The Official 2024 Offseason Thread

[Revived]

Mike Budenholzer will be prominent part of search apparently.

This is the only HC who I think has the best chance at doing something with this roster if the “big 3” is willing to buy-in.

Any other HC and we’re better off blowing it up imo.

[Slim Charless]

Booooooooo.

[Saberestar]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2024/5/8/24147846/way-too-early-targets-phoenix-suns-free-agency-trade-nba
https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/

“Way too early” targets for the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns need to find a creative way to get better this summer.

By Brandon Duenas
May 8, 2024, 6:00am MST

Spoiler:

The Phoenix Suns have work to do this offseason.

The 2024 NBA Playoffs are still going strong, but the offseason has already begun for 22 teams.

For the basketball junkies, it’s never too early to dive into the potential names in free agency or the trade market. The NBA Draft is another route they can take, but that is unlikely now.

In a press conference earlier this week, James Jones was asked by Baxter Holmes about his overall view on how the Suns can build out their roster from a flexibility standpoint. His response: “We have assets add players to the positions that will make us better. I’m not thinking about 2031. None of us are thinking about 2031.” Reading between the lines here: do not get attached to the Suns’ 1st round pick this season. Or their 2031 first-rounder. This team wants to win now at all costs.

There is value in having cheap rotation players on rookie contracts; there are several examples of those situations around the league. The draft still matters for contenders despite popular opinion. However, if Phoenix can find a way to improve and the cost is dealing another pick, I’m fine with it.

The team is set on continuing to go all-in on their established core. Who are some players that could help the Suns now? The type of player the Suns could receive in this hypothetical scenario is intriguing. Their ability to deal multiple picks is flying under the radar. While they can’t stack contracts, they can send one (Nurkic, Little, etc.) attached with multiple picks to sweeten the pot.

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The Targets
This will be an informal dive into some players tossed around in my mentions in reply to this tweet the other day. There is plenty of time for the nerdy cap space stuff, so we’ll save that for later. The names in the replies included:

LeBron James (yes, the people are speaking... see John’s piece here)
James Harden (what salary restrictions?)
These two are going to generate buzz (whether there’s a real shot or not) and

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Let’s step back and throw some names at the wall like a couple of friends sitting at a bar for this segment.

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- Chris Paul (reunite him with the fellas and bring LeBron on board to get crazy & old)
- Russell Westbrook (KD-Russ reunion on a vet min?)
- Kyle Lowry (a vet that can take Gordon’s minutes and fill a need)
- Clint Capela (a playable veteran center, I’m in!)
- Brook Lopez (see above)
- Alex Caruso (we’ve been flirting with this idea for years)
- Marcus Smart (tough to see this happening)
- Dennis Schroeder (also been flirting with this one for a while)
- Saddiq Bey (a playable wing/forward that can shoot? why not)
- Kris Dunn (defense and playmaking)
- Larry Nance Jr. (via trade, unlikely)
- Mason Plumlee (sure?)
- Robert Covington (3&D)
- PJ Tucker (pure nostalgia... he doesn't have a ton left in the tank)
- Patrick Beverley (gross)
Okay, now we’re in deep conversation. Approaching sicko territory.

- Richaun Holmes (sure... welcome back)
- Dario Saric (Dario strong. why not... welcome back)
- Monte Morris
- Cam Payne (could’ve used turbo last year at times...)
- Josh Richardson
- Delon Wright
- Bismack Biyombo (BIZ!)
- Christian Wood
- Mo Bamba
- Torrey Craig (again)
- Bronny James (secure LeBron on a minimum contract, 4D Chess)

Looking internally, I want Phoenix to bring back Royce O’Neale and Bol Bol. Josh Okogie to a lesser extent.

Which names interest you the most above? Who is missing? Drop your favorite targets below!

Do any of these listed names sound intriguing to you guys, or even realistic as vet min depth options??

All those targets sound unrealistic or fully washed up.

Outside of the role player we acquire for our picks, we're in for another year of cast offs and over the hill vets. There's a reason the junkyard jones nickname stuck around here.

