Official Trade Thread: How to Trade Your Dragon

[HootieRules]

Good morning,

So my word on the meeting is that we offered to get rid of IT and asked Dragic if we gave the best offer if he would stay with Bledsoe. Dragic will not play next to Bledsoe. He wants a big market team where he is the primary ball-handling point guard.

Does nothing but reinforce the suspicion that Bledsoe was the wrong person to lay that big contract on; all stats, too much ego and no w / l delivery.

Find out soon enough.

Bledsoe is a beast who's already showing tons of improvement in last two years...and much better than Dragic was at his age - give me Bledsoe at $14m/yr all day over Dragic at $20m/yr. I love Dragic, but signing Bled was the right thing to do

I disagree that Bledsoe over Dragic is such a slam dunk. Dragic is only 3 years older. He's a better shooter, passer, finisher, less turnover prone and more durable. He's proven he can play at a high level in the playoffs. He's also a more natural fit at his position. I'd rather build around Dragic than Bledsoe if convincing them to play together is a lost cause.

[Frank Lee]

attaboy Hootie

[rsavaj]

Great take from Bright Side

You guys can be angry and upset all day. I’ve backed Dragon from day one. Hated everybody when they traded him to Houston only to have him return. Here is the thing.

Goran Dragic is doing Phoenix a favor, and at the same time, getting a head start on every other soon-to-be free agent guard when it comes to the money chase. By doing this. He is also setting the terms for talent acquisition to play beside him.
Also, by doing what he is doing, he is saving Phoenix the trouble of off-season negotiations IE, precious time needed to address the roster in other areas. Goran Dragic is going for his one good shot at family good fortune for generations. Good for him.

Lets be reasonable about this entire situation. I’ll start with something I’ve whispered about here and there in regards to Goran Dragic and Ryan McDonough. It’s something you see a lot in the NFL, where a new Front office comes in and whether a player is good or not, it doesn’t matter if that player isn’t one of the new general manager’s "guys."

Goran Dragic wasn’t a McDonough guy. Eric Bledsoe was. Gerald Green has been. Isaiah Thomas is. Bodgan and Archie are. Given Ryan’s track record so far I’m actually okay with that.

Moving forward, you can imagine that some of those guards may get packaged in some sort of deal, but others will remain and they will need playing time. In the case of Archie Goodwin, we’ve been talking all season about how Goran doesn’t get calls / go to the line for free points. We’ve also discussed how his once pesky on-ball defense has regressed a touch. Archie Goodwin draws fouls like the earth’s gravity draws raindrops back to the land. It’s a given. It’s automatic. He also sticks his nose in there on defense. If Bogdan is a Sun when he arrives, he won’t be as frustrated at the limited touches and / or exposure right away as he isn’t the same sort of player Goran is.

Thinking ahead, if this trade goes through, it’s almost certain that McBabby will not accept players who will tie up salary beyond this season. So now you have to look at the financial aggressiveness the Suns can move forward with not having to worry about paying Goran 60-80 million over x-amount of years. That money can go to other areas. Jimmy Butler is an example to upgrade PJ Tucker at the 3, if the Bulls coaching staff haven’t played him so many minutes that his DNA has been mutated into cotton candy and strawberry jam. They’ll have the cash to force Chicago into lots of vomit as they consider matching any offer given to JB.

It also means that, for the first time, the Suns have a BIG PIECE out there dangling in the wind. Ryan has worked wonders with lesser trade chips. This 40-hour window is nothing really because you already know the phones have been worked in regards to Dragon, IT, Green, Miles, and some / all of the youth. Talent has been acquired to accommodate ANY significant loss across any of the positions including Bledsoe, PJ, the Morrii, etc.

If Goran is traded, and Gerald is not, Green goes back into that starting position with Bledsoe. I’m fine with that. Archie gets to play beside IT. Thomas gets to play with an aggressive freedom without having to worry about Goran’s involvement. Archie gets to attack the weaker guard at all times as IT is the focal point.

The balance is restored, the youth get an opportunity, and the prospect of free agent acquisition is true, without having to worry about a Dragon negotiation.

Don’t get my words twisted. Nobody would be more upset to lose Dragic than me. That being said, I wanted this rebuild 2 years before it happened and this is part of that. This season is still about getting the soldiers you require in order to storm the castle and rule the realm.

I hope the Suns can accommodate Goran. I thank Goran for actually stepping up and putting the cards on the table and doing what he needs to do to take care of his family, and being able to do that before any other potential near-all star guard can field offers.

And can we stop blaming IT? He isn’t the issue here.

[blee732]

if we trade IT and hold onto dragic, it wouldn't necessarily be calling his bluff to keep him. wouldn't we still have his bird rights and be able to do a sign and trade? I would think we would get more in return since the other team would not be worried about him bolting.

[rsavaj]

Does nothing but reinforce the suspicion that Bledsoe was the wrong person to lay that big contract on; all stats, too much ego and no w / l delivery.

Find out soon enough.

Bledsoe is a beast who's already showing tons of improvement in last two years...and much better than Dragic was at his age - give me Bledsoe at $14m/yr all day over Dragic at $20m/yr. I love Dragic, but signing Bled was the right thing to do

I disagree that Bledsoe over Dragic is such a slam dunk. Dragic is only 3 years older. He's a better shooter, passer, finisher, less turnover prone and more durable. He's proven he can play at a high level in the playoffs. He's also a more natural fit at his position. I'd rather build around Dragic than Bledsoe if convincing them to play together is a lost cause.

3 years matters when one of the guys is 28. If Dragic was 25 and Bledsoe was 22, then this would be an entirely different story.

[AZWildByNature]

I wouldn't trade him. Trade IT, put Drgaic back where he was last year and see what happens.

