Season Speculation, Trade Ideas & Discussion Pt. 5

[Qwigglez]

Spoiler:

Ok Qwigglez, here's my take on the Portland deal.

I dont see them letting go of Nurkic, specially at that low of a price. Yeah, they also dump Turners large deal (Which they seem very interested in doing), i just dont see them doing it at the cost of Nurkic, as they are trying to free up capspace to re-sign Him, along with Napier and Connaughton. They have always wanted and yet lacked a big like him and they finally got him.

What i do find interesting is that a Portland Fan did create a trade on the trade board involving us (Along with Miami). The whole idea behind it was to, yes, cut salary to re-sign those 3 players i mentioned. Now what i thought was pretty interesting (And in a way blew my mind) was that they were getting rid of Turners salary by using CJ and his large deal (Opening up a ton of capspace).

Now while i dont agree with his trade idea (We got Turner but Miami got CJ), i think there could be a way to just cut miami completely out of it. Here was the trade he posted:

Portland in: Josh Richardson
Justice Winslow
Wayne Ellington
Tyson Chandler
Jared Dudley


Portland Out: CJ
Evan Turner
Jake Layman

Miami in: CJ
Jake Layman


Miami out: Josh Richardson
Tyler Johnson
Wayne Ellington
Justice Winslow
Kelly Olynk
2018 (lotto protected) 1st

Suns in: Tyler Johnson
Evan Turner
Kelly Olynk
Mia: 2018 (lotto protected) 1st

Suns out: Tyson Chandler
Jared Dudley


Why for Portland? - Portland uses CJ to get rid of Turner’s awful deal but also avoids using a pick to dump Turner and swings back a great 3&D in Josh Richardson having a great season and a nice young piece in Winslow both on solid contracts. Then they bite the salaries of Chandler and Dudley for the rest of this year and next year and will be out of salary hell to be able to resign guys like Napier, Connaughton, and Nurkić.

Potential starting lineup - Dame, Napier, Richardson, Aminu, Nurkic

Why for Miami? - Pat Riley gets his guy in CJ who is a lethal scorer and could possibly be even better if he was able to run the show full time. CJ and Whiteside pick n roll next to Dragic would be nice. They also set themselves up a lot better for next season by getting rid of Tyler Johnson who is owed $19 mil, Josh Richardson $10 mil, and Olynyk $10 mil

Why for Suns? - Suns get compensated a nice 1st round pick for their efforts facilitating while also getting rid of their older vets on bigger contracts (Dudley, Chandler) they take back Turner which is a terrible contract but they get compensated and can afford it and he actually might fit well in Phoenix being able to run an offense next to Booker and Jackson. Phoenix also gets Tyler Johnson who will be making a lot next year but is a good young player for Phoenix to try while they continue a rebuild. Kelly Olynk is a good role player on a decent contract and could give them insurance Incase Alex Len doesn’t return.

Seriously, if we could net CJ (while being forced to take on Turner) for the low price of...say Chandler/Dudley/Monroe and Chris(?), i think i would pull the trigger on that.

CJ/Booker Would be a killer combo. Deadly. Turner (while vastly overpaid) could take over Dudleys 6 MPG. Chandler? Monroe? No real loss there. Chris? Might be a tough pill for some to swallow, but sooner than later we will have to finally choose who between Him and Bender is going to be our guy (Hell maybe neither!).

Hell, on top of all that we keep our draft pick. Imagine if we still were able to land Young. I wonder how well Booker could play SF? I mean he does have the height (Maybe not the overall size). Imagine a line-up of:

Young/McCollum/Booker/Warren/Bender Everybody can score. Everybody has range...well, except for Warren. But everybody would be a threat. Crazy? Yes, i know.

Do you know da wae????

Wait...so you are saying we could get Miami's Lotto Protected 2018 1st Rd pick in the Deal? Sold! I'm in!

Sorry, I couldn't resist...apparently, the poster did little to no research before posting....

We get a NICE 1st round pick, not like a bad 1st round pick.

