2020 Season/Offseason (FA/Trade) Speculation - the Season Resumes

[RedIndian]

Is it possible to dream of Giannis in 2021? Really, with an Ayton, Cam, Mikal, Booker core, we would be absolutely the perfect team for him from the perspective of building up a long-term championship core.

If it's even remotely possible, I'd just draft BPA at #10, and bring back Carter, Payne, Saric and Baynes on 1 year deals. Keep flexibility for 2021.

Actually I wouldn't mind giving Saric a 3 year deal at 7-8 million per. That's a very tradeable contract, and we can move him if we need cap space. I certainly wouldn't be giving more than a year to Baynes. Carter I assume will be available for a cheap 1+1 year type deal.

Oubre is the main question. From the viewpoint of cap flexibility, I'd just keep him for the time being and play him as a 6th man from the bench. I don't mind just letting him expire if we have the chance to really attract a star FA.

[Saberestar]

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I really hope that Monty gives to this couple continuation as starters next season. Their low usage, high basketball IQ, 3p shooting and smart defense are much needed.

[sunskerr]

Is it possible to dream of Giannis in 2021? Really, with an Ayton, Cam, Mikal, Booker core, we would be absolutely the perfect team for him from the perspective of building up a long-term championship core.

If it's even remotely possible, I'd just draft BPA at #10, and bring back Carter, Payne, Saric and Baynes on 1 year deals. Keep flexibility for 2021.

Actually I wouldn't mind giving Saric a 3 year deal at 7-8 million per. That's a very tradeable contract, and we can move him if we need cap space. I certainly wouldn't be giving more than a year to Baynes. Carter I assume will be available for a cheap 1+1 year type deal.

Oubre is the main question. From the viewpoint of cap flexibility, I'd just keep him for the time being and play him as a 6th man from the bench. I don't mind just letting him expire if we have the chance to really attract a star FA.

Yes we will need to spend before Mikal and Ayton are up for big extensions. We can use all our space getting a star, and then extend Bridges and Ayton while we are over the cap during the following offseason (2022). Landing a big star like Giannis would not only probably guarantee us our first championship and years being atop the western conference, but also be actually smart cap management.

Keep the books flexible. There are some good ass young teams coming up like we are (Dallas and Memphis, and Denver is already young and good). Booker and Ayton are amazing but we will need a 3rd guy if we want to win a championship. Hopefully next year we continue our trajectory to make Phoenix the hot destination. Phoenix has the warm weather and just needs the wins.

[King4Day]

I never would have said this 3 weeks ago but I think I want to stand pat this offseason in terms of big name free agents.
If I'm Jones and Monty, talk to your players and get their take on running this back and see what happens (don't want Booker to be disgruntled).

Draft best player available or trade the pick for future assets.
Re-sign Dario assuming a team doesn't offer him a killing. Hopefully no more than 8mil per for 3 years.
Re-sign Carter. Maybe 2 years 4 per
Re-sign Baynes to a one year deal for 8-10 mil (overpay to keep him)
Pick up Payne's option.
Retain Oubre.

[King4Day]

Do people think a Beal/Booker backcourt would be any good?

If we win the lottery. Maybe a deal surrounding the pick, a couple of future firsts, and Oubre to another team who can then more assets to the Wizards.
Something along those lines. Wiz prob turn it down but just a thought.

[Saberestar]

Do people think a Beal/Booker backcourt would be any good?

If we win the lottery. Maybe a deal surrounding the pick, a couple of future firsts, and Oubre to another team who can then more assets to the Wizards.
Something along those lines. Wiz prob turn it down but just a thought.

Beal is a tremendous player, one of my favourites in the entire league. That would be exciting.

I would do it, no doubt about it. But we need to offer a really high pick to trade for him. Top #3 at least.

That would make us a perennial playoff team and probably even a contender.

[sunskerr]

Do people think a Beal/Booker backcourt would be any good?

If we win the lottery. Maybe a deal surrounding the pick, a couple of future firsts, and Oubre to another team who can then more assets to the Wizards.
Something along those lines. Wiz prob turn it down but just a thought.

Beal and Booker is interesting. As of right now they shoulder such huge offensive loads that you'd at least think there's a chance of them becoming better defenders if they played together, since they could try focusing more energy on defense. Oubre wouldn't get anything done in a trade though. He is an expiring himself.

Ideally though our best scenario is to sign a star FA in 2021/2022 and then extend Bridges and Ayton. This allows us to go significantly over the cap and obtain another star player without giving up a key piece like Bridges, Johnson, or Ayton in a trade. Trading for a star player can often gut a team of assets and talent. If you have young, talented players on rookie deals, then you can extend those guys on longer deals while being over the cap.

