Season Speculation, Free Agency & Trade Ideas: Our Johnson is finally working

[LukasBMW]

I'm actually excited to see TJ back. I hope to see a starting 5 of:

Tyler/Book/Oubre/TJ/Ayton

I reckon with TJ coming in Bridges would be better in the starting lineup for his defense than Oubre for his scoring (as TJ can already do that)

Tyler/Book/Bridges/TJ/Ayton

With a second unit of

Okobo/Crawford/Oubre/JJ/Holmes

We could use TJ's scoring more in our second unit. Directly replacing JJ with TJ probably would yield great results. But both Oubre and TJ deserve to start. They both have earned it. We need to at least try it.

[King4Day]

The Charlotte Hornets resisted trade offers at the 2018 deadline and the subsequent offseason on Kemba Walker and he responded by having an All-Star season. Walker will be a free agent and his future with the Hornets is unclear as they struggle to remain in the playoff picture.

Sam Amick of The Athletic suggested many around the league expect Walker to leave the Hornets.

"At this point, based on scuttlebutt around the league but without direct clarity from his side, it feels like he's more likely to leave than stay," wrote Amick.

Walker figures to receive max contract offers this offseason from multiple teams given the amount of cap space on the open market.

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/252890/Kemba-Walker-Considered-By-Some-Around-NBA-More-Likely-To-Leave-Hornets

Assuming he'd consider us, what would it take for us to make enough room to sign Kemba to a max deal?
IMO, this should be a top priority for us. If we have a strong finish to the season, we could at least get our name in the running.

Sign and trade. Kemba allows the hornets to get some assets. We get our PG. Tyler + Jackson + our 2019 1st round pick (as long as it isn't Zion)

I didn't even consider S&T. Good call.
Yea I'd be open to giving them that too. I imagine they'd want cap relief too but I'm not taking Batum in any deal.

I know not everyone is high on him but he would complete this team for sure.

[Desertfox]

TJ, Jackson, Tyler, and the two picks should be enough to get us both a decent PG (Holiday?) and a PF (Gordon?) without losing Oubre and Holmes. I would also try to resign Bender, Daniels, and pick up TJ Mcconnell and maybe PF as a veteran backups.

Holiday, McConnell, Melton
Booker, Daniels, Okobo
Oubre, Bridges
Gordon, (Clarke? or Aminou?)
Ayton, Holmes, Bender

[King4Day]

TJ, Jackson, Tyler, and the two picks should be enough to get us both a decent PG (Holiday?) and a PF (Gordon?) without losing Oubre and Holmes. I would also try to resign Bender, Daniels, and pick up TJ Mcconnell and maybe PF as a veteran backups.

Holiday, McConnell, Melton
Booker, Daniels, Okobo
Oubre, Bridges
Gordon, (Clarke? or Aminou?)
Ayton, Holmes, Bender

I think Daniels is gone after this season. He has to be mad for not getting playing time with us. If he stays, it'll probably only be with the assurance he's going to get regular minutes.

[BobbieL]

The Charlotte Hornets resisted trade offers at the 2018 deadline and the subsequent offseason on Kemba Walker and he responded by having an All-Star season. Walker will be a free agent and his future with the Hornets is unclear as they struggle to remain in the playoff picture.

Sam Amick of The Athletic suggested many around the league expect Walker to leave the Hornets.

"At this point, based on scuttlebutt around the league but without direct clarity from his side, it feels like he's more likely to leave than stay," wrote Amick.

Walker figures to receive max contract offers this offseason from multiple teams given the amount of cap space on the open market.

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/252890/Kemba-Walker-Considered-By-Some-Around-NBA-More-Likely-To-Leave-Hornets

Assuming he'd consider us, what would it take for us to make enough room to sign Kemba to a max deal?
IMO, this should be a top priority for us. If we have a strong finish to the season, we could at least get our name in the running.

Sign and trade. Kemba allows the hornets to get some assets. We get our PG. Tyler + Jackson + our 2019 1st round pick (as long as it isn't Zion)

I probably would do that deal. I would also do that deal for Jrue Holiday

For Ricky Rubio - ehh, not so much

[BobbieL]

Assuming he'd consider us, what would it take for us to make enough room to sign Kemba to a max deal?
IMO, this should be a top priority for us. If we have a strong finish to the season, we could at least get our name in the running.

Sign and trade. Kemba allows the hornets to get some assets. We get our PG. Tyler + Jackson + our 2019 1st round pick (as long as it isn't Zion)

I didn't even consider S&T. Good call.
Yea I'd be open to giving them that too. I imagine they'd want cap relief too but I'm not taking Batum in any deal.

