Broussard: Suns & Bledsoe $32M apart in negotiatons

What are you talking about?

If Bledsoe accepts the QO (In which my trade idea stemmed from) then the Suns would absolutely HAVE to trade Bledsoe or else they will surely loose him for nothing next off season. So, now you understand why Phoenix would be more then willing to entertain, that type of deal.

 

Unquestionably better? Really?

They were one game away from making the playoffs last year with an average roster age of 25.

You're going to unquestionably deny the possibility that young NBA players and rosters get better year to year?

 

Last year the Suns were unquestionably the worst team in the West. Oh wait...

 

Do you guys think that Bledsoe or Dragic is the 3rd player that can put us over the top? and make us a legit contender ?

 

If the Knicks next offseason dropped a max offer on either Dragic or Bledsoe, either would leave barring Phoenix making a miracle run to the Finals. There are too many teams next offseason with max capspace and not enough players to throw money at. Phoenix saw this and acquired Ennis and Thomas. Dragic and Bledsoe are their two best assets to build up other parts of the roster.

 

I think the Knicks go after Rondo. Also may trade for him this year. He makes sense in NY.

 

This makes sense... IF they keep one of Bledsoe or Dragic. Ennis is basically a question mark.

If they end up out of this with no Bledsoe, and no Dragic, and just Thomas... that's not good.

Then factor in that once Bledsoe formally accepts the QO, it becomes VERY difficult to trade him for any type of valuable return... then factor in the fact that Dragic is expiring (player option, which he'll decline)... and he is unlikely to bring back a huge haul either.

That's what's confusing to everyone in this thread.

Phoenix rightfully is trying to lock up Bledsoe to a below max deal because (i) he probably doesn't deserve max, and (ii) he's restricted, and that should be to their benefit. That said, the RFA process is the RFA process, and the player's leverage is accepting that QO. So both sides have leverage. Which means there IS a middle ground. Which is up your offer a bit, make the 4th year a player option. If they can do that declining contract thing, both sides would like that, too. Both sides SHOULD agree to that.

That let's them potentially trade Dragic, NOW, for some valuable return... or at least better than he'd get later... or keep all three, sign Dragic to the max, and trade Bledsoe next off-season... or whatever.

Failing to sign Bledsoe to a legitimate deal (not the QO) basically screws up their entire ASSET ACCUMULATION plan that they have going on.

 

If Dragic got a max offer he would probably want a 5th year from Phoenix plus he's doing well with Hornacek. I think we're overrating guys like Dragic, Bledsoe and even Lowry. They're near all stars, but not really max guys. If you tailor your system to them as a 1st or 2nd option then they can put up great numbers, but if you add them to a team like the Rockets then you're overpaying them @ max. A good team defensive effort can shut down gys like them, but it's harder to stop elite 3's and 4's.

I personally don't think Morey would pay more than $10 mil for a PG with Harden still on the team.

 

Do you understand why the bolded doesn't make sense? A team defense effort geared to stopping Dragic/Bledsoe against the Rockets you say? I can't imagine how that could go wrong for a team.

It's that teams can't dedicate a team defensive effort to the 3rd guy that would make them so valuable. With Ariza over Parsons, it also means that the team can dedicate more playmaking to a point guard, whereas we were often stuck in no mans land last year with Parsons refusing to be an off ball player and Lin being unable to be one so we had a weird balance that often ended in a bunch of guys often just standing around for no reason (which is part of why Bev was good at both sides of the ball, he's the rare point guard who moves around off ball).

 

Then bet, I'm dead serious

 

Very interesting comments here. The point guard dilemma is enough to make my head spin. There's so many good point guards out there. How do you decide who is better than who once you get past Chris Paul? I dunno.

And I can't really disagree strongly with anything you say here. I have questioned how much Morey values top-quality point guards since he finds so many decent point guards for nothing. However...something tells me that Dragic is still a player on the rise and he is actually underpaid at $7.5 million.

And another factor that I see is once Kevin Love is gone...there is a dearth of superstar power forwards available for acquisition. I suppose we could assume that we can recruit LaMarcus Aldridge here next off season. But that's a big risk.

It really feels like to me that Morey is going to pursue a top-notch point guard simply because there aren't any top-notch big men available right now. And perhaps we can develop DMo or trade for a young PF that can be developed into a primary 3rd or 4th scoring option (CZeller or IKanter). Or perhaps we can use less than max cap space in 2015 to sign a guy like Millsap after trading for one of Dragic, Bledsoe, Rondo, Rubio this year.

