The Official 2025 Offseason Thread Part 1

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[dremill24]

Can we trade Evan Sidery to the Timberwolves too?

I think we could get a pretty good deal from them, but if we are saying we are working with him, I don't know if I see him wanting to go there. I could see him being good with Miami, Dallas and maybe Houston.

Just give strikes for any posts of his tweets

[bullsaficianado]

I like the thought of Steve Nash as head coach he got a bad rep in Brooklyn but does he want to get back into coaching? It also would be a very and I mean very bad look for the Suns if they hired Nash and than fired him after 1 season. Pretty sure he does not want that either being a Suns legend.

[SunsRback4Good]

Can we trade Evan Sidery to the Timberwolves too?

I think we could get a pretty good deal from them, but if we are saying we are working with him, I don't know if I see him wanting to go there. I could see him being good with Miami, Dallas and maybe Houston.

Just give strikes for any posts of his tweets

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[mkot]

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No accountability, no leadership from Booker and we are extending him $70M

Even the Sixers make up some BS medical appointment excuse for Embiid to miss the interview.

[BobbieL]

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The Suns should really wait a year to see how he does with this rebuild this summer

Lets just see how he is a true leader of the team next year that is built around him.
If they make changes to build around Booker - make him earn the extension

[thamadkant]

75M for Booker is criminal act of money laundering.
He's already struggling to justify that 50M a year contract as is.

This Suns FO is a joke, as most of us here have come to know.

Ishiba is the worst Suns owner in history. Congratulations Ishiba and really good job on talking smack about how all GMs are envious of Suns early this season. I mean what's not to be jealous of... no lottery picks until 2032, no A class youth to develop no cap room to improve the team, highest payroll and tax penalties, worst Suns record since the rebuilding days more than 5 years ago, no under 27 year olds that can step up and be a star....

Well done.

[thamadkant]

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Booker incoming at $70 million salary soon!

These are great news. We would be in a tougher situation with Book playing the long game and waiting a couple years to sign another contract with the Suns.

It is better to have him on a long-term deal because his age, good health and commitment to the team. He will have very good value as a player or as a trade asset.

Is this sarcasm??

[BobbieL]

75M for Booker is criminal act of money laundering.
He's already struggling to justify that 50M a year contract as is.

This Suns FO is a joke, as most of us here have come to know.

Ishiba is the worst Suns owner in history. Congratulations Ishiba and really good job on talking smack about how all GMs are envious of Suns early this season. I mean what's not to be jealous of... no lottery picks until 2032, no A class youth to develop no cap room to improve the team, highest payroll and tax penalties, worst Suns record since the rebuilding days more than 5 years ago, no under 27 year olds that can step up and be a star....

Well done.

Like I said, if Booker is committed for the long term -- wait too offer the contract
Lets see what he does next year without Bud and a different team around
Put up or shut up!

Granted Ishbia will just extend him and do something stupid like KD and Towns back or somehow getting Zion or Markkanen
name over an actual way to build a roster

[SunsRback4Good]

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Booker incoming at $70 million salary soon!

These are great news. We would be in a tougher situation with Book playing the long game and waiting a couple years to sign another contract with the Suns.

It is better to have him on a long-term deal because his age, good health and commitment to the team. He will have very good value as a player or as a trade asset.

[Slim Charless]

It is easy to blame KD and Book for all of our problems. While they certainly should be considered part of the problem, it is a team game, and it takes more than two players to win a championship. The management team created this mess not them. The management team traded to them and agreed to pay them. The blame lies directly on Ishbia. I put a lot of the blame on Josh Bartelstein as well. Bartelstein was captain of the Michigan team that won the National Championship in 2013 that included Matt. Below is a timeline for the moves the helped create this mess.

