The 2016 Offseason Thread

[BucksPackers]

Thoughts on this trade......

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=h9evlcb

[King4Day]

Thoughts on this trade......

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=h9evlcb

A year ago there might have been interest but now, with Dudley, Bender, Chriss (@PF) and Chandler, Len (@ C), there's no room for him.
Knights contract is now more valuable than it had been considering he's locked up for another 4 years and how cheap it is compared to some of the deals handed out this summer.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Thoughts on this trade......

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=h9evlcb

Bucks, I assume, say hell yes. Philly probably say no, while Phoenix says hell no.

Good luck selling Monroe. I distinctly recall Len eating his lunch the last time they played.

[NTB]

[bwgood77]

Thoughts on this trade......

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=h9evlcb

Yeah, not really a fan of Monroe. Not really a rim protector or particularly good defender, and doesn't seem to shoot well outside of about 3 feet.

[bwgood77]

Nothing! He will walk, because word is Russell isn't promising anything.

Yeah, I think most of the OKC FO thinks he will walk but still won't trade him unless it's an overpay (say they won't trade him unless it's a massive overpay).

They won't trade him because they can't. Talk is cheap, how are you going to get someone to pay retail on an item that' has been discontinued let alone a mark up? They need to do what Minny did with Love.

So they can't get someone to pay retail so they should trade him for a couple of # 1 picks including a guy of Wiggins caliber. Mmmmkay.

[NavLDO]

If we want Westbrook... and this is the type of moment McMully has been setting himself up for... play the UCLA trump card. Trade Bled and Tucker + ? for Love, then make a strong play in free agency with Watson leading the charge. Appeal to the inner Bruin.

I think Phnx is enough of a social step up. Its not LA, but its certainly not OKC either.

And if he does leave, we get our future PG in next year draft if Ulis doesn't impress. AND we still have Love .

[saintEscaton]

You can't tame the Brodie. He is the best second option in the game but the last "Top 5" player I would build around, he was amazing this regular season but faltered when it counted the most once again. Altho KD was as egregious of a choker

[NTB]

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-pm-suns-look-to-build-something-special/

What the Suns look to be building appears to be special. They’re a team that hopes to surprise people next season, even though they won just 23 games last season and head coach Earl Watson is entering his first full campaign on the job.

The Suns struggled for much of last year. It’s clear that Jeff Hornacek lost his players and the team’s energy level dropped off dramatically. There was a period last season when the team posted just nine wins over a span of 46 games. With a core of Bledsoe, Knight, Chandler, Alex Len, T.J. Warren and Devin Booker, this was a team that many thought could compete for a playoff spot in the West.

Watson took over on an interim basis late last season and began to instill his philosophy. There were no guarantees that he would become the team’s permanent head coach, but he was operating as if the job was his. The team won just nine games with Watson at the helm, but it was apparent that the players loved Watson as head coach.

His time as a player earned him instant respect. The Suns brought Watson to their meeting to help recruit LaMarcus Aldridge last summer. Aldridge later said he nearly chose Phoenix before ultimately agreeing to sign with the San Antonio Spurs. Watson is trying to instill a winning atmosphere with the Suns, but he has his players buying into his system.

“I haven’t been a player under him, but you can tell how genuine [he is] and how he believes in himself,” Dudley said of Watson. “I see that in Jason Kidd in a sense of he knows what he’s good at. You can tell he’s very highly prepared, and he’s a player’s coach. His confidence is high and he’s real big when it comes to the whole family aspect. He really believes in if you’re successful off of the floor, you’ll be [successful] on the floor. I can respect that and I’m just here to help in any way that I can.”

A huge contingent of Suns players were on hand in Las Vegas this week to watch Phoenix’s Summer League team. Players like Bledsoe, Knight, Len, Dudley and Coach Watson were among those in attendance. Some teams and players view the Summer League as a chance to begin building chemistry for the next season. The team even organized a mini training camp in San Diego prior to the Summer League a few weeks ago.

The team has a great young core in place that seems poised to take the next step in their development. They have a ton of depth on the roster and look strong at nearly every position, while also having a good balance of youth and experience.

It’s reasonable to believe that the Suns’ road back to the top of the West will take some time. Every team in the conference faces an uphill battle to dethrone the Golden State Warriors as the top team. But with the group of guys in place in Phoenix, they’re perfectly fine with that challenge.

[LukasBMW]

Thoughts on this trade......

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=h9evlcb

Na. Rather cut out the Bucks and swap Knight for Noel or Okafor.

[JMac1]

Yeah, I think most of the OKC FO thinks he will walk but still won't trade him unless it's an overpay (say they won't trade him unless it's a massive overpay).