 

No, I still don't get it. Ok, I get trading Bledsoe, but why would they gift wrap the twins with him? Markief is a really decent player, and was a candidate for the sixth man of the year last season. And you seem to be totally ignorant of the fact that Bledsoe can veto any trade if he takes his qualifying offer, which means he would have to want to go to Houston, and there is no indication that he does. The only thing known about him is he likes LA and he's best friends with LeBron. Those are probably two/three teams he'd want to go to, the rest is a question mark.

 

I was saying its possible Phoenix could have an amazing year, not saying they will or will not. You're denying the possibility all together. They won 48 games last year and Eric Bledsoe missed 40 due to injury.

You can't imagine a situation where Phoenix with a full season of Bledsoe, the addition of probably the best 6th man in the league in Isiah Thomas, and the likelihood their young players will grow a year older and a year better can't at least boost them from 48 wins to say 55 or 58? What makes the other 6th teams you mentioned unquestionably better?

Just trying to understand how you rationalize Phoenix as being so far out of the picture, they're really under the radar right now in the West and I think people are taking them too lightly. I don't see the Rockets significantly better than them, if they are at all. They are arguably the most athletic team top to bottom in the NBA, they just want to outrun everyone else pretty much.

 

Ok, the post I was replying to specifically named not getting why Phoenix would trade their guards, and that's what I responded to. If you read my original post, you would understand my thought process of them giving up the Morris twins for draft picks, rights to players in Europe, and somebody like Capela who is signed to a long term rookie contract.


Markieff and Marcus Morris will be restricted free agents next off season, their cap holds will be 7 million each, adding up to 14 million counting against the salary cap for the Suns. If the Suns are looking to be big spenders in the 2015 free agency (they absolutely should be) then they might look at offloading the twins, as they would limit their spending by reserving 14 million dollars the Suns could other wise spend on free agents.

It makes plenty of sense IMO, for the Suns to off load Bledsoe with the Morris twins and get as many future picks, euro stashes and rookie contract players as you can in return.

 

Because they had one of the best stretch 4's in the nba, and they let him go over a cpl million a year and they replaced him with a guy that can shoot corner 3's, is nowhere near the quality of defender nor does he have the intangibles (movement, spacing nouse, etc). That he was a local, both HS and college in Arizona, so was basically their own UD only compounds their direction. It wasn't by accident that Frye had the best RPM/xRAPM/etc etc, they killed their spacing and their GM is cool with that.

They in essence did the equivalent of downgrading from Dwight to Asik, and getting a quality backup for Harden. Do we get better from that? of course not, and neither will they. The value of a stretch 4 isn't for what he does as much as it is for what he can do and hence forces the defenses to do, which is why they're all getting paid now.

 

Agreed.

spurs - of course
thunder - no doubt
clippers - same
rockets and blazers - have 2 players each better than anyone on the suns
warriors - have a better backcourt than the suns which is their major strength
mavs - experience and front court ability. Who will stop parsons and dirk?

As mentioned, frye was big for them last year. Never thought I'd say that, but it's true.

Also players such as the morris twins and gerald green shot very well from 3. Not sure they can repeat those performances.

 

What happens when you're the best pick and roll/pop team in the nba and you replace your pop/roll guy with someone inferior?

 

Nailed it. Everything. PHX, Tolliver, Frye, all of it. They won't let me rep you no more but you deserve it.

 

You forgot Memphis, who still has Gasol and Randolph.
I even think the Pelicans will be better than the suns. Who can score on Asik and Davis.

 

Wow, Channing Frye must have been an MVP candidate if he's really this good. I mean one look at his 43% FG percentage, 11 points per game, and 5 rebounds per game, how are they ever going to replace him?

In all seriousness, Frye is a good stretch 4, but its a joke if you honestly believe he is this irreplaceable. Its just summer league, but TJ Warren played awesome and outperformed all other rookies, looks the most NBA ready of all the rookies. Markieff Morris has been steadily getting better each year, and they'll merely use the power forward position differently for next year. Hornacek is a very smart coach, a full season of Eric Bledsoe and the addition of Isaiah Thomas definitely makes them better.

They came out of nowhere last year and won 48 games. If in your opinion, thats all due to Channing Frye, then he really should have been an MVP candidate.