LOL @ using Brooklyn as a model to emulate. GSW are in a different place than the suns. They basically have their team set. No issue in going over the cap to keep your team together when you already have what you need. Organic growth won't be enough for the Suns unless Alex Len becomes a boarderline all-star caliber player. Also the west is better than last year. Suns will have to contend with the Kings and Pelicans which they didn't have to last year.
LOL @ you misinterpreting what I posted. Did I say it was a model to emulate? Nope. I just said that there are examples around the league about committing that much money to a starting backcourt. For the record, no one should be emulating anything that comes out of Brooklyn. While I agree that GS is on another level than the Suns, whose to say that Phoenix can't get there? Before re-signing Dragic, they have about $53 million committed in salaries to their roster. If they move Dragic for, I don't know, a couple of draft picks and have his salary absorbed by a TPE then they are still under the cap going into next summer. Even they don't and commit a max deal to him and move Thomas (I stand by my belief that they can afford to keep two pgs and not 3), they still have enough cap space to bring in a player like Paul Millsap. Plumlee/Len Millsap/Morris Tucker/Morris Bledsoe/Green Dragic/Bledsoe Who knows? Maybe they can move players around and sign a defensive center like an Omer Asik Asik Millsap Tucker Bledsoe Dragic That lineup with an average bench should get you into the playoffs.
I couldn't disagree more. Goran would be a perfect addition and let us reduce Harden's minutes, which we need to do if he's going to be effective at both ends of the court. Dragic isn't a world beater on the defensive end, but he is a plus defender and would be great both taking some of Harden's minutes and playing beside him, in my humble opinion. Whether we end up with him or not is another thing entirely, though. I've had my fingers crossed for a long time. Makes it hard to type, I can tell you.
Tack on the fact that he has something most of our players don't have: a mid-range game. Sure the Rockets' offense don't call for the mid-range but it's nice to have a player on the court that can keep the opposing defense on its toes rather than just camp out at the 3, knowing the Rockets will launch from there 90% of the time.
yeah i agree they can keep two. The way things are shaping up I just don't believe Dragic will be one of those two.
Of the possibilities out there for a move by the Break, or next summer, he'd be perfect. Sure would be nice to get the guy sooner, rather that later. It'd be smart of the Suns to deal him by the deadline, unless they're playing like gangbusters. In this early season, they're 6-5. Not busting any gangs, not yet, anyway.
I agree with this completely... BUT, would still be concerned about where to get that PF from? One has to assume to even come close to getting Dragic, TJones is headed out... we know DMo is not a long-term option. Even with Dragic, with DMo starting at PF, hard to see this Rockets squad going past the 2nd round, this year. Yes, yes, perhaps there is another move they could make next offseason with an MLE... But I kind of feel like while having future flexibility is great, at some point you got to put your chips on the table. James is young, but Dwight isn't. If a package of TJones, NOP pick, Daniels, filler nets you Dragic... is there a way to fill the PF spot this year too? On the other hand, I do understand the not overpaying argument. Dragic is for all purposes a free agent this offseason. Why would anyone trade anything of real value for him? Getting him now for a playoff run is great... getting him in the offseason while retaining our other assets is really nice.... just a question of what other teams are willing to do. The good news, as has been discussed to death on the forum, is that most contending teams are set at PG, or at least relatively set with equally little to trade in exchange. And absent a really solid promise of an extension, most non-playoff teams are unlikely to trade lotto picks or promising young players for him... At the trade deadline, with limited other offers, and not in the playoff race, would Phoenix do Dragic for the Lin TPE, NOP pick and a future first or one or two of the high seconds? With a HEALTHY Jones, and with Dragic, I think the team is good to go for a playoff run this year and to add bits and pieces as necessary next offseason, but with no dramatic changes after that...
Nope. Morey wants a third star above all else, regardless of position. First, consider that there are a number of teams all clearing cap space and accumulating assets attempting to copy what the Rockets have done getting star talent through trade/free agency. The more teams competing and the less likely the Rockets are to get the player they want. Second, Dragic would not be "wasted" next to Harden. Dragic has had the most success in his career playing primarily off ball LAST year. Dragic was well over 20 points a game playing the 2 last year and his % were all higher than at the 1. Third, you assume that Harden wouldn't delegate some of the ball handling responsibilities to Dragic. He would. Fourth, more than anything else the Rockets need another player that can create offensively, and that is exactly what Dragic does. Dwight Howard is about to turn 29 years old, Ariza isn't young and Beverley's deal will be up soon. The Rockets are not going to let a player like Dragic waste away so that they can chase waterfalls. There is no PF available or likely available that will be a better contributor than Dragic. I will take: C - Howard PF - Caldwell Jones' bloated corpse SF - Ariza SG - Harden PG - Dragic Every damn day of the week and be a top 2-3 seed with a real shot to win the West.
Doesn't look like this three point guard situation in Phoenix is getting any better. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Goran played 21 minutes tonight and just made a quiiiiick exit without speaking to reporters</p>— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) <a href="https://twitter.com/outsidethenba/status/537081626376024065">November 25, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Watched the game against Raptors just now, Dragic didn't look interested at all. Bledsoe was doing all the PG work. Do come back.
