Free Agency Thread

[Arizona_Sting]

I would love to add Monroe, but I think Detroit will match any offer for him. Wonder if a Bledsoe for Monroe S&T goes down... Detroit does need a guard upgrade and if Monroe comes at a cheaper price than Bledsoe then I'd be very interested in it. We need some toughness down low.

He can play the 4 or the 5 but in our system he'd mainly play the 5 to keep us up-tempo.

Monroe-Kieff-Tucker-Green-Dragic starting five with Thomas, Warren, Plumlee, Goodwin, Ennis and Marcus Morris would be pretty damn good.

 

[Davis_Mike]

What exactly could the Lakers offer the Suns for Bledsoe? Outside of Randle, their assets are pretty low at this point.

I like Monroe, but I don't think Detroit has the space to add Bledsoe. If someone offered Monroe something close to max, I doubt Det would match because it would cause them to go over the cap.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Personally, I think Kieff is better than Monroe. Definitely a better fit for our system. We are going to have extend & pay Keiff soon, so I doubt we add another high cost PF to this team.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

We could still afford both Bledsoe and Monroe. I likey.

 

[Jonas_steven]

This situation with Bledsoe is getting interesting. The suns may know a little more than we think regarding his status. I could see a sign and trade happening real soon.the speculation is the lakers but the only asset they have to offer is Randle. Not good enough!

 

[Orange602]

The original rumor was Bledsoe to the Lakers for Randle, Jordan Hill, and a first rounder. Bledsoe needs to hurry up and realize that he is not getting a max contract.
..

 

[Davis_Mike]

The original rumor was Bledsoe to the Lakers for Randle, Jordan Hill, and a first rounder. Bledsoe needs to hurry up and realize that he is not getting a max contract.
..

Yuck. Why would we take on Hill's $9 mil just to facilitate this trade? If we were going to trade BLedsoe, I would think we could get a better deal than that.

 

[nogicat]

I can't believe Bledsoe wants a max deal. He needs to realize he's not getting that especially with his injuries. If the two teams are this far apart now I think even if we keep him he's gone in the near future. dragic was always my preference anyways. Gotta get a good return for him either in a sign and trade now or at the deadline this year.

It always disgusts me that a player can't step back and realize they are still going to make great money with a potential playoff team. What a greedy A Hole. 12 Mil is pretty damn good and 4.5 Mil more than dragic (who should be paid just as much if not more than Bledsoe IMO)

 

[Arizona_Sting]

The Lakers trade rumor was bogus according to Gambo. Hill can't be traded until January anyways.

And I actually do like Hill, but not for anywhere close to the deal he got.

 

[GMATCa]

I can't believe Bledsoe wants a max deal. He needs to realize he's not getting that especially with his injuries. If the two teams are this far apart now I think even if we keep him he's gone in the near future. dragic was always my preference anyways. Gotta get a good return for him either in a sign and trade now or at the deadline this year.

It always disgusts me that a player can't step back and realize they are still going to make great money with a potential playoff team. What a greedy A Hole. 12 Mil is pretty damn good and 4.5 Mil more than dragic (who should be paid just as much if not more than Bledsoe IMO)

I don't mind Bledsoe seeking a max contract and trying to make the most money possible while he possesses the opportunity. Ultimately, it's all just a business.

The question is simply when Bledose and his 'people' will recognize reality and climb down from their number. The Suns are absolutely correct to not bid against themselves and overpay for a player who, while dynamic and promising, is certainly not elite and has already undergone multiple knee surgeries to boot.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Thomas, Green, Warren, Marcus Morris, Len as a second unit... I can't think of a bench unit that could put up more points than those 5 in NBA HISTORY.

Any of the first 3 could drop 20 on any given night.

 

[johnson]

Alex Len will go down as one of the many terrible Suns draft picks in the first round. Before you call me a hater, I also predicted the same with Kendall Marshall.

 

[Jonas_steven]

Alex Len will go down as one of the many terrible Suns draft picks in the first round. Before you call me a hater, I also predicted the same with Kendall Marshall.

Not hating at all! The suns just don't know how to handle the draft!

 

[GMATCa]

Thomas, Green, Warren, Marcus Morris, Len as a second unit... I can't think of a bench unit that could put up more points than those 5 in NBA HISTORY.

Any of the first 3 could drop 20 on any given night.

Well, maybe this bench ...

12/02/1994 NBA Box Score at BOS - basketballreference.com



Or these ...

12/19/1994 NBA Box Score at PHO - basketballreference.com

04/15/1995 NBA Box Score at PHO - basketballreference.com

The Suns featured some extremely deep teams back in the day, circa twenty years ago. On November 23, 1994, they actually scored 140 points in a game with all ten players reaching double digits, and in a game where Charles, Barkley, Kevin Johnson, and the late Wayman Tisdale all did not play.

11/23/1994 NBA Box Score at PHO - basketballreference.com

But for the NBA of nowadays, when there generally is not much depth, yes, that second unit with Thomas, Green, Warren, and a run-of-the-mill 'stretch four' (Marcus Morris) would be very explosive (I don't know that we can call Len any kind of scorer yet).

I don't know how much Hornacek will play a strict 'second unit,' though. More likely, he will mix and match starters and reserves, with the Morris twins often playing together and two of the three main point guards frequently on the court together. I think that what the Suns realized last season was that to compensate for their lack of punch inside, they really needed to play two point guards simultaneously in order to function as a playoff-caliber club in the West.

Plus, if everyone is healthy and available, giving significant minutes to four "guards" is difficult. For instance, let's say that Hornacek only gives Dragic and Blesdoe 32 minutes per game each, a fairly low number for relatively young, healthy starters in their primes. Even in that case, there would only be 32 minutes left for another "guard," and Isaiah Thomas would arguably be worthy of all 32 minutes. That would leave no time for Gerald Green.

Now, since Green can swing to small forward, or a team can play three guards simultaneously (sometimes four), the Suns can create more playing time for Green. However, between Tucker and Warren, not to mention some potential minutes for Marcus Morris at that spot, there could also be a logjam at small forward. And we haven't even gotten to Ennis and Goodwin, who could hardly play if everyone is healthy (let alone Bogdanovich when he comes over down the line).

That's why I've said that the Suns are overloaded with perimeter players and may eventually need to cash some of them in for a big man. Of course, injuries can happen, and that's where depth becomes especially valuable. Now if Bledsoe goes down, the Suns can replace him with someone (Thomas) who basically does the same things offensively. But even then, there won't be enough playing time for everyone.

Of course, given that the long-term futures of both Bledsoe and Dragic in Phoenix are currently up in the air and may not be decided until next summer, the Suns can certainly afford to wait for a year before making decisions about their various assets.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

This whole Bledsoe situation is getting annoying. We all know what will happen... just get it over with already.

 

[Orange602]

Bledsoe made comments to a TV station in Alabama about the Suns "using rules against me". I'm really starting to get sick of Bledsoe now. I was willing to put the blame on his agent, but it really seems like he doesn't want to be in Phoenix.

 

[Jonas_steven]

Just trade him now while he still has high value.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

I'd love to trade Bledsoe for a big. Preferably one that can get up and down the floor and that plays the 4 and 5.

 

[nogicat]

A rumor is coming out that the Celtics may be looking to deal Rondo since they couldn't get Love and if thats the case the Suns are interested.
If they were to be interested I would love to deal bledsoe because that relationship is growing sour and I expect him to take the qualifying offer and leave next year.