I am with this thinking. Unless the Suns get a All-Star potential player and a first, then the Suns should keep Dragic and dump IT.

[bwgood77]

IT helped the Suns win games this season. It's not McDonough's or IT's fault that Dragic is such a selfish prick.

You seem to be the most pissed at all with Dragic. I didn't even think you were a big fan of his, always trying to demonstrate that IT is better. Figured you might be kind of happy with this.

I'm happy to see him gone. Wouldn't mind IT trade either. What I'm most upset about is him going full Melo/Dwight/Love on the Suns.

I can understand that. It might be best at this point if the assumption was that he would only re-sign with the team that traded for him (to get the max money and five years) and that team is so worried they won't get him otherwise that they give up a ton to get him, like with Melo. Obviously not the same caliber of player but it would be nice for a team to treat it like the Knicks did then. Though I guess that was Dolan and Thomas in the FO, and there are few front offices left like that. And some of the teams he has mentioned don't have much for trade assets.

[In Len We Trust]

Bledsoe is a very talented player that gets paid a lot and makes a very minor positive impact.

I would rather trade IT and Bledsoe but there are no teams that would give up much for Bled's contract. I mean not a single team.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Does nothing but reinforce the suspicion that Bledsoe was the wrong person to lay that big contract on; all stats, too much ego and no w / l delivery.

Find out soon enough.

Bledsoe is a beast who's already showing tons of improvement in last two years...and much better than Dragic was at his age - give me Bledsoe at $14m/yr all day over Dragic at $20m/yr. I love Dragic, but signing Bled was the right thing to do

I disagree that Bledsoe over Dragic is such a slam dunk. Dragic is only 3 years older. He's a better shooter, passer, finisher, less turnover prone and more durable. He's proven he can play at a high level in the playoffs. He's also a more natural fit at his position. I'd rather build around Dragic than Bledsoe if convincing them to play together is a lost cause.

How has Goran proven he can play at a high level in the playoffs? 1 good quarter against the spurs? You also fail to mention defense which is half the game and an area Goran is really bad at and not going to get any better with age. Plus you make it sound like Goran is some pure Nash like point but really he's a scoring point guard first and distributor second.

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[In Len We Trust]

Bledsoe and dragic didn't "crush it" last year. The Suns won 48 games. That's 7 games over .500. Not exactly "crushing it". The combo worked decently but it wasn't great.

So they went 48 and 41?

I'm pretty sure that is 89 total games, not 82. We were 48 and 34 which is 14 games over .500. #Math

[JJ13]

Does nothing but reinforce the suspicion that Bledsoe was the wrong person to lay that big contract on; all stats, too much ego and no w / l delivery.

Find out soon enough.

Bledsoe is a beast who's already showing tons of improvement in last two years...and much better than Dragic was at his age - give me Bledsoe at $14m/yr all day over Dragic at $20m/yr. I love Dragic, but signing Bled was the right thing to do

I disagree that Bledsoe over Dragic is such a slam dunk. Dragic is only 3 years older. He's a better shooter, passer, finisher, less turnover prone and more durable. He's proven he can play at a high level in the playoffs. He's also a more natural fit at his position. I'd rather build around Dragic than Bledsoe if convincing them to play together is a lost cause.

Almost 4 years older, but regardless...I agree better shooter & passer, and slightly less turnover prone. Do not agree on finisher or durability. Dragic's injuries were a big reason we missed the playoffs last year, and he's got way more mileage than Bled (int'l play?). Bledsoe is by far better at getting to the rim and drawing fouls. Oh ya, and that whole defense thing...

[jcsunsfan]

Bledsoe is a very talented player that gets paid a lot and makes a very minor positive impact.

I would rather trade IT and Bledsoe but there are no teams that would give up much for Bled's contract. I mean not a single team.

I do not believe this is true.

[In Len We Trust]

Good Morning everyone



TRADE FOR TOBIAS HARRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AZWildByNature]

McD is not going to trade Dragic just to meet his request. If a deal does not get done, the Suns will probably gamble on making a sign and trade in the off-season.

[King4Day]

Bledsoe is a very talented player that gets paid a lot and makes a very minor positive impact.

I would rather trade IT and Bledsoe but there are no teams that would give up much for Bled's contract. I mean not a single team.

I do not believe this is true.

Agreed. If we put Bledsoe on the block today, probably 10-15 teams would be at the door with offers. Especially teams in need of defense at the guard spot.

[sunsfever68]

With our cap space now alleviated due to not having to sign Goran long term we should go after Jimmy Butler and get him here. He would upgrade the D significantly

[rsavaj]

If you keep Dragic on the squad after Thursday you're setting yourself up for a pretty horrible lockerroom situation. Guarantee some vocal fans will boo him.

[In Len We Trust]

Bledsoe is a very talented player that gets paid a lot and makes a very minor positive impact.

I would rather trade IT and Bledsoe but there are no teams that would give up much for Bled's contract. I mean not a single team.

I do not believe this is true.

Agreed. If we put Bledsoe on the block today, probably 10-15 teams would be at the door with offers. Especially teams in need of defense at the guard spot.

OK, cool. What teams? Please name them because saying 10-15 teams is just an assumption.

The only teams that are in need of a PG like Bledsoe have absolutely nothing to offer. Take the Knicks, for example. Their offer would be garbage.

[In Len We Trust]

Bledsoe
Afflalo
Harris
Markieff
Len




Please please please please please. That team is better than the team we have both now and in the future.

[Mulhollanddrive]

We avoided a panic move to sign Eric Gordon because we just lost Amare.

Any 12m+ signing, needs to be as good as the Eastern Conference Finalist 12m+ player.