That being said, trading for a star if you can't land one in FA is still a very good move especially combining that star with Booker.

[King4Day]

It's already been mentioned but I wanted to find something public about where we are in the lottery despite the finish:

The remaining spots in the lottery standings, Nos. 10-14, will be filled by the Kings, Pelicans, and the three other Western teams that don’t ultimately make the playoffs. They’ll be sorted based on their record as of March 11, so the Suns would have the 10th-best odds if they don’t make the postseason, while the Grizzlies would have the 14th-best odds if they don’t make it.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/nba-draft-lottery-to-be-held-virtually-on-aug-20/ar-BB17NH8Z

[BobbieL]

I never would have said this 3 weeks ago but I think I want to stand pat this offseason in terms of big name free agents.
If I'm Jones and Monty, talk to your players and get their take on running this back and see what happens (don't want Booker to be disgruntled).

Draft best player available or trade the pick for future assets.
Re-sign Dario assuming a team doesn't offer him a killing. Hopefully no more than 8mil per for 3 years.
Re-sign Carter. Maybe 2 years 4 per
Re-sign Baynes to a one year deal for 8-10 mil (overpay to keep him)
Pick up Payne's option.
Retain Oubre.

BAsed on the last free agent list - names like Gallo, Christian Wood, Millsap and Jerami Grant - I am more inclined to do the same. Bring back SAric - might even do a multi year deal. Oubre - I just don't want Aaron Gordon for Oubre with Cam Johnson. Baynes, like you said overpay if need be but only one year. Payne is a no-brainer as is Carter

If you have the MLE - might be able to use part of it. Than draft

The goal being this core group - meaning Booker, DA, Mikal, Cam, maybe Saric too are a core that might attract a bigger FA in the summer of 2021 (well I guess Fall - so used to FA being in summer) - that they might get a better play. More attractive.

I always look at how the Warriors were built - and in no way am I saying the Suns next 7 years will be like the Warrors last 7 years - but they had the trade for Bogut because Klay and Curry were the future so Monte was traded. And than they had the trade for Iggy I think a year later. So thats how I see the Suns - it might be ayear early. Plus the FA class is so much better next year.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

The one thing we're not talking about - but maybe we should - is grabbing that big FA. Probably not this year, with only AD (who would be a dream addition) available. Perhaps the biggest problem with that plan is the idea of Sarver paying him what he's worth!

But for real. We're young, we're close, and a lot of people know it. And we're about to be flush with cap space. So maybe we just don't settle, and keep everything together until/unless we can get a superstar. No big deals unless the player's a big deal.

God, I wish Sarver had that real ca$h. Someone call Elon. He loves space. Suns exist in space. It makes sense.

[King4Day]

I never would have said this 3 weeks ago but I think I want to stand pat this offseason in terms of big name free agents.
If I'm Jones and Monty, talk to your players and get their take on running this back and see what happens (don't want Booker to be disgruntled).

Draft best player available or trade the pick for future assets.
Re-sign Dario assuming a team doesn't offer him a killing. Hopefully no more than 8mil per for 3 years.
Re-sign Carter. Maybe 2 years 4 per
Re-sign Baynes to a one year deal for 8-10 mil (overpay to keep him)
Pick up Payne's option.
Retain Oubre.

BAsed on the last free agent list - names like Gallo, Christian Wood, Millsap and Jerami Grant - I am more inclined to do the same. Bring back SAric - might even do a multi year deal. Oubre - I just don't want Aaron Gordon for Oubre with Cam Johnson. Baynes, like you said overpay if need be but only one year. Payne is a no-brainer as is Carter

If you have the MLE - might be able to use part of it. Than draft

The goal being this core group - meaning Booker, DA, Mikal, Cam, maybe Saric too are a core that might attract a bigger FA in the summer of 2021 (well I guess Fall - so used to FA being in summer) - that they might get a better play. More attractive.

I always look at how the Warriors were built - and in no way am I saying the Suns next 7 years will be like the Warrors last 7 years - but they had the trade for Bogut because Klay and Curry were the future so Monte was traded. And than they had the trade for Iggy I think a year later. So thats how I see the Suns - it might be ayear early. Plus the FA class is so much better next year.

Not to mention, we really have no room for anyone new if we retain Saric. Oubre may as well be considered the 'acquisition'.

Rubio/Payne/Carter
Booker/Carter
Bridges/Oubre
Jonson/Saric
DA/Baynes

You can fit anyone else in there.
Send the rookie to the G-league?

