Jonathan Feigen on Phoenix radio Why the need for Dragic with the ball always in James Harden's hands? He's the PG who can play with James and take some of the burden off James. They don't have a lot of that right now. Pat Beverley is pretty good at catch and shoot but is not a play-maker. The way the Rockets have altered their defensive schemes would fit him well. He's very good at being aggressive. They don't run as well as they used to or as their image. He's a very good fast break PG. He would add a lot and still fit well with James. I reported earlier that if a trade goes down and Goran ends up in Houston, one player coming back would be Donatas Motiejunas. What can you tell us about him? Having a terrific year. He's having the kind of year most would consider worthy of MIP. Real good low post player. Good ol' fashioned low post moves - hook shot with either hand and not a bad range shooter. He's not Channing Frye. Defensively, pretty good at PnR out on the ball, moves well, not great on little PFs. He's not a lock up the lane kind of guy. I'm not sure how much he is what the Suns want and need. They need that guy behind everyone, a rim protector. That's not Motiejunas. ... ... Offensively very skilled. Hard worker. He would be a good asset to add but what could be the more attractive asset for the Suns is that Pelicans pick. Say the Pelicans do really well, you won't get it. You get it only if it's good. It's an attractive asset. How aggressive have the Rockets been in pursuit of Goran to this point and how much more aggressive will they be? Define aggressive. If you mean talking, working hard all the time, working, working, working, extraordinarily aggressive because that's who they are. There were reports that they stepped up their efforts. When did they step down? They have a ton of irons in the fire as always. ... Will they go much further in trade talks and blow teams away with an offer they haven't already made? No, because they don't have that. They have these assets and they're good assets: the Pelicans pick, in some ways the Knicks 2nd round pick is extremely coveted more-so than the last 5-6 picks of the first round. That's an asset. They have certain assets. They have a couple guys in Europe. They have some good contracts(KPap), maybe not for the Suns who are building but for other teams. With the money you're paying Harden and Howard, Dragic is going to get $15 mil+ next year. Can the Rockets afford Harden, Howard and Dragic? Absolutely, if they trade for him. That's why this week is so important to them. If they don't trade for him, I don't see how they chase him as a free agent. ... If they trade for him, they get his bird rights and could go over and absolutely would. They are a team willing to spend for the right guy and they do think Goran Dragic as the right guy. What does your gut tell you? I don't think the Suns are trading him. Goran, from what I understand, he won't say 'Don't worry I'm coming back.' He won't say that but I talked to the guy, he likes it there, likes the management, likes the team, he has to think twice about making his career playing out of position but that doesn't have to be the case when free agency comes. If they don't get the deal they want now for Isaiah Thomas, pretty good chance they could get it then or at the draft. He's happy there, he's the Suns guy to lose. They won't let him go because they're afraid. Everything I've been told is they're priority is to get in the playoffs. It was until about 10 days ago when they went on a stretch and lost a lot of games and come to realize they won't hold off OKC. 2 weeks ago, true. A lot of losses have them re-thinking. Re-thinking yes, but I don't think you get to change management(the very top) the philosophy. ... I don't think they'll do something stupid to benefit this year but I'm not ready to say they'll make a move about the future and this would be a move about the future.
I bet we have a good indication by Wednesday night. Phoenix's indecision ("we're not trading Goran! wait, we might if we really like offer...") and today's Dragic meeting has the market stalled. But the Rockets aren't going to wait until 1:59 on Thursday to see what Phoenix decides, because if the Suns decide to keep Goran, the Rockets need time to finalize deals elsewhere. My guess is if Dragic isn't happening, you'll start to hear tidbits Wednesday about HOU's interest elsewhere. Because inevitably, once more hands get in the cookie jar (more teams in the negotiating processes), the leaks will start to spread. Right now, the only team chirping in regards to talks with Houston is the Suns... and there's a reason for that, IMO. Related side note: The quieter things are tonight, the more likely the Suns are to move Dragic, I think. If this meeting with Dragic's agent results in everyone being on the same page, they'll want to scream it from the rooftops. Why? Because at the moment, Dragic's market appears to be dampening the one for Isaiah Thomas. IT's potential suitors (teams in need of a PG) aren't going to be all that serious when they think there's an even better PG potentially available from the same executive. If this meeting results in the Suns/Dragic essentially making a long-term commitment, it's to Phoenix's benefit to let the league know that, so that everyone moves on to Thomas. That hasn't happened yet, though obviously there's still time with it being late afternoon and all.
This is the leverage the suns have. This is why we may pay more than we normally would for a guy with only half a season left on his contract. Because we won't be able to sign free agents of his caliber outright for several years. Makes sense that Morey is kicking the tires on other big men around the league because you have to believe DMo is what they're asking for, and we would need a replacement. ahh well. we'll see how it goes. i'm starting to get the feeling it'll be a small trade. Just hard to do "blockbusters" when only a very few players are a good fit for your team.
Not to mention that teams know the Suns prefer to move IT so that they can keep the better player in Dragic so the offers for IT will be low ball as well. Suns have really put themselves in a tough spot by offering a large sum of money for the idea that 3 PGs can play together and failed bad. All 3 PGs are starting caliber and Bledsoe and Dragic are starters on like 90% of the NBA teams. Phoenix knows it has a limited market and is trying to do all it can to expand that market, but it seems most of their efforts are failing. Most are not buying the Woj stories considering that they look more like plant pieces with almost all other outlets stating the opposite.
Reasonable logic; but IT? If he's the guy traded it will not be here. I am convinced Boston. Might that make Avery available? Does he move a needle here? I don't think he's the fit. I would be shocked, so pleasantly tho, if Knight came out of the cold.
That would be in line with the "storm of the century" language. Also--what does it mean to steal cold from under someone? If it were gold rather than cold it would definitely be a Celtics reference (see leprechauns). I don't particularly want anything they have. They'd have to be nuts to trade Smart. Maybe they could facilitate a 3-way trade.
