Frank Lee wrote:But even then, I fully expect us to target any of the free agent point guards like:
Malcolm Brogdon, DeAngelo Russell, Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, Gary Payton 2nd, Delon Wright, Tre Jones, Kyle Lowry, Cam Payne, Dante Exum, Monte Morris, Delano Banton, etc.
And that's if we don't end up pulling one in a KD, Allen or O'neale trade??
haha... yes Ghost, I too can look up free agents. Question is, with what dough do you sign them... half the MLE (6mil) or Vet minimums? Not going to get Schroeder for that, DLo only comes on a personal favor, Brogdon has eye poked us already, we put CP out to pasture yrs ago, someone should do the same with Lowery. The rest are tremendously mediocre and no upgrade to TJones. Can't believe you even mentioned Morris.
We will run into the same problems as the past two yrs trying to fill a roster with minimum wagers and cast offs. We have seen this movie before.
If the whole off season relies on a decent KD trade we could be screwed.
" Houston, we have a problem." seems the Rockets hold the key. Can't be greedy.
Fun stuff
But that's our current reality though. It's not like we'll somehow contend anyways barring a miracle outcome! We're still going to be "playin" fodder at best. I mentioned those free agents because the mechanisms to get them in free agency would be though one of the 3 possible situations we've postulated ad nauseam so far man.
1- A KD trade bringing back some expirings or smaller salaries in the deal pushing us under the 2nd apron.
2- Declining Micics' team option and buying out Martin's expiring would give us around 8+ million under the 2nd apron. Then trading Allen and/ or O'neale too for smaller contracts, expiring contracts, or just for cap space and a pick or 2nds back (cost controlled rookie scale players)??
3- Beal traded or magically agrees to a buyout somehow giving up significant money to help us make that move. Which would give us a bit more money to work with but not substantial with the dead money on our books for the next half decade or so,
UNLESS Ishbia really doesn't care about money (as he says) and just straight up pays him $ 110 million this summer to leave??? (He could do that but obviously won't)!!
But these are three mechanisms we could utilize to create cumulative additional cap space to sign some of those names mentioned. The selling point of playing here for the suns is ultimately on.our front office though. And another reason why I put more emphasis on the draft.
Because at least with the draft, if you acquire a pick in that desired players range, you don't have to bid against other teams contractually or sell that specific player on signing with us or elsewhere. After all, our track record at being able to lure and sign big name or key free agents as a desirable destination hasn't been at all inspiring or successful.
All of our options are pretty mediocre after dismantling our young, promising future core and frivolously giving away any asset not nailed down man.
But the reality is that we're really not close to contending anyways, and there WILL ABSOLUTELY be good trades for KD out there with the outcome of multiple teams bidding against one another soon.
The real question will be if the perception around Ishbias' inexperienced "buddy hire" will incentivize league GMs to aggressively try and fleece us as a result??
By the way, IF our front office is at all clever, I believe we'd be able to engineer a 3 team trade to possibly land a Morant, D Murray or J Holiday due to their respective situations?? As long as Ishbia himself, Bartlestein and Gregory aren't spearheading the operation as much, and maybe they defer to Matt Tellem, etc?
