LeBron James in a Suns uni? Hit the gas or hard pass?

Post #22 » by **bwgood77** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:29 pm

SkyBill40 wrote:Fellow Suns fans,

I just happened across this sheer lunacy:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2022/03/22/lebron-james-needs-traded-phoenix-suns-charles-oakley-says/7133472001/

What it might take, per Oakley: Phoenix could move Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Deandre Ayton in the summer for James.

Seem like a lot to you? I know this is all for folly but I see the ask as far too great no matter what James might be able to bring, be it on the court or in ticket sales. I personally think he would disrupt everything we've worked so hard to develop. We all know that he does have a tight relationship with Chris Paul and a developing one in Devin Booker.

What say you? Pull the trigger or laugh and hang up the phone?

That's ridiculous. You are giving up 3 premier players or at least two and a solid role player for an over the hill star who has trouble staying healthy.

We are already far and away the best team with huge upside with Ayton and probably Bridges, both of who will get more opportunities/shots post Paul (as you've seen them step up in scoring with Paul out).

And this would be a HUGE sacrifice for the future.

Even if Paul was advocating for it, I'd shut him down. I am not so sure Book would be for it at all either and if it happened I think there would be a very good chance he'd leave in 2024 with no real supporting cast and LeBron and Paul gone by then.

Puff · Post #23 » by **Puff** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 5:00 pm

I really tired of the media saying how great Lebron is and how old he is to do what he is going. You would think he is Tom Brady. Now that guy is special. He is the GOAT, without question.

Lebron has put up great numbers and will be at the top of the list in many categories when all is said and done but I have had enough of him.

Has he really made the teams he has been on a better, TEAM. We already have a great TEAM.

I view him like another of the most unlikable players in the league that is on HIS TEAM, Anthony Davis.

AD could not get it done in New Orleans so he forced his way out. Lebron could not get it done in Cleveland so he abandoned ship as well. Lebron could not get it done it LA so he forced the Lakers to trade away their youth to get AD. Watching those two guys celebrate their championship in LA, well I turned off the TV prior to their celebration, made me vomit in my mouth.

My favorite team has always been anyone playing the Lakers. That feeling has only got stronger with the Lebron/AD partnership in LA.

No, I do not want Lebron to join the Phoenix Suns. When Lebron decides to retire I expect that the media will make a huge spectacle of the ride to the finish. I think he has more detractors than supporters. Jordan basically played his entire career with one team and won more championships that Lebron with lesser supporting talent. Jordan is the GOAT not Lebron. I even put Larry Byrd and Magic Johnson ahead of him on my list. Those guys created the NBA we know it today.

kwsqd · Post #24 » by **kwsqd** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 5:04 pm

I couldn't pass any harder on this.

Stay off teh weed.

spanishninja · Post #25 » by **spanishninja** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 7:17 pm

only way is if he is a FA and takes a minimum or MLE.

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Post #26 » by **bwgood77** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 7:58 pm

I wouldn't want any of the "They only won because of LeBron". It would be a similar thing to KD joining the team with the best record.

Post #27 » by **TASTIC** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:03 pm

Laughable trade offer...

Post #28 » by **lilfishi22** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:34 pm

RunDogGun wrote:I wouldn't want to trade for him, but in the back of my head I know that every team he has chosen to go to has won a chip. Miami, Clev, LAL.

I don't want to diminish what he's done because it's incredibly impressive to win multiple championships and not at all easy but he won everywhere he went because he only went to places where he could already construct a super team. He's not going to Minny, he's not going to New Orleans, he's not going to New Jersey. What he did in Cleveland the 1st time around was way more impressive to me than winning it all in Miami, Cleveland #2 and LA.

To drag a team to the Finals at 22 in his 3rd year in the league based on good team defense and his offense with his 2nd best player being Larry Hughes is quite frankly, astounding. Then 2 years later leading the Cavs to win 66 games with Mo Williams as the 2nd best player, again is ultra impressive.

Certainly more impressive than leaving Cleveland after he gave them his all to join a super team that already had a top 10 player in Wade and another Top 20 player in Bosh. Then when he lost in the Finals in his last year in Miami, he decides to go back to Cleveland but not the Cleveland that he had to build over time, it was a Cleveland which already had a young, elite talent in Kyrie and the #1 pick for Lebron to do as he please which he turned into Kevin Love who was a 26/12 multiple time allstar.

His current stop in LA is probably the least impressive. He joins a budding young team that could've been a dynasty and could've helped carry him to playoffs for years down the road but after 1 season playing with them and not making the playoffs, he decides he'd ship all of them away for an elite but flawed talent in AD. That following season they win it all in the Bubble and well done to them but the reason why they are in this spot now and could be his worst team in his career while playing more minutes than he has since his late 20's is because he did this to himself.