I know not everyone is high on him but he would complete this team for sure.

Cap relief was a lot easier last summer than this summer. The Suns just do not have the expiring contracts like they had last summer when I was pimping the Kemba trade pretty damn hard

Williams and Gilchrist both have one year left so would they wanta TJ Warren for the longer term as opposed to one more year if Williams. No way in hell taking Batum - and the numbers really do not work for him.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Should be noted that's there's no financial advantage for kemba to do a sign and trade vs just signing outright with a non hornets team. They removed that in the CBA.

So sure you could offer the hornets a sign and trade of say Warren and Johnson and that would clear enough room. But it's just as likely they move the salary to a 3rd team. It's possible some team would take Johnson for a year to get the 3 years on Warrens deal.

I like kemba but I do question if him being maxed out for the next 4 years will end up looking like a mistake for whomever pays him.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app

[bwgood77]

Assuming he'd consider us, what would it take for us to make enough room to sign Kemba to a max deal?
IMO, this should be a top priority for us. If we have a strong finish to the season, we could at least get our name in the running.

Sign and trade. Kemba allows the hornets to get some assets. We get our PG. Tyler + Jackson + our 2019 1st round pick (as long as it isn't Zion)

I didn't even consider S&T. Good call.
Yea I'd be open to giving them that too. I imagine they'd want cap relief too but I'm not taking Batum in any deal.

I know not everyone is high on him but he would complete this team for sure.

If Kemba is going to leave, they will not want to take on that kind of salary. For us to sign him to a max we'd probably have to stretch Johnson, renounce Oubre and Holmes, trade our draft pick (for no salary..like for a future pick) and probably trade JJ or TJ and take back no salary (so for some kind of pick).

You could do a S&T, but only if he didn't want to sign here outright (otherwise there would be no point in giving up assets). I imagine the big name teams with cap space already cleared will be all over him though.

[BobbieL]

Sign and trade. Kemba allows the hornets to get some assets. We get our PG. Tyler + Jackson + our 2019 1st round pick (as long as it isn't Zion)

I didn't even consider S&T. Good call.
Yea I'd be open to giving them that too. I imagine they'd want cap relief too but I'm not taking Batum in any deal.

I know not everyone is high on him but he would complete this team for sure.

If Kemba is going to leave, they will not want to take on that kind of salary. For us to sign him to a max we'd probably have to stretch Johnson, renounce Oubre and Holmes, trade our draft pick (for no salary..like for a future pick) and probably trade JJ or TJ and take back no salary (so for some kind of pick).

You could do a S&T, but only if he didn't want to sign here outright (otherwise there would be no point in giving up assets). I imagine the big name teams with cap space already cleared will be all over him though.

Knicks have a lot of cap space; Brooklyn I think will have plenty of cap space. I believe he is from the NJ/NY area. So if Charlotte were to not bring him back - maybe one of those teams. Though Brooklyn seems to have their guards already

I don't think the Suns can afford to mortage the future for Kemba Walker. With as many needs as they have - still sticking with the plan of lower priced good players that round out the roster. Joseph, Collison, Rubio at PG. Not sure the PF - Kleber might be pricey. A 3pt shooter in the Bjelica price range from last year.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Sign and trade. Kemba allows the hornets to get some assets. We get our PG. Tyler + Jackson + our 2019 1st round pick (as long as it isn't Zion)

I didn't even consider S&T. Good call.
Yea I'd be open to giving them that too. I imagine they'd want cap relief too but I'm not taking Batum in any deal.

I know not everyone is high on him but he would complete this team for sure.

If Kemba is going to leave, they will not want to take on that kind of salary. For us to sign him to a max we'd probably have to stretch Johnson, renounce Oubre and Holmes, trade our draft pick (for no salary..like for a future pick) and probably trade JJ or TJ and take back no salary (so for some kind of pick).

You could do a S&T, but only if he didn't want to sign here outright (otherwise there would be no point in giving up assets). I imagine the big name teams with cap space already cleared will be all over him though.

As I was saying above the sign and trade will be totally the hornets decision. Walker will go where ever he wants and then the team signing him will need to have or make the room. For the hornets they might be open to doing it just so they don't lose him for nothing but they can also simply say no.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app

[King4Day]

I didn't even consider S&T. Good call.
Yea I'd be open to giving them that too. I imagine they'd want cap relief too but I'm not taking Batum in any deal.

I know not everyone is high on him but he would complete this team for sure.

