The Official 2024 Offseason Thread Part 2

[Fo-Real]

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No surprise!! Spent the whole year rehabbing and is Durant's boy!!

Lee was a pleasant surprise for us a year ago to be honest. Nothing you want to see in the starting line-up, but his shooting was certainly welcome. Don't mind him coming back at all.

Would rather Gordon bail and Lee slides into the potential role. Maybe even a health Okogie and Lee being the two competing. Okogie battled injuries most of last year.

[BobbieL]

Seeing as Utah has put Kessler on the trade block and has also been looking at trading Clarkson and/ or Sexton too, BUT currently sitting at only $99 million team salary and needing to reach the team floor.

Would you guys consider either one of these trades:

1- Nurkic/ 2031 for Colin Sexton/ 29th and 32nd picks.

2- Nurkic/ PHX 2031 1st for Clarkson/ Kessler/ 29th and 32nd picks.

Another trade to maybe consider would be:

Phoenix/ Milwaukee/ Utah.

1- Nurkic/ 22nd pick to Milwaukee.

2- Brook Lopez/ Little / PHX 2031 1st to Utah.

3- Kessler/ Potter/ 23rd pick (MIL)/ 29th and 32nd picks ( UTA) to Phoenix.
(**Micah Potter- 6'10 245 lb rugged budget Maxi Kleber). Not as good of a shotblocker as Kleber, but a much better 3 point shooter (career 43%).


WHY???

FOR MILWAUKEE-
Because Milwaukee is looking to move in a different direction from Lopez.under Rivers, and Nurkic is cheaper and has a different skillset.

FOR UTAH-
Utah needs to add salary to reach their floor. AND Utah has also been looking to move on from Kessler in interest of a more capable floor spacing center option in an effort to maximize Collins at the 4.

FOR PHOENIX-
Nurkic has been very solid for us! But he's pretty unplayable in the postseason against more athletic and mobile centers. Ee also have numerous depth needs too. This trade gets us numerous assets to begin correcting a number of deficiencies. And there are a couple of available options in free agency that can mlm provide very similar production and skillset to what Nurkic provided in free agency and from the undrafted ranges.

This trade also provides significant salary reduction for us to better situate ourselves for other moves around the trade deadline possibly!

23- Tyler Kolek.
29- Tyler Smith or else Bobi Klintman.
32- Ryan Dunn or else Keshad Johnson.

Undrafted- Two way contracts

1- Nae'qwan Tomlin. 39% from 3.
2- Blake Hinson. 42% from 3 on 11 attempts.
3- Quinton Post. 43% from 3.

Free agency

- Kyle Lowry or Kris Dunn- backup guard.
- Goga Bidatze or Andre' Drummond- Center.
- Nik Batum or Robert Covington- SF option.

Beal/ Booker/ Batum/ KD / Drummond.
Lowry/ Allen/ O' neale/ Potter/ Kessler.
Kolek/ Lee / Dunn / Smith / Koloko.

I am just not giving up a 2031 unprotected pick for Brook Lopez
Also not giving up this first round pick for Kessler when you can draft somebody

I still like the idea of trading back from 22nd pick - getting another second rounder

[BobbieL]

No surprise!! Spent the whole year rehabbing and is Durant's boy!!

Lee was a pleasant surprise for us a year ago to be honest. Nothing you want to see in the starting line-up, but his shooting was certainly welcome. Don't mind him coming back at all.

Would rather Gordon bail and Lee slides into the potential role. Maybe even a health Okogie and Lee being the two competing. Okogie battled injuries most of last year.

I am good with Lee and Okogie as well. Gordon was pretty inconsistent last year. If Lee can stay healthy, I think he can bring a lot of what Gordon did.

[RaisingArizona]

Shaking my head thinking that JJ lost us a 2nd for tampering for... Eubanks of all people.

[Saberestar]

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Any chance he signs with us for a 1+1 with a PO?

He would help us at 3/4.

[Mr Puddles]

Shaking my head thinking that JJ lost us a 2nd for tampering for... Eubanks of all people.

In all honesty, that punishment Is BS though. We got docked a second rounder for something every other team in the league does.

That being said, there isn't much of a difference between pick 52 and signing an undrafted player, so I guess the damage is minor.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Seeing as Utah has put Kessler on the trade block and has also been looking at trading Clarkson and/ or Sexton too, BUT currently sitting at only $99 million team salary and needing to reach the team floor.