[darealjuice]

Judging from comments coming from Triano after the last game, it seems like he is a bit worried he’s working them too hard in practice for them to be at full energy come game time to get a win. Personally I say stay the course and keep working them hard if that’s the case, skill development for a lot of these guys is about as important as game feel at this point, and they need all the work they can get.

[NavLDO]

Eh, my trade was just for fun. No way do I believe the Blazers would be interested in any kind of deal where they get rid of Nurkic. I also think the likelihood of them trading CJ is highly unlikely unless they were to get a definitive star back in return.

Everyone is clamoring for Trae Young but the chances of us getting him are very slim. I wonder how attached the Nets are to D'Lo. I'd give them Monroe, both Miami picks, and the Bucks pick for D'Lo and Mozgov. I then hope we are still able to pick up Bamba in the draft and then call it quits on obtaining any more youth.

D'Lo/Booker/Warren/Chriss/Bamba
Ulis/Reed/Jackson/Bender/Chandler

Well, like us, they need to decide who they are going with, going forward. They have a similar problem at PG that we have at SF; difference is, Dinwiddie was a 2nd Rd pick and likely 'knows his place' and will slide back to the Bench without much thought/concern, whereas Warren?? Not so much. But if we could make a swap...Warren for Carroll, Russell for Chriss.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yab8hkv6

or some thing easier...

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y83nez5x

just straight C for C...we take Mozgov for an extra $2-3M and an extra year over Chandler...so they save money and get a the better Center, which makes up for the difference in value between Russel and Chriss.

But what you bolded above sparked another thought, that I'll address in a different post.

[WeekapaugGroove]

I prefer us to to do absolutely nothing but release Monroe....then plummet down the standings and auger in. This squad is beyond repair and devoid of talent. We play like a group who just picked sides at the Y.

Our vets have no value as nobody will absorb their remaining 10Mil year for what little they can provide on the court. Our kids haven't shown anything to warrant a good player in return..... some of them playing their way to europe/china. (You hear me Ulis??) The big 3 of Jackson, Chris, Bender are good values but inconsistent contributors. Production for dollar says keep them. Plus, we wont get anything back in a deal. we have nothing but picks to offer... unless we are willing to part with Warren... and at this point, if we were able to get some legit PG talent back, I might do it. But I'd rather see where the lotto shakes out.

With the pathetic play this team has been showing us, Im banking on a real good chance to get one of Young or Doncic.Atleast a top 5. Either way, McD has some real work to do this off season... A coach, a legit PG, a C all have to be found as this is the last year we get rewarded for being one of the worst teams in the league. His roster hodge-podging has shown little cohesion from day one. And please, no lectures on how young these guys are. Bad is bad. If he can't put a team together with what he has had then its time to go. Christ he has traded away a GD starting team and has little to nothing to show for it. (Dragic/Bled/Mobro1/Mobro2/TheGortat for ????)

This year is easy. Just look away from the train wreck and wait for the draft. We've done it before.... but this has to stop and this team has to compete next yr/soon else McD will be McDumped.

Except we haven't done so well in the past two drafts, so maybe it's best we consolidate our assets and make a deal. Or hope Brandon becomes our white Knight.
I actually wish we would have just kept Bledsoe. At least then we would only have one gaping hole instead of two.

Man you know things have got weird around here when Frank is leading the tank and draft charge

Qwigs - You're not wrong about how it's looking for the past two drafts. But I would say if that's the suns opinion after these next 40 games then I would prefer to change the person making those decision instead of changing the method of talent acquisition. Especially with the top of this draft that is both highly regarded and is loaded with PG's and C's two immediate needs for the Suns. As far as making the change I realize McD got an extension but if they don't feel he's done a good enough job then Sarver needs to bite the bullet and eat that money and get someone in here who can evaluate talent. The timing works this summer too since they will be hiring a new coach so it could be time for a whole organizational change at the top.

Now with all that said they should always be opportunistic and if the right player was available in a trade you explore the option. And I do think they should have more of a win now focus this summer than ever before but to me that's more draft one guy and then use the cap space to grab a vet strategy then to empty out the asset bin for someone.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Based on the way you guys are talking, I would think that none of you watched Josh Jackson play over the last couple weeks. Kid's been tearing it up.

