2020 Offseason Speculation, free agency, summer trades (keep draft prospect talk in draft thread)

[bwgood77]

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This summer we will need a complete different roster to try to be in the playoffs.

I would trade or not sign anyone other than Booker, Ayton and Bridges. I like Oubre but I would prefer a good player AND a good fit.

So that's about new 10-12 faces again. Probably "only" 10 if we decide to stay patient with youngsters like Leque or Diallo.

That's what we have been doing season after season since 2012. Damn... I miss even those two last years with Nash and Hill because at least we were around .500 and we played the right way.

I don't agree at all. I think Rubio, Booker, Bridges, Oubre, Jerome and Cam is a solid 7 of the 10 guys you need. I'm not going to label Jerome and Cam injury prone just based on this season. I'm also fine with one of Carter or Oubre as 3rd string PG, and Lecque as third string SG.

That leaves us needing:
- a backup 2
- a third string 3
- a rotation 4 (starter or bench)
- a third string 4
- a backup 5
- one more big (could be Diallo)

Plenty of ways to accomplish all that when you have a high draft pick and are one of only 5 teams with cap space this summer - and you have a ton of it. My analysis of the 4 spot is the same as bw's, which isn't too surprising - Wood, Gallinari, Millsap. I'd love to bring Dragan back along with Wood, but I can't imagine JJ&Co. would do it. My guess is they target one of Gallinari or Millsap.

There are just a ton of backup two's we could sign. If we were ballsy enough to, say, bring in Wood and Dragan (both HEALTHY young stretch bigs), and sign a serviceable backup 2 to a big short-term deal, we'd add a lot of depth to this crew. That doesn't even take into account the draft and potential giveaway (TJ Warren-style) trades by teams who need to clear space.

Obviously we keep Booker, Ayton and Bridges. I also keep Jerome, Cam and Baynes if possible. Okobo I keep because he is dirt cheap and still developing. No real reason to cut him because it doesn't add much cap space. I would also like to keep Baynes as our backup C.

I think we won't move Rubio. I could go either way here but I don't know what other options there would be at PG. We had terrible PGs for a couple years after Bledsoe left and it was brutal. Plus I simply don't know what team would want him.

I think Lecque is guaranteed for 2 years...so he takes up a spot. I am not as down on Saric or Frank as the rest, but obviously if there is a clear upgrade, I take it. If Saric gets a big offer sheet I wouldn't match, but then I'd probably pick up Frank's option, and hope to trade Oubre for a nice PF to either start or be 2nd string and go small, with Cam/Bridges starting in frontcourt.

That leaves 3 or 4 spots. One for our pick and then we could sign 2 or 3 others. Hopefully defenders and shooters.

[SlovenianDragon]

I wish we at least did the Kennard deal just for something new to watch lol

I didn't expect us to do nothing at all

[bwgood77]

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This summer we will need a complete different roster to try to be in the playoffs.

I would trade or not sign anyone other than Booker, Ayton and Bridges. I like Oubre but I would prefer a good player AND a good fit.

So that's about new 10-12 faces again. Probably "only" 10 if we decide to stay patient with youngsters like Leque or Diallo.

That's what we have been doing season after season since 2012. Damn... I miss even those two last years with Nash and Hill because at least we were around .500 and we played the right way.

I don't agree at all. I think Rubio, Booker, Bridges, Oubre, Jerome and Cam is a solid 7 of the 10 guys you need. I'm not going to label Jerome and Cam injury prone just based on this season. I'm also fine with one of Carter or Oubre as 3rd string PG, and Lecque as third string SG.

That leaves us needing:
- a backup 2
- a third string 3
- a rotation 4 (starter or bench)
- a third string 4
- a backup 5
- one more big (could be Diallo)

Plenty of ways to accomplish all that when you have a high draft pick and are one of only 5 teams with cap space this summer - and you have a ton of it. My analysis of the 4 spot is the same as bw's, which isn't too surprising - Wood, Gallinari, Millsap. I'd love to bring Dragan back along with Wood, but I can't imagine JJ&Co. would do it. My guess is they target one of Gallinari or Millsap.

