Free Agents...(there is nothing free about these guys)

[Sun Scorched]

Why invest money in a Free Agent, only to bench our draft pick ?

I'll square off with you with these guys...

Dragic/ Marshall
Olapido / Dudley
Iguodala / Tucker / CusMo
KeifMo / Scola / Frye(?)
TheG / ONeal / Rookie

An athletic starting 5, and a solid cagey second unit. Heck, I might just call Barbasoso for fun too.

I LOVE Iggy. Really do and I think he has a few solid years left in him, but he's going to get $12m+ and I don't want him for that price. If we're going to spend that amount, we need young guys who still have upside (Evans, Gordon, etc.), not capped out vets that can get us back onto the treadmill.

Assuming we can land McLemore, I'm not sure it's such a bad thing to ease him into the NBA game. He's squaring off against second units in low(er) pressure situations and we can still give him 24 minutes of burn - 12 next to Dragic and 12 next to Tyreke at PG. Hit fits well with both. With McLemore, more than any other draft pick, it seems confidence is the one lever we need to be careful with.

By the way Frank - I love the hustle on that team above, but it couldn't hit the broadside of a barn outside of the paint. We'd be 30th in offense.

[Frank Lee]

30th ? May be so... but we should be in the top 5 on D.... no?

I think the strength of this team could be (will be if we don't sell off some boys) is the second unit. Heck, we had the best bench in the league this yr, except the fact that most of them started for us

Some smart acquisitions need to be made, and our front office is under the scope for doing something that will equal wins and tickets sales. Iggy at 12 mill, is not so bad, and I'd rather have him than fragile Gordon at 15. I understand the quest for youngsters, but we will have 2 to add (draft picks) this yr, and may be two more in each of the following off seasons.

Iggy is a bird in the hand and accomplishes the criteria that seems logical for a free agent acquisition. Wins and tickets. He has always been a consummate pro who has been a solid and consistent 2 way player. More so than some of these other guys mentioned. No way do I want a free agent who is here on potential (see Beasley). Its too risky, and the boys who are making the decisions, do not have much leeway. They are, in essence, picking for their jobs, and they should know that by now.

[Sun Scorched]

I'm with you Frank, but I think McLemore takes priority if you're going for Iggy.

PG - Dragic / Marshall
SG - McLemore / Dudley
SF - Igoudala / Tucker
PF - Frye / Morris
C - Gortat / O'Neal

You have McLemore and Fyre as your floor-spacing specialists, Dragic and Iggy as your slashing ball-handling duo and (as you're so inclined) TheG to be your rebounding defensive presence.

You would still have max space in 2014, but is that team enough to be "non-treadmill"?

[gaspar]

PG - Dragic / Marshall
SG - Evans / McLemore
SF - Tucker / Morris
PF - Frye / Morris
C - O'Neal / Adams

Honestly, I think that team could be competitive. Nice spacing. Nice leadership. Nice scoring. Solid defense. Dynamic bench. Youth. 2014 cap space.

What spacing? This team would have a horrible spacing.

Dragic/Evans/Tucker are shooting 153/475 (.322) from deep in ~6500 minutes this season.
To put this in perspective, Metta World Peace is 139/407 (.342) in ~2500 minutes, Vince Carter is 161/397 (.406) in ~2000 minutes.

[Sun Scorched]

PG - Dragic / Marshall
SG - Evans / McLemore
SF - Tucker / Morris
PF - Frye / Morris
C - O'Neal / Adams

Honestly, I think that team could be competitive. Nice spacing. Nice leadership. Nice scoring. Solid defense. Dynamic bench. Youth. 2014 cap space.

What spacing? This team would have a horrible spacing.

Dragic/Evans/Tucker are shooting 153/475 (.322) from deep in ~6500 minutes this season.
To put this in perspective, Metta World Peace is 139/407 (.342) in ~2500 minutes, Vince Carter is 161/397 (.406) in ~2000 minutes.

Evans is shooting 34% - not thrilling, but not terrible. Besides, my main point was the inclusion of Frye opens up the interior - spacing is nice around O'Neal and allows for the slashing that Evans and Dragic are great at.

[Sunsfan03]

Terence Williams - What happen to this guy? I remembered we were high on him at some point and we can get him really really cheap.

Boston picked him up in late February.

I still like him. His best game for the Celtics so far has been against the Wolves, where he scored 14 points (6-10 FG) (2-3 3PT), with 6 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal in 22 minutes. Pretty good for a 6"6 athletic as all hell SG! Like i was always saying, this guy has triple-double qualities. He would fit in great next to Dragic as a scorer, 2nd play-maker and as a defender.

Thats pretty darn good. We should definitely throw a 9m/3year(1 team option) contract at him. He will bite straight away since nobody is buying.

And somehow everyone in this thread wants us to be semi-competitive next season.... Can't we wait after next years STRONG draft...

[Sunsfan03]

I'm with you Frank, but I think McLemore takes priority if you're going for Iggy.

PG - Dragic / Marshall
SG - McLemore / Dudley
SF - Igoudala / Tucker
PF - Frye / Morris
C - Gortat / O'Neal

You have McLemore and Fyre as your floor-spacing specialists, Dragic and Iggy as your slashing ball-handling duo and (as you're so inclined) TheG to be your rebounding defensive presence.

You would still have max space in 2014, but is that team enough to be "non-treadmill"?

I really do like that team but thats definitely gonna end with us being 9-11 spot.
The worst position in the NBA

[thamadkant]

I think Suns will not invest 10-12 million a year on a semi-star past his peak.
Also Gortat if not traded next season will leave for greener pasture... As in in teams with higher level of talent and with available cash ready to contend for playoffs who need big man... Wizards, Cavs etc come to mind.

Markieff Morris is way too inconsistent to be a big time PF... He is ideal backup or sixth man PF.



Suns are really not just 1 semi-star from turning around...

If it was Lebron James and current squad... That would be a 45-47 win team with 1st round elimination potential.... Out west.. Could go deeper out east though.


If it was a Lebron James level star + a solid hard banging double double PF added to the current squad... Then it's a much better outlook.



Like I've proposed many times, Suns really do need to accumulate another top flight stud next year.. And secure 30 million cap space to lure that Legit All star FA and a semi-star / star free agents in 2014 for a much better arsenal to fight it out, out west.... Top 4-5 team out west.

[Frank Lee]

What are you looking for 1Upz.... ? A cookie , a prize, a 'gee' you gotta great plan ?

Be realistic.... do you really think we will sit back and do little to nothing more than draft a rookie and trade off our legit talent in order to get a 'better' pick next yr ?

Come on...

One trade, one pick, and one Free Agent (other than JONeal, and may be WesJo)

Making the playoffs will be the goal for next yr. Putting together a more competitive group and giving Dragic some actual tools to work with. You tankers must have no faith in him, nor any hope. That kid can ball and just needs a couple of legitimate complimentary semi star players that will bring it every night.

Its foolish to play to lose as you want. Or rather, its foolish to think this front office will accept that as a strategy. I think we will attempt to sign someone. Someone significant. We did last yr didn't we ? These guys (Blanks and Babbly) will be active.

[Sunsfan03]

Chris Copeland!
We definitely HAVE to get him on our team.
He gets buckets!
Offer him 3m/year, im sure he accepts

My suggestion on free agents
Terrence Williams
Chris Copeland
Chase Budinger (will consider leaving Wolves if Adelman leaves)
JJ Hickson (reasonable contract <8m)
Tyreke Evans (Only at a discount <8m, super unlikely)
Al-Farouq Aminu
Andre Blatch