Official Trade Thread: Two drink minimum

[Frank Lee]

Pulled a Frank there, Bigfoot? I think you meant Goodwin instead of Griffin.

I agree to a point about young players that we already have, plus we have two in Europe right now as well.

I know people have nixed the JO idea, but that is the type of player I would target. Solid vet with a good game all around, just may need a good med staff and limited minutes, which we have both available for them.

Yeah I guess I'm like Frank ... old as dirt.

just add water.... and I'm young as mud

[Mr-Al]

Suns don't need to trade PJ Tucker for Brook Lopez or Nikola Mirotic. This team has plenty of offensive firepower. We are currently #5 in the league at 105.7 PPG and only a couple of PPG from being the highest scoring team in the league. On our current 6 game win streak we are the highest scoring team in the NBA. We don't need more offensive weapons, we need defense. We are currently #25 in the league in defense allowing opposing teams to score 103 PPG. Trading a defensive minded player like PJ Tucker would without a doubt make us worse defensively. I am confident that none of Sarver, McD or Hornacek want to make a trade that makes the team worse.

It's all about balance between offense and defense. We have plenty of offense, if anything we need more defensive minded players.

Sorry I disagree. Lottery/Rebuilding teams shouldn't give a **** about offensive defensive balance. We have to acquire potential star talent.

(I personally wouldn't touch Brook Lopez)

This team doesn't even have one star yet and people are worrying about offensive/defensive balance.

Mirotic could become Dirk lite and the likely lottery team Suns wouldn't trade a 29 yr old role player for him? Okay

[Kerrsed]

This is a great article. The writer is very realistic about the current Suns team. Worth a read. I have to agree with almost everything in it.

http://hoopshabit.com/2014/12/29/trade- ... -question/

The article was good, but i disagree with one statement (A big premise of his Love Trade idea):

No trade comes without sacrifice and risk, which is why the Suns might be hesitant to bring in a guy in Love that won’t commit to re-signing immediately. Then again, the Suns are dealing with that same issue with Dragic, who has promised to opt-out. Why not take the chance now, while the team is still young?

We wouldnt necessarily be dealing with the same issue. If we lost Dragic in FA, so be it. If we lost Love in FA, not only do we lose Love, but we also lose all the assets that it would take to obtain him (which would be quite alot). Thats a huge chance/risk to take.

It would suck to lose Dragic for nothing, but would suck even worse to lose:
Love to FA
Dragic to Cleveland and/or FA
MoBros to Cleveland (They will need a decent PF if Love leaves)
Len to Cleveland (They desperately need a rim protecting C now that Varejao is done)
Warren to Cleveland (Young talent to replace what they lost to the Wolves)
LAL 1st/PHX 1st to Cleveland (You know they will ask for a pick or both of them

We would also have to completely restructure our team if we traded for Love. Im also sure they would look to saddle us with a contract or two (TT and/or Waiters).

Essentially we would be risking our future for Love, something we arnt risking for Dragic.

[Cutter]

Suns don't need to trade PJ Tucker for Brook Lopez or Nikola Mirotic. This team has plenty of offensive firepower. We are currently #5 in the league at 105.7 PPG and only a couple of PPG from being the highest scoring team in the league. On our current 6 game win streak we are the highest scoring team in the NBA. We don't need more offensive weapons, we need defense. We are currently #25 in the league in defense allowing opposing teams to score 103 PPG. Trading a defensive minded player like PJ Tucker would without a doubt make us worse defensively. I am confident that none of Sarver, McD or Hornacek want to make a trade that makes the team worse.

It's all about balance between offense and defense. We have plenty of offense, if anything we need more defensive minded players.

Sorry I disagree. Lottery/Rebuilding teams shouldn't give a **** about offensive defensive balance. We have to acquire potential star talent

This team doesn't even have one star yet and people are worrying about offensive/defensive balance SMH

Luckily McD and Hornacek disagree with you. McD said recently in an interview about trading Tolliver that this team is trying its best to win every game, and at the same time acquire talent. Trading for Mirotic does not help us now, and it's questionable whether it would help us be better in the future.