Would you guys consider either one of these trades:

1- Nurkic/ 2031 for Colin Sexton/ 29th and 32nd picks.

2- Nurkic/ PHX 2031 1st for Clarkson/ Kessler/ 29th and 32nd picks.

Another trade to maybe consider would be:

Phoenix/ Milwaukee/ Utah.

1- Nurkic/ 22nd pick to Milwaukee.

2- Brook Lopez/ Little / PHX 2031 1st to Utah.

3- Kessler/ Potter/ 23rd pick (MIL)/ 29th and 32nd picks ( UTA) to Phoenix.

(**Micah Potter- 6'10 245 lb rugged budget Maxi Kleber). Not as good of a shotblocker as Kleber, but a much better 3 point shooter (career 43%).


WHY???

FOR MILWAUKEE-
Because Milwaukee is looking to move in a different direction from Lopez.under Rivers, and Nurkic is cheaper and has a different skillset.

FOR UTAH-
Utah needs to add salary to reach their floor. AND Utah has also been looking to move on from Kessler in interest of a more capable floor spacing center option in an effort to maximize Collins at the 4.

FOR PHOENIX-
Nurkic has been very solid for us! But he's pretty unplayable in the postseason against more athletic and mobile centers. Ee also have numerous depth needs too. This trade gets us numerous assets to begin correcting a number of deficiencies. And there are a couple of available options in free agency that can mlm provide very similar production and skillset to what Nurkic provided in free agency and from the undrafted ranges.

This trade also provides significant salary reduction for us to better situate ourselves for other moves around the trade deadline possibly!

23- Tyler Kolek.
29- Tyler Smith or else Bobi Klintman.
32- Ryan Dunn or else Keshad Johnson.

Undrafted- Two way contracts

1- Nae'qwan Tomlin. 39% from 3.
2- Blake Hinson. 42% from 3 on 11 attempts.
3- Quinton Post. 43% from 3.

Free agency

- Kyle Lowry or Kris Dunn- backup guard.
- Goga Bidatze or Andre' Drummond- Center.
- Nik Batum or Robert Covington- SF option.

Beal/ Booker/ Batum/ KD / Drummond.
Lowry/ Allen/ O' neale/ Potter/ Kessler.
Kolek/ Lee / Dunn / Smith / Koloko.

I am just not giving up a 2031 unprotected pick for Brook Lopez
Also not giving up this first round pick for Kessler when you can draft somebody

I still like the idea of trading back from 22nd pick - getting another second rounder

Lopez would be going to Utah. And you're not giving up the 2031 just for Walker Kessler, you're also getting 2 more picks in this draft as well. AND reducing your payroll in the process by about 8-10 million. And Kesslers' per 36 numbers averaged out to about 13 points/ 12 rebounds and close to 4 blocks per game. Which would be incredibly solid production off the bench at that position man. He's one of the best young shotblockers in the entire NBA too.

And Micah potter is a 6'10 245 lb rugged 4/5 that can hit the three at a high rate with a career 3 PT average of 43%.

My point is that the returning value you're getting back for the 2031 is cumulative and pretty good overall because it gives us multiple swings in this draft that can either be impactful contributors on cost controlled deals or as more developmental trade assets for the future.

It also returns a very long, mobile switchable high end shotblocker, A rugged 6'10 budget version of Maxi Kleber, and reduces our team payroll by a fair margin too. It sets us up for more moves in the future that we wouldn't otherwise have available.

[garrick]

Lee was a pleasant surprise for us a year ago to be honest. Nothing you want to see in the starting line-up, but his shooting was certainly welcome. Don't mind him coming back at all.

Would rather Gordon bail and Lee slides into the potential role. Maybe even a health Okogie and Lee being the two competing. Okogie battled injuries most of last year.

I am good with Lee and Okogie as well. Gordon was pretty inconsistent last year. If Lee can stay healthy, I think he can bring a lot of what Gordon did.

Lee is a better shooter but worse slasher.

As bad as Gordon was he provided some ability to attack the paint although given his advanced age he is far less efficient at attacking the rim than he used to be.

[Mr Puddles]

Would rather Gordon bail and Lee slides into the potential role. Maybe even a health Okogie and Lee being the two competing. Okogie battled injuries most of last year.

I am good with Lee and Okogie as well. Gordon was pretty inconsistent last year. If Lee can stay healthy, I think he can bring a lot of what Gordon did.

