Season Speculation, Trade Ideas & Discussion Pt. 3

[BobbieL]

Hmm ... Houston and Boston went all in on the tank too ... or did they?

Please try to use more than one example (76ers) when attempting to support your argument for tanking. The Sixers got extremely lucky in the lottery with two number one and two number three picks. Two of those picks look like they could be possible flops (Okafur and Fultz).

I see the Suns as more like the Warriors, Grizzlies and Thunder than say the Sixers. More like building through the draft - maybe not top picks like the Sixers but not 10 picks and building that way. The problem is the Suns were not getting t picks for many years as they were no mans land. But now, the Suns I think have the core - and with one more solid top 5 pick and the Heat pick -- not sure what to do with all those second rounders - the Suns just need to let this youth get experience and hope to use cap space wisely

I do think they need to get a PG for Booker and the rest of the team. If the Kings are taking Knight/Monroe - I do like that Koufos/Hill suggestion.

I agree ... but again we don't absolutely need a top 5 pick ... because really who do we have that is a "solid" top 5 pick?? Our "solid" players are Booker and Warren who are mid-round picks. The Suns really need quality veterans to put next to Booker and Warren. A veteran PG is what we desperately need. Even if that means giving up a couple of our picks to get one. Let Jackson, Chriss, and Bender grow. All these 2018, 2019 picks really will not make a difference for the team for 3-4 years and we need to show Booker we are ready to win now (or by this coming offseason).

I do agree that the team needs to start adding veterans. I am not opposed to another top 5 pick - because some of these players, Porter, Doncic, Ayton - might be difference makers. But the Heat pick - if that and other picks - even an asset like Chriss - can be used for the right veteran, I am not opposed.

[Fo-Real]

Call me crazy (not the first time, won't be the last), there is no doubt we ride out the season with the point guards we have unless one falls into our laps. The way our gm thinks, he probably still sees Brandon Knight coming back next year as a possible fix, and I have to say I MIGHT agree. I have no doubt in my mind that Knight will benefit without the two terrible situations we put him into. One is the two pg system witch was flawed with no clearly defined roles, and that rolls into number two, the coaching style/system of Earl (fake coach) Watson. No doubt he will benefit from a better system and a couple reliable young scorers around him in Devin and Tj. He'll, I think Frank said it, play Monroe (great post big), resign him, draft well, get Brandon back (not to mention Sauce, and Reed) waive bye to Alex, and push on to next year. If Tyson wants to stay fine (he would be a large expiring contract) if he asks out, then accommodate him. Same with Duds.

[BobbieL]

Call me crazy (not the first time, won't be the last), there is no doubt we ride out the season with the point guards we have unless one falls into our laps. The way our gm thinks, he probably still sees Brandon Knight coming back next year as a possible fix, and I have to say I MIGHT agree. I have no doubt in my mind that Knight will benefit without the two terrible situations we put him into. One is the two pg system witch was flawed with no clearly defined roles, and that rolls into number two, the coaching style/system of Earl (fake coach) Watson. No doubt he will benefit from a better system and a couple reliable young scorers around him in Devin and Tj. He'll, I think Frank said it, play Monroe (great post big), resign him, draft well, get Brandon back (not to mention Sauce, and Reed) waive bye to Alex, and push on to next year. If Tyson wants to stay fine (he would be a large expiring contract) if he asks out, then accommodate him. Same with Duds.

I will say this - Earl Watson as head coach did not just affect the progression of Chriss and Bender - it also affected guys like Warren,, Booker, and Len. They played under him for 1.33 seasons or so. Its obvious under Triano that they are finally getting a real teacher of basketball.

As for your idea - I am not opposed to Knight as the PG next year but still think I prefer the suggested Hill trade with those four players involved.

here is a link from the wire above - looks the Nuggets and Suns did talk Bledsoe and Mudiay/1st - just wonder why it fell apart. Suns wanted Arthur and not Faried to make dollars work. Maybe the 1st had protections. Interesting

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/248073/Nuggets-Were-Close-To-Trade-With-Suns-For-Eric-Bledsoe

[Biff]

Call me crazy (not the first time, won't be the last), there is no doubt we ride out the season with the point guards we have unless one falls into our laps. The way our gm thinks, he probably still sees Brandon Knight coming back next year as a possible fix, and I have to say I MIGHT agree. I have no doubt in my mind that Knight will benefit without the two terrible situations we put him into. One is the two pg system witch was flawed with no clearly defined roles, and that rolls into number two, the coaching style/system of Earl (fake coach) Watson. No doubt he will benefit from a better system and a couple reliable young scorers around him in Devin and Tj. He'll, I think Frank said it, play Monroe (great post big), resign him, draft well, get Brandon back (not to mention Sauce, and Reed) waive bye to Alex, and push on to next year. If Tyson wants to stay fine (he would be a large expiring contract) if he asks out, then accommodate him. Same with Duds.

