2019 season speculation including trade ideas

[Kerrsed]

But... is Cam a big really? The big thing w Cam is that nobody really knows what direction they want him to go in. Is he a big guard, a normal wing, or a small ball 4?

I've been coming around on the idea of Kevin Love recently, but it may prove to be a bit short sighted if the right free agent comes by in the next few years. Thing is this years free agency class is really bereft of good 4s, so saving cap space would require a lot more patience.

The right Free Agent?

Name me the last big name Free Agent that signed with us? Yup, Exactly. Winning teams draw Free Agents. I dont care how much our "Culture" has changed, thats not pulling in anybody, Hell, Cash Money isnt even pulling in guys anymore. The one thing that does pull in Free Agents (Along with stars asking to be traded to a team of their choosing) is WINNING. My point is we might be lucky if we squeak by and make the playoffs this year. But that alone isnt going to get it done. You have to show these players that it wasnt a 1 year fluke. Get a guy like Love and if we stay healthy, thats a top 5-6 seed for the next 3-4 seasons. Thats the type of s**t that draws in FAs. Year after year after year after year of telling these FA's, "Look, we got lots of cash to pay you, and we got a new coach/system and would like you to be a "Cornerstone" next to Booker" doesnt cut it. We've been through that year after year after year. Unless you magically have the capspace to sign 2 max contract FA's while already having another one already on the payroll, It takes wins period.

Every off-season the Knicks somehow come up with a way to clear enough money to sign 2 max contract guys.......yet year after year they never do. This is the Knicks we're talking about, a storied franchise playing in MSG and the Mecca of Basketball. Room for 2 Max contract FA's and yet they cant even land one. Hell, they cant even land a tier 2 or tier 3 FA. Why? Because they have sucked for so long. We dont even have a fabled franchise like them (Or Boston) to rely upon. We dont have MSG with die hard fans, we have Talking Stick with half the crowd cheering for the opposing team. If they cant land a Big Name in the weak east, why do people think we can do it in the West....all because we have capspace? Once again, it takes WINS!

Trade for Love. Start winning games and spend the next 3-4 seasons playing playoff basketball, THEN worry about preserving capspace to grab stars in FA to replace your aging ones (Rubio/Love).

[lilfishi22]

We need to hold tight and see what our team looks like at full strength with Ayton back, Saric next to him instead of Kaminsky, Kaminsky back to a backup where people were happy with him earlier.

I read people saying not using Tyler's expiring in a trade is bad, or negligence, or something, but I don't necessarily agree with that. I don't want long term money.

Now Aldridge, for example, I wouldn't totally mind, mostly because he expires in 21 and there are not any worthwhile free agents next summer.

However, I wouldn't trade a 1st round pick for him, protected or not. We will need these cheap contracts. If we decided we didn't want to pay Saric and could trade him and Tyler for Aldridge, it might be a solid deal, and SA might want a guy like Saric. We need more defense and although Blake or Love might be better overall players, their contracts are too huge and too long. We need to be players in FA in 21.

Also, we need our draft picks to get a PG and PF for the future. We are still overall a team with a young core, and the west is still brutally tough. And make no mistake, GS is probably the best team next year with a healthy Klay, Curry, Draymond, possibly Russell and a top 5 pick. Plus the other 6 teams that look locked into playoff spots.

I don't think we should be too desperate to trade for a long term old player who is expensive to maybe get a 7 or 8 seed, possibly slightly higher if other teams have injuries, etc, but are likely still first round fodder, but we may be able to get to the playoffs anyway. It is really unlikely we get to the 2nd round regardless in the next year or two.

But when our players hit their prime it could happen, and if we draft a PG and PF for the future, we hit our peak in 4-5 years maybe. I would like to focus on the mid and long term future while maintaining a team that can still possibly get a taste of the playoffs or just missing that might make them hungrier...either way they get hungrier.

I need some clarification on what your thinking with Tyler Johnson's contract is? You seem OK with us doing nothing with it and just letting his contract expire because you don't want long term money but I'd assume you'd use what cap space we would have to sign other players, likely to long term deals right?

It depends on what is out there. If a team drastically wants to clear cap space, it will be useful. Which teams are those and what do they give us? I have said I feel ok with Aldridge given that he expires, but I don't know what else they would want. I have also said I wouldn't throw 1st round draft picks in. So it depends. I'd prefer saving money than taking a long term bad deal. Even giving Baynes a nice big deal for 2 years. Expiring contracts are not as valuable as they used to be..we should have seen that by now with some of the expiring guys we've had.

