2020 Preseason Speculation - Lineup battles underway

[matt131]

why is that disappointing? Most Suns fans i know can't stand him and he is not nearly the first ex player to do that

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30376429/golden-state-warriors-kelly-oubre-jr-thrilled-play-owner-joe-lacob-actually-cares-organization%3fplatform=amp

Not sure exactly how much interaction he had with Sarver. Think he's just kinda saying that.

The last line about the Valley jersey is what got me. I actually think he feels betrayed.

Well he took ValleyBoyz and made it a thing. Valley and the Suns were never a thing together, he made it that way. Now the dopest jerseys to hit AZ in a loooooooong time come out with The Valley written across the chest and use him for damn near all the promos.....and Sarver rakes in all the cash on it. The gall of not even letting him keep the damn jersey is outrageous. Oubre also said that he found out he was traded by Diallo calling him and telling him to look at Twitter. Im sorry, but to not even have the decency to call your players and tell them, thats inexcusable. James Jones needs to do a hell of a lot better on that, which is funny because he was originally brought in because of his relationship with players and to be the in-between man for McD and the players. Now thats both Rubio and Oubre saying they were traded with no warning or phonecall or no nothing, finding out for themselves just like all of us on Twitter.

For as good as our FO seems to be at putting a roster together, they really need to work on relationship skills. We already know our owner completely lacks those and players are seen as a dollar sign, but once the FO starts getting a bad reputation for treating its players badly, thats when the whole ship sinks.

I think it's more common than not for players to find out they've been traded by looking at twitter.

First of all, he'd have to be a bit out of the loop to not know that there were at least trade rumors with him in it.

And secondly, I'm sure Woj or Shams know that the trade was executed the second it happens due to sources in the league office and then immediately tweet it out.

Diallo was at practice with Oubre I think and told him in person. And If Jones called Oubre before the deal was done and then he didn't end up getting traded, that would also be bad. I'm sure Jones called Oubre after the trade was agreed upon, but even if that was 5 minutes after the fact, the tweet was probably already sent out.

I dunno. Not trying to say things weren't done correctly, but in this day and age where information can be disseminated in milliseconds to millions of people, it's likely more probable to see something on twitter than to receive an official phone call right away.

[suns12345]

why is that disappointing? Most Suns fans i know can't stand him and he is not nearly the first ex player to do that

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30376429/golden-state-warriors-kelly-oubre-jr-thrilled-play-owner-joe-lacob-actually-cares-organization%3fplatform=amp

Not sure exactly how much interaction he had with Sarver. Think he's just kinda saying that.

The last line about the Valley jersey is what got me. I actually think he feels betrayed.

Well he took ValleyBoyz and made it a thing. Valley and the Suns were never a thing together, he made it that way. Now the dopest jerseys to hit AZ in a loooooooong time come out with The Valley written across the chest and use him for damn near all the promos.....and Sarver rakes in all the cash on it. The gall of not even letting him keep the damn jersey is outrageous. Oubre also said that he found out he was traded by Diallo calling him and telling him to look at Twitter. Im sorry, but to not even have the decency to call your players and tell them, thats inexcusable. James Jones needs to do a hell of a lot better on that, which is funny because he was originally brought in because of his relationship with players and to be the in-between man for McD and the players. Now thats both Rubio and Oubre saying they were traded with no warning or phonecall or no nothing, finding out for themselves just like all of us on Twitter.

For as good as our FO seems to be at putting a roster together, they really need to work on relationship skills. We already know our owner completely lacks those and players are seen as a dollar sign, but once the FO starts getting a bad reputation for treating its players badly, thats when the whole ship sinks.

Agreed, however I wonder if its a hard balance to strike in this day of social media whereby insiders know a trade is happening before it is official, but as a GM, you can't call a player to say they've been traded until its absolutely official.

[matt131]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30376429/golden-state-warriors-kelly-oubre-jr-thrilled-play-owner-joe-lacob-actually-cares-organization%3fplatform=amp

Not sure exactly how much interaction he had with Sarver. Think he's just kinda saying that.

The last line about the Valley jersey is what got me. I actually think he feels betrayed.

