2018 Free Agency and Trade Discussion continued

[bigfoot]

I want a competent PG in that 1 spot.

The ideal 1 will be able to shoot, make plays and defend.

Pat Beverely can do all 3 things so he's my ideal choice
Milos can shoot and make plays but can't defend so he's my 2nd choice
Harrison and Melton can defend but haven't shown they can shoot or make plays. Likewise these two are my equal third choice
Okobo in theory can shoot and that's all so he's also my third choice

Okobo really grew as a passer. Shot making is his greatest strength but he's a great finisher and has good court vision. You can see his passing here from 2-4 min mark and some more at around 7 and 8 minute. He also can be a pretty tough defender, though inconsistent, but he has great length and quickness to stick with defenders.

I think Okobo is our best chance of the three to end up running our offense to where it flourishes, and the other two will be solid defenders but are probably not ideal starting level point guards/primary ball handlers, even though Shaq is probably the most ready to play now and Melton might be as ready for minutes, but isn't nearly as skilled offensively as Okobo.

Watch on YouTube

Really nice video. Didn't realize how efficient Okobo is shooting and playing out of the pnr. He made some awesome passes in summer league that made me go wow.

Makes me wonder if the Koko and McD have seen enough of Okobo and Shaq in practice to feel comfortable we have a legitimate starting point guard in one of them. Maybe those two were schooling Knight all summer long in pickup games. That would certainly make sense for moving Knight and shoring up our PF position which was as weak as the PG position.

With Koko being a guard specialist and really helping out old vets like Hill and Rubio I'm hopeful. There have been rookie point guards that have come in as starters and made a positive impact.

Okobo/Shaq/Melton/Canaan
Booker/Bridges/Reed
Ariza/Warren/Jackson
Anderson/Bender
Ayton/Chandler/Holmes

Waive Daniels and Arthur.
Let Ariza, Warren, Jackson, Holmes, and Ayton cover for PF if necessary

Or if Sarver is being worried about saving money, waive Daniels and Canaan and keep Arthur as the backup PF.

[bwgood77]

Really nice video. Didn't realize how efficient Okobo is shooting and playing out of the pnr. He made some awesome passes in summer league that made me go wow.

Makes me wonder if the Koko and McD have seen enough of Okobo and Shaq in practice to feel comfortable we have a legitimate starting point guard in one of them. Maybe those two were schooling Knight all summer long in pickup games. That would certainly make sense for moving Knight and shoring up our PF position which was as weak as the PG position.

With Koko being a guard specialist and really helping out old vets like Hill and Rubio I'm hopeful. There have been rookie point guards that have come in as starters and made a positive impact.

Okobo/Shaq/Melton/Canaan
Booker/Bridges/Reed
Ariza/Warren/Jackson
Anderson/Bender
Ayton/Chandler/Holmes

Waive Daniels and Arthur.
Let Ariza, Warren, Jackson, Holmes, and Ayton cover for PF if necessary

Or if Sarver is being worried about saving money, waive Daniels and Canaan and keep Arthur as the backup PF.

Makes me think of KJ thriving as a rookie under Cotton's system.

[BobbieL]

I want a competent PG in that 1 spot.

The ideal 1 will be able to shoot, make plays and defend.

Pat Beverely can do all 3 things so he's my ideal choice
Milos can shoot and make plays but can't defend so he's my 2nd choice
Harrison and Melton can defend but haven't shown they can shoot or make plays. Likewise these two are my equal third choice
Okobo in theory can shoot and that's all so he's also my third choice

Okobo really grew as a passer. Shot making is his greatest strength but he's a great finisher and has good court vision. You can see his passing here from 2-4 min mark and some more at around 7 and 8 minute. He also can be a pretty tough defender, though inconsistent, but he has great length and quickness to stick with defenders.

I think Okobo is our best chance of the three to end up running our offense to where it flourishes, and the other two will be solid defenders but are probably not ideal starting level point guards/primary ball handlers, even though Shaq is probably the most ready to play now and Melton might be as ready for minutes, but isn't nearly as skilled offensively as Okobo.

