Season Speculation, Trade Ideas & Discussion Pt. 5

[Revived]

It'd be a travesty to waste Booker's 4, 5, 6th year waiting on 18 year olds to develop.

He’ll just leave just like the many, many, many disgruntled players from the Suns who’ve demanded trades and left before him.

There’s only so much “drafting and waiting” that he’ll be able to handle while he looks around and sees players that were drafted with him like Towns having teams that are aggressive in trades & free agency and making moves to become top playoff teams in the conference.

[Revived]

I like TJ, but it's going to take a lot more than a 3 pointer for him to even approach Lebron, KD, and Kawhi levels...

LeBron, KD and Kawhi are all 6-7x times the defender that Warren is. LeBron and KD in particular have ball handling and playmaking skills that Warren won’t ever have either.

I like Warren a lot and he’s grown on me this season despite being so injury prone again. But let’s not get crazy lol. Right now, he’s trending towards “starting caliber on a good team” and we should be happy about just that.

[jcsunsfan]

I like TJ, but it's going to take a lot more than a 3 pointer for him to even approach Lebron, KD, and Kawhi levels...

Like I said. Undervalued by his own fans. He is not as good as those guys, but he is right with the players under them.

[RaisingArizona]

It'd be a travesty to waste Booker's 4, 5, 6th year waiting on 18 year olds to develop.

He’ll just leave just like the many, many, many disgruntled players from the Suns who’ve demanded trades and left before him.

There’s only so much “drafting and waiting” that he’ll be able to handle while he looks around and sees players that were drafted with him like Towns having teams that are aggressive in trades & free agency and making moves to become top playoff teams in the conference.

That will happen if McD plays this like 80% of the people here want to. Let's hope he doesn't.

[darealjuice]

It'd be a travesty to waste Booker's 4, 5, 6th year waiting on 18 year olds to develop.

He’ll just leave just like the many, many, many disgruntled players from the Suns who’ve demanded trades and left before him.

There’s only so much “drafting and waiting” that he’ll be able to handle while he looks around and sees players that were drafted with him like Towns having teams that are aggressive in trades & free agency and making moves to become top playoff teams in the conference.

I honestly don't think Booker plays out like that here. Of our disgruntled players lately: Dragic left because he was mad he wasn't handed the keys like he thought he would be with Bledsoe around, Bledsoe supposedly got disgruntled when we wouldn't commit to extending him in the offseason, and no one gives a **** about the Morris twins. You could probably argue IT was disgruntled too, but I feel like it was more about being traded and not getting a starting spot than anything else. Booker already has the keys, he's going to get a max contract the second we can give it to him, and he knows we're building this team specifically around him to be good long-term.

[darealjuice]

It'd be a travesty to waste Booker's 4, 5, 6th year waiting on 18 year olds to develop.

He’ll just leave just like the many, many, many disgruntled players from the Suns who’ve demanded trades and left before him.

There’s only so much “drafting and waiting” that he’ll be able to handle while he looks around and sees players that were drafted with him like Towns having teams that are aggressive in trades & free agency and making moves to become top playoff teams in the conference.

That will happen if McD plays this like 80% of the people here want to. Let's hope he doesn't.

Oh please Nearly everyone here wants to try making our playoff run next year, you think making a futile run at the playoffs this season is the difference between Booker staying and leaving?

[TOO]

He’ll just leave just like the many, many, many disgruntled players from the Suns who’ve demanded trades and left before him.

There’s only so much “drafting and waiting” that he’ll be able to handle while he looks around and sees players that were drafted with him like Towns having teams that are aggressive in trades & free agency and making moves to become top playoff teams in the conference.

That will happen if McD plays this like 80% of the people here want to. Let's hope he doesn't.

Oh please

All the melodrama.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

It'd be a travesty to waste Booker's 4, 5, 6th year waiting on 18 year olds to develop.

He’ll just leave just like the many, many, many disgruntled players from the Suns who’ve demanded trades and left before him.

There’s only so much “drafting and waiting” that he’ll be able to handle while he looks around and sees players that were drafted with him like Towns having teams that are aggressive in trades & free agency and making moves to become top playoff teams in the conference.

Are we seriously proposing panic moves in order to make sure that a 21 year old who has expressed no animus or anger toward a front office, a front office that has embraced him and given him input and the keys to the team, and who is under our contractual control for between 5 and 6 years, does not get disgruntled and demand a trade?

Do you think that if we're competing for a championship in 2022 but weren't competing for the playoffs in 2019, that he'll leave?

This is all quite unreasonable.

[sunsbum]

I don't think we are going to end up with young or Doncic and I still don't want Kemba on our team. As I said, the assets we lose and the money we would have to take on as well as give to him don't make sense for where we're at right now.

[WeekapaugGroove]

If you look at the "stars" that have forced their way off teams it really hasn't been because teams didn't go 'win now' quickly enough.

Kyrie- they were in the champ game. His obviously had nothing to do with the win now thing.

Paul- situation got stale and they haven't ever been young.

George- expressed his desire to go to LA. The pacers had been in win now mode, hell they traded a 1st for thad young just a year before his departure.

