I Know What They Should Do This Summer 2019: Phoenix Suns

[loserX]

We've had some success and interest in these threads in the past, so figured we'd revive them for this year's lottery teams to start!

How would you handle the Phoenix Suns' offseason?

Front office changes, June draft, July free agency, and trades throughout...it's all on the table!

Current salary:
Devin Booker.........27,250,000.....29,430,000.....31,610,000.....33,790,000.....35,970,000
Tyler Johnson........19,245,370 (PO)
TJ Warren............10,810,000.....11,750,000.....12,690,000
DeAndre Ayton...... 9,562,920.....10,018,200 (TO).....12,632,950 (TO)
Josh Jackson......... 7,059,480..... 8,930,242 (TO)
Mikal Bridges......... 4,161,000..... 4,359,000(TO)..... 5,557,725 (TO)
Elie Okobo........... 1,416,852..... 1,663,861 (ung)... 1,802,057 (TO)
De'Anthony Melton.. 1,416,852
Jimmer Fredette.... 1,416,852 (TO)
Ray Spalding......... 1,416,852 (ung)

Free agents: Kelly Oubre, Dragan Bender, Troy Daniels, Richaun Holmes
Total of above for 2019-20: $83,756,178
2019 projected cap: $109,000,000

That leaves the Suns with just over $25M cap room; they can cut Fredette and Spalding but will just get hit with roster spot holds. The 6th pick will count for about $5.80M if paid 120% of scale, which almost everyone does. There are also roster spots to fill.

Draft
The Suns have the #6 pick in 2019, and the #32 pick in the second round.

They have all their own future first rounders plus the Bucks' pick in 2020 (top-7 prot), and all their future 2nds except 2021.

Some possible questions to consider:
1) Held Pointless: No great mystery here. Devin Booker is very talented and clearly the future of this team...but making him the lead guard isn't to his greatest benefit nor the team's, and last season underscored that pretty firmly. (Tyler Johnson isn't a solution either.) How should the Suns fill their biggest hole? Draft Garland or White, if available? Make a trade? Sign a savvy vet? Some combination of these?
2) Power Play: in a league moving quickly towards wing play, Phoenix actually has a few options (but will have to make a decision on Oubre). But teams still need *some* size, and the Suns don't have much of it outside Ayton and combo forward Warren. (The team was dead last in rebound rate last year.) How should the team address its power rotation? Try to trade for a stud? Use their capspace to add some mid-tier vets?

The Suns ranked at or near the bottom in offence, defence and rebounding last year; hiring Monty Williams suggests the FO, at least, wants to get serious. How should the roster follow suit?

[Crives]

My realistic offseason dream.

1. Three way trade add Dinwiddie and Clarke (#10)
Suns trade: #6 + #32 + Milwaukee 1st
Suns receive: Dinwiddie + #10
Nets trade: Dinwiddie
Nets receive: #17 + #32 + Milwaukee 1st
Hawks trade: #17 + #10
Hawks receive: #6

2. Resign Oubre to 5 yrs 75m with declining %
3. Resign Holmes 2 yrs 5m per
3. Sign Vonleh to MLE
4. Resign Jamal to vet min
5. Trade two future 2nds for Mfiondu in early 2nd rd

PG - Dinwiddie/Tyler/Melton
SG - Book/Bridges/Crawford
SF - Oubre/Warren/Josh
PF - Vonleh/Clarke/Mfiondu
C - Ayton/Holmes/Mfiondu

I think that team wins at least 40 games.

[Bentley1225]

1. Use #6 to draft Garland or offer #6/2020 Milwaukee 1st to trade with Cavs for #5 or #6/2020 Milwaukee 1st/2022 protected 1st to trade with Lakers for #4 to draft him.
2. Target Julius Randle and Brook Lopez in free agency.
3. Deal Josh Jackson. Suns just have too many wings. Warren is more effective, Bridges is better value.
4. Retain Kelly Oubre for equal/less than $12 million annually otherwise let him go.

[Phystic]

Ideally I'd like to see the Suns go after Rubio. Resign Oubre and Holmes. I'm a bit open with the pick. Could draft a PG to groom behind Rubio. Or could draft a PF like Clarke. I think if we do the latter trading down is a good idea.

Now admittedly I'm not all about CBA/Salary figures. So I don't know if it's feasible to retain Oubre and Holmes and also go after Rubio. Not sure if maybe Utah would be interested in a sign and trade(are those still a thing?). Maybe see if they have interest in TJ or Jackson.