2/9/23 - Traded for KD - Josh Bartelstein was not here yet but I expect that Ish and Josh were in communication.
4/10/23 - Josh Bartelstein was hired as CEO of both the Mercury and Suns - both were riding high prior to him being hired - both are currently in the toilet. James Jones was President of the Suns Basketball operations - I assume reporting to both Josh and Matt.
5/13/23 - Fired Monty Williams who had a 45/37 record while beating the Clippers in the first round and losing in the 2nd round to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets4/2.
7/6/23 - Made trade to Bradley Beal. Bartelson's dad was Beal's agent. ALL IN THE FAMILY. Just a guess.
7/6/23 - Booker supermax extension
4/15/24 - Allen Extension
7/6/24 - O'Neale Extension

Rather than blaming Booker & KD for all of our problems. It is obvious who deserves most of the Blame. The management team that Ish put in place. They are the ones that made the trades and handed out the contracts and of course Matt signed off on all of this.

Detroit has had a 30+ win improvement since firing Moronty last year. 30 wins increase, with the exact same players.

[BobbieL]

PHNX-Suns podcast with Pridgeon, Ruby and Gerald
showed the good and bad of
James Jones
Josh Bartlestein
Bob Myers

Bartlestein has been pretty bad

Bob Myers has actually been very good

[sashaturiaf]

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Booker incoming at $70 million salary soon!

That's $70m plus a no trade clause -Ishbia

[Sunsdeuce]

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$75 million for empty stats. Definitely a formula for winning.

[bullsaficianado]

Booker wants to win but does not seem like the type to sacrifice money and comfort to win a championship. If he wants to stay here long term and add a NTC I am fine with it. Just don't bitch if you have losing seasons.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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So what player would be the best to pair with PG13 and Booker?

Serious question -- that should be the thought process for a Durant trade

If you move Beal for a PG 13 - what can Durant get you that makes the team the best. None of this big 3 bull crap... but building a TEAM

(I am trying to convince myself of how to best build around Booker with that extension news)

Ideally, you'd want a dominant/ mobile/athletic low post presence, perhaps with some floor spacing abilities for Booker and George to play off of.

If Minnesota, though, I'd strongly suggest a package of:

KD for Gobert/ DiVincenzo/ Dillingham/ Minott/ DET 25' 1st (17th pick)/ MIN 2032 1st.
** Then package Dillingham/ Allen/ 17th pick/ CLE 29'th pick to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson. And bring back Paul on vet minimum.

Paul/ Booker/ George/C Johnson/ Gobert.
FA/ Di Vincenzo/ Dunn/ Aldama/Richards.
Gillespie/ Tonje/ Minott/ Bol/ Ighodaro.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
IF Houston,

KD for D Brooks/ J Smith Jr/ Sheppard/ Whitmore/ PHX 25 1st for CLE 25' 1st swap (9th pick).
** Then trade Allen/ O'neale/Richards/ 9th pick to Orlando for Isaac/ Bidatze/ Harris (7 million expiring)/ ORL 25' 1st (16th pick)/ DEN 25' 1st (24th pick).
16- Carter Bryant.
24- Nique' Clifford.
29- Alex Condon.

Booker/ D Brooks/ George/ J Smith Jr/ Isaac.
Sheppard/ Trent Jr/ Dunn/ Bol Bol/ Bidatze.
Gillespie/Clifford/ Bryant/ Condon/ Ighodaro.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
IF Denver,
KD for Porter Jr/ Naji/ Braun/ Holmes/Tyson/ DEN 31' 1st.
https://fanspo.com/nba/trades/QEgfnEvtAoX2QY
**Trade O'neale/Nnaji/Martin/ DEN 31' 1st for Marcus Smart/ PHX 26' 2nd/ ChI 26' 2nd.
** Trade Allen for Bidatze.
** Sign Chris Paul to vet min.

Smart/ Booker/ George/ Porter Jr/ Bidatze.
Paul/ Braun/ Dunn/ Nnaji/Richards.
Gillespie/ Tyson/ Braun/ Holmes/ Ighodaro.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
IF Dallas,
KD for Thompson/ Washington/ Marshall/ Martin/ Lively/ DAL 25/ 1st (12th pick).
** Trade O'neale/ Martin/ Richards/ CLE 27' 1st to Washington for Marcus Smart/ PHX 26' 2nd.
** Trade Allen for Bidatze.
** Sign Chris Paul to vet min (eventually joins coaching bench after season).
** Sign Gary Trent Jr to vet minimum.
** Trade back from 12th pick with Minnesota for the 17th and 24th picks.
17- Rasheer Fleming.
24- Danny Wolf.
29- Isiah Evans.