Butler- didnt mesh with hoyberg. The year before they signed wade and rondo and traded for lopez.

Cousins- he wanted to sign his extension. They traded 1st round picks to sign free agents and that failed completely.

Bledsoe- wanted to sign an extension didn't get it and demanded a trade.

Love- this might be the closest but the wolves were trying to win they just weren't accomplishing it. I also think he held some animosity for how they handled his original contract extension.

Guys leave for various reasons. Making smart decisions from coaching hires to player aquistion matters buts its not as simple as just making win now moves just for the sake of it. If you make the wrong ones it can be worse than being patient.

I'm all for adding some vets.... this summer and the right guys. I like kemba, but personally I'd wait until this summer to try and make that move. Who knows at that point maybe someone better is attainable.

[bwgood77]

You are on fire!!! Kemba is literally a clone of Bledsoe....shoot first, undersized, low efficiency shooter, over dribbling overrated PG.

PLUS I thought the point of collecting all the assets was to get an “All-star” player and not an “ALMOST All-Star”.

Yes I know I corrected myself. Just shows you how forgettable his all-star appearance was.

Yeah, it's easier in the east....Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague, etc.

[Saberestar]

IDK if Kemba is the right player, but I would love to get a good PG to start for us now and next season.

I do not care how good are Trae Young or Doncic...even if we are lucky enough to get one of them (I doubt it) they are not gonna be good enough to start for a playoff team in the NBA.

Look Jamal Murray...he is great and in his second season is playing well as a starter, but he was mediocre at best as a rookie. A lot of other examples are out there in the league.

It is soooo difficult to be a playoff team with a rookie PG starting...nearly impossible. And we want to fight for the playoffs seriously next season.

I want an starting PG who has played already in the NBA. If we draft Doncic or Young they can play backup minutes and if they play outstanding basketball we can always trade that veteran starting PG. Not a problem at all.

[NavLDO]

Suns wise, they need LEGIT franchise player type next to Booker, Walker aint it.

So, what is, exactly? Which 'Franchise' PGs that are available out there should he go after?

I'm sorry, I do not get the hesitation at all. Did we not learn anything from the last All-Star PG we decided not to go after?

Sometimes, I wonder about some of you all. There is NO PERFECT player out there that is going to be made available by their team for a trade. We get him for the offseason, for $12M. We can sign, whoever we want, then break the bank next year on him and Book, thanks to them being ON OUR team, right?

Plus, we start winning...other All-Star players like going to winning franchises.

You want to entice players like Boogie, or other rising stars to come to PHX?? Which team are you going to???

We've got Booker, some other young developing pieces, a lottery pick and Miami's 1st in the 20s!

OR

We've got and All-Star PG, Booker, Warren, and (JJ, Bender, or Chriss), and you'll be the Cornerstone of that 5!

What are you going to be sold on if you are Boogie, or heck, it opens up other possibilities, IMO.

Kemba has nothing else. Howard??? A has been.

Booker is awesome, but also a one man show. Warren is awesome to us Suns' fans, but outside of that???

Now, you put those two together, and I'm sorry, you've got 2 of a Big 3. no doubt. Kemba is an All-Star.

McD, PLEASE, make this deal. NOT because Kemba is out dream PG, but because him next to Booker is a selling point to getting us piece number 3, and making us relevant again...PLEASE...

1. You are entitled to your take... fine, thats your opinion, you like Walker, but I don't think its a good idea.

2. Suns just traded a 27 year old Bledsoe, because he didnt fit or got disgruntled somehow with his role and direction of the team. Walker is pretty much same tier as Bledsoe and he'd want to go to a good team or get an absolute payday on a bad team. Suns did not want to max Bledsoe, so I strongly feel that they dont want to pay Walker similarly.

3. McD and Suns are limited on what is available and currently there is no player at the PG spot that will be worth sacrificing such a big contract.

And this is where I think your thought process gets off track; Bledsoe has never been, and never will be, in the same tier as Kemba. Bledsoe has had knee injury issues, to boot. Plus, Bledsoe should have wanted to leave; he was never good enough to take us to where we needed to go, whereas Kemba, I believe, can. Kemba's actually led his team to playoffs twice; not so much for Bledsoe.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2011.html

See where he was drafted, and who was drafted right in front of him? (Not why I dropped the link in here, but pretty frustrating. . We got the wrong top-10 pick, lol!) No, but the reason I dropped the link is look at the VORP; he's 4th overall from the Draft that year behind, yep, Kyrie, with Kawhi and Butler rounding out the other two. Now look who's next. IT. Then there's Chandler Parsons, and not far behind him is Klay. That's some pretty nice company to be associated with...overall. And I know, that's just one metric, so I'm not hanging my hat, as it were, on that, but just pointing out that he's a pretty darn good player that I think would change this team's fortunes; I'm tired of the 'kinda, sorta, maybe' type-talents.

I realize Kemba may not be the crème de la crème, but he's certainly a tier above Bledsoe, IMO, and has already proven that with the right talent, he can take his team to Playoffs, and IMO, that's what we need.