The simple fact that it would take, as the article mentioned, 2-3 of our young guys just to get him here and likely whatever else we have in subsequent season to "get better", we might win a chip but at what cost and it would more than likely going to be remembered as Lebron winning a title in his late 30's on the Lebron Suns and that just doesn't sit well with me.

garrick · Post #29 » by **garrick** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:37 am

Lebron has shunned the Suns in free agency numerous times and chose to create his super teams so no we do not need to feel sorry for him besides his salary is much too high for us so we would need to trade away some valuable players in order to make it work.

RaisingArizona · Post #30 » by **RaisingArizona** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:53 am

RunDogGun · Post #31 » by **RunDogGun** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 3:55 am

lilfishi22 wrote:
RunDogGun wrote:I wouldn't want to trade for him, but in the back of my head I know that every team he has chosen to go to has won a chip. Miami, Clev, LAL.

I don't want to diminish what he's done because it's incredibly impressive to win multiple championships and not at all easy but he won everywhere he went because he only went to places where he could already construct a super team. He's not going to Minny, he's not going to New Orleans, he's not going to New Jersey. What he did in Cleveland the 1st time around was way more impressive to me than winning it all in Miami, Cleveland #2 and LA.

To drag a team to the Finals at 22 in his 3rd year in the league based on good team defense and his offense with his 2nd best player being Larry Hughes is quite frankly, astounding. Then 2 years later leading the Cavs to win 66 games with Mo Williams as the 2nd best player, again is ultra impressive.

Certainly more impressive than leaving Cleveland after he gave them his all to join a super team that already had a top 10 player in Wade and another Top 20 player in Bosh. Then when he lost in the Finals in his last year in Miami, he decides to go back to Cleveland but not the Cleveland that he had to build over time, it was a Cleveland which already had a young, elite talent in Kyrie and the #1 pick for Lebron to do as he please which he turned into Kevin Love who was a 26/12 multiple time allstar.

His current stop in LA is probably the least impressive. He joins a budding young team that could've been a dynasty and could've helped carry him to playoffs for years down the road but after 1 season playing with them and not making the playoffs, he decides he'd ship all of them away for an elite but flawed talent in AD. That following season they win it all in the Bubble and well done to them but the reason why they are in this spot now and could be his worst team in his career while playing more minutes than he has since his late 20's is because he did this to himself.

The simple fact that it would take, as the article mentioned, 2-3 of our young guys just to get him here and likely whatever else we have in subsequent season to "get better", we might win a chip but at what cost and it would more than likely going to be remembered as Lebron winning a title in his late 30's on the Lebron Suns and that just doesn't sit well with me.

All I am saying is he is three for three going to a team and that team winning a chip. I wasn't really going into how impressive it was. That was why I agreed that we shouldn't trade for him, but instead sign him to a cheap deal, if we haven't won a chip yet. The article was crap to me. It was like a little kid making a trade on NBA2k...

Side note, I kind of loved the fact that Lebron and Bosh joined Miami. To me, it was a slap in the face of the league, which to me were choosing who they wanted in the finals, like Boston and LAL. "Nope Stern, we can choose our own team to get into the finals."

I thought his Cleveland #2 team was not strong at all. It was basically him and Irving, and then a bunch of role players.

Oh well, I don't think he is coming to PHX, and there is no way in hell we are trading Bridges, Ayton, and CamJo for him.

Post #32 » by **lilfishi22** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:39 am

RunDogGun wrote:
lilfishi22 wrote:
RunDogGun wrote:I wouldn't want to trade for him, but in the back of my head I know that every team he has chosen to go to has won a chip. Miami, Clev, LAL.

I don't want to diminish what he's done because it's incredibly impressive to win multiple championships and not at all easy but he won everywhere he went because he only went to places where he could already construct a super team. He's not going to Minny, he's not going to New Orleans, he's not going to New Jersey. What he did in Cleveland the 1st time around was way more impressive to me than winning it all in Miami, Cleveland #2 and LA.

To drag a team to the Finals at 22 in his 3rd year in the league based on good team defense and his offense with his 2nd best player being Larry Hughes is quite frankly, astounding. Then 2 years later leading the Cavs to win 66 games with Mo Williams as the 2nd best player, again is ultra impressive.

Certainly more impressive than leaving Cleveland after he gave them his all to join a super team that already had a top 10 player in Wade and another Top 20 player in Bosh. Then when he lost in the Finals in his last year in Miami, he decides to go back to Cleveland but not the Cleveland that he had to build over time, it was a Cleveland which already had a young, elite talent in Kyrie and the #1 pick for Lebron to do as he please which he turned into Kevin Love who was a 26/12 multiple time allstar.

