Season Speculation, Trade Ideas & Discussion Pt. 6

[thamadkant]

Dont think Suns will get Two Top 10 picks...
And no one will trade their pick if Bamba is available. Bouncy Shot blockers who can run and support 3pt shooting oriented teams will be in demand.

[AtheJ415]

The team seriously lacks 3pt shooting.

The thing is, Josh Jackson WILL eventually start and own it too. Booker is there with him, then if Payton becomes the staple PG.... you need a sharp shooting PF to help out Booker. Or a Center.


I want Ayton. But if Suns get him (lol), they need Bender to become a 3pt specialist first then all-rounder second. If not then they need to trade for Kevin Love.



If Suns drafts Bagley... then they need a sharp shooting Center. Brook Lopez is my target then. He'd be good for 2 three pointers a game. I would expect 17ppg 7rpg 2bpg and 2 three pointer makes from him. That would be worth 17-20 million a year and be happy with it.



If Suns draft Doncic... this means Payton is off the bench... and Suns still need a Big Man, so same as above. I would still aim for Brook Lopez.

Just worth mentioning that Jackson is shooting much better as of late and Peyton is shooting 37% from 3 on this season, but I do agree we need a 5 who can shoot and defend. Ayton fits that. I think if we draft Young or Doncic or Porter, Bender becomes solidified at the 5, which imo is his best position anyways. I am okay with that. Then in FA maybe take a flier on somebody like Okafor or Noel if they don't develop a real market, or just keep Len on a cheap deal if he doesn't get offers elsewhere.

[AtheJ415]

Also, unless somebody like Cousins is coming and we truly cannot create the space any other way, we sure as hell better not stretch Knight. Just take the lump in 1 season instead of letting it impact the next 5.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Suns have space, its also CRITICAL they use that to nab a STAR FA.

Then resign internally developed players (Booker, Warren etc) to long term contracts... locking in the CORE.


I think Suns will AIM to sign a Star locked in next off season before Booker's 100 million plus contract is due.

I agree this team needs more top end talent but I don't think it's a given they can simply add it this summer through FA. I can't see Bron, Paul, or George even giving them a meeting and that leaves Cousins as the only other true 'star' available and with his injury and still lingering personality concerns that's an interesting gamble even if he's interested and that's not a given either. I don't view a guys like Gordan or Capella as stars but I guess you could take a swing there and hope they take a leap.

It's far more likely they go the trade route for a top end guy but even that is unpredictable as to who will be available.

All this is why I wouldn't be so quick to trade that Miami pick. I get the log jam aspect but hell I'd rather clear out younger guys that you've had a chance to see and don't feel they will hit their potential than just trade that pick for a low ceiling vet role player. Until you have core group of high end guys on your roster you need to keep rolling the dice on draft picks until you do. I realize as you get later in the draft the odds go down but hell guys like Mitchell, Booker, and Giannis were picked in the middle of the draft so it's not out of the question.

[King4Day]

Tony Allen being bought out or waived. Any reason to go after him? I'm guessing no.

[Waylay13]

The team seriously lacks 3pt shooting.

The thing is, Josh Jackson WILL eventually start and own it too. Booker is there with him, then if Payton becomes the staple PG.... you need a sharp shooting PF to help out Booker. Or a Center.


I want Ayton. But if Suns get him (lol), they need Bender to become a 3pt specialist first then all-rounder second. If not then they need to trade for Kevin Love.



If Suns drafts Bagley... then they need a sharp shooting Center. Brook Lopez is my target then. He'd be good for 2 three pointers a game. I would expect 17ppg 7rpg 2bpg and 2 three pointer makes from him. That would be worth 17-20 million a year and be happy with it.



If Suns draft Doncic... this means Payton is off the bench... and Suns still need a Big Man, so same as above. I would still aim for Brook Lopez.

What if we can get

Doncic with our Pick and get Bamba with a trade Miami pick and chriss?

Cant Doncic play the 3?

Payton
Booker
Doncic
Jackson
Bamba

I dont think McD or Sarver wants 2 rookies, especially if one or both are "projects" again. They are learning (learnt) from Bender and Chriss.... it TAKES a LONG time... and the results are ugly, and its still not even guaranteed they will get there.