I will say this - Earl Watson as head coach did not just affect the progression of Chriss and Bender - it also affected guys like Warren,, Booker, and Len. They played under him for 1.33 seasons or so. Its obvious under Triano that they are finally getting a real teacher of basketball.

As for your idea - I am not opposed to Knight as the PG next year but still think I prefer the suggested Hill trade with those four players involved.

here is a link from the wire above - looks the Nuggets and Suns did talk Bledsoe and Mudiay/1st - just wonder why it fell apart. Suns wanted Arthur and not Faried to make dollars work. Maybe the 1st had protections. Interesting

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/248073/Nuggets-Were-Close-To-Trade-With-Suns-For-Eric-Bledsoe

My guess is it fell apart because the Suns wanted Mudiay AND a 1st and the Nuggets said no thanks. We should have just traded for Mudiay and a 2nd rounder. I doubt we're going to find a better prospect in 2020 with a late 20's 1st rounder.

[NavLDO]

76ers started rebuilding same time as the Suns and yet look where their at vs where the Suns are. They haven’t gone through 3-4 coaches and they also haven’t had disgruntled players demanding trades and causing drama.

IMO, Ryan McDonough may need to be fired and replaced with Sam Hinkie.

2 x #1 overall picks plus 2 x #3 overall picks, plus a few others, will do that for you, as opposed to #13, #14, #4, #8, and #4 picks...HUGE difference between #1 and #14, or #3 and #13.

[bwgood77]

Hmm ... Houston and Boston went all in on the tank too ... or did they?

Please try to use more than one example (76ers) when attempting to support your argument for tanking. The Sixers got extremely lucky in the lottery with two number one and two number three picks. Two of those picks look like they could be possible flops (Okafur and Fultz).

I see the Suns as more like the Warriors, Grizzlies and Thunder than say the Sixers. More like building through the draft - maybe not top picks like the Sixers but not 10 picks and building that way. The problem is the Suns were not getting t picks for many years as they were no mans land. But now, the Suns I think have the core - and with one more solid top 5 pick and the Heat pick -- not sure what to do with all those second rounders - the Suns just need to let this youth get experience and hope to use cap space wisely

I do think they need to get a PG for Booker and the rest of the team. If the Kings are taking Knight/Monroe - I do like that Koufos/Hill suggestion.

I agree ... but again we don't absolutely need a top 5 pick ... because really who do we have that is a "solid" top 5 pick?? Our "solid" players are Booker and Warren who are mid-round picks. The Suns really need quality veterans to put next to Booker and Warren. A veteran PG is what we desperately need. Even if that means giving up a couple of our picks to get one. Let Jackson, Chriss, and Bender grow. All these 2018, 2019 picks really will not make a difference for the team for 3-4 years and we need to show Booker we are ready to win now (or by this coming offseason).

Yep, when your best players are mid round picks you usually are at the bottom of the standings. It would be nice to get a top 5 pick in a top heavy draft and not a crap draft with a top 1 or 2 or no clear cut top prospects. We are destined to get the 6th or 7th pick though.

[bwoolf2]

Call me crazy (not the first time, won't be the last), there is no doubt we ride out the season with the point guards we have unless one falls into our laps. The way our gm thinks, he probably still sees Brandon Knight coming back next year as a possible fix, and I have to say I MIGHT agree. I have no doubt in my mind that Knight will benefit without the two terrible situations we put him into. One is the two pg system witch was flawed with no clearly defined roles, and that rolls into number two, the coaching style/system of Earl (fake coach) Watson. No doubt he will benefit from a better system and a couple reliable young scorers around him in Devin and Tj. He'll, I think Frank said it, play Monroe (great post big), resign him, draft well, get Brandon back (not to mention Sauce, and Reed) waive bye to Alex, and push on to next year. If Tyson wants to stay fine (he would be a large expiring contract) if he asks out, then accommodate him. Same with Duds.