Lee is a better shooter but worse slasher.

As bad as Gordon was he provided some ability to attack the paint although given his advanced age he is far less efficient at attacking the rim than he used to be.

I take Lee's consistency as a shooter of Gordon's ability to attack the paint. Gordon can give you a 25 point game of the bench on any given night, which is valuable, but will give you 0-8 on unguarded threes the next night.

Gordon's inability to consistently hit wide open three pointers was very frustrating. Lee is almost Grayson level efficiency when left wide open, you're surprised when he misses whereas with Gordon, when he's off, you almost expect him to not hit.

If we can get a PG with the ability to penetrante, and pair him in a rotation with Lee and Allen... Ooweee

[lilfishi22]

Shaking my head thinking that JJ lost us a 2nd for tampering for... Eubanks of all people.

In all honesty, that punishment Is BS though. We got docked a second rounder for something every other team in the league does.

That being said, there isn't much of a difference between pick 52 and signing an undrafted player, so I guess the damage is minor.

Punishment isn't for tampering, it's for getting caught tampering

[lilfishi22]

I am good with Lee and Okogie as well. Gordon was pretty inconsistent last year. If Lee can stay healthy, I think he can bring a lot of what Gordon did.

Lee is a better shooter but worse slasher.

As bad as Gordon was he provided some ability to attack the paint although given his advanced age he is far less efficient at attacking the rim than he used to be.

I take Lee's consistency as a shooter of Gordon's ability to attack the paint. Gordon can give you a 25 point game of the bench on any given night, which is valuable, but will give you 0-8 on unguarded threes the next night.

Gordon's inability to consistently hit wide open three pointers was very frustrating. Lee is almost Grayson level efficiency when left wide open, you're surprised when he misses whereas with Gordon, when he's off, you almost expect him to not hit.

If we can get a PG with the ability to penetrante, and pair him in a rotation with Lee and Allen... Ooweee

Neither are good defenders but EG was a marginally positive defender and better than Lee. Offensive players averaged 45.1 FG% when defended by EG whereas the previous season, Lee was a 49.1%

Both bring different skills to the table and I'd welcome EG back if he wants to return. Getting a player (let alone specifically a PG) who can penetrate and actually do other things isn't as easy as you would like to think with only the vet min at our disposal. This is why everyone thought was did well last offseason landing a guy like EG on the min.

[Fo-Real]

Would rather Gordon bail and Lee slides into the potential role. Maybe even a health Okogie and Lee being the two competing. Okogie battled injuries most of last year.

I am good with Lee and Okogie as well. Gordon was pretty inconsistent last year. If Lee can stay healthy, I think he can bring a lot of what Gordon did.

Lee is a better shooter but worse slasher.

As bad as Gordon was he provided some ability to attack the paint although given his advanced age he is far less efficient at attacking the rim than he used to be.

A healthy Okogie can be assigned to slash by a capable coach.

[Mr Puddles]

I am good with Lee and Okogie as well. Gordon was pretty inconsistent last year. If Lee can stay healthy, I think he can bring a lot of what Gordon did.

Lee is a better shooter but worse slasher.

As bad as Gordon was he provided some ability to attack the paint although given his advanced age he is far less efficient at attacking the rim than he used to be.

A healthy Okogie can be assigned to slash by a capable coach.

Does anyone know what JO's conversion rate is when slashing to the rim? Eye test makes me think he's excellent at slashing to the rim but suppar at finished around the rim as well as at passing to the outside shooter (also known as Saben Lee syndrome)

[sunsbg]

If they are keeping JO the team better play faster in the minutes he's on the court. Dribble dribble and pass him the ball at the 3pt line with 5s left is hard to watch.

[Qwigglez]

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[lilfishi22]

Lee is a better shooter but worse slasher.

As bad as Gordon was he provided some ability to attack the paint although given his advanced age he is far less efficient at attacking the rim than he used to be.

A healthy Okogie can be assigned to slash by a capable coach.