Ultimately it comes down to two "realistic" options

1. You take on a salary dump in the form of a LMA, Love, Griffin etc

2. You let him expire and figure out what to do with the cap space

The 3rd option which is less realistic imo would be the ideal one where we move Tyler + other pieces for an actual good player or player with potential (still).

I'm not keen on either options (1 or 2) but I get the feeling that despite what we think about the old guard PF's, there isn't likely a better option in free agency.

[Airseven]

They should be shopping Booker.

[Kerrsed]

They should be shopping Booker.

[RiRuHoops]

But... is Cam a big really? The big thing w Cam is that nobody really knows what direction they want him to go in. Is he a big guard, a normal wing, or a small ball 4?

I've been coming around on the idea of Kevin Love recently, but it may prove to be a bit short sighted if the right free agent comes by in the next few years. Thing is this years free agency class is really bereft of good 4s, so saving cap space would require a lot more patience.

The right Free Agent?

Name me the last big name Free Agent that signed with us? Yup, Exactly. Winning teams draw Free Agents. I dont care how much our "Culture" has changed, thats not pulling in anybody, Hell, Cash Money isnt even pulling in guys anymore. The one thing that does pull in Free Agents (Along with stars asking to be traded to a team of their choosing) is WINNING. My point is we might be lucky if we squeak by and make the playoffs this year. But that alone isnt going to get it done. You have to show these players that it wasnt a 1 year fluke. Get a guy like Love and if we stay healthy, thats a top 5-6 seed for the next 3-4 seasons. Thats the type of s**t that draws in FAs. Year after year after year after year of telling these FA's, "Look, we got lots of cash to pay you, and we got a new coach/system and woul;d like you to be a "Cornerstone" next to Booker" doesnt cut it. We've been through that year after year after year. Unless you magically have the capspace to sign 2 max contract FA's while already having another one already on the payrole, It takes wins period.

Every off-season the Knicks somehow come up with a way to clear enough money to sign 2 max contract guys.......yet year after year they never do. This is the Knicks we're talking about, a storied franchise playing in MSG and the Mecca od Basketball. Room for 2 Max contract FA's and yet they cant even land one. Hell, they cant even land a tier 2 or tier 3 FA. Why? Because the have sucked for so long. We dont even have a fabled franchise like them (Or Boston) to rely upon. We dont have MSG with die hard fans, we have Talking Stick with half the crowd cheering for the opposing team. If they cant land a Big Name in the weak east, why do people think we can do it in the West....all because we have capspace? Once again, it takes WINS!

Trade for Love. Start winning games and spend the next 3-4 seasons playing playoff basketball, THEN worry about preserving capspace to grab stars in FA to replace your aging ones (Rubio/Love).

Yeah, in FA Suns will only get role players. Rubio type players who aren't in high demand around the league.

[lilfishi22]

They should be shopping Booker.

Luka? Air77

[Ghost of Kleine]

Yeah, I am a bit concerned about Baynes durability (lack of).

I think that we need to take that into consideration before offer him a new contract next summer.

His injuries, his age and his constant foul trouble during games are a kind of red flags. I love the guy but it is true that for whatever reason he never plays big time minutes. You can't spend a lot of money on a player like that.

I think it's fine if we have Ayton. Perfect backup for him. He only might get into foul trouble because of minutes, but he's still under 6 fouls per 36 and at around 5 fouls per 36 for his career. But he should only be getting 16-20 minutes while Ayton gets 28-32. Then he'd be fine. He's the perfect fit if he stays.

I think when he plays, even without Ayton, we can beat anyone. Without him, we are lucky to beat bad teams. He is an enormous difference maker. Of course a lot of that has to do with Ayton being out, but Ayton wasn't an enormous difference maker in competing last year. I think he will be this year, but regardless, losing Baynes is a huge loss. Even without Ayton he puts us up there able to compete with anyone. With Ayton and him, we would be very tough. I wouldn't underestimate his impact.

I didn't even think we should have traded for him at the time...I thought we should keep Holmes. I was very wrong.