Watch on YouTube

Really nice video. Didn't realize how efficient Okobo is shooting and playing out of the pnr. He made some awesome passes in summer league that made me go wow.

Makes me wonder if the Koko and McD have seen enough of Okobo and Shaq in practice to feel comfortable we have a legitimate starting point guard in one of them. Maybe those two were schooling Knight all summer long in pickup games. That would certainly make sense for moving Knight and shoring up our PF position which was as weak as the PG position.

With Koko being a guard specialist and really helping out old vets like Hill and Rubio I'm hopeful. There have been rookie point guards that have come in as starters and made a positive impact.

Okobo/Shaq/Melton/Canaan
Booker/Bridges/Reed
Ariza/Warren/Jackson
Anderson/Bender
Ayton/Chandler/Holmes

Waive Daniels and Arthur.
Let Ariza, Warren, Jackson, Holmes, and Ayton cover for PF if necessary

Or if Sarver is being worried about saving money, waive Daniels and Canaan and keep Arthur as the backup PF.

Waiving Daniels doesn't save Sarver any money. It costs him 3.2m

That being said - as the roster stands now - I think Arthur would bring more value at 7.4m than Daniels at 3.2m

[bigfoot]

Okobo really grew as a passer. Shot making is his greatest strength but he's a great finisher and has good court vision. You can see his passing here from 2-4 min mark and some more at around 7 and 8 minute. He also can be a pretty tough defender, though inconsistent, but he has great length and quickness to stick with defenders.

I think Okobo is our best chance of the three to end up running our offense to where it flourishes, and the other two will be solid defenders but are probably not ideal starting level point guards/primary ball handlers, even though Shaq is probably the most ready to play now and Melton might be as ready for minutes, but isn't nearly as skilled offensively as Okobo.

Watch on YouTube

Really nice video. Didn't realize how efficient Okobo is shooting and playing out of the pnr. He made some awesome passes in summer league that made me go wow.

Makes me wonder if the Koko and McD have seen enough of Okobo and Shaq in practice to feel comfortable we have a legitimate starting point guard in one of them. Maybe those two were schooling Knight all summer long in pickup games. That would certainly make sense for moving Knight and shoring up our PF position which was as weak as the PG position.

With Koko being a guard specialist and really helping out old vets like Hill and Rubio I'm hopeful. There have been rookie point guards that have come in as starters and made a positive impact.

Okobo/Shaq/Melton/Canaan
Booker/Bridges/Reed
Ariza/Warren/Jackson
Anderson/Bender
Ayton/Chandler/Holmes

Waive Daniels and Arthur.
Let Ariza, Warren, Jackson, Holmes, and Ayton cover for PF if necessary

Or if Sarver is being worried about saving money, waive Daniels and Canaan and keep Arthur as the backup PF.

Waiving Daniels doesn't save Sarver any money. It costs him 3.2m

That being said - as the roster stands now - I think Arthur would bring more value at 7.4m than Daniels at 3.2m

I think I got it right. Keeping Arthur and waiving Daniels saves Sarver dough.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Okobo really grew as a passer. Shot making is his greatest strength but he's a great finisher and has good court vision. You can see his passing here from 2-4 min mark and some more at around 7 and 8 minute. He also can be a pretty tough defender, though inconsistent, but he has great length and quickness to stick with defenders.

I think Okobo is our best chance of the three to end up running our offense to where it flourishes, and the other two will be solid defenders but are probably not ideal starting level point guards/primary ball handlers, even though Shaq is probably the most ready to play now and Melton might be as ready for minutes, but isn't nearly as skilled offensively as Okobo.

Watch on YouTube

Really nice video. Didn't realize how efficient Okobo is shooting and playing out of the pnr. He made some awesome passes in summer league that made me go wow.

Makes me wonder if the Koko and McD have seen enough of Okobo and Shaq in practice to feel comfortable we have a legitimate starting point guard in one of them. Maybe those two were schooling Knight all summer long in pickup games. That would certainly make sense for moving Knight and shoring up our PF position which was as weak as the PG position.