If Kemba is going to leave, they will not want to take on that kind of salary. For us to sign him to a max we'd probably have to stretch Johnson, renounce Oubre and Holmes, trade our draft pick (for no salary..like for a future pick) and probably trade JJ or TJ and take back no salary (so for some kind of pick).

You could do a S&T, but only if he didn't want to sign here outright (otherwise there would be no point in giving up assets). I imagine the big name teams with cap space already cleared will be all over him though.

Knicks have a lot of cap space; Brooklyn I think will have plenty of cap space. I believe he is from the NJ/NY area. So if Charlotte were to not bring him back - maybe one of those teams. Though Brooklyn seems to have their guards already

I don't think the Suns can afford to mortage the future for Kemba Walker. With as many needs as they have - still sticking with the plan of lower priced good players that round out the roster. Joseph, Collison, Rubio at PG. Not sure the PF - Kleber might be pricey. A 3pt shooter in the Bjelica price range from last year.

If we're able to clear some space and do a sign and trade with Charlotte:

Stretch Johnson (or move him in that deal if they'll have him. Maybe add the Bucks pick to entice)
Trade Warren, Jackson, top 3 protected pick (unprotected next year), it would be worth it. Especially if it meant having a chance at Zion to pair with them all. Walker has to know that the Suns have a solid core with PG being a primary need.

Brooklyn, as you mentioned, is OK at guard.
NY needs one but unless they land Durant, I don't see why he'd want to go there.
Phoenix is a PG away from moving up in the standings. Imagine also adding Zion. That would have to excite him.

[King4Day]

I didn't even consider S&T. Good call.
Yea I'd be open to giving them that too. I imagine they'd want cap relief too but I'm not taking Batum in any deal.

I know not everyone is high on him but he would complete this team for sure.

If Kemba is going to leave, they will not want to take on that kind of salary. For us to sign him to a max we'd probably have to stretch Johnson, renounce Oubre and Holmes, trade our draft pick (for no salary..like for a future pick) and probably trade JJ or TJ and take back no salary (so for some kind of pick).

You could do a S&T, but only if he didn't want to sign here outright (otherwise there would be no point in giving up assets). I imagine the big name teams with cap space already cleared will be all over him though.

As I was saying above the sign and trade will be totally the hornets decision. Walker will go where ever he wants and then the team signing him will need to have or make the room. For the hornets they might be open to doing it just so they don't lose him for nothing but they can also simply say no.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using RealGM mobile app

I think they'd be more than happy to assist his move to the West if Kemba wanted to go there. They'd be mental not to recoup some assets in the process.

[bwgood77]

If Kemba is going to leave, they will not want to take on that kind of salary. For us to sign him to a max we'd probably have to stretch Johnson, renounce Oubre and Holmes, trade our draft pick (for no salary..like for a future pick) and probably trade JJ or TJ and take back no salary (so for some kind of pick).

You could do a S&T, but only if he didn't want to sign here outright (otherwise there would be no point in giving up assets). I imagine the big name teams with cap space already cleared will be all over him though.

Knicks have a lot of cap space; Brooklyn I think will have plenty of cap space. I believe he is from the NJ/NY area. So if Charlotte were to not bring him back - maybe one of those teams. Though Brooklyn seems to have their guards already

I don't think the Suns can afford to mortage the future for Kemba Walker. With as many needs as they have - still sticking with the plan of lower priced good players that round out the roster. Joseph, Collison, Rubio at PG. Not sure the PF - Kleber might be pricey. A 3pt shooter in the Bjelica price range from last year.

If we're able to clear some space and do a sign and trace with Charlotte:

Stretch Johnson (or move him in that deal if they'll have him. Maybe add the Bucks pick to entice)
Trade Warren, Jackson, top 3 protected pick (unprotected next year), it would be worth it. Especially if it meant having a chance at Zion to pair with them all. Walker has to know that the Suns have a solid core with PG being a primary need.

Brooklyn, as you mentioned, is OK at guard.
NY needs one but unless they land Durant, I don't see why he'd want to go there.
Phoenix is a PG away from moving up in the standings. Imagine also adding Zion. That would have to excite him.

I don't think you understand. There is no reason to trade guys like Warren or a top 3 protected pick for Kemba. If he is leaving Charlotte, he will pick a team. It's all up to him. Not Charlotte. So he holds the cards. If he picks us, we can clear cap space one way or another. They don't get compensated for losing him.

There is no reason to try and create some sort of fair value to Charlotte because he is leaving them regardless. If you are thinking he is a RFA, he's not, he's unrestricted.

It's unlikely he picks us in the first place, but if he did, it's just a free agent signing.