Exactly. Baynes is a perfect back-up for all the reasons you mentioned. Its also the reason i cringed when people posted about continuing to start him when Ayton gets back. Baynes is great at what he does when he plays limited minutes. He's able to be a little more reckless,try to block more shots, set stronger screens, and stuff like that because he isnt worried about playing 30+ minutes and fouling out. Playing the back-up role actually allows him to go harder. When he started playing the increased minutes, yeah he was GREAT the first couple of games, but from that point on almost every aspect of his game started to suffer as he couldnt do as much and had to limit himself due to picking up fouls.....and the games he didnt do that he ended up having to sit quite a bit more due to that foul trouble. Some players are just like that, better at playing in short spurts for a shorter amount of time per game, and usually its the bigger defensive guys like Baynes.

The issue we have been having lately is mostly due in part to our PF's. With Ayton suspended and Baynes injured, we have been running our PF's out there to cover the C spot, and while some teams have the luxury of being able to do that with some players, we cant and it shows. The reason for this is because im sorry to say our PF's are tissue soft. Frank and Saric arnt those type of PF's. They are the softer i-can-shoot-open-3's type that almost seem to avoid contact at all costs. You just cant expect to throw those guys up against bigger stronger C's that are used to throwing their weight around and bully the paint.

I still think a guy like Love would be perfect. He's old (31), but is still balling at a very high level (17points, 11rebounds, 3assists while shooting 36% from 3). He's doing all that with a sh*tty supporting cast filled with youngsters, imagine what he could do here reunited with Rubio. He's under contract for the next 3 seasons. 3 and a half seasons with Love would boost us much higher in the playoff picture and help us become a team that players would want to sign with or be traded to again (Remember those days?). When his contracts up, cool, let him do what he wants, but that would give us 3 seasons of winning playoff basketball with a crop of FA's looking to take his spot. Hell, maybe Cam Johnson could learn a thing or two from him besides just taking the open 3 shot (Like MOVING WITHOUT THE BALL and BEING A SOLID PASSING BIG THAT CAN ASSIST THE REST OF THE TEAM).

Aldridge is having a HELL of a season (His fantasy rank fluctuates between #12-#17 weekly depending on the games played). While i would love to have him, having him under contract for only 1 full season at the age of 35 scares the hell out of me. Totally the type of player i see ring chasing for cheap after his current contract expires (Hooking up with AD in Lakerland or even joining Irving/KD and his buddy DeAndre Jordan in Brooklyn), while we are left holding our d**ks in our hand after trading for him.

And i dont care what anyone says, i would make a trade for Blake Griffin in a heartbeat.

But for the love of god stay away from Aaron Gordon. He just isnt that good of a player at all. Jack of most trades, master of none. Does a little bit of everything (Minus defense), but really isnt that good at anything.......and is very very inconsistent.

Sure, there might be a few other PF's that are flying under the radar that would be a vast improvement over what we have now and im just forgetting, but these are the big names that are thrown about, somewhat available, and are talked about the most.

Loves' contract and injury history scare the hell out of me honestly, But having said that, Kerrsed does make a good point in that he's producing very well. And his rebounding and 3 pt shooting would be greatly appreciated. But IF we were to take on Love's contract ( giving Cleveland major cap relief) I'd want some additional incentives. Maybe a first coming back, or a young asset.

Also, My preference would likely be Blake Griffin first in a trade, If possible. But both possabilities are intriguing.

[Ghost of Kleine]

We need to hold tight and see what our team looks like at full strength with Ayton back, Saric next to him instead of Kaminsky, Kaminsky back to a backup where people were happy with him earlier.

I read people saying not using Tyler's expiring in a trade is bad, or negligence, or something, but I don't necessarily agree with that. I don't want long term money.

Now Aldridge, for example, I wouldn't totally mind, mostly because he expires in 21 and there are not any worthwhile free agents next summer.

However, I wouldn't trade a 1st round pick for him, protected or not. We will need these cheap contracts. If we decided we didn't want to pay Saric and could trade him and Tyler for Aldridge, it might be a solid deal, and SA might want a guy like Saric. We need more defense and although Blake or Love might be better overall players, their contracts are too huge and too long. We need to be players in FA in 21.

Also, we need our draft picks to get a PG and PF for the future. We are still overall a team with a young core, and the west is still brutally tough. And make no mistake, GS is probably the best team next year with a healthy Klay, Curry, Draymond, possibly Russell and a top 5 pick. Plus the other 6 teams that look locked into playoff spots.