With Koko being a guard specialist and really helping out old vets like Hill and Rubio I'm hopeful. There have been rookie point guards that have come in as starters and made a positive impact.

Okobo/Shaq/Melton/Canaan
Booker/Bridges/Reed
Ariza/Warren/Jackson
Anderson/Bender
Ayton/Chandler/Holmes

Waive Daniels and Arthur.
Let Ariza, Warren, Jackson, Holmes, and Ayton cover for PF if necessary

Or if Sarver is being worried about saving money, waive Daniels and Canaan and keep Arthur as the backup PF.

Waiving Daniels doesn't save Sarver any money. It costs him 3.2m

That being said - as the roster stands now - I think Arthur would bring more value at 7.4m than Daniels at 3.2m

Waiving Daniels will not cost Sarver anything. $3.2 mil is owed and will be paid. Waiving him could save money in the unlikely event that a team would pick up his contract off waivers.

Have trade papers for the Knight/Anderson deal been filed with the league office? Melton's contract situation is unresolved. So is Darrell Arthur's. I am 90% sure that another move is coming, given all that has been left unresolved. I do think Goran and Milos are the most likely targets, but I could see Walker or Rozier, and perhaps Cory Joseph, Pat Bev or Tyus Jones. I don't think McConnell is likely (I think Sixers prefer to keep him) and I don't think Delon Wright is quite a good enough fit to merit substantial interest from our FO.

I wonder if either team would consider a deal centered around a Josh Jackson/Lonzo Ball swap. Both are heavily involved in their respective team's marketing efforts, but Josh might be a better fit for the Lakers, and Lonzo might be a better fit here. There was talk about us possibly drafting LiAngelo at #59. His family is starting to quiet down a bit, which might make a Ball-to-PHX deal more plausible. There was talk that LBJ was a Jackson fan leading up to the draft, and we know the Suns had interest in Lonzo. I doubt there's anything here; this is all idle speculation.

[bwgood77]

Really nice video. Didn't realize how efficient Okobo is shooting and playing out of the pnr. He made some awesome passes in summer league that made me go wow.

Makes me wonder if the Koko and McD have seen enough of Okobo and Shaq in practice to feel comfortable we have a legitimate starting point guard in one of them. Maybe those two were schooling Knight all summer long in pickup games. That would certainly make sense for moving Knight and shoring up our PF position which was as weak as the PG position.

With Koko being a guard specialist and really helping out old vets like Hill and Rubio I'm hopeful. There have been rookie point guards that have come in as starters and made a positive impact.

Okobo/Shaq/Melton/Canaan
Booker/Bridges/Reed
Ariza/Warren/Jackson
Anderson/Bender
Ayton/Chandler/Holmes

Waive Daniels and Arthur.
Let Ariza, Warren, Jackson, Holmes, and Ayton cover for PF if necessary

Or if Sarver is being worried about saving money, waive Daniels and Canaan and keep Arthur as the backup PF.

Waiving Daniels doesn't save Sarver any money. It costs him 3.2m

That being said - as the roster stands now - I think Arthur would bring more value at 7.4m than Daniels at 3.2m

Waiving Daniels will not cost Sarver anything. $3.2 mil is owed and will be paid. Waiving him could save money in the unlikely event that a team would pick up his contract off waivers.

Have trade papers for the Knight/Anderson deal been filed with the league office? Melton's contract situation is unresolved. So is Darrell Arthur's. I am 90% sure that another move is coming, given all that has been left unresolved. I do think Goran and Milos are the most likely targets, but I could see Walker or Rozier, and perhaps Cory Joseph, Pat Bev or Tyus Jones. I don't think McConnell is likely (I think Sixers prefer to keep him) and I don't think Delon Wright is quite a good enough fit to merit substantial interest from our FO.