Well he took ValleyBoyz and made it a thing. Valley and the Suns were never a thing together, he made it that way. Now the dopest jerseys to hit AZ in a loooooooong time come out with The Valley written across the chest and use him for damn near all the promos.....and Sarver rakes in all the cash on it. The gall of not even letting him keep the damn jersey is outrageous. Oubre also said that he found out he was traded by Diallo calling him and telling him to look at Twitter. Im sorry, but to not even have the decency to call your players and tell them, thats inexcusable. James Jones needs to do a hell of a lot better on that, which is funny because he was originally brought in because of his relationship with players and to be the in-between man for McD and the players. Now thats both Rubio and Oubre saying they were traded with no warning or phonecall or no nothing, finding out for themselves just like all of us on Twitter.

For as good as our FO seems to be at putting a roster together, they really need to work on relationship skills. We already know our owner completely lacks those and players are seen as a dollar sign, but once the FO starts getting a bad reputation for treating its players badly, thats when the whole ship sinks.

Agreed, however I wonder if its a hard balance to strike in this day of social media whereby insiders know a trade is happening before it is official, but as a GM, you can't call a player to say they've been traded until its absolutely official.

Haha I posted the same sentiment at the same time as you, but yours was much clearer and more succinct. I gotta work on my long-windedness lol

[Kerrsed]

Dang they must think he'll work well with Zion

Read on Twitter

?s=19

Wow, Adams is a nice tough guy to have on your team, but this guy continues to make bank and he is NOT the guy I would put next to Zion. He needs to develop a 3 pt shot. He could be like a tougher version of Baynes.

I hate the fit next to Zion. They really screwed the pooch on that one as they could have had the same player but with 3 point shooting in Baynes. He would have spread the floor nicely for Zion and Ingram.

As for them doubling down on Adams and giving him a 2 year deal, it actually might be really smart. They have the money to spend this season. But you have to look at it this way, Adams has some value around the league as a very tough defender. If you ink him to a one year deal, you risk him walking as a FA after the season. Now you sign him for a 2 year deal and even if he doesnt work out, you can still trade him to a number of teams that will be looking for that kind of defender on their team. So thats how you get added assets instead of him just walking away for nothing. Hell, if NO are out of the playoff picture they very well could trade him before the deadline to a playoff bound team that may need to beef up their C spot to take on the Juggernauts like Jokic/Embiid/Ayton/Gobert/Gasol/Nurkic and others. Look at a team like Dallas, they arnt prepared for a battle with those C's. Their starting Center is Dwight Powell and he is coming back from his achilleas tearing in half. His back-up is WCS and Court Comedian Boban.

So like i said, i dont like Adams fit in New Orleans, but making it a 2 year deal is probably the smartest thing they did with it.

[bwgood77]

Dang they must think he'll work well with Zion

Read on Twitter

?s=19

Wow, Adams is a nice tough guy to have on your team, but this guy continues to make bank and he is NOT the guy I would put next to Zion. He needs to develop a 3 pt shot. He could be like a tougher version of Baynes.

I hate the fit next to Zion. They really screwed the pooch on that one as they could have had the same player but with 3 point shooting in Baynes. He would have spread the floor nicely for Zion and Ingram.

As for them doubling down on Adams and giving him a 2 year deal, it actually might be really smart. They have the money to spend this season. But you have to look at it this way, Adams has some value around the league as a very tough defender. If you ink him to a one year deal, you risk him walking as a FA after the season. Now you sign him for a 2 year deal and even if he doesnt work out, you can still trade him to a number of teams that will be looking for that kind of defender on their team. So thats how you get added assets instead of him just walking away for nothing. Hell, if NO are out of the playoff picture they very well could trade him before the deadline to a playoff bound team that may need to beef up their C spot to take on the Juggernauts like Jokic/Embiid/Ayton/Gobert/Gasol/Nurkic and others. Look at a team like Dallas, they arnt prepared for a battle with those C's. Their starting Center is Dwight Powell and he is coming back from his achilleas tearing in half. His back-up is WCS and Court Comedian Boban.

So like i said, i dont like Adams fit in New Orleans, but making it a 2 year deal is probably the smartest thing they did with it.

I guess if you are about to go over the cap with the Ingram deal you might as well get a tradable contract...I just don't think many teams are really going to want to pay a C that much. However, another team with an overpriced player at a position they don't need could maybe make a deal with them, and at least they don't have to pay Hayes until after Adams is expired.

[TeamTragic]

Apparently Oubre took a jab at Sarver. Kinda disappointing

Please link for our viewing pleasure

[bwgood77]

why is that disappointing? Most Suns fans i know can't stand him and he is not nearly the first ex player to do that

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30376429/golden-state-warriors-kelly-oubre-jr-thrilled-play-owner-joe-lacob-actually-cares-organization%3fplatform=amp

Not sure exactly how much interaction he had with Sarver. Think he's just kinda saying that.

