Well the Suns board is kind of getting dry, and I figured I'd throw out a new topic to get it kicking again. All we can really talk about is next year and this offseason, because the Suns are in purgatory just waiting for June so they can begin with the "future" of the Suns. The obvious moves the Suns want to make is getting White and Eisley's contracts off the payroll... they would have another $12+ million to go out and spend. So let's first take a look at how they can do this. To get rid of White it will have to be a trade and soon because the deadline is looming closer... so why not ship him to a team out East that needs size? It's not like they'd have to add in any draft picks because White would be a useful force in the East. Suns trade : Jahidi White Celtics trade : Chris Mills * Phoenix takes a bigger contract for this year ($6.6 Mil) but it expires, Boston gets White who they need. Mills in on the I/L so I'm not sure if they can trade him... but this trade is fair, Boston get a need, Phoenix gets more money this offseason. Suns trade : Jahidi White Pistons trade : Bob Sura * This gives Detroit a REAL center who can provide valuable backup to Ben Wallace. Jahidi scores and rebounds more than Sura anyway. Again Phoenix takes on a bigger contract but one that expires, so it gives them money this summer. Jahidi may be the key for Detroit to beat Indiana in the playoffs, he can give O'Neal fits. So either trade benefits the other team, and it gives Phoenix what they want, more money this offseason. Now the Eisley move is going to be harder, but here are possibilities... Suns trade : Howard Eisley + $3 Million + NY 1st Rounder Bobcats trade : Nothing * Phoenix gets his big contract out of here, Charlotte can release him and not have it count against their cap (though they DO have to pay him) and they get cash plus a 1st rounder. Suns trade : Howard Eisley + NY 1st Rounder + Cleveland 1st Rounder Sonics trade : Brent Barry * This gives Seattle a backup PG to Ridnour, but mainly it gives them 2 first round picks... If Seattle accepts just the NY pick, then that's good, but I doubt they would, so I throw in the Cleveland pick because it's lottery protected forever, and the Cavs are 1-2 years away from the playoffs. Besides this rids Eisley without giving up $3 Mil and it gives us Barry (contract expires)!! Then this offseason they can sign whoever, and after they are done, resign Barry (he should have Bird rights, and those should come over in the trade). It may seem like a lot to give up, but the free agents should turn out better than late first round picks. ------------------------------------------ Just some ideas to get their contract off our payroll. I hope they do go through with the Seattle trade, I've wanted Barry here anyway. He can be that veteran leadership we need plus he's still a serviceable player. These trades aren't farfetched, in-fact the OTHER teams gets plenty in return. Also remember this extra money may not be for THIS offseason, but NEXT... not too many big name FAs are going to be available this summer anyway. 2005 offseason could have Jamal Crawford, Zydrunas Illgauskas, Marcus Camby, Quentin Richardson, Kenyon Martin, Kurt Thomas, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Theo Ratliff to name a few. I'm not sure if I even like the idea of clearing space to get Free Agents, when's the last time a big time free agent was signed? I'd say it was Shaq in 1996 (McGrady was signed as a FA, but look how well that's done Orlando). Most teams build through the Draft (Duncan, Garnett, LeBron, Ming, Iverson, Marion, Baron Davis, Paul Pierce, etc), Draft-Day Trades (Kobe, Vince, Nowitzki, Francis, Gasol, etc), or by trading (Marbury, Kidd, Jermaine O'Neal, Finley, Nash, Artest, Hamilton, Bibby, etc). Most free agents move because of a sign and trade... but in a lot of cases it helps the team giving up the big name. Orlando got Grant Hill but Detroit was helped out by getting Ben Wallace, and now Orlando is stuck with a huge contract sitting in street clothes every day. Phoenix got Penny, and that would have helped Orlando if they made smarter moves, such as not giving us our pick back (by the way we picked Amare Stoudamire with it). There are 3 free agents even worthy of calling big name free agents, Rasheed Wallace, Steve Nash, and Kobe. I don't think any of them is good for Phoenix. Rasheed is just a distraction who will just tear the Suns apart like has with Portland -- besides he plays Amare's position. Nash will just clutter the PG position up and it'll be like the KJ/Kidd/Nash mesh but now it's gonna be Nash/Barbosa/Vujanic. Kobe is a great player, I really do like Kobe, I wish we could have drafted him (stupid Charlotte) but I don't think we should take him <u>NOW</u>. He's got baggage now, and we have Joe Johnson, so we can't consider that our "weak" position. Our 1, 2, 3, and 4 are pretty much solidified, everyone but Marion just needs some time to really get into their prime. Obviously our center position is our weakest... their best solution so far is to draft projects and try to train them, problem is the projects never pan out, nor do I think Phoenix knows how to actually TRAIN these centers, I mean they have no blueprint to work off of, their best center in the last 30 years was Mark West so why not just do what Indiana and Sacramento have done, <u>TRADE FOR THESE CENTERS</u>! With all this free money the Suns could swing a 3-way with New York and Golden State, which gives the Warriors good talent, frees up some of New York's payroll, and gives Phoenix Erick Dampier. Of course I'd love to see the Suns use the money to get some players like Brent Barry, Gordan Giricek, Mehmet Okur, Gary Trent, Robert Traylor, Manu Ginobili, Michael Curry, Keon Clark, and maybe Ostertag at a cheap/1-2 year contract. They need depth just as much as anything else... so why not spread the money around and buy up cheap players who can provide good minutes off the bench. Marion, JJ, and Stoudamire don't need to play 40 minutes a night!! Besides with Amare's foul troubles, we need another PF who can bang for boards and block shots. Then there's the injuries we continue to endure. Anyway that's just my 2 cents, lemme know what you all think, hope this sparks some good posts. <font color="Red">(EDIT)</font>: Also keep in mind Phoenix needs to keep a player on their roster they are willing to let go to Charlotte. Every team can protect 8 players, but if you have less than 8 you must unprotect 1 for the Expansion Draft, so if Phoenix does trade Eisley and White before the Expansion Draft, then they'd have to expose Marion, Amare, JJ, Voskul, Zarko, Jacobsen, Barbosa, or Lampe. I don't think Phoenix wants to let any of them go for nothing, so I assume they'll try to keep some useless player on their team just to expose him to Charlotte
No way they're going to get Ginobili, Ostertag, or Tractor Traylor. I'd say more, but I'm not exactly a great GM who knows a lot about that aspect of the NBA.