I wonder if either team would consider a deal centered around a Josh Jackson/Lonzo Ball swap. Both are heavily involved in their respective team's marketing efforts, but Josh might be a better fit for the Lakers, and Lonzo might be a better fit here. There was talk about us possibly drafting LiAngelo at #59. His family is starting to quiet down a bit, which might make a Ball-to-PHX deal more plausible. There was talk that LBJ was a Jackson fan leading up to the draft, and we know the Suns had interest in Lonzo. I doubt there's anything here; this is all idle speculation.

The Lakers have tons of wings and will likely go after another one this coming summer. I doubt they would even ponder a Ball for Jackson swap.

[Years90Suns]

I do not think Booker is 6-7 (not even 6-6, probably), I do not think he can play PG and I am sure that him playing PG would not be benefitial for the team.

Booker is a legit 6'6. Not more, not less.

I think that he can play some PG for a few minutes here and there, but he can not start at that position all year long.

When I see him I am 100% sure he is not as tall as MJ wass, and MJ was really a legit 6-6.
I believe Booker is more like 6-5 and his frame is not wide.
He can jump with the bests and gets his shot over most SFs, but he is not a dominant SG due to his physical atributes.

Regarding his PG abilities, I totally disagree with the people that say that he can play PG. I think he is a tremendous scorer, but he lacks creativity, he lacks dribbling abilities and he lacks the knack for setting the teammates and carrying the tempo.
I do not think he is there with the best SGs in terms of creating and dribbling.
He is really good at what he is really good, but that does not make him good at everything. He is good at scoring, good at getting FTs and good at passing in the last moment. But he is 20 (still) and has a lot of things to improve.

[Years90Suns]

I do not understand why in hell we signed Ariza?
We have Warren, we have JJ and we picked Bridges. So, we already had to guys who play, primarely, the SF spot. Then we picked a third one who can play SG and SF.
Why do you spent money in a SF who will be here one year? Did the Warriors pay us to steal Ariza from the Rockets son minizing their chances? Or are we really thinking about playing with two SFs for extended periods? There is only another plausible option: we are trying to trade JJ or Warren.

We really do seem to be following the Houston model: A dominat SG that handles the ball, an anchor at center that loves to score around the basket, and shooters. Booker = Harder, Ayton = Capela, and we snagged their SF and PF. Now all we need is a PG somewhere between Beverly and Chris Paul.

We're going to make TJ play defense and get his 3 point shot going. We're going to make Bender sack up and earn time at the 4/5. We're going to make JJ and Bridges improve.

I cannot agree on this. I actually disagree 100%.
Booker has nothing to do with Harden at this point in his career.
And I hope Ayton develops a muh better offensive game than that of Capela. Actually I believe he already has one, but he has to let it go.

[Years90Suns]

I do not understand why in hell we signed Ariza?
We have Warren, we have JJ and we picked Bridges. So, we already had to guys who play, primarely, the SF spot. Then we picked a third one who can play SG and SF.
Why do you spent money in a SF who will be here one year? Did the Warriors pay us to steal Ariza from the Rockets son minizing their chances? Or are we really thinking about playing with two SFs for extended periods? There is only another plausible option: we are trying to trade JJ or Warren.

We really do seem to be following the Houston model: A dominat SG that handles the ball, an anchor at center that loves to score around the basket, and shooters. Booker = Harder, Ayton = Capela, and we snagged their SF and PF. Now all we need is a PG somewhere between Beverly and Chris Paul.

We're going to make TJ play defense and get his 3 point shot going. We're going to make Bender sack up and earn time at the 4/5. We're going to make JJ and Bridges improve.

Obvious why we're discussing our similarities with the Rockets, but the team that comes to mind for me is the Jazz. Strongest at the 2 and 5 with Mitchell/Booker and Gobert/Ayton. Mitchell handles the ball a lot for the Jazz. Ariza is the same archetype as Joe Ingles (Ingles in particular gives TJ fits due to his size and length). We hired the assistant coach of the Jazz, not the Rockets. In the second half of last season, the Jazz caught fire. I'm sure the FO hopes Koko can bring some of that magic to our locker room.

bw posted a great story about Rubio improving his 3FG% part of the way through last season, and he identified TJ as a player we might have similar hopes for. That would be incredible. TJ and Bridges might be compared to Crowder and O'Neal. The Jazz have Favors, but might they actually prefer a Ryan Anderson or benefit from a Dragan Bender? I'm curious to see whether Koko's influence will result in improvements for these players.