The last line about the Valley jersey is what got me. I actually think he feels betrayed.

Well he took ValleyBoyz and made it a thing. Valley and the Suns were never a thing together, he made it that way. Now the dopest jerseys to hit AZ in a loooooooong time come out with The Valley written across the chest and use him for damn near all the promos.....and Sarver rakes in all the cash on it. The gall of not even letting him keep the damn jersey is outrageous. Oubre also said that he found out he was traded by Diallo calling him and telling him to look at Twitter. Im sorry, but to not even have the decency to call your players and tell them, thats inexcusable. James Jones needs to do a hell of a lot better on that, which is funny because he was originally brought in because of his relationship with players and to be the in-between man for McD and the players. Now thats both Rubio and Oubre saying they were traded with no warning or phonecall or no nothing, finding out for themselves just like all of us on Twitter.

For as good as our FO seems to be at putting a roster together, they really need to work on relationship skills. We already know our owner completely lacks those and players are seen as a dollar sign, but once the FO starts getting a bad reputation for treating its players badly, thats when the whole ship sinks.

The problem is those leaks probably come from the OKC side because they want leverage. Paul already wants out so they leak the deal before anything is in stone, they can't really call Oubre and Rubio and tell them they might be traded.

[bwgood77]

Apparently Oubre took a jab at Sarver. Kinda disappointing

Please link for our viewing pleasure

It's in the wiretap, and he was actually on a radio show where they flat out asked him a leading question...something like "How does it feel to work for an owner like Joe Lacob who is willing to spend money to win championships?" or something like that. But his answer wasn't the best...something like "You hit the nail on the head...it's nice to be playing for an owner that is willing to invest in his team and put a good product on the court instead of just worrying about perception."

Meanwhile, Sarver is actually spending almost up to the luxury tax amount, where the Warriors were just at last year. They just got screwed because of the Klay injury. They are a lot richer too.

[Qwigglez]

Oubre knew days before that he was rumored to get traded. I popped into his Twitch stream on his very first stream, which was maybe a week or 5 days before he got traded, his chat was wondering how he felt getting traded. Obviously he didn't respond but he knew it was going down. Also, Bridges was streaming at the same time and his chat was talking about the same thing.

In case anyone was wondering Oubre was playing Fortnite and Bridges was playing COD. I found it hilarious that people were subbing to Bridges and he would thank them. Dude is getting paid millions, the $2.5 that Bridges gets when someone subs is very laughable to me.

[TeamTragic]

Apparently Oubre took a jab at Sarver. Kinda disappointing

Please link for our viewing pleasure

It's in the wiretap, and he was actually on a radio show where they flat out asked him a leading question...something like "How does it feel to work for an owner like Joe Lacob who is willing to spend money to win championships?" or something like that. But his answer wasn't the best...something like "You hit the nail on the head...it's nice to be playing for an owner that is willing to invest in his team and put a good product on the court instead of just worrying about perception."

Meanwhile, Sarver is actually spending almost up to the luxury tax amount, where the Warriors were just at last year. They just got screwed because of the Klay injury. They are a lot richer too.

I have nothing but love for Oubre (and Rubio). Dude gets to play for that insanely talented championship franchise.

Unrelated to basketball but I cannot even imagine the girls he pulls.

[Crives]

Lol.. someone is really bitter. From espn article.

Oubre, who appeared in a recent promotional picture for the Suns as they showcased this season's City Edition jersey, said he did not get to keep his jersey, as the organization traded him for veteran Chris Paul soon thereafter.

"Of course not -- they didn't let me keep that, man," Oubre said. "It had my last name on it, but I think they're going to take the stitching out and give it to CP3."

[Fo-Real]

Rubio and Kelly have a right to feel slighted!! They both put blood, sweat and tears into an organization, both being keys to changing the culture and altering our path, just to be traded away!! They have a right to to feel slighted!!!

[TheLogician]

Let the kid keep the jersey, come on. That is lame as hell.

[Fo-Real]

Let the kid keep the jersey, come on. That is lame as hell.

The multimillionaire is being dramatic!!

[TheLogician]

Let the kid keep the jersey, come on. That is lame as hell.

The multimillionaire is being dramatic!!

What can they do with his jersey now? Were they planning to auction for charity? Not as big a deal as the pay reductions but the little things matter, too.

