The One And Only Offseason Thread 3

[Revived]

If we do lose Bledsoe, I'd like to see us snag Afflalo from Denver. Even if we have to overpay for him.

Afflalo is the PERFECT 2 guard to compliment Dragic.

[asudevil]

How about a big 4 teamer:

Suns trade:
Bledsoe (4year $52mil)/Markieff/Marcus
Suns get:
Horford/McLemore

Plumlee/Len/Randolph
Horford/Tolliver
Green/Tucker/Warren
McLemore/Green/Goodwin
Dragic/Thomas/Ennis

Kings trade:
Gay/McLemore
Kings get:
Smith/Teague

Kings get Smith, which for some reason they've been all over, and Teague who becomes their starting PG

Pistons trade:
Smith
Pistons get:
Gay/Marcus

Pistons clear caps space with Gay's expiring which allows them to extend Monroe. Marcus can backup both PF/SF slots.

Hawks trade:
Horford/Teague
Hawks get:
Markieff/Bledsoe

Hawks grab Bledsoe, which is an upgrade to Teague and swap Horford for Markieff.

[TASTIC]

I was listening to Gambo last night, he actually said it's more like they haven't actually HEARD from Bledsoe, rather than him flat out rejecting it...For all we know he might be waiting a day or two and then bam, deal done.

Surely his agent isn't foolish enough to risk $45m and tell him to take the QO?

[Fo-Real]

I was listening to Gambo last night, he actually said it's more like they haven't actually HEARD from Bledsoe, rather than him flat out rejecting it...For all we know he might be waiting a day or two and then bam, deal done.

Surely his agent isn't foolish enough to risk $45m and tell him to take the QO?

If this is true then the last couple days has been one of the biggest overreaction on this board and we are all a little dumber for being involved........ I want my last two days of brain cells BACK!!!

[Fo-Real]

AND IF ITS NOT.....TRADE HIS A $$!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE THE PITCHFORKS..... RUN HIM OUT A HERE!!!!! LOL

[LukasBMW]

I was listening to Gambo last night, he actually said it's more like they haven't actually HEARD from Bledsoe, rather than him flat out rejecting it...For all we know he might be waiting a day or two and then bam, deal done.

Surely his agent isn't foolish enough to risk $45m and tell him to take the QO?

If this is true, then that's a relief. Hopefully it's just him and his agent playing hardball (which is smart because they know that 4/48 isn't going anywhere. They may as well hold out just a bit longer and hope another team offers a max.

Hopefully we front load that 4/48 to make it easier to trade him down the line.

[King Bynum]

Hey everyone. I'm not a Suns fan, but I've followed the team closely since the start of last season because I just loved the way your team played and its future outlook and all that. I've even tried to explain to people on RealGM and in real life why the moves your team has made make a lot of sense even though they might seem a bit counterintuitive at first. But you guys are aware of that.

What I am a bit surprised about is that a lot of Suns fans seem pretty pessimistic about Bledsoe. I just don’t get it considering how perfectly he fits your team.

First, he very well might be the best defensive point guard in the whole league. Need evidence? Last season the Suns ranked as the 13th best defense in the league. Good, but not great. When EB was on the floor, Phoenix played defense that would have ranked 5th in the whole NBA. When Bledsoe wasn’t on the floor the Suns D plummeted to 21st in the league.

His defensive prowess are even more invaluable in the joyful two-PG system, as there just aren’t that many PGs in the league that can handle most SGs easily. Bledsoe can do that, and that makes the Dragic-Bledsoe combo competent defevensively, as they have great defensive versatility to almost always get a favorable matchup for both guys. If you need ball-pressure, you unleash Bledsoe to hound the PG. If you need length against the point guard you put Dragic on him etc. To me defensive issues are the reason why most teams can’t run two point guards out there for extended stretches. Bledsoe allows the Suns to do that.

Just as a reminder: when Dragic and Bledsoe were healthy last year your team played pretty much .600 ball. And when those two were on the court together the Suns had the league’s 5th best offense and 2nd best defense according to nba.com. Read that again. You guys really wanna break that up?

Someone also questioned his production in basic box score stats. Well, last season 8 players averaged at least 17 points, 4 boards, 5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Bledsoe was one of them along with LeBron, Curry, Harden, CP3, Lowry, Wall and Westbrook. Bledsoe played less minutes than any of those guys, so if we look at per-36 stats, Bledsoe was one of three to average at least 19/5/5.5/2 per 36. The other two? Westbrook and LeBron freaking James.

