2024-25 Season Discussion and Speculation Part V

[lilfishi22]

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As many as 16 teams huh?...lol. I wonder if this could open up the possibilities for larger scale intercontinental or world tournaments/ championship games beyond the olympics?? Also a more direct overseas talent farming possibility too? And increased reevnue options?

I think Silver has done a great job trying to fix tanking. From adding the play-in games to flattening out the lottery odds, it's definitely made straight up tanking less of an attractive path and probably more than halving the number of actively tanking teams each season.

[JDJ26]

The league needs to bring the Sonics back first.

At least so Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp can get their jerseys retired.

[sunsbg]

Not a good night for Suns play-in aspirations at all. Blazers are now out of contention, but them losing to Kings was a bad result. Magic failed us by losing a home game to Mavs. Doubt they beat Kings in next game too. Both Mavs and Kings are playing well and have an easier schedule.

I remember a quote from Sarver before Suns started the rebuild that in banking unlike basketball there is no such thing as become worse now, to become better in the future. Ishbia is about to learn soon how it works too. Or maybe not and Suns will sink into mediocrity for long long time.

P.S. At least Lakers lost in a hilarious way.

[Djedefre]

We need Greta again, god bless her soul. Ishbia needs to hear directly from the fans what a moron he is. He deserves every bit of backlash. Where is the suns community? How come no one is bothered to even start a stupid petition, make some kind of initiative, officially address the league, take actions during the games (transparents, performances to convey the message) or apply any kind of pressure on this clown while he's steady ruining this franchise for decades almost.

[Saberestar]

Not a good night for Suns play-in aspirations at all. Blazers are now out of contention, but them losing to Kings was a bad result. Magic failed us by losing a home game to Mavs. Doubt they beat Kings in next game too. Both Mavs and Kings are playing well and have an easier schedule.

I remember a quote from Sarver before Suns started the rebuild that in banking unlike basketball there is no such thing as become worse now, to become better in the future. Ishbia is about to learn soon how it works too. Or maybe not and Suns will sink into mediocrity for long long time.

P.S. At least Lakers lost in a hilarious way.

I love this game!

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[Saberestar]

Giddey for Caruso is one of the funniest trades of the last few years.

People that want to lie to themselves would say that is a win-win for both the Bulls and the Thunder....but it's not. No one will remember Caruso in a year or two. Giddey will be an All-Star pretty soon.

Giddey was a hidden treasure on the market and sadly we couldn't get him when his value was at all time low in the past summer.

As a PG he is a big time player and this is the new version of James Harden traded for Kevin Martin + #12 pick all over again lol.

[mkot]

That got to be the worst 12 seconds of LeBron's career. Gotta love it

[Saberestar]

Gerald Bourguet said in his podcast yesterday that the Suns CAN NOT waive and stretch Bradley Beal next year because the dead salary can't be more than 15% of the cap salary.

That 15% for next year will be around $23M.

Waiving and stretching Beal: $22M BUT we have already dead money on Nassir Little ($3.1M) and E.J. Liddell ($0.7M). That would make it $25.8M in dead salary, so it's not allowed by the rules.

[sunsbg]

That got to be the worst 12 seconds of LeBron's career. Gotta love it

Ball stolen and two 3s in his face to lose a won game in 12s. Crazy.

[sunsbg]

Gerald Bourguet said in his podcast yesterday that the Suns CAN NOT waive and stretch Bradley Beal next year because the dead salary can't be more than 15% of the cap salary.

That 15% for next year will be around $23M.

Waiving and stretching Beal: $22M BUT we have already dead money on Nassir Little ($3.1M) and E.J. Liddell ($0.7M). That would make it $25.8M in dead salary, so it's not allowed by the rules.

Champions in luxury tax and dead money. So proud of this team.

[Saberestar]

The Orlando Magic is the team that could be a good trade partner for us in the summer.

KCP is having a tough year and he is paid $21M.