[collidingNeurons]

Apparently Oubre took a jab at Sarver. Kinda disappointing

Please link for our viewing pleasure

It's in the wiretap, and he was actually on a radio show where they flat out asked him a leading question...something like "How does it feel to work for an owner like Joe Lacob who is willing to spend money to win championships?" or something like that. But his answer wasn't the best...something like "You hit the nail on the head...it's nice to be playing for an owner that is willing to invest in his team and put a good product on the court instead of just worrying about perception."

Meanwhile, Sarver is actually spending almost up to the luxury tax amount, where the Warriors were just at last year. They just got screwed because of the Klay injury. They are a lot richer too.

I'm pleasantly surprised he spent the money he did this off season that however doesn't redeem him as a person in my eyes, i will probably never change my opinion on the man, he just seems like an ass and an arrogant one at that that alienates people and treats his employees badly, none of which is atypical for successful businessmen but just becomes its common doesn't make him look any better to me.

[bwgood77]

Please link for our viewing pleasure

It's in the wiretap, and he was actually on a radio show where they flat out asked him a leading question...something like "How does it feel to work for an owner like Joe Lacob who is willing to spend money to win championships?" or something like that. But his answer wasn't the best...something like "You hit the nail on the head...it's nice to be playing for an owner that is willing to invest in his team and put a good product on the court instead of just worrying about perception."

Meanwhile, Sarver is actually spending almost up to the luxury tax amount, where the Warriors were just at last year. They just got screwed because of the Klay injury. They are a lot richer too.

I'm pleasantly surprised he spent the money he did this off season that however doesn't redeem him as a person in my eyes, i will probably never change my opinion on the man, he just seems like an ass and an arrogant one at that that alienates people and treats his employees badly, none of which is atypical for successful businessmen but just becomes its common doesn't make him look any better to me.

I don't know him, so I can't really say, but obviously treating some employees at the arena the way he did, and how much of a novice he seemed like when he bought the team, like not extending Joe Johnson and then being cheap selling draft picks was frustrating. I think part of what made things so much worse is that he kind of fell into a great team, and I think he kind of just thought "This isn't that hard..." and probably felt we'd be fine and keep competing, and then the team just gradually got worse and we never invested in young talent to have when the SSOL Suns got too old. We really had NO ONE...it an old Nash, an old Grant Hill and Gortat, and then a bunch of crap players they overpaid thinking they could easily replace Amare.

I think he kind of learned his lesson and I think what killed him was hiring McD. But at least it was probably another good learning lesson.

I just hope we don't make the same mistake again and stop developing young talent...at least we have young talent now, but teams like Denver just keep stocking and then they can continue to have all these cheap great pieces around their guys who really pan out and become stars. Of course it helps that they are probably the best in the draft of anyone.

Finally a season to really look forward to. Last seasons started so well despite the Ayton injury, until Baynes got injured at least...competing and beating some good teams early like the Clippers and Sixers and battling Denver and Utah.

Hopefully we don't have something else go bad at the start of our season like last year with the Ayton suspension after 1 game.

[collidingNeurons]

yeah I don't know him either, but a lot of quality people have left and reports around at the time were they didn't like working for him and he meddles and dictates, but I agree McDonough was his fatal mistake after the early mistakes, Ryan just had a type he liked long and athletic potential without ever factoring in things like character, work ethic, basketball IQ etc, Jones has a type too and it fits more into the modern NBA cuz he values shooting and character above athleticism it seems.. Colangelo was all about character at the expense of better players, i hope Jones doesn't fall into that mode seems the balance between raw ability and character need to be the approach unless its egregiously bad character flaws

[suns12345]

Let the kid keep the jersey, come on. That is lame as hell.

The multimillionaire is being dramatic!!

What can they do with his jersey now? Were they planning to auction for charity? Not as big a deal as the pay reductions but the little things matter, too.

If you reading i think its pretty clear he is just spinning a narrative and its not actually true, they way he talks about it.

He can buy a jersey if he wants anyway, he'll be ok

[TheLogician]

The multimillionaire is being dramatic!!

What can they do with his jersey now? Were they planning to auction for charity? Not as big a deal as the pay reductions but the little things matter, too.

If you reading i think its pretty clear he is just spinning a narrative and its not actually true, they way he talks about it.

He can buy a jersey if he wants anyway, he'll be ok

I would have just given the OG Valley Boy the jersey but whatever.