Tag: Phoenix Suns (Page 18 of 21)

      Suns interested in Rudy Gay? Aldridge not a part of Blazers’ offer?

      February 13, 2009 /

      Yahoo! Sports has an update on the Amare Stoudemire trade talks.

      The proposed multiplayer trade is fluid, but the framework would include the Suns receiving a package that includes Miami forward Shawn Marion and Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay. Miami would send rookie Michael Beasley to the Grizzlies.

      “Miami knows that they can’t get this done directly with Phoenix,” one league executive said. “The big thing is that they know the Suns like Gay.”

      Miami apparently has to get the Grizzlies involved because the Suns aren’t all that high on Beasley, but they do like Gay. So Phoenix would get Marion (cap relief) and Gay (young star), while Stoudemire would go to the Heat and Beasley to the Grizzlies.

      The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that the Grizzlies rejected a Suns’ proposal of Gay, forward Hakim Warrick and point guard Mike Conley for Stoudemire.

      I would hope so.

      Before the 2008 NBA draft, the Grizzlies tried hard to trade up to get Miami’s No. 2 pick to draft Beasley. The teams never came to terms, and Memphis ultimately worked the draft-day O.J. Mayo-Kevin Love trade. Gay hasn’t meshed well with Mayo, who took over as the Grizzlies’ top scorer.

      Gay’s production is down from last season (PER: 17.34 to 14.85). I’m not sure that Beasley is going to mesh any better with Mayo. Both players are shoot-first types and there may not be enough basketballs to go around. Gay’s numbers are pretty much the same across the board, but his three-point percentage is down, which is dragging down his overall FG%. He’s still getting the same number of shots, so I’m not really clear on how Mayo is adversely affecting his game.

      The Portland Trail Blazers also have discussed a trade for Stoudemire, and sources said they have offered the expiring contract of Raef LaFrentz and rookie point guard Jerryd Bayless. The Chicago Bulls also continue to talk with the Suns about Stoudemire.

      The note about the Blazers is interesting, because a previous story had LaMarcus Aldridge involved in the trade. Without Aldridge, that trade isn’t worth it for the Suns. (And if I’m the Blazers, I don’t think I’d be giving up Aldridge to get Stoudemire.)

      NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Blazers reportedly make strong pitch for Stoudemire

      February 11, 2009 /

      If this story is true, Amare Stoudemire could be heading to the Pacific Northwest before the Nov. 19 trade deadline.

      The Portland Trail Blazers have made a strong play for Amare Stoudemire, discussing a package that includes LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless, and Raef LeFrentz’s $12.7 million expiring contract, a person with direct knowledge of the talks told CBSSports.com Tuesday.

      One factor complicating matters, according to a team executive who has spoken with the Suns, is an apparent difference of opinion between Kerr and managing partner Robert Sarver as far as what Phoenix hopes to get back in a Stoudemire trade. Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Leandro Barbosa are viewed as untouchable in any trade talks with the Suns. It is not known if any of those players is the source of disagreement between Kerr and Sarver.

      I’m surprised that the Blazers are willing to give up Aldridge, but if that’s the case and Steve Kerr insists on trading Stoudemire, then he should jump on this deal. Aldridge is currently #13 amongst power forwards in PER (18.98), while Stoudemire is #11 (20.14). This tells me that Aldridge is every bit the stat guy that Amare is, and he’s probably a better defender too. The Suns would get a burgeoning All-Star talent, a young prospect in Bayless and salary cap relief in the form of Raef LaFrentz’s expiring contract.

      It looks like Kerr is going to take his time and try to get the best possible deal for his 1st Team All-NBA talent. The only downside to this trade is that Stoudemire would be going to a team in the Western Conference and Kerr might be playing his part in helping Portland get to powerhouse status. However, if he truly believes that Amare isn’t worth building around, then he shouldn’t be afraid to trade him within the conference, right?

      Apparently, Suns’ owner Robert Sarver has been reaching out to other owners trying to make a deal happen.

      While the Suns’ basketball executives are discussing one possible package with teams, Sarver has, at times, appeared to be pursuing his own agenda.

      Some teams believe this is a circumstance they can exploit, and suggest that Suns GM Steve Kerr and David Griffin, the franchise’s VP of basketball operations, have been compromised.

      “It makes [the owner] look too motivated,” said one Western Conference GM who was aware of Sarver’s calls. “It makes them look desperate.”

      If other teams can sense the Suns’ desperation, then that makes a possible Aldridge deal all that more appealing.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Stoudemire speaks out about trade rumors

      February 9, 2009 /

      Amare Stoudemire has never been shy about voicing his opinion, and nothing has changed now that he’s on the trading block.

      Amare Stoudemire knows he’s on the trading block, and he knows we know. While most athletes would dodge questions about rumors with trite cliches, Stoudemire was refreshingly honest following Sunday’s win in Detroit.

      “I know about the rumors. I know what teams are looking. I know what teams want me,” Stoudemire said. “I pretty much know everything — I know what’s going on. I’m definitely in the loop on what’s happening.”

      For outside observers, what’s happening is very confusing. The Suns have clearly taken a step back, but if shaking up the roster is the solution as opposed to riding things out, shouldn’t moving the 26-year-old franchise cornerstone be the absolute last resort?

      You’d think so, but as Stoudemire sees it, the Suns are motivated as much by their bottom-line as they are putting the best team on the floor. “I think it’s all about what they want to do and what they’re trying to do financially,” he said. “I think their main focus is their financial intake.”