The Jazz have Rubio and played their best ball with him. We have defense at the 1 (which is an awesome new development), but we may lack for passing unless one of the second rounders steps up or the bulb turns on for JJ. Are we good enough without the additional shot creation that a Kemba/Dragic would provide? How quickly might Okobo/Melton get there?

I expect we will see a deal for a PG before the season begins. Can't say for sure that I won't hate it.

The moment the Jazz realize that a PF who can shoot would give them the sky, they could be unstopable. And, yes, they could be interested in trading for either Bender or Anerson.
Obviously, Bender fits better, as he can defend and rebound without the cost of Anderson, who cannot either defend or rebound (much less, intimidate).

[JDLAW]

Who the hell cares what Kevin Pelton thinks. Why would you even seek his validation. The Suns' trade for Bridges was likely a good one and the Suns were in a position where they could not wait on 2021 draft choices. Maybe Miami bottoms out maybe not. After last year, it was clear that they needed players not draft choices 3 years down the road. The 76ers made a good trade, but they did not seem to get better this offseason, some would say they took a step back. As for the Houston trade, I was not wild about it nor was I depressed about it. The Suns needed some front court shooting to keep defensive players honest. Houston saved some $$ and we got. shooter and a prospect. We gave up a physically gifted athlete with questionable fit in Chriss and a questionable point guard in Knight. It appears to be a good gamble for both teams. If Pelton cannot understand this ...

As for the point guard situation, there aren't any available out there at this point that I would give any of our players for. I would NOT start Harrison, Okobo, Melton or Cannan. I would start Jackson and Booker in the backcourt and tell Igor to design a motion offense to minimize the need for a traditional point guard. Jackson and Booker handle the ball well enough to get it across half court and run a fast break. Take a look at Golden State and how little they dribble in half court, look at Jackson's triangle offense. Not saying you use one of these, but you certainly can adopt principals for a good motion offense and you have a great scorer in Booker who can break it off if need be ala Kobe and MJ.

The bottom line will always be **** everyone else's opinion if my personal observations are different, but there are some guys that are far far more credible than others. I value understanding why other people feel the way they do. The process Pelton talks about in evaluating players seems more comprehensive than, say, Chad Ford's, and even when I disagree I feel like theres more substance to the debate then "well, this guy seems pretty hyped".

Two things: 1) Pelton or any other outsider only has the credibility you give him. I choose not to give him any. I rely on myself to do my own observations, thinking, and research. (Just me being the cynical lawyer I have been trained to be.) If you give them credibility because they agree with you, all you're doing is using them to validate what is likely your own valid opinion. They generally do not offer anything new or valuable; and 2) Just because Pelton is better than Ford, doesn't make his opinions any good - IMO neither are very insightful when it comes to the Suns and neither have demonstrated any depth of understanding. You seem to be a smart guy and seem to have some good insights, even if others don't always agree with you. Trust yourself more than you trust these guys who haven't paid attention to the Suns for years whereas you have.

[JDLAW]

I do not think Booker is 6-7 (not even 6-6, probably), I do not think he can play PG and I am sure that him playing PG would not be benefitial for the team.

Booker is a legit 6'6. Not more, not less.

I think that he can play some PG for a few minutes here and there, but he can not start at that position all year long.

When I see him I am 100% sure he is not as tall as MJ wass, and MJ was really a legit 6-6.
I believe Booker is more like 6-5 and his frame is not wide.
He can jump with the bests and gets his shot over most SFs, but he is not a dominant SG due to his physical atributes.

Regarding his PG abilities, I totally disagree with the people that say that he can play PG. I think he is a tremendous scorer, but he lacks creativity, he lacks dribbling abilities and he lacks the knack for setting the teammates and carrying the tempo.
I do not think he is there with the best SGs in terms of creating and dribbling.
He is really good at what he is really good, but that does not make him good at everything. He is good at scoring, good at getting FTs and good at passing in the last moment. But he is 20 (still) and has a lot of things to improve.

