Pure lunacy. Phoenix is never going to win a ring w/ this team and they'll be committing $70M+ in payroll once Amare gets paid.
Dalembert will possibly be a hawk next year. If they offer him big money, will Philly want to match it?
We'll see what happens. Kudos to Atlanta for front loading the deal to a tune of 20M!! Wow! Phoenix is going to have to really PAY to keep JJ. I hope Atlanta gets JJ, but if not I am happy they are forcing Phoenix to pay JJ market value instead of getting away with paying him less. It will be hilarious to see Nash, Marion, JJ, Amare equal over 50M in payroll by themselves! If they decide to add a 5th starter and a bench it will probably push them over 60-70M.
I don't really think that frontloading the offer is that big of a deal. It doesn't change their salary cap situation much at all because the signing bonus still needs to be spread out throughout the length of the contract. So capwise it doesn't really change anything. And finance-wise it's not so bad because next year Amare will still be on his rookie contract, so even with a 20 million dollar balloon payment to JJ, their overall payroll isn't cripplingly bad. The Suns will have to pay a lot more next year for JJ, but that just means that they will be paying less in subsequent years to him so it all evens out. In fact because the raises are based on the base-value of the contract, the overall value of the contract will be a few million less than if there was no frontloading. http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#60
After having this crazy market established by Redd, then the outrageous numbers given to Hughes and Simmons, I actually think the Suns would be crazy NOT to match. They really have to. As of right now, if they matched Johnson, all 4 of their top dollar contracts would be tradeable if I'm not mistaken. I really don't know how this is going to play out for the Rockets. How could guys like SAR, Antoine and Swift even consider MLE money really? This is the second straight year where lunatic money has been handed out. Last year it was fringe point guards getting big bucks.
Don't forget they just used nearly all the MLE on Raja Bell and they just aquired Kurt Thomas. SO if they match JJ at 20M this year their salary will be 70M with only 10 players. Next year they will 60-62M with 7 players assuming JJ back to 12M. That is alot of dough. Well over the Lux tax as well.
Phoenix intends to match Atlanta's 5 years, $70 million LAS VEGAS -- Joe Johnson's camp was informed Saturday that the Phoenix Suns intend to match Atlanta's expected five-year, $70 million offer to the restricted free agent, according to NBA front-office sources. Word began spreading Friday at the Vegas Summer League that the Hawks have given Johnson a firm commitment that they'll sign him to a maximum offer sheet on July 22, which the league office has scheduled to be the first day free agents can sign contracts. The Hawks' offer, sources said, is likely to be front-loaded with a payment as high as $20 million in the first year of the deal. Rules on such payments and other specifics of the deal are also on hold until July 22, when the league announces the salary-cap number for next season. The rules on contract lengths, however, have already been finalized, and the Hawks are prevented from signing Johnson to a contract longer than five years. A maximum offer from the Suns would span six years at an estimated $90 million, matching the terms Michael Redd received from Milwaukee earlier this week, but sources say Phoenix has offered Johnson closer to $60 million over six seasons. The Suns have maintained all season that they will match any offer Johnson gets, rating the versatile swingman as no less critical to the team's success than its three All-Stars: Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Shawn Marion. Matching a five-year offer, though, is undoubtedly more palatable than paying Johnson in the Redd range for six. Various league executives have privately questioned whether the Suns would indeed match a max offer sheet to Johnson, given owner Robert Sarver's stated aversion to letting his annual payroll stray far beyond $50 million. With Johnson earning an average annual wage of $12 million and Stoudemire soon to receive a maximum contract extension that would kick in starting with the 2006-07 season, Phoenix would be in the rare position of carrying four players who earn roughly $50 million by themselves. Arn Tellem, Johnson's agent, met with Phoenix president Bryan Colangelo and team chairman Jerry Colangelo during the Suns' summer-league game here Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers. All parties declined to comment. The Hawks, sources said, are still expected to go ahead with signing Johnson to an offer sheet, hoping that the value of the contract, potential incentive clauses and the up-front payment will prompt Phoenix to change its mind. The Hawks will also take encouragement from the new collective bargaining agreement, which lessens the risk of signing restricted