Phoenix Front Office is trash. Every year for the last 5 drafts they have traded away their pick for cash or future consideration. Among the picks traded are Luol Deng, Rajon Rondo, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez and Nate Robinson. Put those guys around Nash and you have a pretty deep bench but Suns are cheap so once again they will giveaway a quality pick to another team for a few bucks.
Rudy Fernandez, Rajon Rondo, Nate Robinson, Luol Deng are all first round picks that the suns have traded away for the last 4 drafts. The first rounders that they have kept are Robin Lopez and Alando Tucker. Its like the suns are cursed in the draft or something. Watch this year's pick that they traded be someone that suns fans are going to regret giving away like those other guys. While the 28th pick will probably be someone that is a 13th man on the team. Oh yeah and I think OKC has like two or three 1st round picks next year so it wont matter if they dont make the playoffs, they can trade the later one.
Its not the front office's fault. You think Steve Kerr wakes up in the morning, rubs his hand in glee and says "Damn, I wonder how much my first round pick will fetch in the market today?" Sarver is the dude to blame. He's the one who basically orders Kerr to sell away all their assets the past few years. He really shouldn't have bought the franchise if he wasn't committed to putting quality product on the floor.
Shaq to Cavs....almost a done deal. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...F?slug=aw-draftbuzz062409&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
If the Suns trade Shaq for only Wallace & Pavloviv. The Suns would save $2M of LT this season and cut around $5M from their team salary for next season.
What is everyone elses take on the Phoenix situation? As mentioned Shaq is about to be moved, but do you think theyre going to move any more pieces? I dont think they would, but Im not fully aware on their financial situation. I know its bad and their close to the LT, but how close? Do you think an Amare deal would still be on the table for us, assuming there was/is one?
Even if they move Shaq they will still be a bit over the LT last I checked, unless they buy those new guys out. I really believe that the Suns won't be done trading their old guys away. I also heard that Grant Hill won't be back for them this coming season. When they can't sign a guy that only makes 1.9 mil a year to an extension you know they are hurting.
SUPPOSEDLY Chris Broussard reports that it's 50/50 that Shaq goes to Cleveland tonight or tomorrow. I say supposedly because I don't have a link, but It's been highlighted by the mods on a Cavs board which means Broussard probably reported it. I'm assuming this might be in the ESPN Insider chat going on right now.
Five years ago it was almost certain Phoenix was going to at least reach the NBA Finals once if not win it all a few times. Look at them now. No Finals appearances and not even a playoff team last season. Add to that an outlook of being in the NBA lottery for the next few years if things keep progressing as rumored.
With the latest rumors saying that the Cavs and Suns currently have six possible three-way deals tentatively set up (presumably, depending on how the draft unfolds), would you jump in as the third team to the following Shaq deal?: Cavs get: Shaquille O'neal Suns get: Ben Wallace, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey Rockets get: Sasha Pavlovic, #14 overall pick The Suns would buy out Big Ben to save money and would have a quality young big man to show for it in Carl Landry (an asset they wouldn't have had under the current two-team iteration of the Shaq trade). Dorsey is just another young player for a rebuilding roster. The Rockets would waive Pavlovic (whose $4.9M salary for next year is only guaranteed for $1.5M) and select Earl Clark at #14. I think this trade would get the Suns to follow through with the Shaq deal, and it would fulfill those on this BBS who think that Landry is worth giving up in order to get Earl Clark (think of a young Lamar Odom). Just a thought.
I don't know about that. They are like the Florida Marlins (without the titles of course) in the sense that while they tear it down a lot, they always rebuild it back up very quickly and do not suffer long droughts of mediocrity.
The other good thing about such a trade would be that it would allow the Rockets to trim their payroll by about $1M or so after they waive Pavlovic. I think you will probably see a Shaq deal occur at some point late tomorrow night in order to account for the status of Phoenix's #14 pick. If that pick is involved in any three-team trade, the third team would not agree to complete a deal unless its targeted player is actually available at #14.
The Cavs' main beat writer says the Shaq deal is extremely close now. Most Cavs fans were hesitant (like any other fans) to jump the gun, but I think we're all buying this as legitimate now. Fans seem to be split 50/50 though on actually wanting to get Shaq.
I hope the Former-bench-warmer-turn-GM era ends soon. Steve Kerr Danny Ferry John Paxson God, these guys are horrible as GMs.
If we didnt have Yao Id take Shaq. Lets just see if he is as good or can keep it up the way he played in Phoenix. We know Phoenix medical staff works magic.
