2014 Official FA Thread

[bwgood77]

I'm not actually sure how much Pau will cost. He could probably get 12 million on an awful team, but he's made it clear he wants to be on a competitive team again. Now if you're willing to count the Knicks (next season at least) as a competitive team, it seems they and the Suns are the only good teams showing interest. All the good playoff teams either don't need a PF/C or don't have any cap space.

So, again, I don't exactly understand the Knicks $ situation, but it seems from what I've read they won't be able to offer Pau very much. So it's possible we could offer $8 million and and be the best deal on the table in terms of top 10-12 teams. Will he take that over $12 million from a crap team with no chance of making noise? Maybe.

I don't think the Knicks will have much at all even if they lose Melo, unless Bargnani or Amare opt out, which is extremely doubtful. The Cavs could go after him. I doubt Deng goes back. Maybe Hawes does, but either way, they could use him. Varejao has an unguaranteed year left, so he is probably gone too.

It's too bad Varejao is always injured. I'd love his rebounding ability on the Suns.

[lilfishi22]

I honestly think we should let PJ Tucker go. He is a really good defender but he doesnt do much on offense. We have too many guys that only play offense or only play defense. We need to upgrade the SF position to someone that can play defense and also contribute on offense. The guy im thinking of isnt Loul Deng but Trevor Ariza!

Ariza plays with heart on defense, and can still knock down the 3 ptrs like Tucker did. He can handle the ball alot better than Tucker, because you dont want PJ to ever be leading the break or have the ball with the shot clock running down. He's about the same age as Deng and probably cheaper.

Ariza
77 35.4 5.1 11.1 .456 2.3 5.7 .407 2.7 5.3 .509 1.9 2.5 .772 1.3 4.9 6.2 2.5 1.6 0.3 1.7 2.3 14.4

Tucker
81 30.7 3.3 7.6 .431 0.9 2.4 .387 2.4 5.2 .450 1.9 2.5 .776 2.0 4.5 6.5 1.7 1.4 0.3 1.3 2.5 9.4

In terms of who I'd rather have everything considered (salary, skill set, other FA targets), Tucker>Ariza>Deng.

I think Tucker is the perfect guy you flesh your team out with. Ariza is a solid 4th option but if you can get Tucker at $4m a year vs $7m for Ariza and still get 90% of Ariza's production, then you have to go Tucker.

[RaisingArizona]

Plumlee is not the answer- at least not now. Monroe should be someone we target. Why is everyone saying no to him? Sometimes you have to spend money to get better. No reason to save our cap space indefinitely.

[Saberestar]

Monroe doesn't fix what suns need.

He will most likely be 4th option in the Suns... But going to get paid 10+ million a year.

Suns need an elite post scorer or a versatile big who can stretch the defense as well as score inside on dunks and post moves.... And at the same time play defense


And Plumlee at 2-3 million is way better than Monroe at what ever money he will get.

Plumlee atleast can slot as 5th-6th option comfortably because he scores off feeds, transition etc.

I don't even KNOW why you are targeting Plumlee... When he has a clean role and cheap contract that doesn't hurt the suns.

4th option? You've obviously never watched him play. He's everything you just listed. And he's young. Plumlee is not better than what Monroe brings to the table. He's a good passer, versatile and can score and defend. Would we have to overpay him? Yes but they're aren't many bigs better than him that are available.

Another option could be Spencer Hawes. Big C who can shoot the 3 ball. What kind of contract do you think Hawes brings?

I think Spencer Hawes will receive offers around $28M / 4 years.
Monroe probaly near max or max (around $14M per year).

[JDLAW]

Monroe doesn't fix what suns need.

He will most likely be 4th option in the Suns... But going to get paid 10+ million a year.

Suns need an elite post scorer or a versatile big who can stretch the defense as well as score inside on dunks and post moves.... And at the same time play defense


And Plumlee at 2-3 million is way better than Monroe at what ever money he will get.

Plumlee atleast can slot as 5th-6th option comfortably because he scores off feeds, transition etc.

I don't even KNOW why you are targeting Plumlee... When he has a clean role and cheap contract that doesn't hurt the suns.

4th option? You've obviously never watched him play. He's everything you just listed. And he's young. Plumlee is not better than what Monroe brings to the table. He's a good passer, versatile and can score and defend. Would we have to overpay him? Yes but they're aren't many bigs better than him that are available.

Another option could be Spencer Hawes. Big C who can shoot the 3 ball. What kind of contract do you think Hawes brings?

I am always amused when a poster on the board develops a "man crush" on a player and then advocates his acquisition as the savior and the player that will lead us to the promised land of a championship - especially when that player has never gotten his team to .500. Monroe is a nice big man, but nothing more. Starting with his 2nd year, he had been remarkably consistent at 15 ppg and 9rpg. His shooting percentages have been steady and his assists and hustle stats have been remarkably consistent. This is not one year or two years, but is three years in a row. In other words, his game appears to have plateaued and exhibits little upside.

