What if Suns owner Robert Sarver said, "Screw it, I'll pay the luxury tax every year"

[DazedAndConfused]

Well, the following three things would have definitely and unquestionably happened: The Suns would have used the No. 7 pick on either Luol Deng or Andre Igoudala in 2004 (instead of unloading that pick to Chicago for $3 million and the No. 21 pick in 2005); they would have used the No. 21 pick on Rajon Rondo in 2006 (instead of selling it to Boston for cash and the No. 27 pick in 2007); and they wouldn't have traded Kurt Thomas to Seattle along with their No. 1s in 2008 and 2010. Some people would throw in the Joe Johnson deal here (Johnson to Atlanta for Boris Diaw and two No. 1s), but that wasn't a luxury tax move; they made an effort to re-sign Johnson and he wanted to leave.

Just for the hell of it, let's give them Igoudala in that '04 draft because he's better than Deng, and they might have taken him anyway. And let's say they don't make the Shaq/Marion trade because they wouldn't have needed to dump Marcus Banks in the deal (they wouldn't have signed him if they had Rondo for one-fourth the price), and besides, they already have Kurt Thomas. Here's your 2008 Suns roster right now: Nash, Barbosa and Rondo as the guards; Igoudala, Hill and Bell at the swing spots; and Stoudemire, Marion, Diaw and Thomas up front ... as well as the rights to their No. 1 and Atlanta's No. 1 in this year's draft.

That's not even a pipe dream or an imagine-if-this-scenario-had-played-out roster. Lemme put this in caps for you, S.A.S.-style: PEOPLE, THAT WOULD BE PHOENIX'S ROSTER IF SARVER PAID THE LUXURY TAX ALL ALONG!!!!! Can you imagine? Is that the greatest 10-man rotation of all-time? Would they have won 75 games? We'll never know. What's tragic about the Suns' current situation is how close they came to being positioned for the short term and long term better than any franchise since the '86 Celtics: They would have been the runaway favorites this season, and they would have been set for an abnormally long time because of their young guys."

-excerpt from a Bill Simmons article

[Sausage]

Woulda Coulda Shoulda

cry me a fucking river BS

[Lakers_55]

I know there is a luxury tax, but I figure most owners don't surpass it because they are businessmen first, and the ROI (Return on Investment) doesn't warrant the risk. If Baseball ever had a cap and a luxury tax, Steinbrenner would continue to throw dollars down the toilet however.

[JMarkJohns]

I've said this every offseason since 2004. Simmons is just now figuring out that the Suns traded over a half-dozen picks in a four draft stretch?

[JMarkJohns]

Also, in his analysis, he's left off one or two other firsts, and the fact the Suns likely would have used the Banks money on resigning Tim Thomas or making more of an effort to sign Hedo.

Since 2004...

Suns trade Tom Gugliotta and two future Knicks 1st-rounders to Utah for Keon Clark's expiring contract. *

Suns trade Jahaidi White, 3 million and Cavalier 1st-rounder to Charlotte for nothing.*

Suns trade their own #7 overall pick to Chicago for 2008 2nd-rounder and an unprotected 2005 1st-rounder.

Suns trade Quentin Richardson and 2008 Bulls 1st-rounder to New York for Kurt Thomas.

Suns trade Joe Johnson to Atlanta for Boris Diaw, 2006 Lakers 1st-rounder and a protected Hawks 1st-rounder.

Suns trade Brian Grant and 2006 Lakers 1st-rounder to Boston for 3 million and a 2007 Cavaleirs 1st-rounder.

Suns trade their own 2006 1st-rounder to Portland for 3 million dollars.

Suns trade James Jones and Cavaliers 1st-rounder to Portland for 3 million dollars.

Suns trade Kurt Thomas and two unprotected future Suns 1st-rounders to Seattle for nothing.

NOTE: *under Jerry Colangelo's regime...

It's absurd. Granted, had they used some of the original picks, they wouldn't have traded so many as there wouldn't have been the aquired picks to sell in later drafts, but Gugliotta's contract was also expiring that same offseason, but Utah was under the CAP and it saved Colangelo close to 15 million to make the trade. Imagine had Colangelo bit the bullet and paid the money for the Suns betterment? Two New York 1st-rounders since 2004? The White move was necessary to clear CAP space to make a run at Kobe, then sign Nash, make a run at Ginobili, then sign Richardson.

In recap: their own 1st (#7 overall) and the Knicks 1st (#16 overall) in 2004, the Lakers 1st (21st overall) and their own 1st (27th overall) in 2006, their own 1st in 2007 (29th overall), Atlanta's 1st (15th overall) and their own 1st (24th overall) in 2008, their own 1st in 2009 and New York's 1st (unprotected) and their own 1st in 2010.

Players available with each selection?

#7 overall in 2004: Lual Deng, Andre Iguodala, Andris Biedrins, Al Jefferson
#16 overall in 2004: Josh Smith, JR Smith, Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Kevin Martin, Anderson Varejao

#21 overall in 2006: Rajon Rondo, Marcus Williams, Kyle Lowry, Jordan Farmar
#27 overall in 2006: Sergio Rodriguez, Solomon Jones, Craig Smith, Daniel Gibson, Paul Millsap

#29 overall in 2007: Alando Tucker, Carl Landry, Gabe Pruitt, Marcus Williams, Glen Davis, Ramon Sessions

#15 overall in 2008:
Their own 1st in 2008:

Their own 1st in 2009:

Unprotected Knicks 1st 2010:
Theor own 1st in 2010:

Mind boggling...

[rAm]

wow thats rediculous

[RonMexico]

D'Antoni never should have been GM and coach at the same time.

Kerr got screwed over by having to give up 2 first rounders and Kurt Thomas because of luxury tax concerns. I don't even want to think about this anymore as all this team needed were 3 non-stubborn leaders: Colangelo, D'Antoni, Sarver. Coexistence at the top has been a key to the Spurs' success and it has trickled down to the players.

I don't think Kerr is too stubborn, but the rest of this offseason has yet to be seen. He's right about needing attention to detail, defense, and discipline for the younger players (ahem - Diaw, Amare). Hopefully, he can help Mike D see his side of the coin because there aren't going to be very many great coaches out there for this current roster and all I've wanted from Mike these past 3 years are a few adjustments (better defense, deeper bench usage, and trust in the younger guys).

Skinner's confidence took a nosedive this year because he never knew when he was going to get a shot out there... why did we never see him in the 2nd half when he was 3-4 at the line? You're telling me Alando Tucker couldn't have emulated Grant Hill's midrange game and provided some fits out there against Finley and Parker? Not to mention that DJ Strawberry is a great defender and his quickness could have helped the Suns nab a few loose balls. And his obsession with Barbosa is bordering on ridiculous.