Last 5 games:
12.6 PPG
4.6 RPG
2.4 APG
.4 STL
.4 BLK
1.4 TO
47% FG
47% 3FG
... in only 21.6 MPG.

I'm pretty sure we did not "miss" with Josh Jackson.

[Qwigglez]

Based on the way you guys are talking, I would think that none of you watched Josh Jackson play over the last couple weeks. Kid's been tearing it up.

Last 5 games:
12.6 PPG
4.6 RPG
2.4 APG
.4 STL
.4 BLK
1.4 TO
47% FG
47% 3FG
... in only 21.6 MPG.

I'm pretty sure we did not "miss" with Josh Jackson.

If he can keep this up the rest of the season then I will surely be a happy camper. Though, he's supposed to be a defender so his steals and blocks should be higher

[Frank Lee]

Spoiler:

I prefer us to to do absolutely nothing but release Monroe....then plummet down the standings and auger in. This squad is beyond repair and devoid of talent. We play like a group who just picked sides at the Y.

Our vets have no value as nobody will absorb their remaining 10Mil year for what little they can provide on the court. Our kids haven't shown anything to warrant a good player in return..... some of them playing their way to europe/china. (You hear me Ulis??) The big 3 of Jackson, Chris, Bender are good values but inconsistent contributors. Production for dollar says keep them. Plus, we wont get anything back in a deal. we have nothing but picks to offer... unless we are willing to part with Warren... and at this point, if we were able to get some legit PG talent back, I might do it. But I'd rather see where the lotto shakes out.

With the pathetic play this team has been showing us, Im banking on a real good chance to get one of Young or Doncic.Atleast a top 5. Either way, McD has some real work to do this off season... A coach, a legit PG, a C all have to be found as this is the last year we get rewarded for being one of the worst teams in the league. His roster hodge-podging has shown little cohesion from day one. And please, no lectures on how young these guys are. Bad is bad. If he can't put a team together with what he has had then its time to go. Christ he has traded away a GD starting team and has little to nothing to show for it. (Dragic/Bled/Mobro1/Mobro2/TheGortat for ????)

This year is easy. Just look away from the train wreck and wait for the draft. We've done it before.... but this has to stop and this team has to compete next yr/soon else McD will be McDumped.

Except we haven't done so well in the past two drafts, so maybe it's best we consolidate our assets and make a deal. Or hope Brandon becomes our white Knight.
I actually wish we would have just kept Bledsoe. At least then we would only have one gaping hole instead of two.

Man you know things have got weird around here when Frank is leading the tank and draft charge

Qwigs - You're not wrong about how it's looking for the past two drafts. But I would say if that's the suns opinion after these next 40 games then I would prefer to change the person making those decision instead of changing the method of talent acquisition. Especially with the top of this draft that is both highly regarded and is loaded with PG's and C's two immediate needs for the Suns. As far as making the change I realize McD got an extension but if they don't feel he's done a good enough job then Sarver needs to bite the bullet and eat that money and get someone in here who can evaluate talent. The timing works this summer too since they will be hiring a new coach so it could be time for a whole organizational change at the top.

Now with all that said they should always be opportunistic and if the right player was available in a trade you explore the option. And I do think they should have more of a win now focus this summer than ever before but to me that's more draft one guy and then use the cap space to grab a vet strategy then to empty out the asset bin for someone.

hehe.... I hear ya.... but I really dont think there is much else we can do. We dont have valid assets that would garner significant players in return. May as well lie in this bed, pizz and all. At least it started out warm, but now its cold, wet, and has a smell to it. This year is done. And I dont trust McDuhs ability to trade our way better.

I agree with you on him.... he's on double secret probation right now, though I bet he gets this one last off season to right the ship... unless there is a mega talent coach Sarver wants who will only come here as GM too, I'd expect Triano to continue on a cheap 2 year deal... and he is/will be directly tied to McD.

Its a shame, but if McD's monkeying around did not include Knight.... oh brother.... the entire fan base here would be f-n on cloud nine.

[Saberestar]

Chriss doubtful, Jackson questionable and Warren questionable for today's game.