They won't trade him because they can't. Talk is cheap, how are you going to get someone to pay retail on an item that' has been discontinued let alone a mark up? They need to do what Minny did with Love.

So they can't get someone to pay retail so they should trade him for a couple of # 1 picks including a guy of Wiggins caliber. Mmmmkay.

Awww BW forgot Cleveland got a promise from Love to re-up with them...

Find the team Westbrook will re-sign with then trade. That's exactly what Cleveland and Minny did.

Edit: Basically it becomes a permanent trade.

[bwgood77]

They won't trade him because they can't. Talk is cheap, how are you going to get someone to pay retail on an item that' has been discontinued let alone a mark up? They need to do what Minny did with Love.

So they can't get someone to pay retail so they should trade him for a couple of # 1 picks including a guy of Wiggins caliber. Mmmmkay.

Awww BW forgot Cleveland got a promise from Love to re-up with them...

Find the team Westbrook will re-sign with then trade. That's exactly what Cleveland and Minny did.

Edit: Basically it becomes a permanent trade.

I don't think Westbrook is near there yet on knowing who he would extend with or if he wants to get traded at all. I think he's focusing on this season right now and is far from wanting out at this point.

[JMac1]

So they can't get someone to pay retail so they should trade him for a couple of # 1 picks including a guy of Wiggins caliber. Mmmmkay.

Awww BW forgot Cleveland got a promise from Love to re-up with them...

Find the team Westbrook will re-sign with then trade. That's exactly what Cleveland and Minny did.

Edit: Basically it becomes a permanent trade.

I don't think Westbrook is near there yet on knowing who he would extend with or if he wants to get traded at all. I think he's focusing on this season right now and is far from wanting out at this point.

Yea, he hasn't said anything to the public as far as I know. That's good.

[letsgosuns]

When thinking of what it would take to trade for Russell Westbrook, think of it like the Kevin Love situation. It took two number one picks, Wiggins and Bennett, to trade for Love. However, everyone knows Bennett was arguably already a bust and potentially the worst number one pick ever, so the trade was really about Wiggins. He was the one that was considered the best number one pick in years. Now I personally hold Westbrook in much higher regard than Love. Therefore, considering it took Wiggins to get Love, I cannot imagine what the Thunder's asking price is for Westbrook. Plus, Westbrook still might stay with the Thunder anyway whereas Love was definitely leaving the Timberwolves in free agency. When you put that into perspective, it would take an absolute monster offer to get the Thunder to give up Westbrook.

[LukasBMW]

I'd still love to get my hands on Wiggins.

If the wolves ever decide that Towns/Dunn and a guy like Butler are gonna be their big 3, I'd try to get involved as a third party and steal Wiggins away.

[bigfoot]

I really believe the Suns are going to start the season with an eye on the playoffs. Our situation is so much more positive this year than last without the distraction of the Morri and the players not responding to Horny. Vegas has the Suns and Nets as the worst two teams in the league. That gives fuel to the players.

I don't see a league worst team with Bledsoe back and Dudley replacing the malcontent Kief. Remember that Kief played absolutely horrible last year until Watson took over. Before Bledsoe was injured and while Kief was playing poorly the Suns went 12-19. Booker wasn't playing any substantial minutes either.

Add in a healthy Chandler, Knight, and our new acquisitions in Barbosa, Ulis, Bender, and Chriss plus Alan Williams emergence and we should be very competitive if everyone stays healthy. The team chemistry should be infinitely better than last year. Factoring in all these changes I really don't think playing .500 ball is unrealistic.

So in the case of competing for the playoffs, Bender and Chriss fight for minutes at the backup PF spot. That competition is a good thing. One of them will earn 15-20 minutes per game while Dudley plays 28-30. It's likely both will get an opportunity in the game depending on how they are playing and the match ups.

In the unlikely event we are horrible after 40 games then we can look to move some vets (Bledsoe, Knight, Tucker, Dudley, Chandler, and Barbs) at the trade deadline and give the rooks more burn.

[saintEscaton]

I'd still love to get my hands on Wiggins.

If the wolves ever decide that Towns/Dunn and a guy like Butler are gonna be their big 3, I'd try to get involved as a third party and steal Wiggins away.