There are just a ton of backup two's we could sign. If we were ballsy enough to, say, bring in Wood and Dragan (both HEALTHY young stretch bigs), and sign a serviceable backup 2 to a big short-term deal, we'd add a lot of depth to this crew. That doesn't even take into account the draft and potential giveaway (TJ Warren-style) trades by teams who need to clear space.

So do you think that the same team and a few changes will put us in the playoffs?

Baynes and Saric are better than Wood (around $12M?) and Bender IMO. Bender will be out of the league...come on. He is not even a third string. So with your idea probably the team is even worse...IDK.

Gallinari will not be an option for us. He will get a max (around 24M per year I think) and he will have a lot of great options. Millsap is a solid player but he is like 35 years old. You can't count on him to play more than 50-60 games next season and he is declining.

Backup SG...yeah, it will be great to have a good one, but not sure how is he gonna be good with no much money available for that spot.

If we can't find another starting PF, via Oubre trade or FA, I wouldn't be opposed to signing Millsap depending on price...but probably only one year with maybe a team option. He's played very well this season. Would be a solid vet, high IQ player who has always worked hard.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

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This summer we will need a complete different roster to try to be in the playoffs.

I would trade or not sign anyone other than Booker, Ayton and Bridges. I like Oubre but I would prefer a good player AND a good fit.

So that's about new 10-12 faces again. Probably "only" 10 if we decide to stay patient with youngsters like Leque or Diallo.

That's what we have been doing season after season since 2012. Damn... I miss even those two last years with Nash and Hill because at least we were around .500 and we played the right way.

I don't agree at all. I think Rubio, Booker, Bridges, Oubre, Jerome and Cam is a solid 7 of the 10 guys you need. I'm not going to label Jerome and Cam injury prone just based on this season. I'm also fine with one of Carter or Oubre as 3rd string PG, and Lecque as third string SG.

That leaves us needing:
- a backup 2
- a third string 3
- a rotation 4 (starter or bench)
- a third string 4
- a backup 5
- one more big (could be Diallo)

Plenty of ways to accomplish all that when you have a high draft pick and are one of only 5 teams with cap space this summer - and you have a ton of it. My analysis of the 4 spot is the same as bw's, which isn't too surprising - Wood, Gallinari, Millsap. I'd love to bring Dragan back along with Wood, but I can't imagine JJ&Co. would do it. My guess is they target one of Gallinari or Millsap.

There are just a ton of backup two's we could sign. If we were ballsy enough to, say, bring in Wood and Dragan (both HEALTHY young stretch bigs), and sign a serviceable backup 2 to a big short-term deal, we'd add a lot of depth to this crew. That doesn't even take into account the draft and potential giveaway (TJ Warren-style) trades by teams who need to clear space.

So do you think that the same team and a few changes will put us in the playoffs?

Baynes and Saric are better than Wood (around $12M?) and Bender IMO. Bender will be out of the league...come on. He is not even a third string. So with your idea probably the team is even worse...IDK.

Gallinari will not be an option for us. He will get a max (around 24M per year I think) and he will have a lot of great options. Millsap is a solid player but he is like 35 years old. You can't count on him to play more than 50-60 games next season and he is declining.

Backup SG...yeah, it will be great to have a good one, but not sure how is he gonna be good with no much money available for that spot.

This team plus Jerome and Saric beat the snot out of the Mavs just a week ago. It's not that far fetched to think that the core is good and that we just need to get healthy and put more solid pieces around them.

Wood is definitely better than Saric and IMO Baynes as well (though it hinges on which Baynes we're talking about - can he shoot or can't he)? I think Dragan's continuing to improve while Saric has really stagnated, but I agree it's hard to tell given the line of healthy big bodies ahead of him in Milwaukee. I'd like to give Dragan a chance to earn the backup 5 minutes, while giving Wood the rotation spot currently occupied by Saric. Don't know if you could convince Dragan to re-sign here if we draft a 4/5 and add Wood, but no biggie. I'm not saying we need him. But Wood? Man, he has really improved a ton since he came into the league.