[hollywood6964]

Spoiler:

Except we haven't done so well in the past two drafts, so maybe it's best we consolidate our assets and make a deal. Or hope Brandon becomes our white Knight.
I actually wish we would have just kept Bledsoe. At least then we would only have one gaping hole instead of two.

Man you know things have got weird around here when Frank is leading the tank and draft charge

Qwigs - You're not wrong about how it's looking for the past two drafts. But I would say if that's the suns opinion after these next 40 games then I would prefer to change the person making those decision instead of changing the method of talent acquisition. Especially with the top of this draft that is both highly regarded and is loaded with PG's and C's two immediate needs for the Suns. As far as making the change I realize McD got an extension but if they don't feel he's done a good enough job then Sarver needs to bite the bullet and eat that money and get someone in here who can evaluate talent. The timing works this summer too since they will be hiring a new coach so it could be time for a whole organizational change at the top.

Now with all that said they should always be opportunistic and if the right player was available in a trade you explore the option. And I do think they should have more of a win now focus this summer than ever before but to me that's more draft one guy and then use the cap space to grab a vet strategy then to empty out the asset bin for someone.

hehe.... I hear ya.... but I really dont think there is much else we can do. We dont have valid assets that would garner significant players in return. May as well lie in this bed, pizz and all. At least it started out warm, but now its cold, wet, and has a smell to it. This year is done. And I dont trust McDuhs ability to trade our way better.

I agree with you on him.... he's on double secret probation right now, though I bet he gets this one last off season to right the ship... unless there is a mega talent coach Sarver wants who will only come here as GM too, I'd expect Triano to continue on a cheap 2 year deal... and he is/will be directly tied to McD.

Its a shame, but if McD's monkeying around did not include Knight.... oh brother.... the entire fan base here would be f-n on cloud nine.

Pretty much.

[Qwigglez]

I prefer us to to do absolutely nothing but release Monroe....then plummet down the standings and auger in. This squad is beyond repair and devoid of talent. We play like a group who just picked sides at the Y.

Our vets have no value as nobody will absorb their remaining 10Mil year for what little they can provide on the court. Our kids haven't shown anything to warrant a good player in return..... some of them playing their way to europe/china. (You hear me Ulis??) The big 3 of Jackson, Chris, Bender are good values but inconsistent contributors. Production for dollar says keep them. Plus, we wont get anything back in a deal. we have nothing but picks to offer... unless we are willing to part with Warren... and at this point, if we were able to get some legit PG talent back, I might do it. But I'd rather see where the lotto shakes out.

With the pathetic play this team has been showing us, Im banking on a real good chance to get one of Young or Doncic.Atleast a top 5. Either way, McD has some real work to do this off season... A coach, a legit PG, a C all have to be found as this is the last year we get rewarded for being one of the worst teams in the league. His roster hodge-podging has shown little cohesion from day one. And please, no lectures on how young these guys are. Bad is bad. If he can't put a team together with what he has had then its time to go. Christ he has traded away a GD starting team and has little to nothing to show for it. (Dragic/Bled/Mobro1/Mobro2/TheGortat for ????)

This year is easy. Just look away from the train wreck and wait for the draft. We've done it before.... but this has to stop and this team has to compete next yr/soon else McD will be McDumped.

Except we haven't done so well in the past two drafts, so maybe it's best we consolidate our assets and make a deal. Or hope Brandon becomes our white Knight.
I actually wish we would have just kept Bledsoe. At least then we would only have one gaping hole instead of two.

Man you know things have got weird around here when Frank is leading the tank and draft charge

Qwigs - You're not wrong about how it's looking for the past two drafts. But I would say if that's the suns opinion after these next 40 games then I would prefer to change the person making those decision instead of changing the method of talent acquisition. Especially with the top of this draft that is both highly regarded and is loaded with PG's and C's two immediate needs for the Suns. As far as making the change I realize McD got an extension but if they don't feel he's done a good enough job then Sarver needs to bite the bullet and eat that money and get someone in here who can evaluate talent. The timing works this summer too since they will be hiring a new coach so it could be time for a whole organizational change at the top.