[jredsaz]

Suns don't need to trade PJ Tucker for Brook Lopez or Nikola Mirotic. This team has plenty of offensive firepower. We are currently #5 in the league at 105.7 PPG and only a couple of PPG from being the highest scoring team in the league. On our current 6 game win streak we are the highest scoring team in the NBA. We don't need more offensive weapons, we need defense. We are currently #25 in the league in defense allowing opposing teams to score 103 PPG. Trading a defensive minded player like PJ Tucker would without a doubt make us worse defensively. I am confident that none of Sarver, McD or Hornacek want to make a trade that makes the team worse.

It's all about balance between offense and defense. We have plenty of offense, if anything we need more defensive minded players.

Sorry I disagree. Lottery/Rebuilding teams shouldn't give a **** about offensive defensive balance. We have to acquire potential star talent

This team doesn't even have one star yet and people are worrying about offensive/defensive balance SMH

Luckily McD and Hornacek disagree with you. McD said recently in an interview about trading Tolliver that this team is trying its best to win every game, and at the same time acquire talent. Trading for Mirotic does not help us now, and it's questionable whether it would help us be better in the future.

Mirotic could help us now and in the future. Homeboy can play defense and rebound as well as score the ball. Idk that at this point we could trade Dragic for the kid straight up much less Tucker. I am not saying that to troll either.

Mirotic is looked at as a future all-star and is currently contributing at a high level on a team that boasts one of the best front lines in the NBA. He is only 23. $5 mil a year for the next three years.

He would be hard to get. Only way i see him come available at a reasonable price would be if the Bulls begin to struggle on the perimeter.

[bigfoot]

This is a great article. The writer is very realistic about the current Suns team. Worth a read. I have to agree with almost everything in it.

http://hoopshabit.com/2014/12/29/trade- ... -question/

Even suggesting a trade for Love implies the writer has a super low BBIQ to me. You don't trade your young assets away for a 5 month rental. See Dwight Howard and LA Lakers.

[bigfoot]

Suns don't need to trade PJ Tucker for Brook Lopez or Nikola Mirotic. This team has plenty of offensive firepower. We are currently #5 in the league at 105.7 PPG and only a couple of PPG from being the highest scoring team in the league. On our current 6 game win streak we are the highest scoring team in the NBA. We don't need more offensive weapons, we need defense. We are currently #25 in the league in defense allowing opposing teams to score 103 PPG. Trading a defensive minded player like PJ Tucker would without a doubt make us worse defensively. I am confident that none of Sarver, McD or Hornacek want to make a trade that makes the team worse.

It's all about balance between offense and defense. We have plenty of offense, if anything we need more defensive minded players.

Sorry I disagree. Lottery/Rebuilding teams shouldn't give a **** about offensive defensive balance. We have to acquire potential star talent.

(I personally wouldn't touch Brook Lopez)

This team doesn't even have one star yet and people are worrying about offensive/defensive balance.

Mirotic could become Dirk lite and the likely lottery team Suns wouldn't trade a 29 yr old role player for him? Okay

We have a third team All-NBA player and Bledsoe who is starting to show potential as triple double threat in every game.

[Mr-Al]

Sorry I disagree. Lottery/Rebuilding teams shouldn't give a **** about offensive defensive balance. We have to acquire potential star talent

This team doesn't even have one star yet and people are worrying about offensive/defensive balance SMH

Luckily McD and Hornacek disagree with you. McD said recently in an interview about trading Tolliver that this team is trying its best to win every game, and at the same time acquire talent. Trading for Mirotic does not help us now, and it's questionable whether it would help us be better in the future.