Jonathan Isaac is someway buried on their bench and has long-term contract at $15M.

We can add Gari Harris TO contract ($7.5M) and we get to $43.5M. Enough money to trade for Bradley Beal.

Beal played for the Florida Gators. He loves the warm weather. The Magic is a competitive upcoming team without an starting SG.

That trade would be nice and we could get 2 rotation players. Isaac in particular can be nice as a defensive 3/4/5.

We would save around $11M in salaries so I would expect the Magic asking for a FRP in compensation for helping us to avoid the 2nd apron. I would give them that 2027 FRP (worse from Jazz, Suns and Cavs).

Thoughts?

[Calvin Klein]

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Where do you guys feel our grade should end up this season?

F sounds correct

[Calvin Klein]

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Hooray! for "point Book"!!
it's really paying off for him to be a point guard focusing on passing rather than focusing on scoring. And surely our results back this up too!

recent winning streak had him get a bunch of assists and the narrative of point book started again. Can they please let him play his ONLY positiong SG?

[sunskerr]

Ive had fun watching the Lakers since they got Luka but good lord that has to be the funniest loss I've ever seen.

[bwgood77]

Exactly…. Stretch Beal for trade freedom and usage of the MLE. We are a more competitive team by keeping KD. Seems we’ve plugged a few holes with Richards, Dunn, and Gillespie moving into the starting rotation. Oso and Martin are nice benchers. I’d keep ONeal and deal Allen + Micic. + pick for Marcus Smart (or something like that)

Be realistic. Unless you get a brinx haul for KD, his home will be here. That’s MadMat thinking. Way more sensible/safe to check the table bets and see what we have come December next yr. I can at least watch this current 5+. Just no more Beal.

I don't think stretching Beal so we could use the MLE is worth it, when he would be on our cap for years. I'd rather open up significant cap room in 2027. With over $50 million expiring, we could get a real impact player, or maybe 2 of them. But with $22 million on the books for that long, we'd still have limited movement. We are not going anywhere the next 2 years regardless, so get some draft picks, let the young guys play, and then have open up maybe max cap space in 2027.

[bwgood77]

Ghost and slim can tug each other’s KD deals till Oct…. But my bet for next yr is KD is extended…. Beal is waived, we retain Gillespie and Martin, and Allen/Micic/pick are traded as a package for may be Smart or somebody around the 20mill range. We also get the MLE usage by waiving Badly.

That’s going to be a more competitive squad than what any of these trades have shown. KD can still ball, and Book is better with him. This trade panic stems from not fielding the proper role players around our shynamic duo. At least the current 5+ are once again watchable.

Delaying the inevitable perhaps, yet falls into the rahrah spin Wishbia loves.

woohoo - 8th seed, maybe the 7th seed!!

Plus how can the Suns package players if they are over the second apron? Don't they need to waive Micic and Martin to get closer to the second aprong.

Unless with the new CBA, waiving a player doesn't count against the cap

I think those are ok moves, but yeah, I'm thinking we'd still probably be around the play in. We are getting older and other teams, with draft picks and youngsters getting more experience (all the OKC guys, JJJ/Ja, all the Houston guys, Ant, and then Jokic and Luka are still in their primes, Spurs will be a playoff team unless Wemby's condition prevents him from playing going forward, That's 7 teams, and I think Dallas will be very tough and have really good depth, making 8. Then you still have GS, Sac, the Clips and maybe Portland getting better. I forget about the Pelicans, but if they can stay healthy, they have a solid roster. They have had Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones out for much of the season. And they have the the 4th worst record, so a decent shot at Flagg, with a 12.5% chance at #1, and the 3 above them each with a 14% chance. But regardless, they should get a nice player even if they draft between 2 and 7.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Giddey for Caruso is one of the funniest trades of the last few years.

People that want to lie to themselves would say that is a win-win for both the Bulls and the Thunder....but it's not. No one will remember Caruso in a year or two. Giddey will be an All-Star pretty soon.