I think Suns will AIM for a top rookie... then go for FAs. They want to form a team to get Wins sooner than later.

So 1 impact Rookie and FA shopping IMO.

Doncic has already have more experience against real comp then anyone else in this draft. I may question a lot of things about Him but lets not pretend he is something he isnt. He has played more games against real professional players then anyone in college.

[NTB]

Read on Twitter

LMAO

[darealjuice]

Sounds like Triano wasn’t a big fan of putting G League point guards that are under 6 feet as our starter every night either lol

[NavLDO]

I don't even try to understand anything that Kings are doing.
If you think McD is bad GM then how would you call Kings management?

True, but we've ALWAYS known we were never as bad as Vlade...that was never a contest. You'll have to come up with another to make us feel better!

[bwgood77]

Also, unless somebody like Cousins is coming and we truly cannot create the space any other way, we sure as hell better not stretch Knight. Just take the lump in 1 season instead of letting it impact the next 5.

Agree about Knight. I am not sure I'd touch Cousins coming off a torn achilles. Most all players who have come back from that have been a shell of their former selves...many only played another year or so.

[Djedefre]

Defensively, Ayton is passable at best. I don’t see him as a defensive presence C any time soon. To expect from him to be a rim protector in the NBA when he has blk% of 6 in college ball is wildly optimistic. He has an unique offensive skillset and rebounding capabilities but he ain’t new Embiid. I’m still heavily leaning towards Young/Doncic.

[bwgood77]

What if we can get

Doncic with our Pick and get Bamba with a trade Miami pick and chriss?

Cant Doncic play the 3?

Payton
Booker
Doncic
Jackson
Bamba

I dont think McD or Sarver wants 2 rookies, especially if one or both are "projects" again. They are learning (learnt) from Bender and Chriss.... it TAKES a LONG time... and the results are ugly, and its still not even guaranteed they will get there.



I think Suns will AIM for a top rookie... then go for FAs. They want to form a team to get Wins sooner than later.

So 1 impact Rookie and FA shopping IMO.

Doncic has already have more experience against real comp then anyone else in this draft. I may question a lot of things about Him but lets not pretend he is something he isnt. He has played more games against real professional players then anyone in college.

There is little doubt in my mind Doncic will come in and have immediate impact. I mean, a year and a half ago, when he was 17, his team played the Thunder, and as you can see here, he is playing PG, even guarding Westbrook pretty well early in the video. I mean he was basically leading a team at 17 and playing the Thunder tight...I know it's preseason but still...typically these teams get blown out.

He just looked poised. I just watched Trae Young against Texas and it's safe to say if he went up against Westbrook and a team like the Thunder right now, he'd not look nearly as poised as this guy did a year and a half ago....and since then he led his team to win eurocup.

Watch on YouTube

;t

[NTB]

Read on Twitter

The tweet supposed to be this:

A lot of players were mentioning at practice how Elfrid is going to bring more of a defensive mentality. Many called him a great defender.

Payton has simply been terrible on defense this season.

They deleted it.

[BobbieL]

Also, unless somebody like Cousins is coming and we truly cannot create the space any other way, we sure as hell better not stretch Knight. Just take the lump in 1 season instead of letting it impact the next 5.

Agree about Knight. I am not sure I'd touch Cousins coming off a torn achilles. Most all players who have come back from that have been a shell of their former selves...many only played another year or so.

here is the thing about Knight - how do you know what you have to stretch him? this is probably not like Luol Deng or Joakim Noah - those guys look done!

at least see what knight has for a year, if healthy and who knows, he might be decent and add value. he might be better which makes him a possibility for trade

and again, is there a free agent worth paying max money for out there? I think use some assets and make a trade. Than in 2019 - Chandler, Dudley, Daniels, possibly Sauce, maybe Payton if on a one year deal - are all off the books and maybe then you go for that max player

one key though - and this is the most important decision - the team needs the right head coach. And that is NOT Jason kidd or some other guy without experience. Thunder Dan - sure he has coached both as an assistant and at GCU. Fizdale, Triano, Messina, the other guy on the SPurs, Borrego (sp), even Mike Brown, JB Bickerstaff.