Sorry, but this is one of the most erroneous and least insightful and least helpful posts I have read in a long time.

[bwgood77]

I do not understand why in hell we signed Ariza?
We have Warren, we have JJ and we picked Bridges. So, we already had to guys who play, primarely, the SF spot. Then we picked a third one who can play SG and SF.
Why do you spent money in a SF who will be here one year? Did the Warriors pay us to steal Ariza from the Rockets son minizing their chances? Or are we really thinking about playing with two SFs for extended periods? There is only another plausible option: we are trying to trade JJ or Warren.

We really do seem to be following the Houston model: A dominat SG that handles the ball, an anchor at center that loves to score around the basket, and shooters. Booker = Harder, Ayton = Capela, and we snagged their SF and PF. Now all we need is a PG somewhere between Beverly and Chris Paul.

We're going to make TJ play defense and get his 3 point shot going. We're going to make Bender sack up and earn time at the 4/5. We're going to make JJ and Bridges improve.

I cannot agree on this. I actually disagree 100%.
Booker has nothing to do with Harden at this point in his career.
And I hope Ayton develops a muh better offensive game than that of Capela. Actually I believe he already has one, but he has to let it go.

Yeah, that Ayton and Capela one seems way off..completely different strengths other than finishing. Ayton is an offensive scorer/shooter, good FT shooter with questionable defense, but the ability to switch and guard 1 on 1 and great rebounder and Capela, while a good rebounder too, cannot shoot or make free throws but is a great defensive guy.

Outside of 3 feet Capela shoots under 40%. Ayton is a good midrange shooter. Capela great team defender, Ayton not so great in this regard. Ayton should be better as rookie overall than Capela though, but that should be obviously be expected based on draft position.

[BobbieL]

Who the hell cares what Kevin Pelton thinks. Why would you even seek his validation. The Suns' trade for Bridges was likely a good one and the Suns were in a position where they could not wait on 2021 draft choices. Maybe Miami bottoms out maybe not. After last year, it was clear that they needed players not draft choices 3 years down the road. The 76ers made a good trade, but they did not seem to get better this offseason, some would say they took a step back. As for the Houston trade, I was not wild about it nor was I depressed about it. The Suns needed some front court shooting to keep defensive players honest. Houston saved some $$ and we got. shooter and a prospect. We gave up a physically gifted athlete with questionable fit in Chriss and a questionable point guard in Knight. It appears to be a good gamble for both teams. If Pelton cannot understand this ...

As for the point guard situation, there aren't any available out there at this point that I would give any of our players for. I would NOT start Harrison, Okobo, Melton or Cannan. I would start Jackson and Booker in the backcourt and tell Igor to design a motion offense to minimize the need for a traditional point guard. Jackson and Booker handle the ball well enough to get it across half court and run a fast break. Take a look at Golden State and how little they dribble in half court, look at Jackson's triangle offense. Not saying you use one of these, but you certainly can adopt principals for a good motion offense and you have a great scorer in Booker who can break it off if need be ala Kobe and MJ.

The bottom line will always be **** everyone else's opinion if my personal observations are different, but there are some guys that are far far more credible than others. I value understanding why other people feel the way they do. The process Pelton talks about in evaluating players seems more comprehensive than, say, Chad Ford's, and even when I disagree I feel like theres more substance to the debate then "well, this guy seems pretty hyped".

I tend to like a few people because there is a consistent and non-partisan approach to their thoughts. Meaning, you want NFL Network, and if someobdy played for a team, more than likely, they are partisan towards that team

Pelton, Law - they just bring a consistent approach to their points. So thats why I like them.

Doesn't mean I always agree and I usually have my own takes anyway.

I was good with the Bridges trade
great with getting rid of Knight - I was tired of having to be positive about him as PG or back up guard options

[BobbieL]

Really nice video. Didn't realize how efficient Okobo is shooting and playing out of the pnr. He made some awesome passes in summer league that made me go wow.

