The Official 2024 Offseason Thread

[Qwigglez]

Yeah, I’d do it. The Suns need depth. DLo, Rui, and Vincent, and the 17th pick is a solid return, especially if you consider that we got Beal from CP3.
I think the Lakers give up a lot in that deal, and think it would be more fair if it was DLo, Rui, and Vincent.

[dremill24]

IF (big if) the Lakers were interested in Beal, it wouldn't be until after they've struck out on using those contracts with multiple picks to get someone quite a bit better. And even then, DLo has to opt in to be included (which would have to come before the free agency period where most of their hunting would likely occur) and seems unlikely they'd include #17 with the tanked value of Beal and his contact

[Ghost of Kleine]

Yeah, I’d do it. The Suns need depth. DLo, Rui, and Vincent, and the 17th pick is a solid return, especially if you consider that we got Beal from CP3.
I think the Lakers give up a lot in that deal, and think it would be more fair if it was DLo, Rui, and Vincent.

Maybe?? But they're pretty desperate for a star player ONLY they really don't have any legit value to offer for a legitimate big name, so due to that, they'll need to sweeten the offer to get a near star (still a big name) player like Beal, otherwise they'll most likely be stuck just running it back and trying to improve on the margins like us! The 17th pick in what is widely considered a relatively shallow draft would be no real big loss to them, BUT for us having a chance to add another quality COST CONTROLLED role player with a specific skillset that fits our needs is solid value.

I'll also say that apart from a few outlier games, Russell hasn't been favored by them (especially not Le' coach/GM)
And Rui and Wood are bench players. Wood only got brought back as a cheap depth piece similar to Eubanks for us. Overall, their level of desperation to acquire a big three-piece for what could be James' final years, are more important to them than 1 starter, 2 and 2-3 bench options and a mid 1st. It'd be great value for them compared to what they could otherwise get!

[sunsfan1o1]

Jamal Murray is better than Booker. Smh. Booker is a master of disguise.

[Ghost of Kleine]

IF (big if) the Lakers were interested in Beal, it wouldn't be until after they've struck out on using those contracts with multiple picks to get someone quite a bit better. And even then, DLo has to opt in to be included (which would have to come before the free agency period where most of their hunting would likely occur) and seems unlikely they'd include #17 with the tanked value of Beal and his contact

That's fine, there's no immediate rush needed! After they strike out on any notable big-name free agent due to a lack of high-end assets, they should settle on Beal as a more cost-effective alternative. And again, the 17th pick in what's widely considered a relatively shallow draft anyways shouldn't be a deal breaker in any capacity. IF they really believe they could do better in free agency, And wouldn't agree to a deal including their 17th pick (IF they do have it and not the Pels instead) then they'll have to up the value in another way. Maybe Vanderbilt instead of Vincent? But we don't need to rush necessarily as we'll likely have a few other options among teams looking for extra firepower. And Beal doing better (hopefully) can only help his market value as well as his value to our team too. But I absolutely think they'd do it! Lastly, I really don't think Russell would decline his PO this summer anyways! He's already established he's not a max player, And I'd think it's highly unlikely he'd get more than 18 million this summer from any teams.

[Slim Charless]

Jamal Murray is better than Booker. Smh. Booker is a master of disguise.

Absolute nonsense. Completely and totally.

That said, if Hou wanted to give us Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, the #3 overall and all of those other Brooklyn picks for him..... I'd have to take a long look at that.

[sunsfan1o1]

Jamal Murray is better than Booker. Smh. Booker is a master of disguise.

Absolute nonsense. Completely and totally.

That said, if Hou wanted to give us Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, the #3 overall and all of those other Brooklyn picks for him..... I'd have to take a long look at that.

Murray had better handle, better in the paint, more heart, better passing equal defense.
Only difference BOoker gets treated like a #1 and Nurray doesn’t.

[lilfishi22]

Jamal Murray is better than Booker. Smh. Booker is a master of disguise.

Absolute nonsense. Completely and totally.

That said, if Hou wanted to give us Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, the #3 overall and all of those other Brooklyn picks for him..... I'd have to take a long look at that.

Murray had better handle, better in the paint, more heart, better passing equal defense.
Only difference BOoker gets treated like a #1 and Nurray doesn’t.