Does anyone know what JO's conversion rate is when slashing to the rim? Eye test makes me think he's excellent at slashing to the rim but suppar at finished around the rim as well as at passing to the outside shooter (also known as Saben Lee syndrome)

Okogie on cuts last season:
FG%: 85.7%
FGA: 0.2
Freq%: 8.0%
PPP: 1.48
Points: 0.6ppg
Scoring Freq%: 78.3%
Percentile: 81.8%

For comparison, here's Mikal in his last full season with the Suns (2022):
FG%: 73.5%
FGA: 0.8
Freq%: 7.5%
PPP: 1.41
Points: 1.3ppg
Scoring Freq%: 68.9%
Percentile: 74.6%

Giannis might also be one of, if not the best, slasher in the NBA with his size, length and athleticism:
FG%: 75.2%
FGA: 2.2
Freq%: 9.6%
PPP: 1.49
Points: 3.8ppg
Scoring Freq%: 74.7%
Percentile: 82.9%

Okogie is pretty good slasher and a good finisher as well, he just doesn't do it often considering his role is small and opportunities aren't many.

[Mr Puddles]

A healthy Okogie can be assigned to slash by a capable coach.

Does anyone know what JO's conversion rate is when slashing to the rim? Eye test makes me think he's excellent at slashing to the rim but suppar at finished around the rim as well as at passing to the outside shooter (also known as Saben Lee syndrome)

Okogie on cuts last season:
FG%: 85.7%
FGA: 0.2
Freq%: 8.0%
PPP: 1.48
Points: 0.6ppg
Scoring Freq%: 78.3%
Percentile: 81.8%

For comparison, here's Mikal in his last full season with the Suns (2022):
FG%: 73.5%
FGA: 0.8
Freq%: 7.5%
PPP: 1.41
Points: 1.3ppg
Scoring Freq%: 68.9%
Percentile: 74.6%

Giannis might also be one of, if not the best, slasher in the NBA with his size, length and athleticism:
FG%: 75.2%
FGA: 2.2
Freq%: 9.6%
PPP: 1.49
Points: 3.8ppg
Scoring Freq%: 74.7%
Percentile: 82.9%

Okogie is pretty good slasher and a good finisher as well, he just doesn't do it often considering his role is small and opportunities aren't many.

I guess I need to have my eyes examined then, because the stats completely contradict my "eye test".

Honestly surprised he's so efficient with his cuts, I always felt that he was good at cutting but not very good at finishing around the rim.

[lilfishi22]

Does anyone know what JO's conversion rate is when slashing to the rim? Eye test makes me think he's excellent at slashing to the rim but suppar at finished around the rim as well as at passing to the outside shooter (also known as Saben Lee syndrome)

Okogie on cuts last season:
FG%: 85.7%
FGA: 0.2
Freq%: 8.0%
PPP: 1.48
Points: 0.6ppg
Scoring Freq%: 78.3%
Percentile: 81.8%

For comparison, here's Mikal in his last full season with the Suns (2022):
FG%: 73.5%
FGA: 0.8
Freq%: 7.5%
PPP: 1.41
Points: 1.3ppg
Scoring Freq%: 68.9%
Percentile: 74.6%

Giannis might also be one of, if not the best, slasher in the NBA with his size, length and athleticism:
FG%: 75.2%
FGA: 2.2
Freq%: 9.6%
PPP: 1.49
Points: 3.8ppg
Scoring Freq%: 74.7%
Percentile: 82.9%

Okogie is pretty good slasher and a good finisher as well, he just doesn't do it often considering his role is small and opportunities aren't many.

I guess I need to have my eyes examined then, because the stats completely contradict my "eye test".

Honestly surprised he's so efficient with his cuts, I always felt that he was good at cutting but not very good at finishing around the rim.

Okogie is just a good finisher overall at the rim. His FG% in the restricted area was the best on the team last season at 80%. I didn't count Little since he only averaged 0.5FGA from that area. Eubanks is 2nd at 77.8% (3 FGA), then KD at 66.7% (3.8 FGA) then Beal at 64.7% (4.3 FGA).

[Saberestar]

As reported by HoopsHype, there’s a growing belief from rival NBA executives that Phoenix will target Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek with the 22nd overall pick after leading the NCAA in assists this season.

Kolek recently participated in a pre-draft workout that also featured forwards Ryan Dunn and Tyler Smith.

There’s also a strong belief around the NBA that Phoenix will re-sign Royce O’Neale, league sources told HoopsHype. O’Neale is expected to command roughly $10 million annually and sign a new deal for three or four years. The Suns have O’Neale’s Bird Rights, allowing them to go over the cap to retain him.

In other Suns news, Brendan Sabean is expected to become the team’s new G League general manager, league sources told HoopsHype.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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