[bwgood77]

PER is an interesting rating. Its not conclusive but helpful. Among NBA pgs, Kemba ranks 7 (behind Harden, Curry, Paul, Westbrook, Irving and Lillard). That is pretty good.

BTW. Booker ranks 7 among SGs (behind Oladipo, Butler, DeRozen, Lou Williams, Tyreke, Beal)

But TJ Warren ranks 4 among SF's (behind LeBron, KD, Beasely (yes), and ahead of PG, Gay, Harris, OPorter, Barnes, Tatum, etc)

I am not sure we really appreciate the player we have in TJ. His stats are fantastic. His PER is good, and his impact on team wins is undeniable. If he does add a 3 point shot, he is a SF that is right there with LeBron, KD, and Kawhai.

Those guys are all VERY good defenders and good to great passers. He would need to add a heck of a lot more than a 3 pt shot to get to their level.

[NavLDO]

Kemba Walker to Philadelphia
Markelle Fultz, Jarryd Bayless to Phoenix
Miami 1st, Milwaukee 1st, Memphis 2nd, Toronto 2nd, Greg Monroe to Charlotte

I'm fine with that too, so long as Fultz doesn't have some long-term, serious shoulder injury, and that's why the Sixers have kept him 'holed up' off-the-court.

Something is 'off' about that whole situation in Philly, but not sure what it is, though, but so long it has nothing to do with Fultz' long-term health, I'm perfectly fine with that deal, as well.

You may proceed.

[bwgood77]

He’ll just leave just like the many, many, many disgruntled players from the Suns who’ve demanded trades and left before him.

There’s only so much “drafting and waiting” that he’ll be able to handle while he looks around and sees players that were drafted with him like Towns having teams that are aggressive in trades & free agency and making moves to become top playoff teams in the conference.

That will happen if McD plays this like 80% of the people here want to. Let's hope he doesn't.

Oh please Nearly everyone here wants to try making our playoff run next year, you think making a futile run at the playoffs this season is the difference between Booker staying and leaving?

There is no need to respond to their nonsense at this point.

[Saberestar]

PER is an interesting rating. Its not conclusive but helpful. Among NBA pgs, Kemba ranks 7 (behind Harden, Curry, Paul, Westbrook, Irving and Lillard). That is pretty good.

BTW. Booker ranks 7 among SGs (behind Oladipo, Butler, DeRozen, Lou Williams, Tyreke, Beal)

But TJ Warren ranks 4 among SF's (behind LeBron, KD, Beasely (yes), and ahead of PG, Gay, Harris, OPorter, Barnes, Tatum, etc)

I am not sure we really appreciate the player we have in TJ. His stats are fantastic. His PER is good, and his impact on team wins is undeniable. If he does add a 3 point shot, he is a SF that is right there with LeBron, KD, and Kawhai.

Those guys are all VERY good defenders and good to great passers. He would need to add a heck of a lot more than a 3 pt shot to get to their level.

Yes, these three players are future Hall Of Famers, they are clearly on another tier.

But I think Warren has stablished himself as a Top 10 SF for sure, and if he keeps improving he can be a Top 5 in the next future.

[bwgood77]

IDK if Kemba is the right player, but I would love to get a good PG to start for us now and next season.

I do not care how good are Trae Young or Doncic...even if we are lucky enough to get one of them (I doubt it) they are not gonna be good enough to start for a playoff team in the NBA.

Look Jamal Murray...he is great and in his second season is playing well as a starter, but he was mediocre at best as a rookie. A lot of other examples are out there in the league.

It is soooo difficult to be a playoff team with a rookie PG starting...nearly impossible. And we want to fight for the playoffs seriously next season.

I want an starting PG who has played already in the NBA. If we draft Doncic or Young they can play backup minutes and if they play outstanding basketball we can always trade that veteran starting PG. Not a problem at all.

I don't know if Young or Doncic could start as a rookie on a playoff team but they are both a heck of a lot better prospects than Jamal freakin Murray was. He doesn't even really pass. What did he average in college, like 2 assists per game? It'll probably still be tough to make the playoffs next year regardless of who our PG is if the rest of the west is healthy.

[Qwigglez]

Saw something about Stephen A Smith saying Lillard should demand a trade from the Blazers. Even though I know it's just his take, I thought I'd put a fun three team trade together.

Suns get-
Damian Lillard

Hornets get-
Alex Len
Ed Davis
Both Miami picks
Suns 2018 2nd round pick
Suns 2020 2nd round pick

Blazers get-
Kemba Walker
TJ Warren
Jared Dudley

Suns get Lillard on a guaranteed contract for the next 4 years. Hornets tear it down and get 2 1st round picks and a high 2nd rounder for Kemba. Blazers get a replacement for Lillard and also TJ Warren to give them a quality wing.

Jackson starts and immediately becomes an efficient player because Lillard/Booker command the defenses attention. Bender and Chriss contribute right away too for the same reason.

[Kerrsed]

Lillard needs to go to the East so he quits getting snubbed for all-star votes.