I don't think we should be too desperate to trade for a long term old player who is expensive to maybe get a 7 or 8 seed, possibly slightly higher if other teams have injuries, etc, but are likely still first round fodder, but we may be able to get to the playoffs anyway. It is really unlikely we get to the 2nd round regardless in the next year or two.

But when our players hit their prime it could happen, and if we draft a PG and PF for the future, we hit our peak in 4-5 years maybe. I would like to focus on the mid and long term future while maintaining a team that can still possibly get a taste of the playoffs or just missing that might make them hungrier...either way they get hungrier.

Definitely very solid points man. 2021 should be our goal for now! That free agency as well as the draft will be ridiculously loaded. So we should push forward in our development and hopefully head into that offseason as major players with cap space and as a competitive and more desirable destination. Having said that, The only acquisitions that I would personally look at in 2020, would be contracts that would expire by 2021 to help maintain Optimal cap space. Or perhaps signing a productive player to a one or two year deal tops. And have them help our overall quality of roster depth. Again to build us into a more desirable destination for that free agency, from making us a much deeper and more competitive team hopefully. The question then becomes who do we identify in 2020 as a quality value addition?

But yes, We do need to see how our team performs at full strength heading into the trade deadline at least.

[Revived]

Man, Rubio questionable for tomorrow with another injury.

Feels like Baynes and Rubio pick up injuries every other game this season.

Yeah, I am a bit concerned about Baynes durability (lack of).

I think that we need to take that into consideration before offer him a new contract next summer.

His injuries, his age and his constant foul trouble during games are a kind of red flags. I love the guy but it is true that for whatever reason he never plays big time minutes. You can't spend a lot of money on a player like that.

I only see age is the potential red flag. The guy is playing more minutes per game than he has his entire career. He's a 15mpg player for his career and this season, he's been playing 24mpg. His type of game and durability was never suppose to translate to near starter level minutes which he's had to play this season because of Ayton's stupidity.

Last season he had some injuries that limited him to 51 games but the previous seasons before that he's played on average 76 games a season while playing those 15mpg. I'm not saying he's going to stay healthy but if you monitor his minutes, he's definitely someone that can play a ton of games during the season but you just can't be playing him 24-30mpg because he and his game isn't built for that.

I think we need to be smart with how much we pay him because realistically he's a 15, maybe 20mpg type of player that we're not even sure if we can play him next to Ayton just yet. But the good thing is, we don't have to make that decision right away.

For me, bringing Baynes back is a no brainer. The Suns play way better with him on the court than without him. The team played better in the losses they had with Baynes than they did in the wins they had without him. The reason we didn’t win those games with him is because we just happened to play superior opponents as opposed to the wins without him being against mediocre/average teams.

But the concern about his injuries is a legitimate one.

I know the rest of you guys are all saying that Baynes is only getting injured because he’s forced to play starter minutes but one of the main responsibilities of a good backup is to be ready to step in and play starter minutes if needed due to injury, suspension or whatever else. Obviously not starter minutes for a whole season but for short periods of time while the starter is out, we’d want to be confident in the backup being able to handle the minutes.

One of the best examples of this is Fred Van Vleet. Maybe an unfair comparison because he’s the best backup PG in the entire league but he steps in whenever Lowry misses games and he’s able to handle the minutes without much of an issue to his own health.

We can’t have it where if Ayton gets injured then the Suns are basically completely screwed because it’s expected that Baynes will get injured immediately too due to having to play more minutes.

But I absolutely love the guy and to a certain degree I think he’s had a bigger impact overall on the Suns than Devin Booker has had so bringing him back and having him retire here is definitely something I’m on board with. But his injuries are at least a little concerning.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Just a quick reminder of how insanely good the 2021 free agency looks to possibly be.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/8vkzz5/the_summer_of_2021_will_feature_the_greatest_free/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

The summer of 2021 will feature the greatest Free Agent class in NBA history

u/MarcusNotSmart1y

The summer of 2021 will feature arguably the greatest Free Agent class of all time

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Lebron James.
Giannis Antetekounmpo.
Anthony Davis.
Paul George.
Damian Lillard.
Demar Derozan.
Russell Westbrook.
Rudy Gobert.
Gordon Hayward.
Bradley Beal.

Restricted free agents:

Donovan Mitchell.
Jason Tatum.
Lonzo Ball.
Markelle Fultz.
Josh Jackson.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Lauri Markannen.
Abdel Nader.
De' Aaron Fox.
Frank Ntilikina.