Makes me wonder if the Koko and McD have seen enough of Okobo and Shaq in practice to feel comfortable we have a legitimate starting point guard in one of them. Maybe those two were schooling Knight all summer long in pickup games. That would certainly make sense for moving Knight and shoring up our PF position which was as weak as the PG position.

With Koko being a guard specialist and really helping out old vets like Hill and Rubio I'm hopeful. There have been rookie point guards that have come in as starters and made a positive impact.

Okobo/Shaq/Melton/Canaan
Booker/Bridges/Reed
Ariza/Warren/Jackson
Anderson/Bender
Ayton/Chandler/Holmes

Waive Daniels and Arthur.
Let Ariza, Warren, Jackson, Holmes, and Ayton cover for PF if necessary

Or if Sarver is being worried about saving money, waive Daniels and Canaan and keep Arthur as the backup PF.

Waiving Daniels doesn't save Sarver any money. It costs him 3.2m

That being said - as the roster stands now - I think Arthur would bring more value at 7.4m than Daniels at 3.2m

Waiving Daniels will not cost Sarver anything. $3.2 mil is owed and will be paid. Waiving him could save money in the unlikely event that a team would pick up his contract off waivers.

Have trade papers for the Knight/Anderson deal been filed with the league office? Melton's contract situation is unresolved. So is Darrell Arthur's. I am 90% sure that another move is coming, given all that has been left unresolved. I do think Goran and Milos are the most likely targets, but I could see Walker or Rozier, and perhaps Cory Joseph, Pat Bev or Tyus Jones. I don't think McConnell is likely (I think Sixers prefer to keep him) and I don't think Delon Wright is quite a good enough fit to merit substantial interest from our FO.

I wonder if either team would consider a deal centered around a Josh Jackson/Lonzo Ball swap. Both are heavily involved in their respective team's marketing efforts, but Josh might be a better fit for the Lakers, and Lonzo might be a better fit here. There was talk about us possibly drafting LiAngelo at #59. His family is starting to quiet down a bit, which might make a Ball-to-PHX deal more plausible. There was talk that LBJ was a Jackson fan leading up to the draft, and we know the Suns had interest in Lonzo. I doubt there's anything here; this is all idle speculation.

Daniels contract is guaranteed. If the Suns keep him or waive him - it costs Sarver 3.2m. If another team claims him, they pay the salary. Maybe there is an offset if he is picked up for the league minimum but Daniels being waived is not the same as Beverly being waived today.

[bwgood77]

Ford was just a draft hack. Pelton is a stat and numbers guy, who basically replaced Hollinger and works with a formula. I like Pelton quite a bit. Most of his pieces are not necessarily personal opinion pieces either. He developed his formula for WARP and writes about what it projects. He even points out where it might be flawed, and where data was limited for certain players.

He is rarely writing opinion pieces...so it's just another useful tool to combine with the opinions of people who watch a lot of tape, and what your eyes and the box score simple and advanced numbers tell you.

Pelton is the only guy I really like at espn other than Lowe who usually has great stuff....not because they validate my opinion, and I don't dislike people if they have a different opinion than me, but these too seem well read, comprehensive and present their information/analysis well.

Of course none of these national guys analyze the Suns and our players as closely as we do.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Do national writers just automatically question and sometimes bash suns moves simply because it's the suns making them? Yeah for sure. But honestly until the suns prove then wrong I can't blame them. The bottom line is the suns have been bad and made bad moves for a while now.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app

[bwgood77]

Do national writers just automatically question and sometimes bash suns moves simply because it's the suns making them? Yeah for sure. But honestly until the suns prove then wrong I can't blame them. The bottom line is the suns have been bad and made bad moves for a while now.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app

A lot of these moves that many of us eventually come around on question at first too because they feel like head scratchers....national people obviously have no incentive to come around if they see something as a head scratcher.