Ya not sure what Brandon Knight will turn into, what I do know from everything I have heard and read and seen is that no one will work harder than that guy to try and become the player he wants to be and we want him to be, it wont be a Bledsoe situation where he basically gives up that guy will bust his ass trying.

[bwgood77]

here is a link from the wire above - looks the Nuggets and Suns did talk Bledsoe and Mudiay/1st - just wonder why it fell apart. Suns wanted Arthur and not Faried to make dollars work. Maybe the 1st had protections. Interesting

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/248073/Nuggets-Were-Close-To-Trade-With-Suns-For-Eric-Bledsoe

That's interesting...some more interesting stuff from the link (to the actual piece by Zach Lowe):

I wonder if we were that team mentioned in this first paragraph:

Before Game 1, Denver waived Jameer Nelson, their starter much of last season. They had a deal in place to trade him to a bad team in exchange for a protected second-round pick, but they could not stomach sending a beloved mentor into lottery purgatory, sources say. The Nuggets admit emotion creeps into their decision-making, and they hope players around the league notice.

Connelly sounds opposite of McD:

"You can't make decisions with your heart only," Connelly says, without confirming any Nelson deal. "But these are good guys. To view them as just assets -- that's not something we ascribe to. Guys we've had here will speak highly of how we've treated them."

Sounds like Murray really misses Jameer:

"It was tough to see Jameer go," Malone says. "The players trusted him. I find value in veteran mentors. In our meetings, of course I brought up all the reasons it made sense to keep him. But you have to think big picture.....

.... Murray has spent most of this season overthinking every decision, and passing up open 3s for wayward floaters. He's shooting a ghastly 29 percent from deep. "He's passing up open shots to take tough shots," Malone says. "I probably am," Murray concedes. "Last year, I had Jameer out there with me, and I was coming off pindowns. I'm trying to figure it all out."

Mudiay and Murray are improving, and they will get good. Most lottery picks get good in their mid-20s. Actualized versions of Murray and Mudiay may top out as league-average starting point guards. Harris will be better than that as his position, but perhaps never an All-Star.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21424481/zach-lowe-nikola-jokic-jamal-murray-denver-nuggets-nba

[MathiasPW]

Classy. And I think they are leaking this on purpose as they will be competing with the Suns as a FA destination in the upcoming years (hopefully)

[Waylay13]

Call me crazy (not the first time, won't be the last), there is no doubt we ride out the season with the point guards we have unless one falls into our laps. The way our gm thinks, he probably still sees Brandon Knight coming back next year as a possible fix, and I have to say I MIGHT agree. I have no doubt in my mind that Knight will benefit without the two terrible situations we put him into. One is the two pg system witch was flawed with no clearly defined roles, and that rolls into number two, the coaching style/system of Earl (fake coach) Watson. No doubt he will benefit from a better system and a couple reliable young scorers around him in Devin and Tj. He'll, I think Frank said it, play Monroe (great post big), resign him, draft well, get Brandon back (not to mention Sauce, and Reed) waive bye to Alex, and push on to next year. If Tyson wants to stay fine (he would be a large expiring contract) if he asks out, then accommodate him. Same with Duds.

Brandon Knight's is that he is a shoot first point guard. I am personally sick of shoot first point guards and think that Brandon can find a spot on the bench as a back up shooting guard behind Booker.

[AtheJ415]

76ers started rebuilding same time as the Suns and yet look where their at vs where the Suns are. They haven’t gone through 3-4 coaches and they also haven’t had disgruntled players demanding trades and causing drama.

IMO, Ryan McDonough may need to be fired and replaced with Sam Hinkie.

2 x #1 overall picks plus 2 x #3 overall picks, plus a few others, will do that for you, as opposed to #13, #14, #4, #8, and #4 picks...HUGE difference between #1 and #14, or #3 and #13.

This X1000

It is mind-numbing to see people both complain about the time to rebuild versus other teams while also saying we shouldn't need to tank fully because you can get guys later in the draft. While it's true that being good at drafting (and McDonough has been) is more important than simply getting high picks, you cannot expect to have the same level of success picking where we have versus Philly.