[Djedefre]

Bertans is UFA. He'd be an ideal piece but we gotta renounce someone in order to create space for his $$

[Qwigglez]

After letting go of Okobo, Lecque, Kaminsky and retaining Carter, Payne, Baynes, and Saric there isn't much to do besides fill out our end of the bench roster. It's hard to go after players that are currently seeing over 20 minutes per game as we won't have that kind of playing time available. Because of limited playing time, I can't see us going after role players like Justin Holiday, Jae Crowder, Kent Bazemore, etc.

So here's my list in no particular order...

Bring back Jared Dudley! Yeah he's not going to bring anything to the table except some advice to the young guys, and hopefully some good stories to tell about Lebron/AD and their mentality.
Willy Hernangomez is possibly the only young player I'd consider going after. I can see many teams going after him so it would come down to fit and where he sees he can crack the rotation. He'll probably have better options than the Suns but if no one else gives him an offer, I'd happily fill Frank's role with Willy. (Dragan Bender I'd also go after as well but doubt he comes back here)
Mentioned him before but Kyle O'Quinn is definitely a player I'd be interested in for end of the bench rotation. Anthony Tolliver is another.
As for backup to our backup guard position, I'll just assume James Jones will explore someone from the G-League to fill this role.

If for some reason we weren't able to keep Baynes, then I'd explore other options, perhaps players like Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk, Robin Lopez (if he opts out), and maybe Nerlen Noels.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Small note but Lecque will be back, his $1.5 mil contract is already guaranteed for next year so no benefit in cutting him and you have 15 roster spots so you need end of the bench dudes.

Okobo is probably the guard who isn't retained. I actually wonder if some team would trade a 2nd rounder for Elie, you get two no guaranteed cheap years of him and lots of teams liked him as a prospect.

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[WeekapaugGroove]

Question for the cap experts. What happens if you dip below the cap but the amount you're below the cap is less than the MLE? I know one option is to spend to the cap THEN use the 'room exception', this is what the suns did last year. But are you allowed to simply use the MLE instead of your little bit of space?



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[LukasBMW]

Some of these guy played better in the bubble due to a lack of distractions and no fans. Gotta keep that in mind. That said, I want everyone back!

Rubio/
Booker/Cam
Oubre/Bridges
______/Kaminsky
Ayton/_______

1. We need Baynes back for sure! Plug him in.
2. We need to retain Sarcic unless we can upgrade him.
3. With #10 we should take BPA, roll the dice on a PG with star potential, or...better yet...package it for some vet firepower at the PG spot.

If Cam and Bridges keep up the good work and Frank stays healthy, we start to get crowded at the 3/4. By mid season Oubre and Saric could be trade bait to upgrade into a better starting "4" or a star PG.

[spanishninja]

Some of these guy played better in the bubble due to a lack of distractions and no fans. Gotta keep that in mind. That said, I want everyone back!

Rubio/
Booker/Cam
Oubre/Bridges
______/Kaminsky
Ayton/_______

1. We need Baynes back for sure! Plug him in.
2. We need to retain Sarcic unless we can upgrade him.
3. With #10 we should take BPA, roll the dice on a PG with star potential, or...better yet...package it for some vet firepower at the PG spot.

If Cam and Bridges keep up the good work and Frank stays healthy, we start to get crowded at the 3/4. By mid season Oubre and Saric could be trade bait to upgrade into a better starting "4" or a star PG.

I do not agree with looking for a star PG. Rubio, when healthy, has worked out really well for us because he knows his role and does not try to do too much or step into Booker's lane. Our system works well with a pass-first point guard, and Rubio is basically the best one we have in the league today. He's even worked on his 3.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Some of these guy played better in the bubble due to a lack of distractions and no fans. Gotta keep that in mind. That said, I want everyone back!

Rubio/
Booker/Cam
Oubre/Bridges
______/Kaminsky
Ayton/_______

1. We need Baynes back for sure! Plug him in.
2. We need to retain Sarcic unless we can upgrade him.
3. With #10 we should take BPA, roll the dice on a PG with star potential, or...better yet...package it for some vet firepower at the PG spot.

If Cam and Bridges keep up the good work and Frank stays healthy, we start to get crowded at the 3/4. By mid season Oubre and Saric could be trade bait to upgrade into a better starting "4" or a star PG.

Bridges and Cam look like the perfect 3/4 combo with this current team structure not sure why anyone would want to change that.

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[Qwigglez]

Rubio averaged 13, 8 and 5 in the bubble, shooting an impressive 43% from 3. Not sure that is sustainable over the course of an entire season, but he did average 36% from 3 for the duration of 2019-2020 which is a career high. I also don't agree with finding a star PG to replace Rubio. I think Rubio is the exact PG we need to pair with Devin Booker and the rest of our entire starting lineup.

[darmani]

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