[bwgood77]

Also, unless somebody like Cousins is coming and we truly cannot create the space any other way, we sure as hell better not stretch Knight. Just take the lump in 1 season instead of letting it impact the next 5.

Agree about Knight. I am not sure I'd touch Cousins coming off a torn achilles. Most all players who have come back from that have been a shell of their former selves...many only played another year or so.

here is the thing about Knight - how do you know what you have to stretch him? this is probably not like Luol Deng or Joakim Noah - those guys look done!

at least see what knight has for a year, if healthy and who knows, he might be decent and add value. he might be better which makes him a possibility for trade

and again, is there a free agent worth paying max money for out there? I think use some assets and make a trade. Than in 2019 - Chandler, Dudley, Daniels, possibly Sauce, maybe Payton if on a one year deal - are all off the books and maybe then you go for that max player

one key though - and this is the most important decision - the team needs the right head coach. And that is NOT Jason kidd or some other guy without experience. Thunder Dan - sure he has coached both as an assistant and at GCU. Fizdale, Triano, Messina, the other guy on the SPurs, Borrego (sp), even Mike Brown, JB Bickerstaff.

I wouldn't stretch him. He'd be hanging onto the cap for years. Next summer (19) if we needed to in order to sign someone, so we could stretch his 1 year of remaining salary to 3 years, and knock like $10 million off (I think that's how it would work), it would make sense. But I don't think it makes sense to stretch him this summer...it just lingers for longer on our cap sheet and actually work work more against us in 2019.

We could probably create a lot of space with Chandler and Dudley coming off and stretching Knight if we needed to before re-signing Booker.

[bwgood77]

Read on Twitter

The tweet supposed to be this:

A lot of players were mentioning at practice how Elfrid is going to bring more of a defensive mentality. Many called him a great defender.

Payton has simply been terrible on defense this season.

They deleted it.

Who is "They"?

[NavLDO]

In fairness Bogdan has played enough to be worth Chriss and then some IMO. Dude can play.

The Kings ***** the Suns in that deal. It’s one of many, many trades that McDonough has lost.

Oh, I know, cause Chriss is totally a finished product, and wasn't even talked about as a top 5 pick that year...oh, wait, yes he was...

...and we should have traded for Kyrie...
...and we should never have passed over drafting Kawhi...
...and...well, you get the point.

At the time, it was a good trade, and oh yeah, Chriss is still 20-YO, and at least improving in his defensive skills; Skal has done nothing but regress since last year, or stay the same. We talk about needing shooters...3&D types (yes, even at PF). Well, Chriss and Bender can be those. Skal?? Not so much.

And where, exactly, would you have liked to play Bogdanovic this year, as the 3rd string SF, or 2nd String SG behind Booker. Because no matter how you slice it, he wasn't going to get 27 MPG here.

[ATTL]

I dont think McD or Sarver wants 2 rookies, especially if one or both are "projects" again. They are learning (learnt) from Bender and Chriss.... it TAKES a LONG time... and the results are ugly, and its still not even guaranteed they will get there.



I think Suns will AIM for a top rookie... then go for FAs. They want to form a team to get Wins sooner than later.

So 1 impact Rookie and FA shopping IMO.

Doncic has already have more experience against real comp then anyone else in this draft. I may question a lot of things about Him but lets not pretend he is something he isnt. He has played more games against real professional players then anyone in college.

There is little doubt in my mind Doncic will come in and have immediate impact. I mean, a year and a half ago, when he was 17, his team played the Thunder, and as you can see here, he is playing PG, even guarding Westbrook pretty well early in the video. I mean he was basically leading a team at 17 and playing the Thunder tight...I know it's preseason but still...typically these teams get blown out.

He just looked poised. I just watched Trae Young against Texas and it's safe to say if he went up against Westbrook and a team like the Thunder right now, he'd not look nearly as poised as this guy did a year and a half ago....and since then he led his team to win eurocup.

Watch on YouTube

;t

Read on Twitter

?s=09

I like him, i think he's a 2/3 and don't think it would be prudent to draft another wing when we have good/great players there and gaping holes at other positions when similar tier prospects are available.

[Kerrsed]

Watch on YouTube

[NTB]

Read on Twitter