The average salary of those seven guys who matched or bettered Bledsoe from last season is about 15.7 million dollars. So basically the same amount as Bledsoe’s max deal. And he’s a better defender than pretty much all those guys exept for a locked-in LeBron.

The main knock on him is that he’s not proven yet to be a floor general how can for sure run an offense effectively. I personally think that will improve with time, but it’s also possible it never will. But you know what? He doesn’t need to run the offense by himself as the Suns run two PGs at a time a lot. So he can focus on what he’s good at: cause havoc on both ends, run the break and break down defenses with his athleticism.

One last thing: the cap is gonna go up like crazy in a few years. Even 15 million dollars a year for a player of EB’s quality might be considered a steal when the new TV deal kicks in.

Just my opinion, but you guys really have something amazing cooking here, and it would be a shame to let it go just like that. Luckily the Suns FO seems to be inclined to keep Bledsoe.

[Gorilla Warfare]

Guys, there are more important things going on in the NBA...

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... -Cavaliers

[Sunsdeuce]

Honestly, f$@k Bledsoe. Keep goran. At least goran has embraced phx. And goran is WAY closer to being an all-star and he isn't injury prone.

Bledsoe doesn't deserve the benefit of doubt as far as this contract stuff goes. Every person in the country knows Bledsoe ISNT a max player.




Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[drewsprocket]

Ok fine I'll give you that he's top 10 but i'd rather have Bledsoe at this point than Rondo, Paul, Parker, Michael Carter, Curry, Deron Will, Irving, Knight, Rubio, Rose...who else you got? Ok I'll take Wall, Lillard, and maybe Westbrook over Bledsoe. But we all know that, if healthy, Bledsoe's defensive abilities combined with his offensive traits are as rare as they come.
Bled despite his injury and potential risk is still worth considerable money- perhaps not more than what the suns offered but its enough. Just because he's off base and asking for the max doesn't mean he's **** trash.

Not that he will, but if he does sign for the QO, and plays a full season - he's GONE with nothing in return.

Don't get me wrong, I'll take Wiggins for Bled straight up. But that's not gonna happen.

You would take Bledsoe over CP3, Parker and Curry?

Man, sharing is caring! Pass that kush around!

Youth mainly is why I'd take Bled over CP3 and Parker.
Curry is the better offensive player but an ankle injury away from becoming his brother. But Bled has the Defense and is the better paint player, shoots a higher percentage. Trust me, if Bled plays a full season we're gonna do some damage.

[matt131]

Ok fine I'll give you that he's top 10 but i'd rather have Bledsoe at this point than Rondo, Paul, Parker, Michael Carter, Curry, Deron Will, Irving, Knight, Rubio, Rose...who else you got? Ok I'll take Wall, Lillard, and maybe Westbrook over Bledsoe. But we all know that, if healthy, Bledsoe's defensive abilities combined with his offensive traits are as rare as they come.
Bled despite his injury and potential risk is still worth considerable money- perhaps not more than what the suns offered but its enough. Just because he's off base and asking for the max doesn't mean he's **** trash.

Not that he will, but if he does sign for the QO, and plays a full season - he's GONE with nothing in return.

Don't get me wrong, I'll take Wiggins for Bled straight up. But that's not gonna happen.

You would take Bledsoe over CP3, Parker and Curry?

Man, sharing is caring! Pass that kush around!

Youth mainly is why I'd take Bled over CP3 and Parker.
Curry is the better offensive player but an ankle injury away from becoming his brother. But Bled has the Defense and is the better paint player, shoots a higher percentage. Trust me, if Bled plays a full season we're gonna do some damage.

[BobbieL]

Guys, there are more important things going on in the NBA...

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... -Cavaliers

I thought you had to get league approval a year ahead of time - seriously.

Didn't Amare have to wait until the next season to switch from 32 to 1

Its stupid -

[BobbieL]

I was listening to Gambo last night, he actually said it's more like they haven't actually HEARD from Bledsoe, rather than him flat out rejecting it...For all we know he might be waiting a day or two and then bam, deal done.

Surely his agent isn't foolish enough to risk $45m and tell him to take the QO?

Monroe hasn't signed either. And its still mid July - so there is time

But Bledsoe would be wise to get back and think about taking the 48, maybe the Suns push it to 50m guaranteed.

If not, find a sign and trade or take the QO

[sunsbum]

Hey everyone. I'm not a Suns fan, but I've followed the team closely since the start of last season because I just loved the way your team played and its future outlook and all that. I've even tried to explain to people on RealGM and in real life why the moves your team has made make a lot of sense even though they might seem a bit counterintuitive at first. But you guys are aware of that.