Is he currently better than what we have at center? In some ways yes, and in some ways no. His defense is mediocre and he is not terribly athletic. I anticipate that in a couple of years, Len will have passed him up, provided he stays healthy an works like he plans to.

In a nutshell, he is what he appears to be. A mid level talent without a lot of upside. He is not a star and is not going to lead the Suns to a championship. This is not the kind of player you give a max contract to or trade a bunch of assets for.

[bigfoot]

Plumlee is not the answer- at least not now. Monroe should be someone we target. Why is everyone saying no to him? Sometimes you have to spend money to get better. No reason to save our cap space indefinitely.

You don't go after Monroe because he is a RFA. You've tied up good cap money waiting for the Pistons to match the offer sheet (ala Eric Gordon). Anyways we need a veteran all-star level player at SF, PF, or C.

[DRK]

Plumlee is not the answer- at least not now. Monroe should be someone we target. Why is everyone saying no to him? Sometimes you have to spend money to get better. No reason to save our cap space indefinitely.

Because he does nothing to improve on our biggest weakness..

i.e hes a piss poor defender

[bigfoot]

We should be trying to acquire a tier 1 and tier 2 player with our cap space this year.

Tier 1

C - Bosh, Gasol
PF - Dirk, ZBo
SF - Lebron, Melo, Deng

Tier 2

C - Gortat
PF - Blatche,
SF - Marion, Pierce

[lilfishi22]

Noah was a top 5 draft pick. Jordan was suppose to be a top 10 draft pick but slipped to the second round. he's an athletic freak, something Plumlee is not (compared to Jordan at least).

Plumlee can be an effective role player, but we're not going anywhere with him as the starter and Len isn't ready. If we don't go after a Monroe type young guy, why not go after a short term fix in Gasol? We just missed the playoffs mainly because of our bigs (and Bledsoe being out half the season). Gasol isn't a long term fix, but he can play 30 minutes a game and be an immediate upgrade over Plumlee. If we don't add a big this off-season, we're in the same boat next year which is middle of the pack fighting for the 8th seed team. Why would you want that, rather than going after a Gasol and making the playoffs and maybe surprising some teams? Gasol isn't the best player in the world, but he's better than anything we have now.

Plumlee is actually more athletic but Jordan has a longer wingspan.

Depends how much Gasol can be had for. I don't mind him on our team but only if it doesn't jeopardize our ability a player in FA. If signing him means that we can only afford to resign our guys and no one else, then I'm not sure if it's worth it, especially if we're looking at a 3 year deal.

[DRK]

We should be trying to acquire a tier 1 and tier 2 player with our cap space this year.

Tier 1

C - Bosh, Gasol
PF - Dirk, ZBo
SF - Lebron, Melo, Deng

Tier 2

C - Gortat
PF - Blatche,
SF - Marion, Pierce

[JTrain]

Tucker and Frye can both be frustrating at times, but I think their upsides tend to be underestimated. Tucker is important for team chemistry and that extra effort when we start to slow down. The spacing Frye provides at PF is unlike what just about any other team has, and the advanced stats show how important that turns out to be.

If we went after a impact, traditional PF, it would help us in some ways but it would also take away that spacing advantage of Frye. So I tend to think the least disruptive place to look for immediate improvement is C, followed by SF.

I know it's bordering on overkill now, but I really feel like the situation for getting Gasol couldn't be much better. He is absolutely the best player that we reasonably can get for next season that will immediately put us in contention, and it might be for a very reasonable price. The two knocks on him-- injuries and attitude-- can both be improved/fixed in Phoenix. We have what appears to be the best training staff in the league. He'll immediately be glad just to be out of D'Antoni's system and around an energetic and cohesive group. We could play him 28-30 minutes a game which would allow him a better chance to stay fresh and healthy late into the season and into the playoffs, while also allowing time for Plumlee and Len. And when Frye is resting and perhaps Keef isn't shooting well, Pau can play PF alongside Plumlee. Or against teams where Pau matched up particularly well against their PF, we could start him there and bring in Frye/Keef later to mix it up.

Now if we can get a SF with some ball-handling and defensive skills in the draft (whether at 14 or by trading up to 6-8), we could have immediately improved upon two significant weaknesses, and with a healthy Bledsoe, I don't think it's ridiculous to think we could be competing for the second best record in the West (behind OKC, alongside San Antonio, Portland, Houston and LAC).

[JTrain]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/GoldAndOrSmith/status/459546635690082304[/tweet]

[SunsFan1234]

We should be trying to acquire a tier 1 and tier 2 player with our cap space this year.

