Kerr: The Pre-Trade Team Couldn't Have Won It All

[The Diesel]

Hey guys,

Kerr just answered some questions on Suns.com from the fans and he insisted he has NO regrets over the Shaq trade because he feels the pre-trade team couldn't have won the whole thing.

When you consider the 2-6 record against the best in the West before the trade, I guess that backs up his points.

But do you guys agree with Kerr? Why or why not?

I’ve been asked that question a lot. Shaq has been fantastic for us, both in the community and on the court. He has played better than we ever could have expected. In fact he has been one of the best centers in the league this year. Unfortunately our team just hasn’t played as well as we had hoped, but that’s not any one player’s fault. Things just haven’t clicked. To answer your question - no, I don’t regret the deal. We knew we weren’t going to be able to beat the best teams in the league the way our team was constitued prior to the Shaq trade, so we tried to get better. Not to go Herm Edwards on you, but ‘you play to win the game!’ That’s what we’ve tried to.

http://blogs.suns.com/2009/03/3228/

Honestly, things were going so well last season towards the end until Hill got injured and Duncan hit that 3 pointer.

The Shaq trade was looking like a good decision until those two things happened.

Your thoughts on Kerr's comments about the trade?

[BurningHeart]

He's right, the pre-trade team wasn't gonna win it all, because his dumbass traded Kurt Thomas, who was absolutely VITAL to our success.

We didn't need Shaq and his baggage and getting rid of Marion, we needed a guy to play some D and more importantly REBOUND the ball. Camby would have been perfect.

[hitachi7]

He's right, the pre-trade team wasn't gonna win it all, because his dumbass traded Kurt Thomas, who was absolutely VITAL to our success.

We didn't need Shaq and his baggage and getting rid of Marion, we needed a guy to play some D and more importantly REBOUND the ball. Camby would have been perfect.

Kerr is not the one to blame for the KT trade, that's all on Sarver.

But you are right, the KT trade was THE move that ruined everything, and it's unfortunate that only Suns fans know that.

[hitachi7]

btw I think the KT trade may have saved Sarver in the neighborhood of 16 mil (someone feel free to correct me on this,) but I'm pretty sure being a contender will create far more than 16 mil throughout the course of a season (versus not being a contender)

[OrangeNation]

He's right, the pre-trade team wasn't gonna win it all, because his dumbass traded Kurt Thomas, who was absolutely VITAL to our success.

We didn't need Shaq and his baggage and getting rid of Marion, we needed a guy to play some D and more importantly REBOUND the ball. Camby would have been perfect.

+1
I was still confused why we didn't trade for M. Camby at the trade deadline last season.

[mkot]

He's right, the pre-trade team wasn't gonna win it all, because his dumbass traded Kurt Thomas, who was absolutely VITAL to our success.

We didn't need Shaq and his baggage and getting rid of Marion, we needed a guy to play some D and more importantly REBOUND the ball. Camby would have been perfect.

+1
I was still confused why we didn't trade for M. Camby at the trade deadline last season.

And if Kwame Brown's expiring contract can get the Lakers Pau Gasol, I'm sure KT's expiring can do the same. Instead, he desperately dumped his expiring contract that off-season along with unprotected draft picks. And then when the Lakers got Pau Gasol in the mid-season, he had to desperately traded Marion for Shaq. No draft picks but he got rid of Banks. Things didn't work out and we got eliminated in the 1st round again by the Spurs so he fired Mike. Thank you Mr. Kerr. I'm sorry, no excuse, you suck.

[The Diesel]

Letting D'Antoni leave was the biggest mistake he made. If he hired someone like Flip Saunders, it wouldn't have looked so bad because Flip has made it very deep into the playoffs several times, but instead he hired a very young, inexperienced coach who the veterans had ZERO respect for.

Porter was just the wrong fit for this team.

I have no doubt that if Mike stayed, this team would be a playoff team. No doubt in my mind.

[dantian]

KT trade was both DA and Sarver's fault. Sarver said "trim down the payroll a little", DA said, "Ok, I'll give you KT, who I wouldn't use for more than 10 min anyway." Given how Sarver was willing to take on Shaq's contract despite injury, do you really think KT would have been traded if he were to be used as the starting C next to Amare like in their previous playoff loss to Spurs? Actually, I thought they were counting on Sonics' buying KT out so that they could sign him for the playoff run, like Celtics did PJ. Yet, Spurs ruined that by trading a 1st rounder and Barry for KT, who was crucial in our 1st round loss to them!