Lebron/PG have player options for the 2022 seasons and will likely opt out so it’s fair to see them as FA of the 2021 season.

*** Also, this will be the first draft where high schoolers will be allowed to be drafted.

So I'm fine with adding a player or players for additional roster depth, insurance against further injuries, etc. As long as it doesn't inhibit our free agency and/or draft plans and csp space heading into 2021 free agency. Again, high value contributors on small one to two year deals tops. Also with focus on the importance of both Aytons' and Bridges upcoming extensions looming.

[SlovenianDragon]

We are undefeated with Ty Jerome

[Bogyo]

Just a quick reminder of how insanely good the 2021 free agency looks to possibly be.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/8vkzz5/the_summer_of_2021_will_feature_the_greatest_free/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

The summer of 2021 will feature the greatest Free Agent class in NBA history

u/MarcusNotSmart1y

The summer of 2021 will feature arguably the greatest Free Agent class of all time

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Lebron James.
Giannis Antetekounmpo.
Anthony Davis.
Paul George.
Damian Lillard.
Demar Derozan.
Russell Westbrook.
Rudy Gobert.
Gordon Hayward.
Bradley Beal.

Restricted free agents:

Donovan Mitchell.
Jason Tatum.
Lonzo Ball.
Markelle Fultz.
Josh Jackson.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Lauri Markannen.
Abdel Nader.
De' Aaron Fox.
Frank Ntilikina.


Lebron/PG have player options for the 2022 seasons and will likely opt out so it’s fair to see them as FA of the 2021 season.

*** Also, this will be the first draft where high schoolers will be allowed to be drafted.

So I'm fine with adding a player or players for additional roster depth, insurance against further injuries, etc. As long as it doesn't inhibit our free agency and/or draft plans and csp space heading into 2021 free agency. Again, high value contributors on small one to two year deals tops. Also with focus on the importance of both Aytons' and Bridges upcoming extensions looming.

GREATEST FA CLASS OF ALL TIME!!! is that a Screamin A Smith hot take?
LeBron: 34y old now
George: 29y old now, no shoulders
Dame: 29y old now, small guard
Derozan: 30y old now
Russ: 31y old now
Hayward: 29y old now, serious injury history already

Restricted:
JJ - already out of the league
DSJ - on his way out
Ntilinka - same
Nader - who the F is that?

Sure, let's build on these guys... C'mon, man this board is better than this.

[Saberestar]

They should be shopping Booker.

[Frank Lee]

The Love Train has been scheduled to stop here since Jones drafted Ty Jerome.
The only derailing will be from the desperation in Portland.

Get on it

Watch on YouTube

damn the 70s were fun.

[bwgood77]

I need some clarification on what your thinking with Tyler Johnson's contract is? You seem OK with us doing nothing with it and just letting his contract expire because you don't want long term money but I'd assume you'd use what cap space we would have to sign other players, likely to long term deals right?

It depends on what is out there. If a team drastically wants to clear cap space, it will be useful. Which teams are those and what do they give us? I have said I feel ok with Aldridge given that he expires, but I don't know what else they would want. I have also said I wouldn't throw 1st round draft picks in. So it depends. I'd prefer saving money than taking a long term bad deal. Even giving Baynes a nice big deal for 2 years. Expiring contracts are not as valuable as they used to be..we should have seen that by now with some of the expiring guys we've had.

Ultimately it comes down to two "realistic" options

1. You take on a salary dump in the form of a LMA, Love, Griffin etc

2. You let him expire and figure out what to do with the cap space

The 3rd option which is less realistic imo would be the ideal one where we move Tyler + other pieces for an actual good player or player with potential (still).

I'm not keen on either options (1 or 2) but I get the feeling that despite what we think about the old guard PF's, there isn't likely a better option in free agency.

I agree, but they may think Saric fits better with our youth, team, and what we are looking for next to Ayton, and will be far cheaper. Like I said I'd probably do LMA just to retain cap space for 21, but not the other two. Saric will look better next to Ayton (or Baynes) anyway and typically improves as the year goes on. I have said I don't necessarily know or think I want him as the PF going forward, but that didn't mean I want someone 5-7 years older on the downside of their career.

[bwgood77]

But... is Cam a big really? The big thing w Cam is that nobody really knows what direction they want him to go in. Is he a big guard, a normal wing, or a small ball 4?

