is dead.

As for the Suns cap space, they should do the same thing they did in 2003 and 04, they should also follow the model the Thunder used. We should use our cap to take on young players and extra picks by way of taking on a few bad contracts from teams desperate to clear space. We saw Houston do it this year in their Laker trade, we saw Cleveland do it this year AND last year and ended up stumbling into the 1st overall pick just for taking on a bad contract. Stock pile picks and youth anyway they can. And for the love of god, dont give multi-year contracts to role players.

 

[slinslin]

I hope we sign nobody that is

a) over 24 years old
b) to more than 2 or 3 years, preferably just 1 year
c) to more than 10M$ total

It is pointless in the NBA to go out and spend all your money on players that are "nice to have" but not capable of making a difference. You have to keep you capspace until you have found some young cheap franchise talent to build around and then spend it to put pieces around them.

Spending money without having anything else in place gets you in an endless spiral of mediocrity like Golden State and other bad teams that are never bad enough to get top tier talent and never have capspace either.

 

[jlove]

My biggest desires are for the Suns to pursue Williams, Dragic and Lin first thing. We need our new PG, whether now to take over for Nash, or as replacement as Nash's back-up. AFTER the PG position is taken care of, then go after a 2/3 (Mayo/Batum/Wallace/Brown/Redd/Gee) or post playing 4 (Humphries/Thompson/Ilyasova/Hickson).

 

[slinslin]

For what possible reason should we prioritize PG over all the other holes on the roster especially when we have Aaron Brooks still also?

If the Suns tie up their money in Dragic, Gee and Thompson they are absolutely done with no hope of competing. At least those signings might be so bad that they will compete for the Shabazz/Noel jackpot in 2013.

 

[jlove]

Because if Nash leaves, then we have to have someone to take the reins. Brooks is definitely NOT the answer. Just about every Suns fan was irate and a lot are still, that we traded Dragic and that we traded him for Brooks. Brooks does not fit our system nor is he any answer. If we were able to get Williams, the free agent market for other holes would be easily remedies with his presence on our roster. With Brooks not being the answer and Telfair, albeit a great PG off the bench, is not the answer either. If we can't retain Nash or gain Williams, then a very good answer would be to target Dragic or Lin. Either would fit right in to Gentry's style without losing too much of a beat. Are either going to be as good as Nash? Probably not, but they are a much better answer than just about any of the PG's in the draft or other's in free agency. We don't have any "Stars" ala Bryant, Wade, Lebron, etc so we need to ensure we have a PG that has the abilities to score and create for himself and others. Finding the other pieces after finding a PG are easier with the rebuilding direction this team needs to go.

 

[SweetD]

I would like them to make a push for Josh Smith and maybe a project like Wesley Johnson in Minnesota or wait a year and make a push for Harden.

 

[slinslin]

we do not need someone to take the reins!!! You do not need to have an allstar PG to win a championship and Aaron Brooks is good enough to be a role player starting PG on a great team too.

And reality check, our system is irrelevant once Nash is gone.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I actually think Gordon is a solid player, when healthy, and could be a big asset on a contender. But he is not worth anything close to a max contract, he cannot stay healthy and we, even with him, are not contenders for anything besides 8th seeds.

And I honestly think with the sale of the Hornets and now landing the #1 pick your fantasy is dead.

As for the Suns cap space, they should do the same thing they did in 2003 and 04, they should also follow the model the Thunder used. We should use our cap to take on young players and extra picks by way of taking on a few bad contracts from teams desperate to clear space. We saw Houston do it this year in their Laker trade, we saw Cleveland do it this year AND last year and ended up stumbling into the 1st overall pick just for taking on a bad contract. Stock pile picks and youth anyway they can. And for the love of god, dont give multi-year contracts to role players.

All of this is right on.

 

[jlove]

we do not need someone to take the reins!!! You do not need to have an allstar PG to win a championship and Aaron Brooks is good enough to be a role player starting PG on a great team too.

And reality check, our system is irrelevant once Nash is gone.

This statement is completely false. With the make-up up this team, minus Nash, is still the same system if you can insert Dragic or Lin and to a lesser extent Felton. If you have a different PG like Williams or Miller, etc then the system changes a bit. But the Suns are still coached by Gentry, who in all rights basically runs the same system as D'Antoni, like we've seen. He's run the same system in all his coaching stops as Head Coach. So taking Nash away, we really do have the same system. If we are gonna settle for a PG like Brooks, then we are in a LOT of trouble, no matter what else we put on the floor. We need a starting caliber PG. My preference is Williams (would be a MAX), then either Dragic (Starting around $7-8 mil most likely) or Lin (would start at $5 mil then escalate from $7-8 in years 2-4 after that).

 

[Chris_Sanders]

And now for some reality:

Suns Coach Gentry Feels Good About Keeping Nash

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....ch-gentry-feels-good-about-suns-keeping-nash/

More and more, there is a buzz around the league that Nash may look at his choices and say “there’s no place like home

This is priority #1 for the team.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

This is my favorite follow up article:

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....n-williams-what-is-magic-johnson-unavailable/

You will note the first part:

The New York Daily News reports that if Steve Nash leaves the Suns in free agency, the Suns will make a bid for Deron Williams.

Again the team wants Nash over Deron Williams.