Now with all that said they should always be opportunistic and if the right player was available in a trade you explore the option. And I do think they should have more of a win now focus this summer than ever before but to me that's more draft one guy and then use the cap space to grab a vet strategy then to empty out the asset bin for someone.

True enough. Though I do recall majority of the board members here at the time of the draft wanted either Bender or Chriss, we got them both. This past draft majority wanted Jackson and we got him too. A lot of people also wanted us to tank properly and we traded Bledsoe, so they got that going for them too. It appears the direction the team is headed is exactly what majority of the board wanted anyhow.

IMO, it's going to take more than just this next draft to help us out. We need to grow organically at an exponential rate. The road we are going down, we aren't making the playoffs next year or even the year after.

[Qwigglez]

Chriss doubtful, Jackson questionable and Warren questionable for today's game.

It's a good thing I didn't buy the $370 tickets on Stubhub that sits directly behind the Suns. Two weeks ago they were only $300, but I wasn't sure if Booker was going to play. Chriss, Jackson, and Warren all missing will just make the game too embarrassing. Though if Booker goes off for 50+ I may end up crying at work.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Chriss doubtful, Jackson questionable and Warren questionable for today's game.

It's a good thing I didn't buy the $370 tickets on Stubhub that sits directly behind the Suns. Two weeks ago they were only $300, but I wasn't sure if Booker was going to play. Chriss, Jackson, and Warren all missing will just make the game too embarrassing. Though if Booker goes off for 50+ I may end up crying at work.

Nah, word is out. Double Booker = double digit victory.

[jcsunsfan]

I think our pick will end up being top 5. I also believe we should deal whatever assets are necessary to land Trae Young, our future picks, Miami picks, Milwaukee picks, second rounders, a young player--whatever. We get young and FA center and we are on our way. Its fairly easy to fill out the roster with quality role players.

BTW. Who do you think will draw free agents more? A quality big, even a generational big like Bamba, Atyon, or Bagley, or a generational pg that gets double digit assists and makes everyone around him better?

I vote for the pg. One of the reasons that the Suns were a "star magnet" team in the 90's and even into the 2000's (drawing Barkley, Manning, Chambers, etc) was the pg priority of those teams. KJ, Kidd, Nash etc.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

I'd be willing to bet that we sign/S&T for one of the following PGs this summer:

RFA: Smart, Payton, Napier, Exum, Neto
UFA: Bradley, Joseph, Evans

I'd be a little shocked if it was Exum or Evans. Bradley's probably also a long shot due to cost.

[NavLDO]

Spoiler:

Eh, my trade was just for fun. No way do I believe the Blazers would be interested in any kind of deal where they get rid of Nurkic. I also think the likelihood of them trading CJ is highly unlikely unless they were to get a definitive star back in return.

Everyone is clamoring for Trae Young but the chances of us getting him are very slim.

Spoiler:

I wonder how attached the Nets are to D'Lo. I'd give them Monroe, both Miami picks, and the Bucks pick for D'Lo and Mozgov. I then hope we are still able to pick up Bamba in the draft and then call it quits on obtaining any more youth.

D'Lo/Booker/Warren/Chriss/Bamba
Ulis/Reed/Jackson/Bender/Chandler

So, as I've been looking the past several days/couple of weeks, I've noticed that this class is actually a lot deeper at PG than first alluded by the media. And now, we are starting to see some of these names pop up that were not really talked about before the season started...Trae Young being one of them; he came out of nowhere.

Anyway, GMs/Scouts do a lot more digging than we typically do, but since PG is so near and dear to all of our hearts, and we need an answer, and soon (by FA or the Draft at the latest), and since we own...

Our '18 1st, so 8th
Mia '18 1st, so 23rd
Our '18 2nd, so 38th
2nd most favorable 2nd between Memphis/Charlotte, so, 41st
Mil '18 2nd (if 48th or later), so 49th
Tor '18 2nd, so 57th

So, that's at best, 6 picks. The Mil pick is tenuous, as you can see. Worst case is 5 picks.