[King4Day]

Knicks have a lot of cap space; Brooklyn I think will have plenty of cap space. I believe he is from the NJ/NY area. So if Charlotte were to not bring him back - maybe one of those teams. Though Brooklyn seems to have their guards already

I don't think the Suns can afford to mortage the future for Kemba Walker. With as many needs as they have - still sticking with the plan of lower priced good players that round out the roster. Joseph, Collison, Rubio at PG. Not sure the PF - Kleber might be pricey. A 3pt shooter in the Bjelica price range from last year.

If we're able to clear some space and do a sign and trace with Charlotte:

Stretch Johnson (or move him in that deal if they'll have him. Maybe add the Bucks pick to entice)
Trade Warren, Jackson, top 3 protected pick (unprotected next year), it would be worth it. Especially if it meant having a chance at Zion to pair with them all. Walker has to know that the Suns have a solid core with PG being a primary need.

Brooklyn, as you mentioned, is OK at guard.
NY needs one but unless they land Durant, I don't see why he'd want to go there.
Phoenix is a PG away from moving up in the standings. Imagine also adding Zion. That would have to excite him.

I don't think you understand. There is no reason to trade guys like Warren or a top 3 protected pick for Kemba. If he is leaving Charlotte, he will pick a team. It's all up to him. Not Charlotte. So he holds the cards. If he picks us, we can clear cap space one way or another. They don't get compensated for losing him.

There is no reason to try and create some sort of fair value to Charlotte because he is leaving them regardless. If you are thinking he is a RFA, he's not, he's unrestricted.

It's unlikely he picks us in the first place, but if he did, it's just a free agent signing.

If we sign him outright, it'll be at the cost of losing important players on our team. Holmes and Oubre likely being on that list.

Trading with Charlotte wouldn't be to do them a favor. it would be to get rid of redundant players. IMO, Warren and Jackson may be moved this summer anyway. Charlotte would be taking contracts off our hands that likely would allow us to retain other pieces we don't want to lose. Picks would be the sweetener.
And of course, this is all with the understanding Kemba would choose us for some reason.

[BobbieL]

Looking at the team with the current odds -- hard to see a trade partner of the Suns moving back for a player on one of these teams swapping picks. Minnesota might be too far down to get a guy like Clarke

Maybe the Bulls if they want Ja Morant for a forward but probably not moving Carter or Markkanen

http://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds


edit: Orlando might want Morant and with how Isaac is playing - switch picks and Warren for Gordon.

still that uses a lot of the Suns cap space if Johnson is on the roster

[darmani]

If Kemba is going to leave, they will not want to take on that kind of salary. For us to sign him to a max we'd probably have to stretch Johnson, renounce Oubre and Holmes, trade our draft pick (for no salary..like for a future pick) and probably trade JJ or TJ and take back no salary (so for some kind of pick).

You could do a S&T, but only if he didn't want to sign here outright (otherwise there would be no point in giving up assets). I imagine the big name teams with cap space already cleared will be all over him though.

Knicks have a lot of cap space; Brooklyn I think will have plenty of cap space. I believe he is from the NJ/NY area. So if Charlotte were to not bring him back - maybe one of those teams. Though Brooklyn seems to have their guards already

I don't think the Suns can afford to mortage the future for Kemba Walker. With as many needs as they have - still sticking with the plan of lower priced good players that round out the roster. Joseph, Collison, Rubio at PG. Not sure the PF - Kleber might be pricey. A 3pt shooter in the Bjelica price range from last year.

If we're able to clear some space and do a sign and trade with Charlotte:

Stretch Johnson (or move him in that deal if they'll have him. Maybe add the Bucks pick to entice)
Trade Warren, Jackson, top 3 protected pick (unprotected next year), it would be worth it. Especially if it meant having a chance at Zion to pair with them all. Walker has to know that the Suns have a solid core with PG being a primary need.

Brooklyn, as you mentioned, is OK at guard.
NY needs one but unless they land Durant, I don't see why he'd want to go there.
Phoenix is a PG away from moving up in the standings. Imagine also adding Zion. That would have to excite him.

Kemba's max starts at $32.7M (I'm not sure I would want to pay him that much). To create that much cap space the Suns would have to: (a) waive and stretch Johnson and (b) trade Warren and Melton or Okobo for future picks without any 2019-20 salary coming back. That's it. Suns can keep their 2019 1st and Oubre.



The Suns would have 4-5 good players and nothing else with only Room Exception and vet mins to fill out the rest of the roster. I guess we could also trade Josh, MIL 1st and the picks we acquire for Warren to grab a good player or two.