Smart/ Booker/ Dunn/ Washington/ Bidatze.
Paul/ Trent Jr/Marshall/ Fleming/ Lively.
Gillespie/ Evans/ Washington/ Ighodaro/ Wolf.

[bwgood77]

Can we trade Evan Sidery to the Timberwolves too?

I think we could get a pretty good deal from them, but if we are saying we are working with him, I don't know if I see him wanting to go there. I could see him being good with Miami, Dallas and maybe Houston.

What team has the best players to build around Booker with?

Now if Houston is offering the Suns draft picks - they move to the head of the class.

Granted, if keeping Booker -the goal should be cap space in 2027 and Dillon Brooks expires in 2027; Beal would be off the books in 2027 so with that it is moving on from O'Neale and Allen

If we are keeping Booker, it really doesn't matter. It will be like Book's first 5 years until we are able to have high picks again. Barring selecting star players with our late picks.

We have zero ways to add talent. KD will not net that much. We have no one else who could even get us a first round pick.

There can't be a worse situation than winning like 25 games a year without having your own picks until 2032. We have some late picks, at the expense of trading our 2031 unprotected. The years we didn't trade are double swapped, so we will likely end up with Memphis or Brooklyn's picks, possibly Washingon's.

We will be one of the least desirable locations to go to for coaches, and before long, for players as well.

[BobbieL]

Booker wants to win but does not seem like the type to sacrifice money and comfort to win a championship. If he wants to stay here long term and add a NTC I am fine with it. Just don't bitch if you have losing seasons.

Booker won't complain at all about losing once he adds 150m for two years

I don't expect Booker to take less money to build a championship

This is all on the Suns being stupid and offering an extension when they have no clue what they can do to put a team around him for one. And two, is Booker the right guy to lead the team. Booker has shown with the right teammates - he can compete at the highest level. But he needs the right players around him. He is not elevating anybody

[BobbieL]

Can we trade Evan Sidery to the Timberwolves too?

I think we could get a pretty good deal from them, but if we are saying we are working with him, I don't know if I see him wanting to go there. I could see him being good with Miami, Dallas and maybe Houston.

What team has the best players to build around Booker with?

Now if Houston is offering the Suns draft picks - they move to the head of the class.

Granted, if keeping Booker -the goal should be cap space in 2027 and Dillon Brooks expires in 2027; Beal would be off the books in 2027 so with that it is moving on from O'Neale and Allen

If we are keeping Booker, it really doesn't matter. It will be like Book's first 5 years until we are able to have high picks again. Barring selecting star players with our late picks.

We have zero ways to add talent. KD will not net that much. We have no one else who could even get us a first round pick.

There can't be a worse situation than winning like 25 games a year without having your own picks until 2032. We have some late picks, at the expense of trading our 2031 unprotected. The years we didn't trade are double swapped, so we will likely end up with Memphis or Brooklyn's picks, possibly Washingon's.

We will be one of the least desirable locations to go to for coaches, and before long, for players as well.

I was trying to talk myself into a scenario of how to build a team around Booker if he is kept but I just don't see it

Kellan Olson had an article about trading Durant and one of them was Houston and adding Green. Which I thought was stupid as Green is redundant with Booker. Need to get away from the "activity" and get to "accomplishment.

GOK laid out some scenarios above but without draft picks - its not happening. I agree with Zach Lowe and Simmons in that Suns fans are going to be disappointed with the return for Durant.

So Ishbia is going to extend Booker, for ZERO reason with three years to go -- and build around a guy who has shown he is more a very good option as long as he is not accountable to elevate his teammates

[Ghost of Kleine]

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Well Minnesota really f'd up here. Should have kept KAT around and then the framework of a deal could have been had. With what the Wolves have now, a trade would have to be McDaniels, Reid, and Divincenzo.

My guess they would probably want to move Randle and not McDaniels

If you are keeping Booker --its about building around him so not sure the Rockets make sense if Green is involved as he would be duplicative with Booker

Even though I'd prefer J Green as I believe he'd develop into a star player at some point, perhaps you trade him to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson or to Orlando for KCP/ Isaac/ ORL 25' 1st ( 16th pick)?