I've been coming around on the idea of Kevin Love recently, but it may prove to be a bit short sighted if the right free agent comes by in the next few years. Thing is this years free agency class is really bereft of good 4s, so saving cap space would require a lot more patience.

The right Free Agent?

Name me the last big name Free Agent that signed with us? Yup, Exactly. Winning teams draw Free Agents. I dont care how much our "Culture" has changed, thats not pulling in anybody, Hell, Cash Money isnt even pulling in guys anymore. The one thing that does pull in Free Agents (Along with stars asking to be traded to a team of their choosing) is WINNING. My point is we might be lucky if we squeak by and make the playoffs this year. But that alone isnt going to get it done. You have to show these players that it wasnt a 1 year fluke. Get a guy like Love and if we stay healthy, thats a top 5-6 seed for the next 3-4 seasons. Thats the type of s**t that draws in FAs. Year after year after year after year of telling these FA's, "Look, we got lots of cash to pay you, and we got a new coach/system and would like you to be a "Cornerstone" next to Booker" doesnt cut it. We've been through that year after year after year. Unless you magically have the capspace to sign 2 max contract FA's while already having another one already on the payroll, It takes wins period.

Every off-season the Knicks somehow come up with a way to clear enough money to sign 2 max contract guys.......yet year after year they never do. This is the Knicks we're talking about, a storied franchise playing in MSG and the Mecca of Basketball. Room for 2 Max contract FA's and yet they cant even land one. Hell, they cant even land a tier 2 or tier 3 FA. Why? Because they have sucked for so long. We dont even have a fabled franchise like them (Or Boston) to rely upon. We dont have MSG with die hard fans, we have Talking Stick with half the crowd cheering for the opposing team. If they cant land a Big Name in the weak east, why do people think we can do it in the West....all because we have capspace? Once again, it takes WINS!

Trade for Love. Start winning games and spend the next 3-4 seasons playing playoff basketball, THEN worry about preserving capspace to grab stars in FA to replace your aging ones (Rubio/Love).

Why do you think if we take on Love's $30 million until 23 that we will have cap space to lure in big time free agents? Where will that come from?

[bwgood77]

Yeah, I am a bit concerned about Baynes durability (lack of).

I think that we need to take that into consideration before offer him a new contract next summer.

His injuries, his age and his constant foul trouble during games are a kind of red flags. I love the guy but it is true that for whatever reason he never plays big time minutes. You can't spend a lot of money on a player like that.

I only see age is the potential red flag. The guy is playing more minutes per game than he has his entire career. He's a 15mpg player for his career and this season, he's been playing 24mpg. His type of game and durability was never suppose to translate to near starter level minutes which he's had to play this season because of Ayton's stupidity.

Last season he had some injuries that limited him to 51 games but the previous seasons before that he's played on average 76 games a season while playing those 15mpg. I'm not saying he's going to stay healthy but if you monitor his minutes, he's definitely someone that can play a ton of games during the season but you just can't be playing him 24-30mpg because he and his game isn't built for that.

I think we need to be smart with how much we pay him because realistically he's a 15, maybe 20mpg type of player that we're not even sure if we can play him next to Ayton just yet. But the good thing is, we don't have to make that decision right away.

For me, bringing Baynes back is a no brainer. The Suns play way better with him on the court than without him. The team played better in the losses they had with Baynes than they did in the wins they had without him. The reason we didn’t win those games with him is because we just happened to play superior opponents as opposed to the wins without him being against mediocre/average teams.

But the concern about his injuries is a legitimate one.

I know the rest of you guys are all saying that Baynes is only getting injured because he’s forced to play starter minutes but one of the main responsibilities of a good backup is to be ready to step in and play starter minutes if needed due to injury, suspension or whatever else. Obviously not starter minutes for a whole season but for short periods of time while the starter is out, we’d want to be confident in the backup being able to handle the minutes.

One of the best examples of this is Fred Van Vleet. Maybe an unfair comparison because he’s the best backup PG in the entire league but he steps in whenever Lowry misses games and he’s able to handle the minutes without much of an issue to his own health.

We can’t have it where if Ayton gets injured then the Suns are basically completely screwed because it’s expected that Baynes will get injured immediately too due to having to play more minutes.

But I absolutely love the guy and to a certain degree I think he’s had a bigger impact overall on the Suns than Devin Booker has had so bringing him back and having him retire here is definitely something I’m on board with. But his injuries are at least a little concerning.

