Post#24 » by tdjm » Fri May 8, 2015 9:14 pm
Best case scenario for me would be:
Send out feelers to all the big UFA and see if there's any interest. If you can get a verbal commitment from them or their agents, start making cap space. This is unlikely to happen, and we're not one player away from contending for anything. It would just be changing the nature of the rebuild, since it doesn't hurt to at least see if there's interest from Love and whatnot.
When we generate no interest from star FA, start looking for Tucker trading partners immediately. We aren't looking to make any noise in the playoffs for 2+ years, Tucker has value to a team trying to win and there's a chance we can poach picks or young players buried on a contender. In retrospect, not dealing guys like Green and Dragic when their value was high after a great season really came back to crush the Suns pretty badly. Don't make the same mistake with Tucker.
Hold on to the Morris twins. Their value is at rock bottom, the last thing a rebuilding team needs to do is to sell low on their assets. I think the most likely thing that would happen is they plea to some sort of misdemeanor and get no jail time or they settle out of court. This gives the Suns a chance to slap them with suspensions that justify them coming off the bench for the rest of the season. If they aren't using this as a learning experience and improving at all, then start sending out trade feelers immediately, but still don't ship them off for nothing if at all possible.
Don't trade Bledsoe for a draft pick unless there's a clear chance to get a super talent who is falling in the draft. If trading Bledsoe can get you Towns (no, lol), Russell (unlikely), or Winslow (MAYBE), consider pulling the trigger. If Bledsoe can only get you Mudiay, Porzingis, WCS, Hezonja, etc. then stand pat and look for a better trade deal down the line.
Do consider drafting a project like Oubre, Wood, etc. If they pass interviews, do well in workouts, and show a hunger to compete - why not? Take a crazy swing for the fences at #13,
Don't be active in free agency, unless there's an indication that one of the big RFAs is drawing a price point too high for their team. If the Bucks don't want to max Middleton, or the Magic don't want to max Harris, then start butting in with sign and trade talk. This is super unlikely to happen since they're near mortal locks to get maxes and matched by their current teams, but at least be on the lookout for the possibility. If there's a really sick value play (like Danny Green somehow slips through the cracks for 7 million or less [not happening]), then pull the trigger on that, but otherwise, don't spend very much. Maybe look for a good veteran presence who will accept a teaching role with no playtime for <2 mil at the end of free agency, or a vet min towel waver before training camp, but nothing else.
Instead, look for teams who are trying to be free agent players who need to shed assets to sign guys. If the Spurs are trying to move Splitter and a first to clear cap, get in on that. If the Warriors need to move Lee and a first, get in on that, etc. etc. Look for teams where we can use our cap space to absorb up some value. Celtics did this last offseason when Cleveland was doing work to clear cap for Lebron, and they got a ton of assets. It's a winning play for a rebuilding team.
Make training camp an open battle. Re-sign Knight, but don't guarantee him the starting spot (don't guarantee him a bench spot, either). Let everyone battle it out in training camp, and start your most promising players. If Knight gets crushed in training camp by Bledsoe, Archie, and Warren, then start those guys. If Knight comes in looking great, start Knight.
Eternally have 1 of Bledsoe or Knight quietly on the trading block, but don't ever get rid of them for below value. Have patience, since we aren't competing. There's no pressure to take the first deal that comes across. Wait for a good one.
Put the playoffs out of mind. Just focus on development of your guys. Start seeing who can be here on the team in 3+ years when they're a threat to make the playoffs. Let Warren loose, see if Goodwin can put it together, give more touches to Len - just focus on improving the kids you already have. Making the playoffs as an 8 seed is horrible, don't even try (unless you're playing Warren and Goodwin and whatnot 30 mins a game and they break out and take you there - that's different, and also not going to happen).
Just take next year off from competing and see what you can get out of your prospects. The Suns' playoff drought is 6 years, but their championship drought is 47 years. Focus on fixing that second drought. Make your goal winning a championship in 10 years, and not making the playoffs in 1.
