| |
|
|
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 16, 2006
|
|
Should the Suns start the rebuilding process now? As great as Nash is, the team appears to be headed in a different philosophical direction which stresses defense, and he has never been a great or even average defender. If the Suns could pick up Rose or Bayless, both of whom bring better defensive potential along with good offense, through a trade for Nash, would you endorse it? Possible trade partners would be Miami, New York, LA Clippers, Milwaukee, Chicago and Portland. There are no rumors out there that anything like this has even been considered or thought of, but is it, assuming those teams would be interested, something the Suns should think about this offseason?
|
|
|
|
Reputation:90
Level:All-Star
Since:Dec 11, 2006
|
|
The only thing the Suns need to do is get rid of Steve Kerr.......let D'Antoni coach his game and the suns will run and win again. Enough with the slow down Bulls**t...Steve Kerr is the problem and he either needs to start playing for the team signing his checks or get the hell out.
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:88
Level:All-Star
Since:Jan 9, 2008
|
|
ive known for the last few seasons that the Suns were not going to be the team that they once ere for long.this team never really wanted to pay the players that made them special but werent considered stars. imagine what wouldve happened if the suns kept not only Shawn Marion but Joe Johnson, Tim Thomas, Kurt Thomas, and Steven Hunter they would be much deeper and even better defense wise
Center-Amare Stoudamirepower
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 24, 2006
|
Blow it up. The sooner the rebuilding starts the sooner that the Suns could be a relevant team again. As of right now the Suns are the oldest and most defensively inept team in the league. Steve Nash has always been a liability on defense, Amare can play good help defense but cannot man up his own guy, and Shaq has very little left in the tank. Tell me when if ever you would have seen Shaq shoot a lay up and not throw it down 3-4 years ago? How many lay ups did he shoot this season in Phoenix?
Blow it up and rebuild!
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 16, 2006
|
Can the Suns win a championship over the next two seasons with the roster they have right now? Will adding a #15 draft pick in this year's draft put them over the top? Are there any affordable, third-tier players that could make that great of an impact?
Right now Phoenix sits $15 million over the cap. They are already paying a luxury tax, and there ability to fix the roster through anything but a trade is very limited. If they stand pat over the next two seasons expect the same results, and they will probably get progressively worse.
The good news is that a little over $37 million dollars comes off the books in the summer of 2010, the same time that LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady are supposed to become free agents. They have about $5 million coming off this year and another $1.5 million next year, bringing their payroll to about $28 million in the summer of 2010. That will give them $28 million in cap room as well. Obviously some players would have to be added, but the Suns could still be in a position to offer a max contract to one of those free agents. The Suns can go about this two ways; stick with the roster they have now or begin building toward the future.
Sticking with what they have now will give them a better chance to win this season and the next, but when those contracts come off the books the only thing coming in return is the cap space. The Suns run the risk of having a less appealing situation than other suitors. Plus, they'll have to address those departed positions, which could take up some of their free cap room.
If they trade some pieces now, they get younger talent that could develop within a couple of years. It's not unimaginable that Rose, Bayless or Mayo could be making a significant impact on the League by the year 2010. And the value of their contracts at that point is much greater than what the Suns would find in free agency. Adding a talented young player this year and next, to go along with Stoudemire and possibly Diaw and Barbosa, would make Phoenix an attractive destination for those marquee free agents.
Phoenix would have to take some contracts in return for any player they trade, but as long as the contracts run out by 2010 I think it would be a great idea for the Suns to make a significant move as soon as possible. I would much rather see the team be average for the next two seasons and jump right back into the mix in 2010 than continue in vain to win with this group for the next two years and then fall into even great obscurity once the team's great talents are either gone or washed up.
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 18, 2006
|
" Right now Phoenix sits $15 million over the cap." ..."They are already paying a luxury tax"
Actually the Suns are not over the Cap. they have two mid level exceptions and one regular. which is why they didn't pay any luxury tax this year and wont pay any next year. They traded away Thomas with picks for that second mid level. The salary cap is 55 million, all but 4 or 5 teams are under that, however most of those teams don't pay luxury tax because they trade for mid level exceptions which are not counted against the salary cap. Realistically you could have 72-73 million in salary and not pay any luxury tax.