What I am a bit surprised about is that a lot of Suns fans seem pretty pessimistic about Bledsoe. I just don’t get it considering how perfectly he fits your team.

First, he very well might be the best defensive point guard in the whole league. Need evidence? Last season the Suns ranked as the 13th best defense in the league. Good, but not great. When EB was on the floor, Phoenix played defense that would have ranked 5th in the whole NBA. When Bledsoe wasn’t on the floor the Suns D plummeted to 21st in the league.

His defensive prowess are even more invaluable in the joyful two-PG system, as there just aren’t that many PGs in the league that can handle most SGs easily. Bledsoe can do that, and that makes the Dragic-Bledsoe combo competent defevensively, as they have great defensive versatility to almost always get a favorable matchup for both guys. If you need ball-pressure, you unleash Bledsoe to hound the PG. If you need length against the point guard you put Dragic on him etc. To me defensive issues are the reason why most teams can’t run two point guards out there for extended stretches. Bledsoe allows the Suns to do that.

Just as a reminder: when Dragic and Bledsoe were healthy last year your team played pretty much .600 ball. And when those two were on the court together the Suns had the league’s 5th best offense and 2nd best defense according to nba.com. Read that again. You guys really wanna break that up?

Someone also questioned his production in basic box score stats. Well, last season 8 players averaged at least 17 points, 4 boards, 5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Bledsoe was one of them along with LeBron, Curry, Harden, CP3, Lowry, Wall and Westbrook. Bledsoe played less minutes than any of those guys, so if we look at per-36 stats, Bledsoe was one of three to average at least 19/5/5.5/2 per 36. The other two? Westbrook and LeBron freaking James.

The average salary of those seven guys who matched or bettered Bledsoe from last season is about 15.7 million dollars. So basically the same amount as Bledsoe’s max deal. And he’s a better defender than pretty much all those guys exept for a locked-in LeBron.

The main knock on him is that he’s not proven yet to be a floor general how can for sure run an offense effectively. I personally think that will improve with time, but it’s also possible it never will. But you know what? He doesn’t need to run the offense by himself as the Suns run two PGs at a time a lot. So he can focus on what he’s good at: cause havoc on both ends, run the break and break down defenses with his athleticism.

One last thing: the cap is gonna go up like crazy in a few years. Even 15 million dollars a year for a player of EB’s quality might be considered a steal when the new TV deal kicks in.

Just my opinion, but you guys really have something amazing cooking here, and it would be a shame to let it go just like that. Luckily the Suns FO seems to be inclined to keep Bledsoe.

Nice post! I think most suns fans want bledsoe to stay but not at the price he is asking for. You failed to mention what we are REALLY concerned about which is that fact that he cannot stay on the floor. So while he impacts the games quite nicely when he is healthy... 1 out of 4 games he is a complete 0 factor.

[matt131]

Guys, there are more important things going on in the NBA...

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... -Cavaliers

I thought you had to get league approval a year ahead of time - seriously.

Didn't Amare have to wait until the next season to switch from 32 to 1

Its stupid -

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/03/02/lebr ... change.ap/

It mentions that paperwork requesting a change in jersey number is due in March before the season starts. Also, it mentions "James said earlier this season he would be willing to give up No. 23 in an effort to have the NBA retire it in honor of Michael Jordan." (from 2010). Maybe he should stick to what he said 4 years ago instead of asking his 'fans' to pick a number for him.

[Fo-Real]

If true... what must McDonough must have thought when he asked for 5/80....... Maybe Ryan started playing hardball his self !!!! WHAT DOES ROBERT SARVER LOOK LIKE!!!!!!


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNlePuVM3Ic[/youtube]

[SSOL]

Guys, there are more important things going on in the NBA...

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... -Cavaliers

I thought you had to get league approval a year ahead of time - seriously.

Didn't Amare have to wait until the next season to switch from 32 to 1

Its stupid -

Not when you switch teams.

[BobbieL]

Guys, there are more important things going on in the NBA...

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... -Cavaliers

I thought you had to get league approval a year ahead of time - seriously.

Didn't Amare have to wait until the next season to switch from 32 to 1

Its stupid -

Not when you switch teams.

Oh well - its probably just for fun. If this drags on all summer - stupid. If he has one instagram post and that's it - fine..