When looking at our Roster, if I had to 'order' our positions by most critical need to least, I would order them as such:

PG
C
PF
SG
SF

C and PF could switch depending upon what happens with Monroe and Len. We expect them both to be gone by next season, but if by some miracle, McD signs one or both to stay, then it becomes one of our strongest positions with Sauce coming back and Chandler still being here, but in reality, it's "The Old Man and the Sauce" (Did you see what I did there?? I know, almost as bad as my trade proposals )

Anyway, with 6 picks, and no solution at PG, and some sleepers out there, I'm not too concerned about getting Young or Doncic. Would I take one if they are there when we draft? Sure. Would I trade our roster away for the opportunity to draft one of them? No, and here's why...

LOTTERY
Colin Sexton - 19.3 PTS 3.6 REB 3.4 AST 0.1 BLK 1.3 STL (37% 3PT)
S.Gilgeous-Alexander - 12.4 PTS 3.7 REB 4.4 AST 0.4 BLK 2.1 STL (48% 3PT)
Anfernee Simons - Post HS - See report from yesterday. (Combo Guard)

1st Round
Trevon Duval - 12.5 PTS 2.1 REB 6.3 AST 0.2 BLK 1.7 STL (though has a pretty lousy 3PT%/FT%)
Lonnie Walker - 9.2 PTS 2.8 REB 1.2 AST 0.4 BLK 1.1 STL (Mia Combo Guard)
Bruce Brown - 11.0 PTS 7.1 REB 3.8 AST 0.7 BLK 1.3 STL (Other Mia Combo Guard)
De'Anthony Melton - 8.3 PTS 4.7 REB 3.5 AST 1.0 BLK 1.9 STL (Last year - Legal Issues /Bribery Scandal, but nothing terrible)
Rawle Alkins - 14.8 PTS 4.3 REB 2.7 AST 0.8 BLK 1.6 STL (Combo guard)
Landry Shamet - 15.8 PTS 2.9 REB 5.0 AST 0.2 BLK 0.8 STL (52.3% 3PT on 5.2 att/gm)
Jalen Brunson - 18.8 PTS 3.3 REB 5.2 AST 0.0 BLK 1.0 STL (48.1% 3PT on 4.6 att/gm)
Khyri Thomas - 14.2 PTS 4.2 REB 3.1 AST 0.2 BLK 1.3 STL (Career 39% 3PT)

2nd Round
Devonte' Graham - 18.3 PTS 3.4 REB 7.3 AST 0.1 BLK 2.0 STL (44% 3PT on 7.3 att/gm)
Shake Milton - 17.4 PTS 4.6 REB 4.5 AST 0.7 BLK 1.6 STL (41.5% 3PT on 5.9 att/gm)
Grayson Allen - 15.0 PTS 3.8 REB 4.4 AST 0.1 BLK 1.4 STL (39% 3PT on 6.4 att/gm)
Jevon Carter - 16.7 PTS 5.2 REB 6.3 AST 0.5 BLK 3.4 STL (40% 3PT on 5.4 att/gm)
Aaron Holiday - 18.9 PTS 3.8 REB 5.2 AST 0.2 BLK 1.6 STL (40% 3PT on 5.3 att/gm)
Tra Holder - 20.1 PTS 4.9 REB 3.9 AST 0.0 BLK 1.7 STL (43% 3PT on 5.9 att/gm)
Allonzo Trier - 20.1 PTS 3.3 REB 3.1 AST 0.5 BLK 0.7 STL (40% 3PT on 5.4 att/gm)
Jaylen Adams - 18.5 PTS 4.4 REB 5.1 AST 0.2 BLK 1.2 STL (53% 3PT on 4.6 att/gm)
Tony Carr - 19.6 PTS 4.5 REB 4.8 AST 0.1 BLK 1.1 STL (45% 3PT on 4.8 att/gm)

...28 points on 11-for-21 shooting, including 4-for-8 from three...The NBA teams that I saw evaluating Simons on Sunday were the Nuggets, Spurs, Thunder, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Suns, Hawks, Knicks and the Celtics

First off, the 2nd Round Prospects listed are not in any order, and secondly, I did not make the decision on what their stock is; I just looked at a few sites to get a feeling. All the 2nd Rd guys have at least 2 seasons of play, and most are 3 or 4 year college 'veterans', which is likely why they are 2nd round player.