I liked the recent trade from the minute it happened. The Bridges trade was kind of a head scratcher but I loved Bridges so ultimately I was happy about it...can understand both viewpoints. The Ariza signing was a head scratcher too, especially after the Bridges trade, but the good thing is I like Ariza and I think having a big one year expiring deal was smart.

I have heard some national guys on podcasts though say they loved that the Suns added Bridges and they thought the Ariza signing was great. I mean ultimately they are better two way players...actually already better shooters and better defenders than Jackson or Warren. Not are they only better at one or the other but probably better at both things. Bridges remains to be seen but he already comes in with more experience than Jackson, being a 4 year guy, but of course without the NBA level..but Jackson wasn't a plus defender by any stretch as a rookie.

[BobbieL]

Do national writers just automatically question and sometimes bash suns moves simply because it's the suns making them? Yeah for sure. But honestly until the suns prove then wrong I can't blame them. The bottom line is the suns have been bad and made bad moves for a while now.

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"Same guys" were probably bashing the Warriors six or seven years ago. Meaning the media. I am not saying the Suns are going to have a run from 2018-2024 like the WArriors had from 2012-2018 -- in fact, I would bet money they do not. But the Warriors were kind of bad for a long time. So Winning, rightly, changes perception. But like BWG said, at least Pelton and Lowe seem to do their homework and not just "oh its the Suns, they suck and its Darryl Morey, he is genius, give him an A". The Warriors drafted Epke Udoh with the 6th pick. So even those guys didn't nail everything.

Darry Morey was the guy who gave Ryan Anderson 4/80 to damn well begin with!!!

[Fo-Real]

I like Okobo's vibe his disposition, the kid seems comfortable in his own skin. He presents as always calm and confident without reeking of arrogance. Like his size, skill set and his burst to get by people on that video, couple times you see him go at someone and those two BIG HARD steps at the end of his drive separates from the defender. That is an elite trait (that power move) not everyone has.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Do national writers just automatically question and sometimes bash suns moves simply because it's the suns making them? Yeah for sure. But honestly until the suns prove then wrong I can't blame them. The bottom line is the suns have been bad and made bad moves for a while now.

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A lot of these moves that many of us eventually come around on question at first too because they feel like head scratchers....national people obviously have no incentive to come around if they see something as a head scratcher.

I liked the recent trade from the minute it happened. The Bridges trade was kind of a head scratcher but I loved Bridges so ultimately I was happy about it...can understand both viewpoints. The Ariza signing was a head scratcher too, especially after the Bridges trade, but the good thing is I like Ariza and I think having a big one year expiring deal was smart.

I have heard some national guys on podcasts though say they loved that the Suns added Bridges and they thought the Ariza signing was great. I mean ultimately they are better two way players...actually already better shooters and better defenders than Jackson or Warren. Not are they only better at one or the other but probably better at both things. Bridges remains to be seen but he already comes in with more experience than Jackson, being a 4 year guy, but of course without the NBA level..but Jackson wasn't a plus defender by any stretch as a rookie.

With the Bridges deal I think the only real backlash was because that announcement had just been made that 1 and done might go away in 2021 so when Phily got that pick it was still fresh on their minds. Well now it looks like it won't happen that year so I would guess some of that reaction would be different.

The Anderson/Knight deal reaction was kind of a timing thing. Hell if that deal goes down in a busy time like 7/1 it barely gets mentioned and is viewed for what it is a minor deal where two teams moved things they no longer wanted. But since it was last week in the deadest time of the year people had 'takes' on it. Honestly I've seen a mix of takes on that one including some national guys who LOVE Melton.

In general there are some haters like Amin Elhassen who will bash ANY move the Suns make but I guess you also have a guy like Kevin O'Connor who is camping on the Suns are going to get good quickly so he has a vested interest in liking their moves.

But again I think the random writer has some legitimate reason to question the decision making of this franchise.

Yes; Bobbie people killed the Warriors leading up to their run. Rightfully so. People also forget they had one of the most blatant tank jobs of this decade the year they drafted Barnes; that pick was protected and they did everything imaginable to keep it.