free agents. Starting this offseason, teams will be given only seven days to match an offer to a restricted free agent, compared to the previous window of 15 days. Teams have been hesitant in the past to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets and then have their free-agent funds potentially tied up for 15 days. After a breakthrough 62-win season, followed by a trip to the Western Conference finals, Phoenix went into the offseason hoping to re-sign Johnson, sign Stoudemire to the extension and add toughness. The Suns addressed the latter aim by trading swingman Quentin Richardson to the New York Knicks for power forward Kurt Thomas and then reaching a verbal agreement on the first day of the free-agent season with Utah Jazz guard Raja Bell. The Suns are forbidden from publicly discussing the Bell deal until he officially signs July 22, but team sources have said repeatedly that Bell was targeted to back up Johnson -- not as an insurance policy in case Johnson is let go. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2104688
Phoenix is actually saving money! The Hawks have offered him the max, but it's not a true max deal, it's like the deal Redd would have signed with the Cavs. We can say that it's dumb to pay so much, not to me, they will have the most talented starting five in the league again next season, probably win another 60 games. They will have two MVP canidates in Nash and Amare, a top 5 small forward in Marion, a versatile SG in Johnson, and a tough Pf in Thomas that's the best starting 5 in the league, don't forget the solid 6th man in Bell. Lets say in the next five years they win 275 games and reach the WCFs two more times, maybe the Finals once, but don't win a ring, oh well, it's still worth it IMO.
IF... Nash = MVP AND Amare = The best young player in the game (near = of Duncan & Garnett) AND Marion is an all-star (and statistically probably the most complete of these three) AND Joe Johnson is a MAX deal guy all of that being true two questions: 1) How did that team EVER lose 2) How is the coach of that team with ALL that talent, which did in fact lose, still holding a job (much less the coach of the year trophy)?
62-20, they reached the WCFs, only two teams could say they had more playoff success than they did, and hardly anybody expected it especially the success they had in the playoffs. They had a great season and as long as the nucleus of Nash, Amare, Marion and Johnson stay together and play under D'Antoni they will always win at least 55 games regardless of injuries and at least 60 if they stay healthy. Playoffs? Who knows, they are flawed until Amare starts dominating on defense and starts rebounding like he should, he has said winning the DPOY is his goal for next season. Not happening, but the fact that he has that as one of his personal goals should frighten the NBA since he has reached every goal he has made public so far in his career.
Considering the Suns implemented a new style of basketball last season, along with their lack of depth, they did very well. The true measure of D'Antoni will be NEXT year to see if he can take them further now that the other teams know what he's all about. I think the going could be rough and matching their win totals from last year could be very difficult. Teams will have had all offseason to study what the Spurs and Rockets did to stifle their fast break and cut off Nash's passing lanes. D'Antoni will need to install better 1/2 court systems on offense and defense. If he does this, he's one of the best coaches in the NBA. If the Suns have the same flaws next year as last year, D'Antoni is weak. Remember the "Run and Shoot" offense? It was explosive for a while, but the bottom line philosophy behind it was to take what the defense gave. Eventually defenses adjusted by playing deep, giving up the short pass, punishing the receivers with wicked hits and daring the offense to keep this up all game every game. The offense lacked ball control abilities, especially in late game situations. The Suns offense is similar. If you don't resolve to stop it, they will fast break you for slams and wide open 3's every time down the floor. The Rox & Spurs showed the NBA how to stop it and teams will copy this next year. Like the Run and Shoot, the Suns will continue to creamate undermanned teams by 30 points and will lead the league again in blowout wins. But they will struggle mightily against tough minded teams that get back on defense and have enough firepower to take it straight to them on offense. I don't care if Nash, Amare, Joe Johnson & Marion stay healthy and they still win 55+ games: They are no threat to win the whole thing. If the 4 conference finalists from last year had all played each other, Phoenix would have probably lost 4-1 to all of the other 3 (I'm excluding Wade's injury). To borrow an NFL phrase: Same old Suns. On the salary issue, they cannot support 4 max salaries for very long. I said right after the season ended Marion is the odd man out, but they may keep him one more year.