If you acquire Wood and Dragan, you have plenty of money left over to throw at a 2 guard. I also wouldn't be opposed to drafting one, especially considering how open we were to acquiring Kennard. Killian Hayes looks like a pass-first Devin Booker to me. Halliburton and Jerome might be able to share the backup guard minutes, should he fall to us. Though I don't think either of those guys will drop to us. Who knows. Maybe someone else will catch our eye. I'm certainly glad we still have that pick!

[Barkley6]

Trey Burke was waived by Philly. Would love him as a backup PG. Lots to work with there.

[BobbieL]

I don't agree at all. I think Rubio, Booker, Bridges, Oubre, Jerome and Cam is a solid 7 of the 10 guys you need. I'm not going to label Jerome and Cam injury prone just based on this season. I'm also fine with one of Carter or Oubre as 3rd string PG, and Lecque as third string SG.

That leaves us needing:
- a backup 2
- a third string 3
- a rotation 4 (starter or bench)
- a third string 4
- a backup 5
- one more big (could be Diallo)

Plenty of ways to accomplish all that when you have a high draft pick and are one of only 5 teams with cap space this summer - and you have a ton of it. My analysis of the 4 spot is the same as bw's, which isn't too surprising - Wood, Gallinari, Millsap. I'd love to bring Dragan back along with Wood, but I can't imagine JJ&Co. would do it. My guess is they target one of Gallinari or Millsap.

There are just a ton of backup two's we could sign. If we were ballsy enough to, say, bring in Wood and Dragan (both HEALTHY young stretch bigs), and sign a serviceable backup 2 to a big short-term deal, we'd add a lot of depth to this crew. That doesn't even take into account the draft and potential giveaway (TJ Warren-style) trades by teams who need to clear space.

So do you think that the same team and a few changes will put us in the playoffs?

Baynes and Saric are better than Wood (around $12M?) and Bender IMO. Bender will be out of the league...come on. He is not even a third string. So with your idea probably the team is even worse...IDK.

Gallinari will not be an option for us. He will get a max (around 24M per year I think) and he will have a lot of great options. Millsap is a solid player but he is like 35 years old. You can't count on him to play more than 50-60 games next season and he is declining.

Backup SG...yeah, it will be great to have a good one, but not sure how is he gonna be good with no much money available for that spot.

If we can't find another starting PF, via Oubre trade or FA, I wouldn't be opposed to signing Millsap depending on price...but probably only one year with maybe a team option. He's played very well this season. Would be a solid vet, high IQ player who has always worked hard.

I would be good with Millsap or Grant. With Porter the obvious PF of the future in Denver - both may hit the market. Do you homework and diligence and go get somebody.

[bwgood77]

If you like activity, the Colangelos were your guys. They were always making moves.

.... But this one time, they signed Gugliotta and Longley in the offseason, and then traded for oft-injured Penny Hardaway the following offseason. We spent the rest of their respective tenures trying to get out from under their bloated long-term contracts. Couldn't build, and couldn't re-build either. "The malaise" they called it.

I just hope we make better use of our cap space this year than we did in 2015, and better use of our draft picks than we did in 2016 and 2017.

Back when the Suns were respected and relevant and in the playoffs year after year?

Man, I was around for those days. The hopelessness was worse than it is now, with Kobe and Shaq, and Timmy, ruling the west. It was impossible to see any way we would ever contend, based on where we were.

I'm here to tell you, the only thing that satisfies a fan base is contending for a championship. Get yourself stuck in a place where there's no feasible way to contend in the foreseeable future, and you won't be happy. Because you'll know that one way or another, you'll sink before you rise again.

I'm happier being where we are today than I was in 2001, pre-Amare. What a shot in the arm he was. That's what I love about the draft. The right selection can turn your franchise around in an instant.

