This is the toughest off-season since James Jones, Phoenix Suns’ general manager, took office in 2019, and I don’t think it’s going to be a tougher season in the future.
Sands is becoming a luxury tax team, understanding the fate of Deandre Ayton, a restricted free agent. There are also some holes popped up in the rotation after the tremendous depth of Phoenix in the regular season hasn’t been taken over to enter the postseason.
Mobility is decent, thanks to Jones and his staff maintaining flexibility in the sizing method for specific contracts and ownership of all future draft topics.
That said, achieving everything will be a big challenge. Phoenix’s expectations should be title or bust for 37-year-old Chris Paul’s window. The Western Conference to reload will be more difficult than ever.
Here are some of the tasks at hand:
Clarify immediately at the center
Sands already knows his intentions with Eighton. They have known for some time. Now, the only question is whether they can get what they want to do quickly.
In a theme that repeats throughout these sections, Sands doesn’t have a lot of resources when it comes to signing free agents. Knowing that their situation is central is the use of mid-level exceptions, which are worth $ 10.5 million or about $ 6.5 million a year, depending on whether they are working as a tax team. A signature that helps you navigate the preferred method.
I believe that if Eighton’s restricted free agent is pulled out more, that means he’ll be back, and it’s just a matter of negotiating from there. Weeks of Dilly Dally result in uncertainty lurking in the starting position of the roster, which is currently only contracted with Dario Salic. That doesn’t match what we’ve come to know about how Jones works.
If Iton departs sign-and-trade and the return does not include a starting caliber center, the Sands will vie for some of the more desirable free agents like Chris when he runs the deal in the first 24-48 hours. You may be able to Boucher, Isaiah Hartenstein, Kevon Looney.
Anyway, this is another way that Sands is absolutely planning and knows where to upgrade the roster. The main thing to understand is that they can’t do it exactly in free agents or trade markets. Must be both.
Will Salic become part of the rotation by lowering the totem pole? If he is still on the team because of his price, he should be. Bismack Biyombo again looks like a logical returner as a third string center. Will Sands pay JaVale McGee for just over $ 7 million?
Get a reliable ball handler
The free agent point guard market is not exciting. Ricky Rubio is recovering from ACL corruption. Tyus Jones will be expensive. Dennis Schröder will probably be out of the range of Sands. Same as above for Victor Oladipo and Patty Mills.
Sacramento Kings notes that Dante di Vincenzo, the first round pick of 2018, recently attacked an unlimited free agent guard. Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported that Phoenix was ranked 16th in the 2018 NBA Draft before the Mikal Bridges last-minute deal took place. Divin Vincenzo is more risky given how the first four years of his career have progressed, but he’s just the type of skilled and clever player who likes Sands.
Beyond that, if it’s even a general campane upgrade on the backup floor, there’s a drop-off where it’s controversial. In addition to Pain’s inconsistent play and Landry Shamet’s play, Chris Paul’s workload needs to be reduced. Must For Sands to bring someone to this place on the floor.
Jae Crowder, Torrey Craig, and Sarić’s expiring contracts will be tough losses to the group to varying degrees due to the contributions they make, but some combinations of those people and Pain and Shamet. Can start some discussions. Add some draft topics and you’ll gain momentum.
Rocket Guard Eric Gordon has been linked since the trading deadline. Jordan Clarkson, Utah is not a 0.5 player, but welcomes an aggressive injection from the 2021 Sixman of the Year. Phoenix had an interest in the Hornets guard Terry Rozier in the past.
That is the team’s greatest need.
Pay Devin Booker and Cam Johnson
Bookers are eligible for a $ 210 million Supermax extension to maintain their contract with Sands throughout the 2027-28 season. In addition to the absolute simplicity that he pays to the face of the franchise what is already worth as the top 10 players in the league (yes, I said that), salary through a new television deal along the way. Within the expected increase in caps of 10 years, Sands could be given some value to his deal.
As we remember from last year that Eighton class players won their biggest deal, these types of extensions could start flying in regular free agent trading. Therefore, expect this to be locked in a similar way.
Johnson isn’t that fast. He spoke before the off-season, recognizing that the deadline could take up to October, and teammates on how Bridges worked on the process before winning four years and $ 90 million. I talked to Bridges.
He’s really worth the direction the NBA has been trending in the last few years, and beyond that he’s just a great young player.
Explore upgrades in 4
The two playoff exits in front of Phoenix placed the starting power forward, Clouder, in an impossible position where Sands needed a more aggressive punch in that slot. This is due to how the Eighton, Paul, and Boundary supplement options occasionally worked.
It’s not a player of that type, but a crowder who keeps giving more than enough sands based on what he’s expected of. He was excellent in the 2021 NBA Finals and his second round defeat to the Dallas Mavericks six weeks ago. But that didn’t matter in the context of Sands’ fate, and the real game changer is clearly missing there.
Returns may be closely related to Eighton’s sign-and-trade debate.
Yes, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant would be great. It’s literally the best fictitious acquisition in the history of basketball. Even if the time machine is working, you can’t find any more people.
After being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, there was a lot of speculation about Jerami Grant, who is now off board. Toronto’s OG Anunoby is fashionable, but I ask why the Raptors are willing to let go of those who look like very good players. The same is true for Spurs and Keldon Johnson, who will soon demand an extension of the contract.
Maybe it’s less deal if Eighton isn’t involved. Proposed by Gerald Breguet of PHNX Sports Sacramento Kings forwards Harrison Barnes. That would be the type of significant improvement we are talking about. Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards scored in shoots and defense.
More athletic
However, this is a simple question, what is the sun missing for the current few seasons? With the exception of Eighton and Bridge, the entire roster lacks freaky high-end athletic performance. If Eighton is gone, it’s just one known product. It actually exposes them in a particular match, like the New Orleans Pelican in the first round.
My podcast cohort, Kevin Zimmerman, has emphasized the overall point for years. Again, returning to Eighton’s sign-and-trade, one of those groups could enter here. San Antonio has some interesting possibilities like Johnson and Lonnie Walker IV. Anunoby is qualified and Boucher is also qualified. What about Brooklyn’s restricted free agents Bruce Brown and Nick Claxton?
Of course, the draft was an easy way to do this. Alas.
Ishmail Wainwright is back at the start!