What's the point in trading Marion next season? If they are really planning on doing that they might as well trade him right now or pass on matching Joe Johnson's contract because if they trade him after next season for expiring contracts the team salary would still be exactly the same for at least one more season. Seems stupid to me. 75% of the decisions made in the NBA seem stupid to me, so maybe they do pay up this upcoming season and dismantle the team if it doesn't win the championship. In that scenario the salary for 06-07 would be the same with or without Marion while the team takes a step back, that's STUPID, whatever.
I think they will probably keep Marion for the start of the season to see how this group plays together. If they go on another 60+ win run then I don't see them messing with the team. But if they falter a bit I could see Marion being quietly shopped before the deadline.
The Suns are in a bind. This coming season is the last year they get Amare on the cheap. If they keep Marion after that, fine. Whatever. Maybe next summer they find a team that thinks he is the last piece of a championship roster, so in return the Suns get another player or two with shorter term contracts. This is how the Rox traded to get rid of Motay's contract. Doing this makes perfect sense if they feel Marion's salary burden is too heavy, and getting rid of just him is not dismantling the team. Maybe they keep him and pay $66MM in 2006 for just 6 players: Bell ($5MM), Marion ($15MM), Nash ($10.5MM), Kurt Thomas ($7.4MM), Joe Johnson ($13MM estimated) & Amare ($15MM estimated). Hey, maybe the Suns want to be the NY Yankees (and end up being like the Arizona Diamondbacks instead). Figure in the luxury tax and I don't think the Suns will have the revenues to sustain a 14 player team. I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of Marion being waived with the one-time exception granted in the new CBA. Yes, it sounds crazy, but you heard it here first.
That would be insane. And very stupid of the Suns. At the very least they could move Marion for expiring contracts. Hell, if I was CD I'd be on their phone the very minute that a phoenix newspaper even floats the possiblity of marion being on the block. I mean even with a conferance rival, it's better to make the trade than cut him and let him sign with somebody for relatively peanuts. Cutting a guy like Marion would be a double edged sword. You'd still have him on your cap so you're getting no production for the millions that you pay him, AND he'll wind up as a gigantic bargain for somebody else, possibly a division rival.
According to Peter Vecsey (always an adventure), it's not a shoe-in that the Suns will match the deal. http://www.nypost.com/sports/26019.htm Contrary to reports, the Suns have made no commitment to matching Joe Johnson's pending Hawks' $70M, 5-year offer sheet. If it were chairman Jerry Colangelo's call, it'd be a done deal, but new proprietor Robert Sarver is in charge of the checkbook. "Ever since he's taken over he's talked long and loud about fiscal sanity," notes a rival owner. The moment of truth — a week, not 15 days, following the July 22 signing commencement — is approaching. To put it mildly, the Suns' coaching staff and players are nervous. Not retaining Johnson means taking a giant step backward and reshuffling the game plan despite the impending pickup of Jazz free agent Raja Bell. Intriguingly, when the Suns are serious about negotiating an agreement nobody does it more lickity-split. It only took GM Bryan Colangelo 45 minutes into the July 1 bargaining period to come to outlandish terms (nearly $5M per over five) with Bell. Years ago, Jerry C. managed to sign Tom Chambers and Danny Manning only minutes following the stroke of negotiation. Question is, why use up so much cap room if you plan to hold on to Johnson?
I really hope Johnson goes to Atlanta. For the Suns to lose both Q and Johnson, that will be a big blow to the team especially when the guys replacing them are Raja Bell and Kurt Thomas.
It really would be to our advantage for another reason as well. While it won't tie up all of Atlanta's dough, I don't know how much they would play waiting to find out about Johnson. I still think Phx matches. Too much at stake. Amare has not signed his extension yet either, if the management does not look committed to winning, they could lose him too (are the Lakers trying to get under the cap in 2 years). Hopefully, either way, Phx takes all their time. Atl playing around with max contracts for Johnson and Curry or Chander should keep them off realistic targets for us.
I think the Suns match as well. If he maintains his value then the Suns can trade him and get some depth. Or they could Marion; whichever they needed less. I'm about 90% sure that the Suns match the offer. By the way what is the luxury tax? That is the only thing that keeps them from matching.