      “I heard Avery Johnson say one time I was a bad locker room guy or whatever,” Stoudemire said. “That stuff’s totally B.S. — we get along so well inside the locker room, we hang out with each other probably more than any team in the league as far as camaraderie, as far as hanging out together. We try to enjoy ourselves.”

      As one reporter pointed out, several of the Suns have described Stoudemire as being one of the most social players on the team. “That’s my thing, that’s why I don’t understand what Avery Johnson was saying or Tim Legler on NBA Shootaround when they said I was a bad locker room guy. That’s not me. That’s not me.”

      “I take pride in really keeping everybody’s spirits up in the locker room, just being that guy that keeps everybody happy and smiling and having a good time,” he continued. “Shaq [is] that way, as well. So with our personalities, we just enjoy ourselves. And even though we went through a bad losing streak there for a minute earlier in the season, we still stayed together, we still kept our motivation, we still had fun. We knew one day [if] we’d stay together it’d turn around.”

      Most players field such questions with cliches or gruff non-answers, so it’s refreshing to see Stoudemire talk about it so honestly. He addressed the concerns over his presence in the locker room and is generally upbeat about all the trade talk. I’d like to see someone ask him about the criticism about his defense, but I think much of that is Phoenix trying to justify trading him in the first place.

      I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — you just don’t trade a 6’10”, 1st Team All-NBA talent who is just entering his prime. It’s highly unlikely that the Suns are going to get equal value — just look at last year’s Pau Gasol trade. They’ll probably get a young star, but not someone that’s on Stoudemire’s level.

      The funny thing is that Suns fans have turned on Amare, and with this news out in the open, I think something will happen prior to the Feb. 19 deadline. I think it has to. With this many teams competing for his services, someone will offer the Suns something they want.

      If he still hasn’t been traded by Thursday, I’m going to offer up 29 trade scenarios for Amare — one for each team.

      Fantasy Basketball, Rumors & Gossip

      Couch Potato Alert: 2/6

      February 6, 2009 /

      We have hit a lull in our sports watching season. It’s that period of time between the end of the Super Bowl and the beginning of March Madness where sports fans will go in different directions for their weekend entertainment. Some of us will get reacquainted with our families as we have not had much contact with them since late July (which just happens to coincide with the start of training camp in the NFL). Big shout out to Kobe and LeBron for peaking our interest in the NBA regular season with their back-to-back record breaking performances at Madison Square Garden this week. They will meet this weekend in a national televised game.

      All times ET…

      College Basketball
      Saturday, 12 PM: #20 Syracuse @ #16 Villanova (ESPN)
      Saturday, 1 PM: Notre Dame @ #12 UCLA (CBS)
      Saturday, 9 PM: #15 Memphis @ #18 Gonzaga (ESPN)
      Sunday, 1 PM: #13 Purdue @ #21 Illinois (CBS)

      NBA
      Friday, 8 PM: Denver Nuggets @ Washington Wizards (ESPN)
      Friday, 10:30 PM: Golden State Warriors @ Phoenix Suns (ESPN)
      Saturday, 7:30 PM: Denver Nuggets @ New Jersey Nets (NBA TV)
      Sunday, 1 PM: San Antonio Spurs @ Boston Celtics (ABC)
      Sunday, 3:30 PM: Los Angeles Lakers @ Cleveland Cavaliers (ABC)
      Sunday, 8 PM: Phoenix Suns @ Detroit Pistons (ESPN)

      NHL
      Friday, 8:30 PM: New York Rangers @ Dallas Stars
      Sunday, 12:30 PM: Detroit Red Wings @ Pittsburgh Penguins (NBC)

      NFL
      Sunday, 4:30 PM: The Pro Bowl-AFC vs. NFC (NBC)

      College Basketball, Couch Potato Alert, NBA, NFL, NHL, Television

      Are the Suns thinking about trading Amare?

      February 4, 2009 /

      ESPN’s Chad Ford said that they are in his chat yesterday.

      Jason (Culver City CA) [via mobile]: What are the chances of Amare Stoudemire getting traded before the deadline?

      Chad Ford: Last week I said 10 percent. But I think that was low. The more people I talk to in the league, the more I think it’s something in the neighborhood of 30 to 40 percent. Steve Kerr and Robert Sarver are taking a hard look at the team right now. If they decide to blow it up, Stoudemire will be the first to go.

      Let’s see, you’re thinking about blowing the team up and your first move is to trade away your 26 year-old All-Pro forward/center? This is nonsensical. Why not trade away Shaq, who is 36 and due to make $20 million next season? Or Steve Nash, who is 34 and has just one more year on his contract?

      Why would you trade away your best player, especially when he’s only 26?

      I criticized Steve Kerr’s decision to break up that Suns team that was a couple of bench-clearing suspensions away from upending the eventual-champion Spurs in the 2007 playoffs. His first move as GM was to trade Rudy Fernandez to the Blazers for cash considerations. Then there was the Marion-Shaq trade, which forced Mike D’Antoni out, because he doesn’t know how to coach a slow-it-down team. Seemingly every move Kerr makes backfires.

      The Suns are now 26-20, they’ve lost seven of their last 11 games and are hanging on to the #8 seed in the West. They are a shell of that exciting team that we saw in those playoffs two years ago and if Carlos Boozer can come back strong for the Jazz, Phoenix is in serious danger of missing the postseason altogether.

      Now they’re thinking about trading away their best player, who is only 26 and entering the prime of his career.

      That’s just great.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

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