But, the point is, there are quite a few good shooting PGs coming in, and we have 4 x 2nd Rd picks, so I hope McD selects at least 2, if not 3 PGs this draft, and better his chances of getting it right. I'm ok doing that with 2nd Rd picks; where I have issue with that strategy is in the Top 10 picks like what we did with Bender and Chriss, but 'spilled milk' and all...

I hope McD brings in at least one of Brunson, Shamet, or Adamss, and see if one of them is as good a shooter as they demonstrated in college. But heck, they all seem to be pretty good shooters, with the exception of Duval and Lonnie Walker.

If McD comes out of this draft class with less than 2 PGs...I'll be disappointed.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Except we haven't done so well in the past two drafts, so maybe it's best we consolidate our assets and make a deal. Or hope Brandon becomes our white Knight.
I actually wish we would have just kept Bledsoe. At least then we would only have one gaping hole instead of two.

Man you know things have got weird around here when Frank is leading the tank and draft charge

Qwigs - You're not wrong about how it's looking for the past two drafts. But I would say if that's the suns opinion after these next 40 games then I would prefer to change the person making those decision instead of changing the method of talent acquisition. Especially with the top of this draft that is both highly regarded and is loaded with PG's and C's two immediate needs for the Suns. As far as making the change I realize McD got an extension but if they don't feel he's done a good enough job then Sarver needs to bite the bullet and eat that money and get someone in here who can evaluate talent. The timing works this summer too since they will be hiring a new coach so it could be time for a whole organizational change at the top.

Now with all that said they should always be opportunistic and if the right player was available in a trade you explore the option. And I do think they should have more of a win now focus this summer than ever before but to me that's more draft one guy and then use the cap space to grab a vet strategy then to empty out the asset bin for someone.

True enough. Though I do recall majority of the board members here at the time of the draft wanted either Bender or Chriss, we got them both. This past draft majority wanted Jackson and we got him too. A lot of people also wanted us to tank properly and we traded Bledsoe, so they got that going for them too. It appears the direction the team is headed is exactly what majority of the board wanted anyhow.

IMO, it's going to take more than just this next draft to help us out. We need to grow organically at an exponential rate. The road we are going down, we aren't making the playoffs next year or even the year after.

You're right that the majority of the board liked those picks. Although I would say this year Jackson was far from the consensus I was personally team Isaac and Fox had his supporters too. But ultimately I don't judge it by who us posters wanted. We don't work in basketball and aren't paid to make the right choice. It's not a GMs job to pick the guy everyone wants it's his job to get as many picks right as possible.

Now it's still very early in the evaluation of the last two drafts and things could look better even by the end of this year. And if they do then McD might deserve one more shot. Frankly it's all the other aspects of the job (trades, FA, player relations) that contribute to my belief he might not be the right guy for this job. I was high on the hire when they got him but the results are the results at this point.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Man you know things have got weird around here when Frank is leading the tank and draft charge

Qwigs - You're not wrong about how it's looking for the past two drafts. But I would say if that's the suns opinion after these next 40 games then I would prefer to change the person making those decision instead of changing the method of talent acquisition. Especially with the top of this draft that is both highly regarded and is loaded with PG's and C's two immediate needs for the Suns. As far as making the change I realize McD got an extension but if they don't feel he's done a good enough job then Sarver needs to bite the bullet and eat that money and get someone in here who can evaluate talent. The timing works this summer too since they will be hiring a new coach so it could be time for a whole organizational change at the top.

Now with all that said they should always be opportunistic and if the right player was available in a trade you explore the option. And I do think they should have more of a win now focus this summer than ever before but to me that's more draft one guy and then use the cap space to grab a vet strategy then to empty out the asset bin for someone.

True enough. Though I do recall majority of the board members here at the time of the draft wanted either Bender or Chriss, we got them both. This past draft majority wanted Jackson and we got him too. A lot of people also wanted us to tank properly and we traded Bledsoe, so they got that going for them too. It appears the direction the team is headed is exactly what majority of the board wanted anyhow.