Mirotic could help us now and in the future. Homeboy can play defense and rebound as well as score the ball. Idk that at this point we could trade Dragic for the kid straight up much less Tucker. I am not saying that to troll either.

Mirotic is looked at as a future all-star and is currently contributing at a high level on a team that boasts one of the best front lines in the NBA. He is only 23. $5 mil a year for the next three years.

He would be hard to get. Only way i see him come available at a reasonable price would be if the Bulls begin to struggle on the perimeter.

Exactly. I knew the trade was somewhat unrealistic and I certainly wouldn't want to trade Mirotic if I were the Bulls

It's just ridiculous though that some people wouldn't trade our vets and role players for young players with all-star potential, we're literally the only non-high lottery team besides maybe Denver without a star and fans won't trade PJ Tucker? Ok Lance Blanks

This team/management should be looking to the 2016/2017 playoffs, not giving a **** about this year.

Have fun sacrificing the future of the team to watch PJ Tucker play the Suns to the 8th playoff spot in the West in March just so OKC can push us to the 9th seed in the last week of the season.

Meanwhile you could have had the ROY in Mirotic.

Another option would be to go to the future in 2017 and bring back a more mature Bledsoe and fully realized Alex Len. That could be contender maybe

[thamadkant]

The Suns (mainly Hornacek) need to create plays for Len... instruct the team to look for him inside.... also of course Len will need to understand when to kick it back out and when to try to score inside.

I'm OPTIMISTIC now.... ever since Len has started... I see it.... the Suns are sort of resembling the Spurs...in terms of player skills and specialties... the I.Q however is like no way near there yet.

If only Green, Tucker, heck even Bledsoe, Morris twins and Thomas start to rotate the ball better at a much quicker rate and try to set each other up.... the Suns can resemble the Spurs of recent.... Len obviously not Duncan-like offensively, but defensively he is on the right direction.... just need discipline in boxing out... but boxing out is a team effort 90% of the time.

Suns may not make the playoffs this year, but they will try anyways and Len is critical to that run/attempt.
Just need the collective team I.Q and ball movement to improve some more... its a long way to go there IMO.

[Mr-Al]

Suns don't need to trade PJ Tucker for Brook Lopez or Nikola Mirotic. This team has plenty of offensive firepower. We are currently #5 in the league at 105.7 PPG and only a couple of PPG from being the highest scoring team in the league. On our current 6 game win streak we are the highest scoring team in the NBA. We don't need more offensive weapons, we need defense. We are currently #25 in the league in defense allowing opposing teams to score 103 PPG. Trading a defensive minded player like PJ Tucker would without a doubt make us worse defensively. I am confident that none of Sarver, McD or Hornacek want to make a trade that makes the team worse.

It's all about balance between offense and defense. We have plenty of offense, if anything we need more defensive minded players.

Sorry I disagree. Lottery/Rebuilding teams shouldn't give a **** about offensive defensive balance. We have to acquire potential star talent.

(I personally wouldn't touch Brook Lopez)

This team doesn't even have one star yet and people are worrying about offensive/defensive balance.

Mirotic could become Dirk lite and the likely lottery team Suns wouldn't trade a 29 yr old role player for him? Okay

We have a third team All-NBA player and Bledsoe who is starting to show potential as triple double threat in every game.

Two point guards that probably won't be all-stars in the West while Curry, Westbrook, and Chris Paul are breathing.

The other fringe playoff teams we're directly competing with have Anthony Davis and Demarcus Cousins

Have fun on that treadmill. The Nuggets are already there

[Kerrsed]

Jazz get: DragicX2/Warren
Suns get: Hayward

Utah finally gets a real starting PG (Burke/Clark/Murry dont cut it) that can lead a team and young talent in Warren. Utah builds around Dragic/Favors/Gobert

We get a real starting SF. Bledsoe/Tucker/Hayward/Morris/Len

[thamadkant]

Jazz get: DragicX2/Warren
Suns get: Hayward

Utah finally gets a real starting PG (Burke/Clark/Murry dont cut it) that can lead a team and young talent in Warren. Utah builds around Dragic/Favors/Gobert

We get a real starting SF. Bledsoe/Tucker/Hayward/Morris/Len

Lol

I just went to ESPN trademachine about 5 minutes before I read your post, as I saw they lost to Clippers.