[bwgood77]

I was listening to Gambo last night, he actually said it's more like they haven't actually HEARD from Bledsoe, rather than him flat out rejecting it...For all we know he might be waiting a day or two and then bam, deal done.

Surely his agent isn't foolish enough to risk $45m and tell him to take the QO?

If this is true then the last couple days has been one of the biggest overreaction on this board and we are all a little dumber for being involved........ I want my last two days of brain cells BACK!!!

There is always a big overreaction here. Of course they haven't had a big back and forth. We probably gave our last offer some time ago and they said they wanted a max. They probably expected a call by now. But whoever makes the call is probably giving in.

The fact that Broussard came out with that report would leave me to believe one side leaked it. I'm guessing we wouldn't leak anything, but Paul's camp would because they are getting antsy, which is a good side. It was just kind of stupid to leak if they did considering it doesn't exactly make Bledsoe look good (though I guess it doesn't make him look bad, depending on your outlook, but that he's just overvaluing himself, like many guys do).

[Puff]

Hey everyone. I'm not a Suns fan, but I've followed the team closely since the start of last season because I just loved the way your team played and its future outlook and all that. I've even tried to explain to people on RealGM and in real life why the moves your team has made make a lot of sense even though they might seem a bit counterintuitive at first. But you guys are aware of that.

What I am a bit surprised about is that a lot of Suns fans seem pretty pessimistic about Bledsoe. I just don’t get it considering how perfectly he fits your team.

First, he very well might be the best defensive point guard in the whole league. Need evidence? Last season the Suns ranked as the 13th best defense in the league. Good, but not great. When EB was on the floor, Phoenix played defense that would have ranked 5th in the whole NBA. When Bledsoe wasn’t on the floor the Suns D plummeted to 21st in the league.

His defensive prowess are even more invaluable in the joyful two-PG system, as there just aren’t that many PGs in the league that can handle most SGs easily. Bledsoe can do that, and that makes the Dragic-Bledsoe combo competent defevensively, as they have great defensive versatility to almost always get a favorable matchup for both guys. If you need ball-pressure, you unleash Bledsoe to hound the PG. If you need length against the point guard you put Dragic on him etc. To me defensive issues are the reason why most teams can’t run two point guards out there for extended stretches. Bledsoe allows the Suns to do that.

Just as a reminder: when Dragic and Bledsoe were healthy last year your team played pretty much .600 ball. And when those two were on the court together the Suns had the league’s 5th best offense and 2nd best defense according to nba.com. Read that again. You guys really wanna break that up?

Someone also questioned his production in basic box score stats. Well, last season 8 players averaged at least 17 points, 4 boards, 5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Bledsoe was one of them along with LeBron, Curry, Harden, CP3, Lowry, Wall and Westbrook. Bledsoe played less minutes than any of those guys, so if we look at per-36 stats, Bledsoe was one of three to average at least 19/5/5.5/2 per 36. The other two? Westbrook and LeBron freaking James.

The average salary of those seven guys who matched or bettered Bledsoe from last season is about 15.7 million dollars. So basically the same amount as Bledsoe’s max deal. And he’s a better defender than pretty much all those guys exept for a locked-in LeBron.

The main knock on him is that he’s not proven yet to be a floor general how can for sure run an offense effectively. I personally think that will improve with time, but it’s also possible it never will. But you know what? He doesn’t need to run the offense by himself as the Suns run two PGs at a time a lot. So he can focus on what he’s good at: cause havoc on both ends, run the break and break down defenses with his athleticism.

One last thing: the cap is gonna go up like crazy in a few years. Even 15 million dollars a year for a player of EB’s quality might be considered a steal when the new TV deal kicks in.

Just my opinion, but you guys really have something amazing cooking here, and it would be a shame to let it go just like that. Luckily the Suns FO seems to be inclined to keep Bledsoe.

Nice post

I think the things that are eating at a lot of Suns Fans are:

1. We thought signing Bledsoe would be no problem.
2. We thought that we would have signed an impact player or 2 to add to the team by now not potentially be losing two.
3. We didn't realize that Channing Frye would be nigh on impossible to replace.

We could potentially lose 2 very unique players in those guys. If we are honest about the whole off season at this point, we are going backwards. I liked the Thomas signing but at the time I saw it as an addition. Now it appears that he could be a starter alongside Goran. I do not like that at all. I do not like that we have not got a legit replacement for Frye and another big to help Plumlee and Len. We basically have done nothing but lose talent at this point and really added nothing but a couple of role players and unproven draft picks.

I surely hope that McDonough has some tricks up his sleeves.