The random vets who actually helped us win, who most complaining about rebuilding have liked, are the actual reasons the rebuild has taken longer.

All of that said, Philly isn't a playoff team in the West this season imo so I actually think we are not quite as far behind them as many others might.

[King4Day]

here is a link from the wire above - looks the Nuggets and Suns did talk Bledsoe and Mudiay/1st - just wonder why it fell apart. Suns wanted Arthur and not Faried to make dollars work. Maybe the 1st had protections. Interesting

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/248073/Nuggets-Were-Close-To-Trade-With-Suns-For-Eric-Bledsoe

That's interesting...some more interesting stuff from the link (to the actual piece by Zach Lowe):

I wonder if we were that team mentioned in this first paragraph:

Before Game 1, Denver waived Jameer Nelson, their starter much of last season. They had a deal in place to trade him to a bad team in exchange for a protected second-round pick, but they could not stomach sending a beloved mentor into lottery purgatory, sources say. The Nuggets admit emotion creeps into their decision-making, and they hope players around the league notice.

Connelly sounds opposite of McD:

"You can't make decisions with your heart only," Connelly says, without confirming any Nelson deal. "But these are good guys. To view them as just assets -- that's not something we ascribe to. Guys we've had here will speak highly of how we've treated them."

Sounds like Murray really misses Jameer:

"It was tough to see Jameer go," Malone says. "The players trusted him. I find value in veteran mentors. In our meetings, of course I brought up all the reasons it made sense to keep him. But you have to think big picture.....

.... Murray has spent most of this season overthinking every decision, and passing up open 3s for wayward floaters. He's shooting a ghastly 29 percent from deep. "He's passing up open shots to take tough shots," Malone says. "I probably am," Murray concedes. "Last year, I had Jameer out there with me, and I was coming off pindowns. I'm trying to figure it all out."

Mudiay and Murray are improving, and they will get good. Most lottery picks get good in their mid-20s. Actualized versions of Murray and Mudiay may top out as league-average starting point guards. Harris will be better than that as his position, but perhaps never an All-Star.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21424481/zach-lowe-nikola-jokic-jamal-murray-denver-nuggets-nba

McD has been fair with Chandler though. Gave him an out if he wanted to be traded and didn't just trade him to move him.
Our issues are dealing with young players with issues:

Morrii - Criminally
Bledsoe - Wanted a mega raise now supposedly.

Nothing we can do about that really.

[Mulhollanddrive]

The past 35 championship teams have drafted an All-Star: Bird, Johnson, Thomas, Jordan, Olajuwan, Duncan, Bryant, Wallace, Wade, Pierce, Nowitzki, James, Curry.

But the other All-Stars have come from a spread of Draft, Trade, FA.

We have accomplished the hardest part in finding a draft star in Booker who will fit the criteria to be the 14th guy. History shows from there it is more important to get star support than where it comes from.

[bwgood77]

here is a link from the wire above - looks the Nuggets and Suns did talk Bledsoe and Mudiay/1st - just wonder why it fell apart. Suns wanted Arthur and not Faried to make dollars work. Maybe the 1st had protections. Interesting

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/248073/Nuggets-Were-Close-To-Trade-With-Suns-For-Eric-Bledsoe

That's interesting...some more interesting stuff from the link (to the actual piece by Zach Lowe):

I wonder if we were that team mentioned in this first paragraph:

Before Game 1, Denver waived Jameer Nelson, their starter much of last season. They had a deal in place to trade him to a bad team in exchange for a protected second-round pick, but they could not stomach sending a beloved mentor into lottery purgatory, sources say. The Nuggets admit emotion creeps into their decision-making, and they hope players around the league notice.

Connelly sounds opposite of McD:

"You can't make decisions with your heart only," Connelly says, without confirming any Nelson deal. "But these are good guys. To view them as just assets -- that's not something we ascribe to. Guys we've had here will speak highly of how we've treated them."

Sounds like Murray really misses Jameer:

"It was tough to see Jameer go," Malone says. "The players trusted him. I find value in veteran mentors. In our meetings, of course I brought up all the reasons it made sense to keep him. But you have to think big picture.....

.... Murray has spent most of this season overthinking every decision, and passing up open 3s for wayward floaters. He's shooting a ghastly 29 percent from deep. "He's passing up open shots to take tough shots," Malone says. "I probably am," Murray concedes. "Last year, I had Jameer out there with me, and I was coming off pindowns. I'm trying to figure it all out."