If we have to move the picks I'd prefer Capela (from that list) since that would give us size and could let us move Nurk to the bench as a 6th man, and would surely help our interior finishing and defense. He's declining a little bit but he's not over the hill by any stretch.

Lopez would be huge too providing spacing and defense. Maybe we bring him off the bench and split minutes with Nurkic. But he's 36 I'd hate to give up a draft pick for him.

Caruso seems like a pipe dream but at the same time it's like we need more size since the FO seems intent on forcing this no PG kind of offense through. Like running all these guys Beal/Booker/Caruso/Grayson major minutes will require them to spend time at the 3 which is similar to the problem we had this past season - we're a bit small. Certainly not complaining if we get him but I also expect the Bulls to be idiots like us and not blow it up.

As for the vet min level guys they're all interchangeable grab bag stuff. You get lucky and hit on one of them getting you a decent year or even more likely you miss on them all. It doesn't really matter to discuss them since they are statistical crapshoots.

I do think Paul on a minimum would help us out in the regular season off the bench. Lower his minutes and bubble wrap him for the playoffs maybe he can give you 24 mpg in May. Much prefer him over Westbrook. Lord knows we need Paul's coaching and leadership too.

God it's almost futile discussing this stuff with these idiots in charge. What's the point lol.

I completely agree with you man! That's what's so incredibly disappointing about how incredibly dumb and shortsighted this type of strategy truly is if Ishbia and Jones had only taken the time to think things through and legitimately reflect on the consequences of these decisions. It's also why for so many years, I've been constantly trying to promote the draft and even wide ranges up to the undrafted ranges as a critically important and VIABLE pathway to legitimately add BOTH cost-controlled young, HUNGRY, energizing talent that can either become contractually controlled impact producers or perceived high-value assets in the market due to their potential to outplay their rookie scale contracts.


Not only those two clear benefits we've denied ourselves for so long under Jones' pathological aversion of the draft, but also the important and overlooked aspect of not having to bid/ compete against other teams for specific players of need. You only need to do the actual scouting/time invested and identify those veiled talents or high-tier prospects in our range that fit a need, or carry high-ceiling potential as a developing "desirable" trade asset that can be flipped for a vet impact contributor/star as a premium inclusionary piece that'd allow us NOT HAVE TO OVERPAY with the bulk of our assets because nobody wants our already established minimal value retread vet min bench options. Because, IF they actually had decent value or were at all desirable to anyone outside of our moronically inept front office, then it's only logical that they wouldn't be available to us for the freaking minimum!!

Still, the reason that I mention this list is because we now have no other options (thank you Jones/ Ishbia)!! Now I also agree with you on some of the players from that list that I'd love to get but we can't because of our situation:

I'd love to somehow get Clint Capela or Brook Lopez, but we simply can't because as a 2nd apron team, all trades have to be a "dollar for dollar" match because one of the penalties is that we can't aggregate salaries in a trade! And Both Capela and Lopez make over 20 million. We'd have to match Nurkics' 18 million salary in a one-for-one trade, OR choose a lesser salaried center and maybe get some fillers back up to his 18 million. This is why I'm a fan of a KD trade to Atlanta, But I myself was also wrong when I suggested a KD/Nurkic trade because I also forgot that we now can't combine player salaries as a 2nd apron team. So this is again, why I was so aggressively promoting the draft (much to the veiled derision of many here for so long) to try and promote a cost-controlled sustainable influx of supplemental talent for our core, AND as a mechanism to add low-cost positional depth assets with specific beneficial attributes/skillsets that'd make us positionally stronger! But the front office left us in this terrible position wherein we can really ONLY CONSIDER these bottom-tier options. And because we're now so severely hamstrung over the next decade (outside of blowing it all up) unfortunately, all we have as an option is this premise of Jones low-tier vet min considerations!

I'd love Caruso, and think that he could be somewhat realistic (in terms of attached assets being agreeable), However, again, we just don't have matching salaries, unless we're willing to swap Allens' larger salary for Caruso and fillers. Maybe an Allen for Caruso/ Carter or Caruso /Craig as a return because both even cumulatively are downgrades offensively at least. We're just stuck in this "black hole" craptastic scenario going forward (outside of the draft) which Jones refuses to consider at all).