Tier 1

C - Bosh, Gasol
PF - Dirk, ZBo
SF - Lebron, Melo, Deng

Tier 2

C - Gortat
PF - Blatche,
SF - Marion, Pierce

We have zero, I state ZERO chance at Bosh (ok maybe 1% if they break up), Dirk, Melo, LeBron and Z-Bo. Either they won't opt out, won't sign with the Suns or don't fit our style. Gasol is a chance. Deng is a chance, but really why pay him $10-$12 million when we need bigs.

No chance at Gortat, Blatche isn't very good to be considered tier 2.

Best bigs we actually have a chance at in FA are..

1. Monroe: Pistons won't match; can't afford him.
2. Gasol
3. Hawes
4. Jason Smith

To be honest, this isn't the best off-season for free agent PF's or C's. I think we're fine on guards and Tucker should be kept rather than spend money on Ariza or Deng. We can't continue have the bigs weakness.

[SunsFan1234]

Plumlee is not the answer- at least not now. Monroe should be someone we target. Why is everyone saying no to him? Sometimes you have to spend money to get better. No reason to save our cap space indefinitely.

You don't go after Monroe because he is a RFA. You've tied up good cap money waiting for the Pistons to match the offer sheet (ala Eric Gordon). Anyways we need a veteran all-star level player at SF, PF, or C.

Pistons won't match unless someone takes on Josh Smith's contract (which I'm not opposed to; especially to move up to #8). He is above average at defense, and just needs a coach to tell him NO to 3's. A young team with ball dominating guards could be just what he needs.

Doubt we would have the cap space, but maybe even trade a 1st (Pacers?) to the Knicks for Tyson Chandler. Expiring contract and he was just defensive player of the year couple season ago. He slacked because the Knicks sucked. I think he has a couple good years left.

Bledsoe
Dragic
Tucker
Frye
Chandler

[Cutter]

We should be trying to acquire a tier 1 and tier 2 player with our cap space this year.

Tier 1

C - Bosh, Gasol
PF - Dirk, ZBo
SF - Lebron, Melo, Deng

Tier 2

C - Gortat
PF - Blatche,
SF - Marion, Pierce

Tier 1
Bosh yes
Gasol...maybe yes
Dirk no
ZBo no
Melo yes ( can't believe I just said that)
Deng no

Tier 2
Gortat no
Blatche no
Marion no
Pierce no

I would sign Bosh to a 4 year deal at a substantial number. PF problems solved for the next few years, basically fits our stretch system and is very good defensively.

The future of this team is sitting on the bench and is named Alex Len. He is a couple of year away to develop, so I would sign Gasol to a 2 year deal to bridge the gap until Len is ready.

Bosh offense plus defense (will cost a lot)
Gasol offense, minimal defense (moderate cost for 2 years), Plumlee is very expendable
Dragic offense, some defense
Bledsoe offense plus defense
Tucker no offense, great defense

Add in a very good bench and we are a dep playoff team.

[SunsFan1234]

Depending on HOU plan to get a big name FA, we could probably get Asik cheap. Would have to take on Lin's contract tho, but would t have to give up all that much.

[thamadkant]

SunsFan1234

All your proposals have been discussed here in the 2 previously closed 1000+ posts threads already....

[bigfoot]

A lot of posters think we should save cap space for 2015. The question is do we really have that space. Here's what I see

On the books $29M
$15M Bledsoe
$4M Tucker
$4M Len
$2M Plumlee
$1M Goodwin
$3M (2014 Rookies)

Qualifying Offers $8M
$4M Kief
$4M Marcus

Cap holds $38M
$14M Dragic
$13M Frye
$7M Green
$4M (2015 Rookies)

That totals to $75M. Even if we renounce Frye and Green we are sitting at $55M. That also assumes we only pick up one year contracts this year. I don't see how we can be players for the big names in the summer of 2015. We've got to pick up the third all-star level player to add to Dragic/Bledsoe this summer.

[QuickLikeTheo]

A lot of posters think we should save cap space for 2015. The question is do we really have that space. Here's what I see

On the books $29M
$15M Bledsoe
$4M Tucker
$4M Len
$2M Plumlee
$1M Goodwin
$3M (2014 Rookies)

Qualifying Offers $8M
$4M Kief
$4M Marcus

Cap holds $38M
$14M Dragic
$13M Frye
$7M Green
$4M (2015 Rookies)

That totals to $75M. Even if we renounce Frye and Green we are sitting at $55M. That also assumes we only pick up one year contracts this year. I don't see how we can be players for the big names in the summer of 2015. We've got to pick up the third all-star level player to add to Dragic/Bledsoe this summer.

I think frye will definitely be renounced. I also think (more of a guess) that either dragic or bledsoe will be gone if we don't find a PF in the draft.

[DirtyDez]

I don't think adding a star in FA has ever been the plan. How often do true stars hit the market?

-extend the backcourt duo and have them thru their prime
-trade up in the draft or trade assets for an impact player
-develop Len into a difference maker

If these things happen the Suns should have a WCF's window from 2016-2018. Get there and anything can happen...