Mudiay and Murray are improving, and they will get good. Most lottery picks get good in their mid-20s. Actualized versions of Murray and Mudiay may top out as league-average starting point guards. Harris will be better than that as his position, but perhaps never an All-Star.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21424481/zach-lowe-nikola-jokic-jamal-murray-denver-nuggets-nba

McD has been fair with Chandler though. Gave him an out if he wanted to be traded and didn't just trade him to move him.
Our issues are dealing with young players with issues:

Morrii - Criminally
Bledsoe - Wanted a mega raise now supposedly.

Nothing we can do about that really.

I know. I was just going to respond to the post about Tucker being one of the few that didn't go nuclear when leaving, that only a handful did, and two were the Morris twins. Bledsoe did, but that was inevitable with his looming contract regardless of if we sat him last year. We've had lots of players come and go over the last few years and only a handful that had problems. But two of them were due big contracts where they were likely to be overpaid anyway.

[LukasBMW]

That article on the "almost" Denver trade is interesting. I wonder how their 1st rounder compared to the 1st rounder the Bucks were offering?

I guess we will never know.

I'd take Mudiay over Moose though. We needed a PG and the guy was a top prospect. Look how long it took Aaron Gordon to start playing well. Same with Otto Porter. These guys are drafted so young now that it takes them 3-4-5 years to fully develop. If Mudiay had the right attitude and the protections on the Denver pick were comparable to what the Bucks offered, we might have made the wrong trade.

[Joe Pong]

76ers started rebuilding same time as the Suns and yet look where their at vs where the Suns are. They haven’t gone through 3-4 coaches and they also haven’t had disgruntled players demanding trades and causing drama.

IMO, Ryan McDonough may need to be fired and replaced with Sam Hinkie.

2 x #1 overall picks plus 2 x #3 overall picks, plus a few others, will do that for you, as opposed to #13, #14, #4, #8, and #4 picks...HUGE difference between #1 and #14, or #3 and #13.

This X1000

It is mind-numbing to see people both complain about the time to rebuild versus other teams while also saying we shouldn't need to tank fully because you can get guys later in the draft. While it's true that being good at drafting (and McDonough has been) is more important than simply getting high picks, you cannot expect to have the same level of success picking where we have versus Philly.

The random vets who actually helped us win, who most complaining about rebuilding have liked, are the actual reasons the rebuild has taken longer.

All of that said, Philly isn't a playoff team in the West this season imo so I actually think we are not quite as far behind them as many others might.

Did I just read that McDonough has been good at drafting? Is that sarcastic? Man, he has missed on just about every pick he's had. Wasted relatively high lottery picks on guys who will be nothing more than career bench players

[NavLDO]

76ers started rebuilding same time as the Suns and yet look where their at vs where the Suns are. They haven’t gone through 3-4 coaches and they also haven’t had disgruntled players demanding trades and causing drama.

IMO, Ryan McDonough may need to be fired and replaced with Sam Hinkie.

Suns tried to make the playoffs every season while 76ers tried to suck as much as possible every season. They had 3 top 3 picks while Suns had 0. And I think if McD was allowed to suck for many season and get as many high picks as possible he would do as well as Hinkie.

Sorry to you and ginobiliflops...had I read what you all wrote, I wouldn't had basically repeated what you all wrote; spot on. It's easy to point out that we aren't as good as Philly now, but when they have Embiid, Fultz, Saric, Okafor, and Simmons vs Warren, Booker, Chriss, Bender and JJ, I'd say we've done all right for ourselves. especially considering where they were picked compared to where our guys were picked. (3, 1, 12, 3, 8, 1 [avg=4th] vs 14, 13, 8, 4, 4 [best=4th, avg=9th]). A lot of it is the coaching and the blatant tanking the 76ers enjoyed season after season; we truly only tanked for 2 years, and still didn't get it right...ugh...

[AtheJ415]

2 x #1 overall picks plus 2 x #3 overall picks, plus a few others, will do that for you, as opposed to #13, #14, #4, #8, and #4 picks...HUGE difference between #1 and #14, or #3 and #13.

This X1000

It is mind-numbing to see people both complain about the time to rebuild versus other teams while also saying we shouldn't need to tank fully because you can get guys later in the draft. While it's true that being good at drafting (and McDonough has been) is more important than simply getting high picks, you cannot expect to have the same level of success picking where we have versus Philly.