Great opinions man, although I don't think these trades would work. I think that the Bobcats might take the trade, but I wouldn't want to give up any first round picks.
how about... Phoenix Trades: Amare Stoudamire , draft pick. Orlando Trades: Juwan Howard , Andrew Declerq , Gordan Giricek.
yeah that's why Andrew and Giricek are included. That would be like 30ppg 12rpg and like 8apg....compare that to Amare . plus it gives them cap room to look for kobe in the off-season. giricek is a FA after this season.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TMac_OwNz:</div><div class="quote_post">Phoenix Trades: Amare Stoudamire , draft pick. Orlando Trades: Juwan Howard , Andrew Declerq , Gordan Giricek.</div> I'm not sure if this was joking or a knock on the fact my trades were completely one sided (as this trade is) -- but in either case I'll argue the trade. Phoenix gives up potentially a top 10 player in the league and reigning rookie of the year for Howard who is nearing the end of a lackluster career, Declerq who can't play center in the EAST, and Giricek who is a FA at the end of this year... plus the Suns have to throw in a Draft Pick? Then I have to mention the Suns kill any free cap space they had this offseason... so they lose talent and money... hmmm, I can understand losing talent for money or vica versa, but what team would lose talent and money in the same trade? Not to mention the trade can't happen because Amare is still on his rookie contract and Howard/Declerq are both overpaid (even at their sub-$5 Mil contracts). If this was a sarcastic remark about the trades I proposed, mine were actually fair, the other teams were filling a need and in a few cases getting picks while the Suns were clearing salary. If this was just a joke trade hoping your team could pull a fast one on Phoenix, then you should make that known. In any case I don't think anybody finds this fair for Phoenix at all... it's about as fair as Phoenix jacking Bo Outlaw, Draft Pick (Amare Stoudamire), and cash for Jud Buechler. By the way Orlando also had to send cash to the Clippers (who also received Vinny Del Negro from Phoenix) -- oh wait that trade actually happened <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">plus it gives them cap room to look for kobe in the off-season. giricek is a FA after this season</div> Gives Phoenix cap space? NO WAY!! Howard and Declerq make over $8 million next year, Amare makes $2 mil, where are they saving money?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TMac_OwNz:</div><div class="quote_post">how about... Phoenix Trades: Amare Stoudamire , draft pick. Orlando Trades: Juwan Howard , Andrew Declerq , Gordan Giricek.</div> HAHAHA , No way! , just by looking at that trade it is easy to see you're a magic fan, i really do hope you were joking man. That would be looked at as one of phoenix's worst trades ever. I honestly can't see the logic behind it, sorry. Amare has a great future and will be a star, i dont think you can say that about Howard, Declerq or giricek. Scorbutic, as usual a great post, i like your idea for the seattle trade, although they are giving up 2 picks, they clear some cap space and get a fantastic player in barry.
Man.. Amare could take all of them guys and Juwan howard is getting old so why would the suns want him and there building for the future and amare is the or one of the players they are building it around.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting L.Sooch:</div><div class="quote_post">Man.. Amare could take all of them guys and Juwan howard is getting old so why would the suns want him and there building for the future and amare is the or one of the players they are building it around.</div> They took McDyuess... he's old... And how about Amare to San Antonio for Malik Rose and cash? ;D (assuming he wasn't on his rookie contract)
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Crossover:</div><div class="quote_post">They took McDyuess... he's old... And how about Amare to San Antonio for Malik Rose and cash? ;D (assuming he wasn't on his rookie contract)</div> Well they got McDyess because he's got a huge contract that expires this summer, meaning the Suns can get a free agent with all that money. Howard makes more than twice what Amare makes plus he's under contract for a ton of years... you guys make horrible trades!! Hey and while we're at it, let's trade Howard Eisley for Tim Duncan, 2 First Round Picks, and cash (my freakin' God!) -- or how about a Suns 2nd Round pick for LeBron James and another 2nd rounder for Kevin Garnett I was hoping to have a REAL discussion about the Suns offseason and all I see are these Magic and Spurs fans posting unrealistic trades that are so 1-sided for their team it's not even funny anymore. Amare is on his rookie contract (which by the way he was the 9th pick, so it's not a large contract) and he's soon to be a top 10 talent... the Suns aren't going to take old useless players with BIGGER contracts!! The reason Marbury was shipped was because the Suns were trying to clear payroll and Marbury/Penny were signed for a lot of money for a lot of years... McDyess is coming off in a few months! Anyway please if you have something REASONABLE to say, please post...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Hey and while we're at it, let's trade Howard Eisley for Tim Duncan, 2 First Round Picks, and cash (my freakin' God!)</div> Guess I'll be a Suns fan for a long time... So, how much cash are we talking? No offense, but I don't you'll be able to lure out a center that can actually get the job done consistently.