I'm less worried about PF than I am PG at the moment.

[Crives]

Ideally I'd like to see the Suns go after Rubio. Resign Oubre and Holmes. I'm a bit open with the pick. Could draft a PG to groom behind Rubio. Or could draft a PF like Clarke. I think if we do the latter trading down is a good idea.

Now admittedly I'm not all about CBA/Salary figures. So I don't know if it's feasible to retain Oubre and Holmes and also go after Rubio. Not sure if maybe Utah would be interested in a sign and trade(are those still a thing?). Maybe see if they have interest in TJ or Jackson.

I'm less worried about PF than I am PG at the moment.

We should have ~10m in cap if we keep Oubre. If Rubio costs ~15 per we need to clear one of Warren/Jackson/Tyler. Tyler can be stretched.

[babyjax13]

A good portion of their roster is still on rookie scale contracts, so I wouldn't try to rush things. The key thing is getting a point guard this season that makes them competitive on a night-to-night basis. I have no illusions that they'll make the playoffs. That being said, I'm not a fan of the point guards in their draft range, because I think picking Garland or White at 6 is a bit of a reach. I also don't think Pheonix needs Hunter, Reddish, or Culver when they already have Bridges. I'd be looking to move down in the draft and getting a power forward to compliment Ayton, rather than get a point guard in the draft.

Trade 1:
Phoenix trades: 6, [small filler if Dinwiddie is coming back]
Phoenix receives: 14, Spencer Dinwiddie [or Derrick White]
Phoenix gets their starting point guard, one that is young enough to stay with the team for a while.

Boston trades: 14, 20, 22
Boston receives: 6
Boston moves up in the lottery.

Brooklyn [or San Antonio] trades: Spencer Dinwiddie [or San Antonio trades Derrick White]
Brooklyn [or San Antonio] receives: 20, 22
Brooklyn/San Antonio opens up a smidge more cap space, and gets some cost-controlled contracts.

I'd also be looking to flip the 32nd pick for a bit higher pick, and I think that there might be some teams willing to take a shot on Jackson.

Trade 2:

Phoenix trades: 32, Josh Jackson
Oklahoma City trades: 21, Patrick Patterson or Andre Roberson (depends on how much OKC wants to save $$$)
Phoenix moves up in the draft, OKC moves some bad salary, still has a decent pick, and takes a shot on Jackson who might be better on a team with veteran leaders? I'm assuming the player coming back is PPat, since he is becoming unplayable.

Draft:
Power forward is the word of the day.
14: PJ Washington
21: Darius Bazley

Resign Holmes and Oubre. Let go of Jimmer and Daniels.

Ayton/Holmes/Washington
Washington/Bazley/Warren
Bridges/Warren
Booker/Oubre/Okobo
[Dinwiddie or White]/Johnson/Melton

I think this team should be easier to develop because they'll have a legitimate point guard rotation. They will also have some interesting prospects at power forward, which - other than point guard - seems to be their only massive hole. I don't think they'd make the playoffs, but they will develop and be entertaining ... something they haven't been for a while.

Decision to make: who is the backup small forward? Should Oubre or TJ Warren stay? Likely flip one of the two to a playoff team for a first round pick at the all-star break.

[babyjax13]

Ideally I'd like to see the Suns go after Rubio. Resign Oubre and Holmes. I'm a bit open with the pick. Could draft a PG to groom behind Rubio. Or could draft a PF like Clarke. I think if we do the latter trading down is a good idea.

Now admittedly I'm not all about CBA/Salary figures. So I don't know if it's feasible to retain Oubre and Holmes and also go after Rubio. Not sure if maybe Utah would be interested in a sign and trade(are those still a thing?). Maybe see if they have interest in TJ or Jackson.

I'm less worried about PF than I am PG at the moment.

We'd have zero interest in taking back salary for Rubio.

[giberish]

Ideally I'd like to see the Suns go after Rubio. Resign Oubre and Holmes. I'm a bit open with the pick. Could draft a PG to groom behind Rubio. Or could draft a PF like Clarke. I think if we do the latter trading down is a good idea.

Now admittedly I'm not all about CBA/Salary figures. So I don't know if it's feasible to retain Oubre and Holmes and also go after Rubio. Not sure if maybe Utah would be interested in a sign and trade(are those still a thing?). Maybe see if they have interest in TJ or Jackson.

I'm less worried about PF than I am PG at the moment.

We'd have zero interest in taking back salary for Rubio.

Phoenix should have the cap space to just sign Rubio (I doubt he's getting much over MLE money).