The random vets who actually helped us win, who most complaining about rebuilding have liked, are the actual reasons the rebuild has taken longer.

All of that said, Philly isn't a playoff team in the West this season imo so I actually think we are not quite as far behind them as many others might.

Did I just read that McDonough has been good at drafting? Is that sarcastic? Man, he has missed on just about every pick he's had. Wasted relatively high lottery picks on guys who will be nothing more than career bench players

This post is filled with such ignorance that I won't even go into the details of the numbers that unqualifyingly prove you wrong. He drafted very low down and ended up with a future all NBA player in Booker, a near all star in Warren, and 2 more guys who despite this board hating have actually been pretty productive in Chriss and Ulis, and a guy in Bender who has flashed a ton of potential. The only real complaint you can make is Len, who was a pick in the worst draft of the modern era that nearly everyone bombed.

[Mulhollanddrive]

For all the talk of superteams only 1 team this season will have more than 2 All-Stars.

So if we achieve our target of 3 that would give us more than Houston, Spurs, Cleveland, Boston etc...

That may change if Philadelphia and Minnesota have done their rebuild right and then we'd need 3 to match.

[bwgood77]

76ers started rebuilding same time as the Suns and yet look where their at vs where the Suns are. They haven’t gone through 3-4 coaches and they also haven’t had disgruntled players demanding trades and causing drama.

IMO, Ryan McDonough may need to be fired and replaced with Sam Hinkie.

Nerlens Noel did not back down from his stance that the Philadelphia 76ers' logjam at center is "silly" and "doesn't make any sense" on Monday at media day. While Sixers president Bryan Colangelo maintained that they aren't under any pressure to make moves in the short term, Noel made it clear that he's not happy that the front office failed to balance the roster in the summer.

From the Associated Press' Chuck Gormley:
"I don't see a way of it working," Noel said Monday, one day before the Sixers' first full workout in their new practice facility along the New Jersey riverfront across from Philadelphia. "It's just a logjam.

"You've got three talented centers that can play 30-plus minutes a night and three centers can't play 30 minutes a night. That's that. Things need to be situated," Noel said. "Obviously, somebody's got to be moved around. It's a tough situation, but I can only say so much because I have no say and no power."
...
"Wait and see? I can't say I do understand that," Noel said. "I just don't think it makes too much sense to come into the season with such a heavy lineup at the center position, I don't know what there is to wait and see."

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nerlens-noel-says-sixers-must-make-a-trade-colangelo-says-they-can-wait/

Nerlens Noel Wants Out Of Philadelphia

http://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-nerlens-noel-wants-philly/#vEfDc8SxWwIHtSsS.97

Jahlil Okafor wants a speedy divorce from the 76ers and isn’t getting it.

The reserve center told team president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo on Tuesday that he wanted to be bought out of his contract. That came after the Sixers declined to pick up Okafor’s contract for the 2018-19 season. The Sixers, however, appear unwilling to let the 21-year-old center, who has played only one game this season, just walk out the door.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/jahlil-okafor-bryan-colangelo-sixers-buyout-request-rejected-20171101.html

Hinkie created their mess of centers. No one seems to care much that these guys wanted out of there.

And on Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo broke the news that McDaniels, the 32nd pick of the 2014 draft, had taken the unusual step of declining a four-year contract in favor of a one-year deal carrying exactly $0 in guaranteed money. The Sixers offered McDaniels a four-year contract — the longest possible for a second-round rookie.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/k-j-mcdaniels-sixers-non-guaranteed-contracts/

Philadelphia's K.J. McDaniels, the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, made a bold decision on his rookie contract, agreeing to a one-year, non-guaranteed tender that could make him a restricted free agent next July.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/philadelphia-s-k-j--mcdaniels-takes-bold-approach-to-rookie-deal-143327281.html

Now Philly did luck out with a top 3 pick the year Embiid was in the draft and he probably would have gone first if healthy. If he remains healthy, they hit a gold mine. And then they of course lucked out in getting the #1 pick in Simmons as well.

Obviously the Suns haven't had such luck to get a top 3 pick.

But I guess you weren't paying attention to Philly closely enough to realize that Noel had been disgruntled and then Okafor was and is as well.