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 16, 2006
|
|
They are over the cap in salary. They might not be paying the actual tax because of those exceptions, but they are still over the cap. It effects their ability to sign free agents. That was the point I was making. Do you have an opinion on the actual topic at hand? Should the Suns rebuild or stick with what they have?
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 18, 2006
|
"Do you have an opinion on the actual topic at hand? Should the Suns rebuild or stick with what they have?"
I would like to see who the coach will be. This is a team that with the current roster will win 55 plus games next year. However in order to get to the finals they need better coaching. First, who do they draft? they have the 15th pick and Seattles early 2nd round pick. Should they see a player that they love at 11, or 12 they need to trade to that spot.
2. The Significantly older players have only 1-2 years left on their contracts which means that the suns are limited to only one year of not signing a free agents, and this year free agent class is nothing special anyway. Shaq has two years at 20 million each which means that the last year will be very attractive for many teams as an expiring contract to take in, for exchange of a star player with a big contract. Nash only has 1 year guaranteed left, so the Suns will know whether or not reward Nash (13 million )with his option year if the team wins it all next year. Raja Bell has only 2 years left...and Grant Hill has 1 year left.
So the way I see it The Suns are only stuck for this summers free agency period, and gain this year free agency class is nothing special. So I see the Suns going after the title with the current team one more ear.
The keys, Barbosa and Diaw. What happened to Barbosa we all expected him to take to the superstar level this year, instead he was a ghost in the playoffs and in the regular season his points went down by the month and don't forget this is a guy that still has not developed a jump shot.
The Suns also are waiting to see if the NBA will change the rule to perhaps the last 3 minutes of each quarter a foul on a player without the ball will lead to a tech. foul and FT and the ball out of bounce, most teams don't get to the penalty until the 3 min mark of each qt, so this would eliminate the hack foul system which seemed to have pissed off a lot of NBA execs this year.
And is the new coach going to evaluate Diaw's ability to post dominate small forwards who are mostly smaller then him and stick Diaw as a big option on the low post awith Amare becoming the driving to the basket from the foul line type of player as he is now. or does he move Amare in to a more post up presents role as apposed to driving to the basket.
I don't think blowing the team this year will help, the suns will not get anything in return, next year the Suns will clear 33 million with Nash and Shaq alone, via trade or contract exp.
At the end of the day folks if your a team in the west and you don't have a superstar piong guard or a superstar Shooting guard as one of your top two players you are not going to win. So before the Suns lose nash they better find the C.Paul, D. williams, T. Parker, of the nba's somewhere.
As for Joe Johnson he is a free agent in 2 years just when the Suns have cleared all that salary so if they really want him, they can sign him.
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 16, 2006
|
I don't think the current roster can get to the NBA Finals next year, but I respect the fact that some still believe they can. Maybe a new coach would help, but I still think three of the Suns' starters are on the decline, and that doesn't inspire much confidence in a team that got bounced from the first round this season.
I think the only way the Suns are going to find a young point guard that can legitimately be a defensive threat against players like Paul, Williams, Conley, etc. is by going through the draft. #15 isn't going to get them that guard. That means they need to make a trade, and they aren't netting a high pick by trading anything less than one of their two superstars. Nash has less value than Stoudemire, but he still might be an attractive enough option to get a high pick in return. Obviously the sooner they trade him the more value he gets in return.
I guess this whole discussion comes down to whether you believe the Suns can win a title over the next couple of years or not. I don't think it will happen as long as Nash's defensive inefficiencies continue to hinder the team in the playoffs. I could be wrong, though, and you make good points.
I'm much more interested in the 2010 free agent group than I am in the one this year or next. I'd love to see a Stoudemire/James or Stoudemire/Wade combo, although there are going to be plenty of teams lined up to grab those players, and there is always the chance they stay with their current teams.
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 16, 2006
|
|
I'm not sure a Barbosa-Artest trade would work numbers-wise if it were done straight up, but if it were possible I would definitely support it. Not sure Sacramento would make that deal, either, but I think adding Artest to the current starting lineup could significantly increase Phoenix's playoff hopes next season.
|
|
|
|
|
Reputation:84
Level:All-Star
Since:Sep 5, 2006
|
|
|