He went 3-4 years without injury before an ankle sprain last year because he landed on Smart's foot. And then he had that weird fall in the Celtics game that hurt the hip this year. The calf soreness they have mentioned is likely related to compensation for that. Anyway, I don't really consider him that injury prone. Seems pretty tough.

[Frank Lee]

I agree, but they may think Saric fits better with our youth, team, and what we are looking for next to Ayton,.....

Oh our precious 'youth'. .

Me thinks too much emphasis is placed on some pseudo chronological cohesion. Seems like the successful teams do it the other way around. The ultimate goal should be to win games now. We've coddled enough kids. Get some F-n ballplayers.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Just a quick reminder of how insanely good the 2021 free agency looks to possibly be.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/8vkzz5/the_summer_of_2021_will_feature_the_greatest_free/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

The summer of 2021 will feature the greatest Free Agent class in NBA history

u/MarcusNotSmart1y

The summer of 2021 will feature arguably the greatest Free Agent class of all time

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Lebron James.
Giannis Antetekounmpo.
Anthony Davis.
Paul George.
Damian Lillard.
Demar Derozan.
Russell Westbrook.
Rudy Gobert.
Gordon Hayward.
Bradley Beal.

Restricted free agents:

Donovan Mitchell.
Jason Tatum.
Lonzo Ball.
Markelle Fultz.
Josh Jackson.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Lauri Markannen.
Abdel Nader.
De' Aaron Fox.
Frank Ntilikina.


Lebron/PG have player options for the 2022 seasons and will likely opt out so it’s fair to see them as FA of the 2021 season.

*** Also, this will be the first draft where high schoolers will be allowed to be drafted.

So I'm fine with adding a player or players for additional roster depth, insurance against further injuries, etc. As long as it doesn't inhibit our free agency and/or draft plans and csp space heading into 2021 free agency. Again, high value contributors on small one to two year deals tops. Also with focus on the importance of both Aytons' and Bridges upcoming extensions looming.

GREATEST FA CLASS OF ALL TIME!!! is that a Screamin A Smith hot take?
LeBron: 34y old now
George: 29y old now, no shoulders
Dame: 29y old now, small guard
Derozan: 30y old now
Russ: 31y old now
Hayward: 29y old now, serious injury history already

Restricted:
JJ - already out of the league
DSJ - on his way out
Ntilinka - same
Nader - who the F is that?

Sure, let's build on these guys... C'mon, man this board is better than this.

Lol......If you notice the link and the name under his initial statement, You'll see that it's not my personal opinion stating it's The unequivocal "Best of all time" And you are of course entitled to your opinion. But I will say that given our current roster, record, and talent level ( sans Booker and Ayton) I'd happily take the majority of players on that list to add to our core in an effort to try and foster dramatic improvement man. As for the cherry picking the lower producing names on that list, No one is saying that any of those are specific or required targets of course.....lol. And to be fair, as with any accurate list, leaving off the lower scale talent just to embellish a point would be kind of disingenuous don't you think.

But honestly, apart from personal preference, Can you seriously tell me that IF given the chance, You wouldn't add any of these particular players with respect to their abilities and/or high end talent:

Lebron James-

*** Disclaimer, Now if you know me at all, Then you know that I HATE Lebron James vehemently. And have even given him the nickname of " Le Douche." But that still doesn't change the fact that he's still even at his current age widely considered one of, If not the best player still in the league. He's still a 3 time NBAchampion, a 3 time finals MVP, a 4 time NBA MVP, A 15 time All star, A 12 time ALL NBA first team, A 5 time ALL NBA first defensive team.The list just keeps going honestly, And he's also helping to lead the Flakers team to the best record in the west. Also, he's always a draw for other big name players too. But you're right, he's old, and shouldn't be considered.

Paul George-

Are you seriously saying you'd deny adding Paul George to our team due to being 29? Again, one of the top players in the league currently, a 6 time time All star, A 4 time ALL NBA third team, A two time ALL NBA defensive team, 2 time ALL NBA 2nd defensive team, And just last season was the league steals leader. He's also helping to lead his team to one of the top records in the really tough, brutal Western Conference. And currently, which of our players on our roster would currently be better than him as it is? But we again would automatically disqualify him because 29 is too old? Yet a lot of us are discussing players such as Kevin Love ( 31) , Blake Griffin ( 30) etc.