IMO, it's going to take more than just this next draft to help us out. We need to grow organically at an exponential rate. The road we are going down, we aren't making the playoffs next year or even the year after.

You're right that the majority of the board liked those picks. Although I would say this year Jackson was far from the consensus I was personally team Isaac and Fox had his supporters too. But ultimately I don't judge it by who us posters wanted. We don't work in basketball and aren't paid to make the right choice. It's not a GMs job to pick the guy everyone wants it's his job to get as many picks right as possible.

Now it's still very early in the evaluation of the last two drafts and things could look better even by the end of this year. And if they do then McD might deserve one more shot. Frankly it's all the other aspects of the job (trades, FA, player relations) that contribute to my belief he might not be the right guy for this job. I was high on the hire when they got him but the results are the results at this point.

Week, do you think JJ was the wrong pick?

[gaspar]

Chriss doubtful, Jackson questionable and Warren questionable for today's game.

And House has a flu.

If they're all out, our rotation will be:

Ulis/Canaan
Daniels/Reed
Booker/Dudley
Bender/Peters
Chandler/Len

Yikes.

[gaspar]

Read on Twitter

[NavLDO]

I prefer us to to do absolutely nothing but release Monroe....then plummet down the standings and auger in. This squad is beyond repair and devoid of talent. We play like a group who just picked sides at the Y.

Our vets have no value as nobody will absorb their remaining 10Mil year for what little they can provide on the court. Our kids haven't shown anything to warrant a good player in return..... some of them playing their way to europe/china. (You hear me Ulis??) The big 3 of Jackson, Chris, Bender are good values but inconsistent contributors. Production for dollar says keep them. Plus, we wont get anything back in a deal. we have nothing but picks to offer... unless we are willing to part with Warren... and at this point, if we were able to get some legit PG talent back, I might do it. But I'd rather see where the lotto shakes out.

With the pathetic play this team has been showing us, Im banking on a real good chance to get one of Young or Doncic.Atleast a top 5. Either way, McD has some real work to do this off season... A coach, a legit PG, a C all have to be found as this is the last year we get rewarded for being one of the worst teams in the league. His roster hodge-podging has shown little cohesion from day one. And please, no lectures on how young these guys are. Bad is bad. If he can't put a team together with what he has had then its time to go. Christ he has traded away a GD starting team and has little to nothing to show for it. (Dragic/Bled/Mobro1/Mobro2/TheGortat for ????)

This year is easy. Just look away from the train wreck and wait for the draft. We've done it before.... but this has to stop and this team has to compete next yr/soon else McD will be McDumped.

I'd still like to see what these guys could do in a traditional development scenario. Someone, anyone (because I'm not going to do the research to find the answer), tell me when the last time...or heck, if ever, a GM spent two top 10 picks on two under 20, highly-developmental players who played the same position, then tell me who they were, and how they both turned out to be great players...because surely McD must have had some type of blueprint to go off of when he decided to go that direction.

Seriously, all three of those guys are doomed...Chriss, Bender, and JJ. They're all going to fail. NOT because they aren't good enough, but because they are in an impossible situation. You've finally broken me down, Frank (well, not you...McD has done it with his dumb approach to team building), but I'm on the dump McD bandwagon the day after the Trade Deadline is over, if he has not traded one of the 2 PFs, and one of Warren or JJ.

Stupid waste of a 4th overall pick...TWO YEARS IN A ROW!!! Amazing, actually. I'm ok with 'sucking' the rest of the season, but then play JJ, and play Chriss or Bender...again (beating that dead horse)...Pick one! Really is a waste of draft picks if they don't start developing these kids, and letting Warren believe he's our starter of the future? That's a Dragic scenario waiting to happen again once he's 'sat' in favor of JJ.

But if we traded Warren + oh, I'll say Chriss today, for X PG, then start:

X PG / Booker / JJ / Bender / Chandler?? Len??

Then I'm ok with sucking til the cows come home...or the end of the season...whichever is first.

Draft a Center, another young PG...or two...a couple of developmental guys to be bench support, and let's go...but right now, we are accomplishing nothing. No one is getting developed properly, and we are still sucking...yay!