I took a look at their PG situation... Exum, Burks, Burke...

I really want Hayward on the Suns, but they may not want/need a PG..

Maybe a 3rd team....

But then you have to ask, what does Jazz really need?.... maybe a 3 way with Bucks, somehow convince them to trade Jabari Parker, Give Bucks a choice of Bledsoe or Dragic, as they need a PG.

Bucks: Dragic (x2), Tucker, Suns 2015 pick
Suns: Hayward
Jazz: Parker (Injured though)

If Parker wasnt injured it would be feasible, as Giannis looks better as Point forward next to a real PG...

[Kerrsed]

Jazz get: DragicX2/Warren
Suns get: Hayward

Utah finally gets a real starting PG (Burke/Clark/Murry dont cut it) that can lead a team and young talent in Warren. Utah builds around Dragic/Favors/Gobert

We get a real starting SF. Bledsoe/Tucker/Hayward/Morris/Len

Lol

I just went to ESPN trademachine about 5 minutes before I read your post.

I took a look at their PG situation... Exum, Burks, Burke...

I really want Hayward on the Suns, but they may not want/need a PG..

Maybe a 3rd team....

But then you have to ask, what does Jazz really need?.... maybe a 3 way with Bucks, somehow convince them to trade Jabari Parker, Give Bucks a choice of Bledsoe or Dragic, as they need a PG.

Bucks: Dragic (x2), Tucker, Suns 2015 pick
Suns: Hayward
Jazz: Parker (Injured though)

If Parker wasnt injured it would be feasible, as Giannis looks better as Point forward next to a real PG...

The thing is, you have to look at their depth and where the players are ACTUALLY playing.

http://espn.go.com/nba/team/depth/_/name/utah/utah-jazz

Exum is getting his minutes behind Burks at SG (Hood as 3rd string). Their PG rotation is Burke/Clark with Murry marked in as a 3rd string.

I know that around draft time people were questioning if Exum really was a PG or not. The Jazz have given him some PG minutes, but from what i remember, he preformed pretty poorly when they did. They really dont have a PG (or guard for that matter) that can actually lead a team. Thats where Dragic fits in perfectly for them. I also think Warren instead of Tucker makes sense, as it gives them a young wing with potential to develop.

The problem with the Jazz is their roster. Favors is a stud. I think he could be a future all-star if he had a decent PG. They have 2 good C's that are the exact opposite of each other. Kanter is a good offensive Center with shotty defense and Gobert is a good defensive Center with shotty offense. If you could combine them, you would have a great C. They have some young talent at the guard spots, but Burke is a shoot-first PG (IT type, but not as good as IT) that looks for himself first, and Exum is a SG that cant really shoot. Neither of them are Leaders. The rest of their guards are d-leaguers (minus Burks). Put Dragic on the Jazz and they end up with more wins than having Hayward, as Dragic (and a solid PG in general) makes his teamates better. Warren would also give them a Hayward replacement, a guy with talent that they could develop into their starter (sorry folks, Warren isnt going to get that same opportunity here).

For them to compete in the West they need to upgrade their PG spot. Otherwise they will just be wasting their time with Favors and he will look to split the first chance he can get.

[Mr-Al]

Jazz get: DragicX2/Warren
Suns get: Hayward

Utah finally gets a real starting PG (Burke/Clark/Murry dont cut it) that can lead a team and young talent in Warren. Utah builds around Dragic/Favors/Gobert

We get a real starting SF. Bledsoe/Tucker/Hayward/Morris/Len

Utah is more than happy to let Hayward, Favors, and Exum develop.