Then this is hysterical

“If they lose Steve, then they plan to go after Deron, hard,” said a person with knowledge of the Suns’ plans. “They know he loves golf and they’re going to try to sell him on going out there.”

… Golf?

That’s your plan?

Golf?

Williams has his choice of re-signing with the Nets for the most money and years allowed under the new CBA, being built as a global superstar by owner Mikhail Prokhorov, and bringing with it all the sponsorship opportunities and lifestyle of living in the greatest city in the world. He can sign with his hometown Dallas Mavericks, pairing him with a Hall-of-Famer in Dirk Nowitzki and an owner that has proven he’ll spend in order to win. He can pair himself with just about any superstar in the league, and your plan of attack to reportedly attempt to convince him to sign with you when your best player is Marcin Gortat is to lure him with … golf?

LMAO

 

[Waysouth]

We are thinking way too small. Other than Williams none of the FA are a step towards winning a championship and he will need more help than we have on the roster! Some may be good for making a run at a 5 - 8 playoff seed but that's it. Like a poster above said, accumulate picks, buy picks, whatever, but build through the draft.

 

[elindholm]

You know who else loves golf? Michael Jordan. Time for a comeback baby!

 

[sunsfan88]

Cavs forward Alonzo Gee might draw some serious interest this summer in free agency. The Suns could make a lucrative offer to Gee. One source said they could offer Gee a four-year, $16 million offer and hope that the Cavs don’t match it.

The Suns are expected to lose future Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash this summer. One source said there’s a 70/30 chance that he signs elsewhere. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for the rebuilding Suns to break the bank for a 38-year-old point guard. It might make more sense to go after restricted free agent Goran Dragic, who played for Houston last year.

http://morningjournal.com/articles/2012/06/02/sports/doc4fcadb9098032996388308.txt?viewmode=4[/quote]

 

[Phrazbit]

This statement is completely false. With the make-up up this team, minus Nash, is still the same system if you can insert Dragic or Lin and to a lesser extent Felton. If you have a different PG like Williams or Miller, etc then the system changes a bit. But the Suns are still coached by Gentry, who in all rights basically runs the same system as D'Antoni, like we've seen. He's run the same system in all his coaching stops as Head Coach. So taking Nash away, we really do have the same system. If we are gonna settle for a PG like Brooks, then we are in a LOT of trouble, no matter what else we put on the floor. We need a starting caliber PG. My preference is Williams (would be a MAX), then either Dragic (Starting around $7-8 mil most likely) or Lin (would start at $5 mil then escalate from $7-8 in years 2-4 after that).

Gentry ran the system because Nash was here. Nash IS the system. And to bring in obviously inferior players and try to run the same system without the only guy who made the system actually work (and last year only worked for a .500 record) is an obviously flawed plan.

If our plan really is to keep running the same game-plan without Nash around then good news gang... we will have the most lotto balls in the draft next year.

 

[elindholm]

Gentry ran the system because Nash was here. Nash IS the system.

Do you really think that last year's "system" was the same as in the SSOL days? It sure doesn't look the same to me. If you define the "system" has "having Nash on the roster," then yes, it's the same system, but otherwise it's safe to say that the offense has been completely overhauled.

 

[Phrazbit]

Do you really think that last year's "system" was the same as in the SSOL days? It sure doesn't look the same to me. If you define the "system" has "having Nash on the roster," then yes, it's the same system, but otherwise it's safe to say that the offense has been completely overhauled.

No, its not SSOL, but to try and run our dribble penetration, ball movement, 3pt offense without Nash who is the offense, is the system, is just stupid.

Do you really think that replacing Nash with Ray Felton or Dragic will allow the Suns to be a similar offensive team? And my point was, what is the point of trying to replicate what we've been doing with Nash, with lesser players than Nash when for the last 2 years the system has yielded nothing but late lotto slots?

 

[elindholm]

No, its not SSOL, but to try and run our dribble penetration, ball movement, 3pt offense without Nash who is the offense, is the system, is just stupid.

I think most NBA offenses rely on dribble penetration, ball movement, and three-point shooting. In fact I would say that the Suns are below average in both dribble penetration and ball movement, and not much better than average in three-point shooting.

Do you really think that replacing Nash with Ray Felton or Dragic will allow the Suns to be a similar offensive team?

Of course not, because Felton or Dragic aren't anywhere near the player that Nash is. You might as well ask whether the Thunder could be a similar offensive team with Rashard Lewis instead of Durant.

And my point was, what is the point of trying to replicate what we've been doing with Nash

I don't see the "system," which has evolved from season to season, as being the problem. The problem is a severe lack of talent. Get better players, and the offense will fix itself.

 

[Joe Mama]

For what possible reason should we prioritize PG over all the other holes on the roster especially when we have Aaron Brooks still also?

If the Suns tie up their money in Dragic, Gee and Thompson they are absolutely done with no hope of competing. At least those signings might be so bad that they will compete for the Shabazz/Noel jackpot in 2013.

What is Brooks status? Is he a restricted free agent this summer?

I wouldn't mind Dragic, but they better get him for a damn good price. I don't see that happening. Otherwise I wouldn't sign anybody to more than a one or two-year deal. This free-agent market sucks. The only way I would spend the money in free agency is if they could somehow convince the over the Hill gang to sign here for a year or two. I'm talking Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett, Michael Redd, and whatever other golden oldies they could convince.

If they are going to rebuild they should just do it.

Joe