That's because Murray has some European guy who happens to be 3x MVP as their #1

[Slim Charless]

Absolute nonsense. Completely and totally.

That said, if Hou wanted to give us Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, the #3 overall and all of those other Brooklyn picks for him..... I'd have to take a long look at that.

Murray had better handle, better in the paint, more heart, better passing equal defense.
Only difference BOoker gets treated like a #1 and Nurray doesn’t.

That's because Murray has some European guy who happens to be 3x MVP as their #1

......and drawing all of the defense attention. Oh, and he manages to find Murray on a number of these shots additionally.

[kennydorglas]

Easy to play off the goat center in his prime.

[Ghost of Kleine]

https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2024/5/12/24154798/sbn-reacts-what-happens-phoenix-suns-player-option-players-decide-to-stay-gordon-okogie-lee-eubanks

SBN Reacts: What happens if the Suns’ player option players decide to stay?
Four members of the Phoenix Suns have player options this offseason.

By John Voita
@DarthVoita May 12, 2024, 3:00pm MST
The chess game is beginning. The Phoenix Suns are attempting to strategically put together a roster, this season doing so with the offensively minded Mike Budenholzer at the helm. One advantage Coach Bud is walking into this season that his predecessor did not have the luxury of having? The majority of his roster is set.

The Phoenix Suns have seven players under contract entering this offseason, with four players having the option of choosing to stay or hit the open market.


The other advantage? These players have played together. Last offseason, as Mat Ishbia and James Jones were attempting to piece together the Suns’ roster, that was one of the pain points. No matter what moves were made, we knew there would be an adjustment period as the players learned the intricacies of playing together.

Every team at the start of every season has new additions and chemistry needs to be developed. With the 2024-25 Suns, this will be less of a pain point. If everyone were to opt into their contracts, the team would have 11 of their 15 players returning. That’s good.

The question we posed this week to the fan base was whether or not everyone should return. If each of the four players who have player options were to opt in — Eric Gordon, Josh Okogie, Damion Lee, and Drew Eubanks — what should the Suns do? Retain them? Or move on?

Eric Gordon
When news broke that Eric Gordon was coming to the Suns, the fan base rejoiced as his skill set and ability to be a threat as a sixth man was a stellar fortification of the talent the team possessed. It felt as if James Jones had won the offseason.

As the season progressed, however, Gordon was a perfect embodiment of the Suns as a whole. He was inconsistent in his scoring output, would disappear for stretches at a time, but still had the ability to hit the long shot. It felt as if EG came to Phoenix a decade too late.

His 11 points per game were the lowest-scoring output of his entire career. And that is a 15-year career we’re talking about.

If Gordon opts into his $3.6 million option with Phoenix, the fan base believes that he should be traded. That his value on this team is not needed.


I was part of the 34%, as I believe that someone with Gordon’s ability always has a place on the team. I simply believe that we need to lower our overall expectations. He’s not going to be a sixth man. But as a ninth man? That’s a win.

Josh Okogie
The retention of Josh Okogie entering last season was underrated, as he was one of the few players who carried over from the 2022-23 team. We considered if he could be the fifth starter, knowing he had the defensive abilities that Frank Vogel valued.

Okogie lost the confidence of the coaching staff, and as his season progressed, he saw less and less playing time.


It was too little, too late as he saw playing time in the postseason. Phoenix was cooked at the point and Josh Okogie wasn’t going to be the savior.

Some still believe that more Okogie meant more defensive identity for a team that lacked it and that if he had played more, Phoenix would have been a better defensive team overall. For these reasons, 59% of the community says if he opts in, he should be retained.


This poll came in closer than I expected. Okogie provides value, especially at $2.9 million. He might not be a regular rotation player, but he is someone you can rely upon as injuries occur throughout the regular season.

Damion Lee
Lee was out all last season with a knee injury, and kudos to the team for not cutting him. The organization could have, and with it, they would have gained a callous reputation. The team gave him time to heal, and soon we will know whether or not he is interested in staying in Phoenix or seeing what his worth is on the open market.

The Louisville alum possesses a valuable skill as he is a dead-eye three-point shooter. He shot 44.5% from three-point range in 2022-23. I am somewhat surprised that 44% of the community believes that, if he opts in, he should be traded away.