I don't know how you could be happier. I mean it was easy to get mad at some moves and stuff when we were so great from 88-95, but we still made the playoffs, could get excited for it...I was at the game when Chapman hit that 3 against the Sonics in the playoffs...I mean having a team that competes is WAY more exciting than this. Obviously we had Kidd who could transform a team from bad to good, like he did with the Nets, and if we had kept McDyess (and he stayed healthy) we would have been real exciting. It was a little depressing meeting Shaq in the playoffs knowing we'd get killed. I remember back then that I thought Shaq was so unstoppable that there was NO WAY we have a chance, or most teams for that matter. When Shaq was out early in some years, or came back fat and worked his way into shape they were not as good, even with Kobe, who didn't particularly scare me at that time (or ever, really), but Shaq was probably the only player I thought for a year or two (this guy is so unstoppable I can't imagine beating them).

[BobbieL]

Trey Burke was waived by Philly. Would love him as a backup PG. Lots to work with there.

With this injury thing - if it lingers past the ASB - they need to go get a big body. And since so many guys are injured, they can use the injury exception.

[IzzyT]

I think many might disagree with me but I still view this team as very far away from contention in terms of raw talent. I’m not that worried about fit just yet. Outside of Booker and Ayton, go get the BPA who fits the timeline. If that makes Oubre, Cam, Mikal, Jerome, or ANY of the vets redundant, it really doesn’t matter to me. Worry about that after you have some talent. That said, it’d be nice to focus on acquiring some guys who can play on both sides of the ball.

And if we are talking fit, I’m only concerned with the fit next to Booker and Ayton. Mikal shows the most promise in that regard as he’s an excellent defender who doesn’t need usage and thrives off-ball. Cam is a nice piece for floor spacing which has a place on basically any roster in the modern NBA.

Everyone else I’m fairly ambivalent about. Jerome may be a great backup one day but he lacks the raw athletic tools to have me too excited, long-term. The rest of the guards are completely expendable and not even NBA replacement level talents in my opinion (Okobo has been okay).

I love Kelly’s energy and all-around contributions, but I strongly suspect he’s going to receive offers that exceed his actual court impact and I’m not *that* interested in paying $20mm+ to a guy who is probably best suited to play 6th man on a contender unless his shooting or IQ make a big leap next year which I don’t consider likely. He’s a guy who can put butts in the seats for some team somewhere and those guys usually get overvalued. At the right price, sign me up, but I don’t think we will be able to get him at the right price. There’s less and less of a place in the modern NBA for the classic jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type player. So, yeah, pretty ambivalent.

And while we’re ranting, I’d be actively looking for ways to get off Rubio’s contract. Having both he and Ayton out there at the same time is a disaster for spacing in the modern NBA. Even if you replace Kelly AND Mikal with elite shooters, you’re still looking at spacing issues if there are two non-shooters on the floor when Book has the ball. With Kelly and Mikal, Booker becomes the only (theoretical) elite three-point threat on the floor. And he’s the one with the ball... I didn’t like the Rubio signing when it happened and I like it less now.

We definitely took some steps forward this year, but there’s a lot of work to be done on this roster and not that much time to do it before Booker is due for free agency.

[bwgood77]

If you like activity, the Colangelos were your guys. They were always making moves.

.... But this one time, they signed Gugliotta and Longley in the offseason, and then traded for oft-injured Penny Hardaway the following offseason. We spent the rest of their respective tenures trying to get out from under their bloated long-term contracts. Couldn't build, and couldn't re-build either. "The malaise" they called it.

I just hope we make better use of our cap space this year than we did in 2015, and better use of our draft picks than we did in 2016 and 2017.

That was bad. It took me from hope, to disappointment. I remember Vlade was cheap that summer, and I think the Kings signed him for 3/10 and we gave WAY more to Longley. And Googs was ok, but no McDyess. I also thought we should have kept or signed McDyess as a 3rd big early in the SSOL era, back when I thought we should draft Iguodala and wished we had extended JJ and not signed Q.

if we are doing revisionist history I never understood making the trade the day before the draft when we didn't know who was on the clock. As Iggy was picked 9th - meaning he was still there when the Bulls took Deng at 7

Yeah, and then AFTER the draft they even said they didn't expect Iguodala or Deng to be there. WELL WAIT THEN! What's the rush? You can still trade the pick later! It reminds me of TJ. I just think either D'Antoni didn't want a rookie and/or Sarver didn't want to spend any more money if they were planning on signing Q/Nash and hopefully extending JJ (but that extra $5 million over 6 years just too much for Sarver).