His current stop in LA is probably the least impressive. He joins a budding young team that could've been a dynasty and could've helped carry him to playoffs for years down the road but after 1 season playing with them and not making the playoffs, he decides he'd ship all of them away for an elite but flawed talent in AD. That following season they win it all in the Bubble and well done to them but the reason why they are in this spot now and could be his worst team in his career while playing more minutes than he has since his late 20's is because he did this to himself.

The simple fact that it would take, as the article mentioned, 2-3 of our young guys just to get him here and likely whatever else we have in subsequent season to "get better", we might win a chip but at what cost and it would more than likely going to be remembered as Lebron winning a title in his late 30's on the Lebron Suns and that just doesn't sit well with me.
All I am saying is he is three for three going to a team and that team winning a chip. I wasn't really going into how impressive it was. That was why I agreed that we shouldn't trade for him, but instead sign him to a cheap deal, if we haven't won a chip yet. The article was crap to me. It was like a little kid making a trade on NBA2k...

Side note, I kind of loved the fact that Lebron and Bosh joined Miami. To me, it was a slap in the face of the league, which to me were choosing who they wanted in the finals, like Boston and LAL. "Nope Stern, we can choose our own team to get into the finals."

I thought his Cleveland #2 team was not strong at all. It was basically him and Irving, and then a bunch of role players.

Oh well, I don't think he is coming to PHX, and there is no way in hell we are trading Bridges, Ayton, and CamJo for him.

We're in agreement. Maybe it was just the way it was worded but at first glance, it sounded like you were saying he turned whatever team he went to into a contender, which he did but it wasn't like building a contender without much to start with. There were plenty of assets already whenever he would moved teams and he basically did as he wished with those assets which I don't particularly like.

thamadkant · Post #33 » by **thamadkant** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:43 am

I think Ayton, Bridges and Booker are rounding up as Suns version of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili or the more recent Green, Curry and Thompson trios of which were drafted by they'll team and built as cornerstones.

CP3 will always be the catalyst that pushed suns above just being a playoff contender along with Monty and the culture shift but Suns current era are founded on the Ayton, Bridges and Booker foundation.

Wouldn't trade Ayton and Bridges for LeBron... maybe if it was 2016 LeBron sure.

LeBron today doesn't play defense and saves himself for offence so he can chase the all time scoring lead. He would be detrimental to the suns system of unselfish players who don't care about who gets the assist or the points. LeBron would make the suns basically be like the Lakers now... dysfunctional.

Biff · Post #34 » by **Biff** » Tue Mar 29, 2022 11:18 pm

Dude will be 38 next year so hard pass. Maybe he plays until he's like 42-43 but he is starting to have knee issues. He's one bad move from suffering a Karl Malone type knee injury and being toast. Malone looked great on that Lakers team until he tore his MCL. Once Lebron tears something, he's going to fall off big time, just like Malone did.

grumpysaddle · Post #35 » by **grumpysaddle** » Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:36 am

SunsRback4Good · Post #36 » by **SunsRback4Good** » Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:45 am

Why even post this garbage on the Suns board? Not a single fan wants Lebum here in Phoenix so what is the point? There are human beings doing hard time in prison right now who are better human beings than Lebron.

TheLoon · Post #37 » by **TheLoon** » Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:18 pm

jcsunsfan wrote:
SkyBill40 wrote:After looking it at it again, I didn't realize it said Ayton as well as Bridges and Johnson. That's an utterly asinine non-starter of a conversation. As has been said, James deserves absolutely nothing. He's an individual play playing a team sport. For years, he's been the guy who makes the show go but, as we've seen in LA, that show has become a tragic comedy.

We'd be mortgaging our future for a short term run with him. Besides, why in the hell would we trade our key youth to both a division and conference rival? The Lakers are our sworn enemy.

Oakley should be glad he's retired, else he'd be getting a drug test first thing tomorrow morning.

I would not trade Ayton for him straight up. Bridges either. In fact, unless he is nearly free and wants to come off the bench--no.

Ayton for AD straight up that comes with a hand signed guarantee from God that AD plays injury free till he's forty...would ponder that

dmastro32 · Post #38 » by **dmastro32** » Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:45 pm

Why has this thread not been locked and deemed useless.

SkyBill40 · Post #39 » by **SkyBill40** » Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:53 pm

dmastro32 wrote:Why has this thread not been locked and deemed useless.

Because it's a discussion, not a long winded diatribe of how LeBron sucks or what have you like so many of the other threads I've seen. You didn't need to comment and could have passed on but yet here you are, contributing nothing. Well played.

dmastro32 · Post #40 » by **dmastro32** » Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:57 pm

SkyBill40 wrote:
dmastro32 wrote:Why has this thread not been locked and deemed useless.

Because it's a discussion, not a long winded diatribe of how LeBron sucks or what have you like so many of the other threads I've seen. You didn't need to comment and could have passed on but yet here you are, contributing nothing. Well played.

My life goal is to comment and contribute nothing