Damian Lillard-

C'mon man honestly??? I love me some Rubio. But you really wouldn't take Damian Lillard because your opposing argument is again that he's too old at age 29? Isn't he still a 4 time All star, 2nd team All NBA, Was rookie of the year and considered by many to be nearly unstoppable one on one? He's also still producing at a really high level. And he's been leading his team to the playoffs repeatedly too still. When was the last time that anyone led our team to the playoffs again??? But yes, let's take solace in the knowledge that at least were not old at 29. Because that's definitely the determining factor for us.

Demarr Derozan-

Surely Not one of the players to garner the highest level of interest, but even at 30, He's still a multiple time All star, 2 time All NBA, A team USA contributor and still a highly productive 20 point per game scorer. He's also still considered by many to be a high end talent, also many I believe would argue even quite a bit better than what we currently have on our roster at the small forward/ power forward position.

Russell Westbrook-

Again the age is the factor of course, Yet how is he producing again. How dominant is he still ( even at 31 yrs old) He's a multi time All star that has consistently helped whatever team that he's played for into the playoffs, averages a ridiculous numbers in terms of the amount of triple doubles he produces, has been an MVP level player repeatedly and even now, again at age 31 is helping to lead the rockets to one of the best records in the Western Conference.Having him on your roster almost guarantees you'll be in the playoffs. But we can't take him because he's 31.

Gordon Hayward-

Probably your most solid argument at his current pricetag and with his recent injury. However, once again at 29 he's still an All star level player who is highly productive, very versatile at 6'8 and is a very good shooter who hits big shots and has put up numbers such as 18 points 7 rebounds/ 4 assists. Also, prior to his injury, he helped the Celtics to one of their best records last season I think it was? Other than Booker, Who currently on our roster can/ has consistently his recent production consistently? And again, he likely wouldn't be at his current pricetag again, especially coming back from an injury.

Restricted:

I'll agree that the names you specifically selected from that list are definitely not going to be high on anyone's wishlists, However, Cherry picking only certain names from the list again for sake of argument, is not something that I'm a fan of as I just find it disingenuous personally. And doesn't give an accurate portrayal of the overall value of the list. So let's review a few names omitted from my original post. First with respect to the restricted list.


-Donovan Mitchell.
-Jason Tatum.
-Lonzo Ball.
Lauri Markannen.
De' Aaron Fox.

Are any of those players who were omitted, Players that you feel personally would not help us drastically improve given our current roster, or that you wouldn't add to our core IF given the chance honestly man? Again, how many players currently on our roster would be widely considered better or have higher value?

Who would you honestly prefer to go with instead? Either by way of Johnson's expiring, theough trade, Or cap space in general?

And finally with respect to the unrestricted names left off from the list: ( Not many, But still important).

-Anthony Davis.
-Giannis Antetekounmpo.
- Bradley Beal.
- Rudy Gobert.

Who here wouldn't sign any of those players in a heartbeat IF they had the chance AND were available? Which one of those players wouldn't improve our current roster immensely. So with respect to that, I do apologize if the ( Reddit poster's) statement did seem somewhat blown out of porportion man. But in all honesty, When was the last time that you had an actual free agency with this many max level all star cornerstone players all becoming free agents at the same time? On top of that, a draft so loaded due to the rule changes also allowing high school players to be eligible as well. Essentially creating a double draft of sorts. Now in fairness I do agree with your opinion on Josh Jackson, Frank Nitkilinia, and Abdel Nader. But let's be honest in that the " Best ever" reference wasn't built around those players primarily as I'm sure that you're aware. So Yes, I will stand by the assertion that the 2021 nba free agency is widely considered to be one of IF not the greatest free agency ever. And the overall majority consensus would only strengthen that opinion I believe man.

But your always free to disagree.

[Frank Lee]

GREATEST FA CLASS OF ALL TIME!!! is that a Screamin A Smith hot take?
LeBron: 34y old now
George: 29y old now, no shoulders
Dame: 29y old now, small guard
Derozan: 30y old now
Russ: 31y old now
Hayward: 29y old now, serious injury history already

Love is 31 now.... and he will likely be available this season. You want to wait to sign one of these guys to a 'Wall-ish' deal ? Our cap space / roster is set up to add a big ticket player this yr via trade. No point in thinking we will be in the FA market next season. Add Love for TJo and all we have to do is sign Baynes. We can go right up to the Lux tax to do so. The rest of this core is in place.