[Kerrsed]

Trey Burke was waived by Philly. Would love him as a backup PG. Lots to work with there.

Out of the 3 major PG buyouts (Burke/Frazier/IT), id take the shot on Trey Burke. He's shooting 46% from the field and 42% from 3. Right around 6 assists PER36.

Just dont know if he really is THAT much of an upgrade over our current crop of crap.

[Kerrsed]

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[Barkley6]

If you like activity, the Colangelos were your guys. They were always making moves.

.... But this one time, they signed Gugliotta and Longley in the offseason, and then traded for oft-injured Penny Hardaway the following offseason. We spent the rest of their respective tenures trying to get out from under their bloated long-term contracts. Couldn't build, and couldn't re-build either. "The malaise" they called it.

I just hope we make better use of our cap space this year than we did in 2015, and better use of our draft picks than we did in 2016 and 2017.

That was bad. It took me from hope, to disappointment. I remember Vlade was cheap that summer, and I think the Kings signed him for 3/10 and we gave WAY more to Longley. And Googs was ok, but no McDyess. I also thought we should have kept or signed McDyess as a 3rd big early in the SSOL era, back when I thought we should draft Iguodala and wished we had extended JJ and not signed Q.

if we are doing revisionist history I never understood making the trade the day before the draft when we didn't know who was on the clock. As Iggy was picked 9th - meaning he was still there when the Bulls took Deng at 7

Yup. That's the move that still haunts me. Because it would have made us a whole different team in the SSOL era. We'd have had prime Igoudala and probably would have been a much tougher and deeper team. Would have also made losing JJ a little easier to swallow if that played out the same.

[Barkley6]

Trey Burke was waived by Philly. Would love him as a backup PG. Lots to work with there.

Out of the 3 major PG buyouts (Burke/Frazier/IT), id take the shot on Trey Burke. He's shooting 46% from the field and 42% from 3. Right around 6 assists PER36.

Just dont know if he really is THAT much of an upgrade over our current crop of crap.

If it means I don't have to watch Jevon Carter run point then I'll be really happy with that.

[bwgood77]

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Too bad he committed to Phx for 5 years by signing a contract. If he starts whining like he does to refs, they should just ignore him like the refs do.

[Revived]

I’m surprised I haven’t seen this yet (maybe it was in previous thread and I missed it) but the possibility of Booker demanding trade out to Minnesota has to now be considered.

I know people will say that him having years left on his deal means he can’t tell us which specific team to trade him to but Paul George (a far superior player) proved last summer that players run this league and they get whatever the hell they want.

Beside DLO & KAT, does Minnesota have any assets left for a potential Booker trade? Can they even handle 3 max salaries?

This has to be talked about because it can be a real possibility in the summer.

[Barkley6]

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Too bad he committed to Phx for 5 years by signing a contract. If he starts whining like he does to refs, they should just ignore him like the refs do.

Minnesota literally has no assets left. Even if they trade their entire roster outside of KAT and DLO it still wouldn't be enough value for Booker. It's not going to happen anytime soon.

[Barkley6]

I’m surprised I haven’t seen this yet (maybe it was in previous thread and I missed it) but the possibility of Booker demanding trade out to Minnesota has to now be considered.

I know people will say that him having years left on his deal means he can’t tell us which specific team to trade him to but Paul George (a far superior player) proved last summer that players run this league and they get whatever the hell they want.

Beside DLO & KAT, does Minnesota have any assets left for a potential Booker trade? Can they even handle 3 max salaries?

This has to be talked about because it can be a real possibility in the summer.

They have ZERO assets. None. The best player outside of KAT and DLo that they'll have on their roster in the summer is a toss up between.....Jake Layman or Jarret Culver. They have no assets to throw at us for Booker unless they just want to give us 10 years of first round picks.

[Kerrsed]

You cant make this stuff up. Suns solution for how to keep watching these bad games:

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[pidi]

This Franchise is totally washed up... sad that they have maybe the worst bench, that never can stay healthy, and that they dont give a **** about it

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