[Saberestar]

Mike Budenholzer will be prominent part of search apparently.

This is the only HC who I think has the best chance at doing something with this roster if the “big 3” is willing to buy-in.

Any other HC and we’re better off blowing it up imo.

Yeah, I love that Budenholzer is the first name that is out there.

[sunsbum]

Anyone that watched the suns play for more than 5 minutes knows how terrible our team is. Sure, we could have ran a better offense, would that have made a difference? nah.

[BobbieL]

VOGEL IS GONE!!!!!

LETSSSSS GOOOO!

I thought the hire was "ehh" last year but this is a roster problem and it all stems from that Durant trade.

[BobbieL]

Mike Budenholzer will be prominent part of search apparently.

This is the only HC who I think has the best chance at doing something with this roster if the “big 3” is willing to buy-in.

Any other HC and we’re better off blowing it up imo.

Well I cannot think of a better coach

Second - they should still look to improve the roster. If that means making a trade, so be it. Including, I am going to say it, Booker

[Saberestar]

Gambo

The head coaching change will not be the only change with the Suns there will be front office changes - not James Jones being replaced.

[Saberestar]

Read on Twitter

JJ Redick is not an option.

Everything points to Budenholzer.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Gambo

The head coaching change will not be the only change with the Suns there will be front office changes - not James Jones being replaced.

It'll be interesting to see what front office changes they will promote as responsible decisions that'll make us better considering that Jones has obviously been a major contributor to our overall mediocrity and lack of any tangible sustainable assets, depth.

[bwgood77]

Well, as long as Ishbia is in his delusional phase (assuming it's not a lifetime thing), we won't see a functional, likable team. We can pray something happens forcing him to sell (like the Sarver thing), but that's just pure sf right now. Maybe in a few years when he sees scorched earth all around him, he'll understand how comically incompetent he is and let actual professionals run things here. Till that day comes, stay strong fellas.

I was a little concerned when the sale was being planned that, being an *, Sarver might choose another * to bolster his own reputation one day by the inevitable retrospective comparison, and as a final F you to the fans. I knew nothing about Ishbia when he was announced, and it's reasonable to consider that the very worst sort of person might be the type to make the best offer to buy a sports team, so it's possible Sarver being an * isn't what resulted in us having another * owner.

Either way, I'm pretty sure Ishbia's an * -- just a big, loose *, as opposed to the squeaky tight variety. I don't think he'll ever sell - unless, as you said, ESPN finds a bunch of dirty $hit everywhere. The odds of him getting humbled like you're hoping for are currently pretty low, but they should get better over time as L's and age pile up.

This is why I want to go back to the tank. You don't have to be a nice guy to nail a draft pick. It won't happen this year, but one day, surely?

No reason to tank since we don't own our picks until 2031, but we may unintentionally tank and hand the next Tatum and Jaylen Brown to Brooklyn, Memphis or Washington, like the Nets did when they traded all their picks for KG, Pierce, etc.

[bwgood77]

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Good...hopefully someone read my post yesterday and decided Bud was the best idea available given our personnel.

[BobbieL]

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JJ Redick is not an option.

Everything points to Budenholzer.

That list of HC last year was very uninspiring.

Kellan Olson has Danny Hurley, JJ Reddick Mike D'antoni, Becky Hammons plus re-treads Like Atkisson, Joerger, Brett Brown

I am good with Budenholzer I think/ But its the roster. Thats an issue - all options should be open with the roster.

[bwgood77]

https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2909238

“Rick Carlisle believes his Indiana Pacers have been victimized by unfair officiating in their series against the New York Knicks.”

“Small-market teams deserve an equal shot," Carlisle said, according to SNY. "They deserve a fair shot - no matter where they're playing"

“Games where it felt like the whistles weren't balanced," he added. "We pulled clips, and there's a way to send it to the NBA head office. ... There were 29 plays in Game 1 that we thought were clearly called the wrong way. I decided not to submit them because I just felt like we'd get a more balanced whistle tonight. It didn't feel that way."