With that attitude of DA, we were to lose to Spurs again w/o the trade for Shaq. As Kerr said, it's risky decision that didn't realize to our favor.

[The Diesel]

Don't forget that D'Antoni is also the one who pushed for the Shaq trade. Sarver said Kerr was actually very reluctant to make the deal and preferred to keep Shawn, but he eventually went through with it after being convinced by D'Antoni.

Also, Sarver said he (Sarver) also pushed for the trade and it's also well known that Nash and Amare wanted the trade, as well.

Kerr shouldn't get all the blame for that trade, because he was actually quite reluctant to make the deal.

[mkot]

KT trade was both DA and Sarver's fault. Sarver said "trim down the payroll a little", DA said, "Ok, I'll give you KT, who I wouldn't use for more than 10 min anyway."

KT averaged 18 MPG and around 26 MPG the previous under Mike.

I don't doubt KT was Mike's least favorite rotation player, but I wouldn't blame the trade on him. Sarver wanted to trim down $8M so obviously KT was the guy. Kerr had no choice but to salary dump KT. I understand that. I blame him for not trying to protect the 2 first round picks. Did he even try to protect the picks? All he got is a CONDITIONAL 2nd round pick. Really? If that's the best deal Kerr can negotiate for KT, he failed. So yes, he's to blame for the disaster the KT trade brought to this team.

[-SDU-]

i respect kerr for being so accessible and honest with the fans

[rsavaj]

He's right, the pre-trade team wasn't gonna win it all, because his dumbass traded Kurt Thomas, who was absolutely VITAL to our success.

We didn't need Shaq and his baggage and getting rid of Marion, we needed a guy to play some D and more importantly REBOUND the ball. Camby would have been perfect.

+1
I was still confused why we didn't trade for M. Camby at the trade deadline last season.

And if Kwame Brown's expiring contract can get the Lakers Pau Gasol, I'm sure KT's expiring can do the same. Instead, he desperately dumped his expiring contract that off-season along with unprotected draft picks. And then when the Lakers got Pau Gasol in the mid-season, he had to desperately traded Marion for Shaq. No draft picks but he got rid of Banks. Things didn't work out and we got eliminated in the 1st round again by the Spurs so he fired Mike. Thank you Mr. Kerr. I'm sorry, no excuse, you suck.

Can you imagine? KT for Pau, Amare for KG...

Nash/Bell/Marion/Pau/Garnett

[garrick]

It's ironic that Kerr traded Marion because the Lakers had their twin towers of Gasol and Bynum and he thought we had to get bigger against them but Bynum goes out with an injury last season and this season too.
If we just kept KT and Marion I think we may have won it all despite Kerr's denial that we couldn't do it.

[eastsidecrossover]

Your a fool to think this team even last year would have won it all. No way, this team was losing it and they would have been lucky to get out of the first rd without that trade.

[eastsidecrossover]

D'Antoni is a moron. I like the guy, and he made the nba fun again with this team. But because the guy was so stubborn on his roster and what he did, he hurt this then and in the long run. Plus, I hate how they traded KT away and was not smart about waiting for the deadline. His contract would not have gone against the lux tax at that time. 16 million is a lot and is not easily made up. I remember G&A talking about that and said basically, the suns would have been lucky to break even if they would have won it all that year with KT. Sucks because us fans only care about winning, that’s it.

Saver has paid a high salary no matter what you all think. I think the guy also is a moron, same with Kerr, but he has paid for this team. These soft players have not got it done either. So this team mentally could never win it. They had one year they should have, but were soft and or too stupid.

Im sorry, this team, this organization has just pissed me off as of late.

[-SDU-]

the year of the suspensions - THAT was our year, sure things went wrong other years, but you could make an argument that we may have liost in the next round etc, but that year of the suspensions, i truly honestly believe, that that was our year and we were the best team in the NBA

[BurningHeart]

the year of the suspensions - THAT was our year, sure things went wrong other years, but you could make an argument that we may have liost in the next round etc, but that year of the suspensions, i truly honestly believe, that that was our year and we were the best team in the NBA

Yeah, but I'm sort of partial to the 05-06 team, when we had SO MUCH chemistry and faced SO MUCH adversity. We rallied back from 3-1 against the Lakers, beat the "bigger, better" Clippers in seven, lost Raja in Game 1 against the Mavs and STILL took 'em to six games.

Kurt Thomas went down, Amare was out already, but at the end with Raja getting hurt, we were running six guys out there. So much heart, those guys thought they could do absolutely anything but the Raja injury was just too much to overcome.