[bwgood77]

If we're able to clear some space and do a sign and trace with Charlotte:

Stretch Johnson (or move him in that deal if they'll have him. Maybe add the Bucks pick to entice)
Trade Warren, Jackson, top 3 protected pick (unprotected next year), it would be worth it. Especially if it meant having a chance at Zion to pair with them all. Walker has to know that the Suns have a solid core with PG being a primary need.

Brooklyn, as you mentioned, is OK at guard.
NY needs one but unless they land Durant, I don't see why he'd want to go there.
Phoenix is a PG away from moving up in the standings. Imagine also adding Zion. That would have to excite him.

I don't think you understand. There is no reason to trade guys like Warren or a top 3 protected pick for Kemba. If he is leaving Charlotte, he will pick a team. It's all up to him. Not Charlotte. So he holds the cards. If he picks us, we can clear cap space one way or another. They don't get compensated for losing him.

There is no reason to try and create some sort of fair value to Charlotte because he is leaving them regardless. If you are thinking he is a RFA, he's not, he's unrestricted.

It's unlikely he picks us in the first place, but if he did, it's just a free agent signing.

If we sign him outright, it'll be at the cost of losing important players on our team. Holmes and Oubre likely being on that list.

Trading with Charlotte wouldn't be to do them a favor. it would be to get rid of redundant players. IMO, Warren and Jackson may be moved this summer anyway. Charlotte would be taking contracts off our hands that likely would allow us to retain other pieces we don't want to lose. Picks would be the sweetener.
And of course, this is all with the understanding Kemba would choose us for some reason.

So essentially you'd give them an unprotected lottery pick (with flattened odds) to take on Warren and Jackson (I doubt they'd want more wings given their wing log jam anyway). I think you could probably trade Warren for a decent pick...late first maybe and Jackson for a 2nd perhaps....and keep our own pick...to clear that same cap space to sign him.

The only reason to do something like you are proposing is if not one team in the league would take Jackson or Warren and you needed to dump a high first to get rid of them. That seems pretty unlikely.

[Qwigglez]

A S&T just isn’t very plausible unless the Hornets really just want someone like Warren (from NC) or Josh Jackson. Otherwise, we can’t include our 2019 since the draft is before free agency. I guess getting our 2020 pick is a nice consolation prize for a team going to lose an asset for free anyhow.
I’d be more interested in Jrue Holiday during the draft if he privately tells the Pels organization he’d like to be moved. Next would probably be Kemba, and then Conley not far behind. I don’t think I’d trade our 2019 pick for Conley though, so a trade scenario involving him would happen after the draft. Also depending on if the Nets are able to grab two max free agents and renounce D’Lo ($21M cap hold) then I’d figure something out to make room where we can go after him.

[King4Day]

I don't think you understand. There is no reason to trade guys like Warren or a top 3 protected pick for Kemba. If he is leaving Charlotte, he will pick a team. It's all up to him. Not Charlotte. So he holds the cards. If he picks us, we can clear cap space one way or another. They don't get compensated for losing him.

There is no reason to try and create some sort of fair value to Charlotte because he is leaving them regardless. If you are thinking he is a RFA, he's not, he's unrestricted.

It's unlikely he picks us in the first place, but if he did, it's just a free agent signing.

If we sign him outright, it'll be at the cost of losing important players on our team. Holmes and Oubre likely being on that list.

Trading with Charlotte wouldn't be to do them a favor. it would be to get rid of redundant players. IMO, Warren and Jackson may be moved this summer anyway. Charlotte would be taking contracts off our hands that likely would allow us to retain other pieces we don't want to lose. Picks would be the sweetener.
And of course, this is all with the understanding Kemba would choose us for some reason.

So essentially you'd give them an unprotected lottery pick (with flattened odds) to take on Warren and Jackson (I doubt they'd want more wings given their wing log jam anyway). I think you could probably trade Warren for a decent pick...late first maybe and Jackson for a 2nd perhaps....and keep our own pick...to clear that same cap space to sign him.

The only reason to do something like you are proposing is if not one team in the league would take Jackson or Warren and you needed to dump a high first to get rid of them. That seems pretty unlikely.

Good call. I'm just thinking about making room but I guess there would be a team out there we can get to take Warren.
If our unprotected pick, next year, is high, then I'd be more concerned about our roster construction at that point.

[jcsunsfan]

I think we are going to find that TJ Johnson is not much worse than McConnell or Rozier. Might as well just keep him. If we go for a pg, we go for a better one like Kemba or Ja in the draft.