“The Pacers identified 49 questionable calls in Game 2, plus 29 from Game 1, and submitted all 78 instances to the league office for review Wednesday night, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst.”

“Give New York credit for the physicality that they're playing with. But their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized - just time after time. I'm just really disappointed."

Yeah, there were a lot of obvious ones. Indy definitely should have won game 1, and without all those calls, game 2 as well.

[Revived]

Funny thing about Mike Budenholzer is that he has interviewed for Suns HC position twice already in the last 20 years. This will make it a third time he’s doing it.

[bwgood77]

Haliburton wouldn't have gotten playing time behind CP3 and Cam Payne for three years. Sitting on the bench would not have developed him. Started 150 games in the first three years. He wouldn't have started a game under Monty. Monty didn't give playing time to the youngsters. After one bad game, the rest of the season in the doghouse.

Who cares? He would have gotten plenty of time when Paul was out, especially in the playoffs, and certainly would have been over Payne and gotten 25 minutes and taken over post Paul.

Such an obtuse and dismissive response.

They weren't carrying 4 PG's in the roster in 20/21. They had already bought into the Cam Payne fool's gold from the bubble run and CP3 was the piece they felt they needed to ascend. Plus as mentioned before - Monty didn't play youngsters.

There is some logic behind loading up on a strength of a team that could potentially lead to trading assets and the obviously there's the CP3 age factor so it would've been wise to prepare. The question is whether JJ felt Payne was the heir apparent which in hindsight ain't smart.

Such an obtuse and dismissive response. You take the best player available, period. He is a 3rd guard in the rotation, getting 30 minutes a game. Trade Payne, Shamet, whatever. Don't draft for position.

It was blatantly obvious we needed a PG of the future. We had every other position nailed down with young guys.

[Revived]

Read on Twitter

JJ Redick is not an option.

Everything points to Budenholzer.

That list of HC last year was very uninspiring.

Kellan Olson has Danny Hurley, JJ Reddick Mike D'antoni, Becky Hammons plus re-treads Like Atkisson, Joerger, Brett Brown

I am good with Budenholzer I think/ But its the roster. Thats an issue - all options should be open with the roster.

Didn’t KD get Atkinson fired to hire his homeboy Steve Nash as HC? Doubt Atkinson would want to come here and doubt KD would be okay with it either.

[Fifii]

Calm down guys. This is good message, we must have new coach but I repeat calm down.

My proposition is Chris Quinn ( Spo assistant ). I think he could gave us new fresh and he is from Spo hand so I will try him.

[Ghost of Kleine]

https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/2909238

“Rick Carlisle believes his Indiana Pacers have been victimized by unfair officiating in their series against the New York Knicks.”

“Small-market teams deserve an equal shot," Carlisle said, according to SNY. "They deserve a fair shot - no matter where they're playing"

“Games where it felt like the whistles weren't balanced," he added. "We pulled clips, and there's a way to send it to the NBA head office. ... There were 29 plays in Game 1 that we thought were clearly called the wrong way. I decided not to submit them because I just felt like we'd get a more balanced whistle tonight. It didn't feel that way."

“The Pacers identified 49 questionable calls in Game 2, plus 29 from Game 1, and submitted all 78 instances to the league office for review Wednesday night, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst.”

“Give New York credit for the physicality that they're playing with. But their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized - just time after time. I'm just really disappointed."

Yeah, there were a lot of obvious ones. Indy definitely should have won game 1, and without all those calls, game 2 as well.

Yeah! But this whole discussion premise really goes back to that Donaghy article I shared we he openly admitted that the refs would meet in a hotel room meeting prior to games/playoff games to discuss influencing factors that will determine how the games will be called, with direct favor given to certain teams based upon specific factors such as market size/ revenue earnings, star promotion/ fan interests, storylines being promoted too, as well as in the playoffs, wherein the games are also prolonged or extended through influential outcome to promote more ratings/tv revenue and viewership.

It's almost like it's a business after all with profits being prioritized over genuine parity.