If Wiggins is gunna ever amount to anything more than eRozan/Gay on roids it will be because of Thib's tutelage untapping his two-way potential.. Altho he may run him into the ground doing so. I actually think Josh Jackson is a superior prospecnot as athletic/long but but has more of a motor/killer instinct he reminds me more of TMac than Wiggins ever did because he can actually handle the rock

[NavLDO]

So, now that the Sixers have signed Saric, I would love to find a way to get Jerami Grant (SF/PF, 6' 8) and his nearly 7' 3" Wingspan and Richaun Holmes (PF, 6' 9.5"), and his 7' 1.5" Wingspan here, but the Sixers seem more inclined to part with Noel...OK???... and Jahlil Okafor, for Brandon Knight and pick(s). For some reason, ESPN Trade Machine REALLY likes Jerami Grant, so it comes back looking bad for the Sixers, but I think it's a bit out of whack, honestly. Would leave them with, if I'm looking at it correctly:

Bayless/Marshall/McConnell/Rodriguez
Knight/(Saric)/Henderson/Luwawu/Stauskas
(Simmons)/(Saric)/(Covington)/Thompson
(Simmons)/(Holmes)/(Covington)/Landry
Embiid/(Holmes)/Kaun

If they wanted to 'unload' their gluttony of Guards now (seems weird, I know) we could make the trade bigger and send them Len, and we take on (shudder) Stuaskas and McConnell:

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=h5kjhkh

Bayless/Rodriguez/Marshall
Knight/(Saric)/Henderson/Luwawu
(Simmons)/(Saric)/(Covington)/Thompson
(Simmons)/(Holmes)/(Covington)/Landry
Embiid/Len/(Holmes)/Kaun

Assuming we 'dump' Marshall, and not taking on Jenkins to make room for Stuaskus, that would give us:

Bledsoe/Barbosa/Ulis/McConnell
Booker/Stuaskas/Goodwin
Warren/Tucker/(Dudley)/(Bender)
Noel/Grant/(Dudley)/Chriss/(Bender)
Okafor/Chandler

That's 16, so have no idea how we would unclutter that...maybe assign Chriss to DL?? IDK, but I do know that a starting lineup of:

Bledsoe/Booker/Warren/Noel/Okafor

...would be a playoff squad, and if Okafor can't play with Noel due to spacing, then we just make sure that Noel plays with Chandler, and Okafor with Grant or Bender or Dudley, or something like that, but I think both teams benefit in that the Sixers get a Combo-Guard, a Center with range in Len, and a pick, and even if Embiid still isn't healthy, the Sixers likely have a playoff squad with some combo of Bayless or Knight, Knight or Saric, Simmons or Saric, Covington or Holmes, and Embiid or Len.

And again, we just put the best 5 out there, but could you imagine turning Knight and Len into Stauskas, Grant, Noel and Okafor, with Chriss, Bender, and Ulis as our rookies...ADDED to our core of Bledsoe, Booker, and Warren??? Yeah, too good to be true, but I'd happily trade one of the Heat picks, maybe even both, to secure that quattro of young talent in Noel, Okafor, Stauskas, and Grant. I know Stauskas has been somewhat of a disappointment (33% 3PT shooter/81.6% FT%/50% TS%/46% eFG%), but remember this--he's played one season with the Kings (where NBA talent goes to die) and one season with the Sixers (where dead NBA talent goes after death...to hell). Put him around guys like Bledsoe, Warren, and Booker, and he can only improve.

I don't see a down side for either team--Sixers unclutter their front-court, get a darn good pick or two, and while WE may not like Knight all that well, the kid does have talent, and they get Len as well with a pick or two.

OK, somebody bring me back down to earth and explain why this would be bad for us or the Sixers, or both...yeah we lose picks and Len (ok, saintEscaton, stop your 'happy-dance', this is only rosterbation here... ), but in return for Noel, Okafor, and Grant (who I really like a lot, if you couldn't tell, but I wouldn't cry over Covington, instead, either), I'm all about it!

[saintEscaton]

Well Embiid wasn't even close to participating in SL and he just got cleared for light 5 on 5 scrimmages, they need insurance beyond this year and thats what Jah provide. if they aren't willing to pony up to retain Noel I doubt they would for Len an inferior prospect so its basically a rental. Also that frontcourt pairing is a spacing nightmare, maybe TJ could alleviate it a lil if his outside stroke is for real. Noel is not nearly as effective playing out of position covering Jah's behind away from the rim. He is already an All-NBA level anchor at center

[Cutter]

If we want Westbrook... and this is the type of moment McMully has been setting himself up for... play the UCLA trump card. Trade Bled and Tucker + ? for Love, then make a strong play in free agency with Watson leading the charge. Appeal to the inner Bruin.

I think Phnx is enough of a social step up. Its not LA, but its certainly not OKC either.

FRank, you are fighting til the end

If I ever go to battle, I want Frank by my side. The dude never goes down and never gives up. You gotta sorta admire that.