Lee returned to Phoenix during the 2023 offseason, when he might have pursued other opportunities. That skill set of being a dangerous three-point shooter may have earned him money elsewhere. But he wanted to remain in Phoenix. I do not see the point in trading him away. Who else will you sign on a veteran contract with the potential to be such an outstanding bench shooter?

Drew Eubanks
And then there’s Drew Eubanks. He is the only one of the aforementioned bench players to have discussed his future plans. He wants to stay in Phoenix, and it looks like the organization wishes to keep him. He does possess size for this team, although he has had his challenges relative to athletic ability, positioning, rebounding rate, and overall effectiveness.

It got so bad that toward the conclusion of the season, we were pleading for Thad Young to play more minutes. For these reasons, I am not shocked that 80% of the community thinks he should be traded.


Trading any of these players will have roadblocks ahead of it. The aggregation of outgoing players is no longer an option for Phoenix as a second apron team. And outgoing trade will be on a one-for-one basis. As for cutting these players? They’d still count against your cap, which is $3.75 on the dollar due to the size of the luxury tax being paid.

You can cut Drew Eubanks’ $2.6 million all day, but you’re still getting hit with its true second apron luxury tax amount of $9.8 million.

The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The player you bring in might not play as well on their veteran minimum and chemistry will have to be developed. Our scars from 2024 shouldn’t dictate the actions of 2025. Go ahead, fool me twice.

[lilfishi22]

Murray had better handle, better in the paint, more heart, better passing equal defense.
Only difference BOoker gets treated like a #1 and Nurray doesn’t.

That's because Murray has some European guy who happens to be 3x MVP as their #1

......and drawing all of the defense attention. Oh, and he manages to find Murray on a number of these shots additionally.

We saw how good Book was playing next to a 35yo+ CP3, can't even begin to imagine what he'd look like next to a prime Jokic

[sunsbg]

Suns pay for Booker the same Nuggets pay for Jokic. Oh another two guys too.

[SunsRback4Good]

That's because Murray has some European guy who happens to be 3x MVP as their #1

......and drawing all of the defense attention. Oh, and he manages to find Murray on a number of these shots additionally.

We saw how good Book was playing next to a 35yo+ CP3, can't even begin to imagine what he'd look like next to a prime Jokic

I know sir

[Puff]

It is pretty obvious that if we could turn Beal's salary into a legit point guard this team would be better off. Whatever else we get, would be gravy. Hopefully a couple of legit role players and a draft pick.

This should be James Jones #1 off season assignment to get done. If he can't or won't replace with someone that can.

[lilfishi22]

Suns pay for Booker the same Nuggets pay for Jokic. Oh another two guys too.

It just means Jokic is underpaid. True superstars are generally underpaid

[Djedefre]

Right now, Ishbia has no need for a proper GM at all, so he's perfectly fine with Jones. Why should he risk hiring a guy with actual knowledge and integrity, to challenge his madness? A mere placeholder is enough, as long as Mr. Ish runs everything in this franchise.

As for Murray > Booker, that has no merit at all. There is no reason to be angry with Armani, ylu can't blame him for not being goat material. He was phenomenal for us, great building piece. Why our FO never managed to acquire real complementary talent around him, is a whole other question. Actually, they were close to doing so, but then this guy from Michigan came to the Valley... The rest is history. He hit his peak and tho he's an impressive scorer, with his lack of fire and drive to be THE BEST, combined with godawful roster and no maneuvering space to make it better, we hit the wall. We got what we possibly could from him and now is the time to part ways and get something actually worthy in return to start anew. Durant must be traded yesterday, with his age and injury history. But obviously, they will die on that 'big 3' hill.

[SunsRback4Good]

I love everybody here

[Sunlight]

I love everybody here

Being around experts makes me happy too.

[Saberestar]

TJ McConnell played yesterday another great game. He again looks like the perfect addition as a PG who can be a realistic target and fits our age group.

We tried to get him last summer so we know that James Jones is interested in him for real, the value was too high at that moment but that could change a year later.

He will be on an expiring contract for $9.3M. He is 32 years old.

The Pacers are having a successful season and they probably would love to retain him BUT they have Haliburton and Nembhard as a long-term PGs.

How can we match his salary? What trade package can be fair to get him?