Explanation of Why Phoenix Won't S&T Grant Hill

[Jammer]

No Team in the NBA will Give Up a Player Good Enough for
Phoenix to Want to S&T Grant Hill - explanation follows.

Let's assume Grant Hill is not going to go on the cheap a third season.

After a $93 million contract, he played the last TWO seasons for a Total of about $3.6 million
(or about $1.8 million per year).

Let's assume that he'll play for the Celtics, if they compensate him appropriately.
We're talking like $4 million per, easy, since Hill would not only backup
Paul Pierce but be the mobile perimeter PF, allowing the Celtics to jettison
Brian Scalabrine's $3.4 million anchor of a paycheck (double with luxury tax).

Phoenix Depth Chart (if signed and traded to Celtics, Phoenix, if they sign their two
draft picks, will be left with 13 players, including 4 small forwards).

C: Ben Wallace / Robin Lobez
PF: Amare Stoudamire / Jared Dudley
SF: Sasha Pavlovic / 2009 #15 Pick Earl CLark / Louis Amundsen / 2009 #46 Pick Danny Green
SG: Jason Richardson / Alando Tucker /
PG: Steve Nash / Leandro Barbosa / Goran Dragic

Their payroll before the draft picks is at $75 million,
so if they released Nash, to save $6 million or so, they are back under the luxury tax.
Pavlovic $4.5 million salary is only $1.5 million guaranteed, so again,
they may make a move rather than give Grant Hill the full MLE he deserves
(especially after 32 years of discounted play).

Because of their lux tax implications,
and how close they will be if they release Nash or waive Pavlovic to get under it,
I don't see Phoenix giving Grant Hill a Sign and Trade, to anyone.

All the Celtics could offer is Tony Allen + Pruitt or
Brian Scalabrine. Either one would not be enough to entice the Suns with
their current roster and TEAM PAYROLL. So,
the only way the Celtics get Grant Hill, I suspect, is with the LLE again.

Would a guy who can probably get a full MLE somewhere
throw away $7 million bucks over two years A SECOND TIME.

[Jammer]

I just realized that if a team under the cap or with a trade exception
accepted someone like Tony Allen & Pruitt,
then whatever they gave up for Tony & Pruitt could be re-routed to Phoenix
if it's a 3 way trade. But would that be enough to do Grant the favor of a sign and trade??

Despite the Memphis fans aspirations for all these fancy schmancy backup PG's and SG's
(read their board, it's hilarious who they think will be backing up
Mike Conley, Jr. and OJ Mayo);
I still think that Tony Allen and Gabe Pruitt are realistic guys to fill out their roster,
in exchange for some picks.