Giddey was a hidden treasure on the market and sadly we couldn't get him when his value was at all time low in the past summer.

As a PG he is a big time player and this is the new version of James Harden traded for Kevin Martin + #12 pick all over again lol.

I remember about a year ago I was all aboard with grabbing Miles Bridges, and even KPJ (though he did not meet my expectations with LAC). Would have gone after Giddey as well.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't have considered a guy like Miles Bridges, but Ishbia said he wanted to win at all costs. When you're in a position like ours, talent is the only thing that matters.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Giddey for Caruso is one of the funniest trades of the last few years.

People that want to lie to themselves would say that is a win-win for both the Bulls and the Thunder....but it's not. No one will remember Caruso in a year or two. Giddey will be an All-Star pretty soon.

Giddey was a hidden treasure on the market and sadly we couldn't get him when his value was at all time low in the past summer.

As a PG he is a big time player and this is the new version of James Harden traded for Kevin Martin + #12 pick all over again lol.

Is it lying to themselves if both parties achieved their goals in the trade though man. The results speak for themselves. Both teams are recieving the desired outcome they were seeking from the trade. OKC needed more defense and more veteran presence. And achieved that goal in the trade. So the trade served their interests perfectly.

The Bulls needed young promising talent that could develop within their timeline and younger core. And acquiring Giddey served that interest for them. Basically both teams addressed their individual goals from this trade. I'd call that a win for both!


So individual perspective aside, from an outside perspective absent investment/ allegiance to either team, many might consider that a win for both parties involved. So people wouldn't be lying to themselves by choosing to see it that way.

[King4Day]

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Where do you guys feel our grade should end up this season?

F sounds correct

I'd even go as far as F-.
If we finish the season strong and reach the play-in, I'll give it an F. D- at best. But currently, we deserve nothing better than F-

[Ghost of Kleine]

Giddey for Caruso is one of the funniest trades of the last few years.

People that want to lie to themselves would say that is a win-win for both the Bulls and the Thunder....but it's not. No one will remember Caruso in a year or two. Giddey will be an All-Star pretty soon.

Giddey was a hidden treasure on the market and sadly we couldn't get him when his value was at all time low in the past summer.

As a PG he is a big time player and this is the new version of James Harden traded for Kevin Martin + #12 pick all over again lol.

I remember about a year ago I was all aboard with grabbing Miles Bridges, and even KPJ (though he did not meet my expectations with LAC). Would have gone after Giddey as well.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't have considered a guy like Miles Bridges, but Ishbia said he wanted to win at all costs. When you're in a position like ours, talent is the only thing that matters.

With the way the league has been trending, high end athleticism and young talent reigns supreme. And physicality is becoming prominent again too as everything in life is ultimately cyclical.


So as the league trends this way again more, adding players that fit that dynamic such as Miles Bridges and KPJr only make logical sense if we truly intend to be competitive and not the league's perennial joke and punching bag for all the bigger, stronger and more physical teams.

I get the social morality implications involved. And we've experienced the outcome of prioritizing the high character, "choir boy" soft, passive, intellectually focused foundation. It's admirable but leaves us as the metaphoric little kid on the playground trying to play with the bigger, stronger older kids and getting embarrassed and being the joke of the school.

Or like children from the chess and science club trying to compete against varsity football state champions. It's a nice hallmark premise. But not at all functionally logical. We need to meet somewhere in the middle maintaining our high character values as an important foundational principle.


But also not be afraid or averse to actually adding tough, edgy, physically dominant possibly even controversial or abrasive players to replace our passivity with tenacity and testicular fortitude and mental strength/ killer instinct.

It's a similar premise ( again cyclical in nature) as when we added Charles Barkley to change our soft image and get tougher and edgier. And obviously that paid off significantly. We haven't really done anything close to that since. Just tried other random half measures. It might be time to reconsider everything??