Losing Hayward for a 28 yr. old Dragic that they're going to have to dish out big money for doesn't make sense

Honestly a Warren/Tucker SF rotation isn't too bad. Warren has similar measurements to Hayward and had a better college career statistically, lets see what we have there first

Players I would love to trade - Thomas, Plumlee, Green, and Mook

[Kerrsed]

Jazz get: DragicX2/Warren
Suns get: Hayward

Utah finally gets a real starting PG (Burke/Clark/Murry dont cut it) that can lead a team and young talent in Warren. Utah builds around Dragic/Favors/Gobert

We get a real starting SF. Bledsoe/Tucker/Hayward/Morris/Len

Utah is more than happy to let Hayward, Favors, and Exum develop.

Losing Hayward for a 28 yr. old Dragic that they're going to have to dish out big money for doesn't make sense

Honestly a Warren/Tucker SF rotation isn't too bad. Warren has similar measurements to Hayward and had a better college career statistically, lets see what we have there first

Players I would love to trade - Thomas, Plumlee, Green, and Mook

Hayward and Favors are already developed.

Dragic would be getting pretty much the same kind of contract that Hayward is on, so its not really like they are dishing out "Big Money", when its money they already dished out on another player.

I agree on the players you would like to trade (Minus Mook; cant separate the twins), but IT/Plumlee/Green dont net us a decent player, let alone a gamechanger to make us a contender. Thats like the Rockets thinking they can get Dragic/Len for Canaan/Terry/Shved/Papanikolaou. No one wants another teams trash. It takes good players to get good players.

[BurningHeart]

Goran Dragic, Zoran Dragic *and* TJ Warren for Gordon Hayward?

[RunDogGun]

So your plan is to make us worse? I really don't think that would be in McD's mindset. I don't want to trade our best wing defender to get a bench player.

McD's mindset is for the Suns to be average? Only a dumb GM wouldn't Tucker for Mirotic in a vacuum

Unless of course you're a team like okc, the bulls, etc. Teams that can't afford to lose championship cogs

PJ Tucker's is at his ceiling, a good 3 & D player

Mirotic has all-star potential and is currently in the ROY conversation


God forbid we trade a vet/role player and lose a couple more games, then we really might not win a championship this year

You're making a lot of assumptions with almost everything you just said, and using it as justification. Fact currently, Tucker is one of best defenders, we use him on almost every tough opponent that isn't a pg. Mirotic is unproven, and we current don't need a starting PF. And that's because Markieff has been playing very well and one of our best overall draft picks, that we developed ourselves.

So Mirotic would be a bench player, no? So agin, we would be making ourselves worse, for we would be losing all our rotational sfs, and gaining a backup PF. I'd rather keep assets I know can produce what I expect out of them, keep our anchor on defense, because we really need that right now over further possibilities. And lastly, we would be giving up so much for a player we should have drafted ourselves.

I think McD passes on that for now. If Markieff could slide over to the three with no problem, or Mirotic proved he can play the three, and guard somewhat close to Tucker, then maybe that would be something that would interest me. But we'd also be giving up one of our best bench scorers in Green as well.

In the end, I don't see the point in the move with our current personel.

[RunDogGun]

It's all moot anyway, Chicago is going to try and see if he can play sf first before they ship him off, and there is no need for them to move him right now.

[Revived]

Chicago isn't trading Mirotic. Him and Butler are untradeables for them right now, ask their fans.

Gibson and Noah are DEFINITELY available though imo especially considering Noah gets inconsistent minutes now and its been hurting his production. Check out Noah's stats for his past 7 games (since he's returned to the lineup), it looks like Miles Plumlee type numbers. A change of scenery could go a long way for Noah....

[Revived]

Goran Dragic, Zoran Dragic *and* TJ Warren for Gordon Hayward?

You can't seriously think that's a bad trade for us?