suns should trade amare

[ducks]

his iq is so stupid
he talks to the press about changes suns are doing
he brings out the I got kicked after watching the replay
he has 2 bad knees
diaw proved he could be awesome without amare
suns have a money problem trade him and keep the rest of the team intact
suns could get young talent for him
he proved he is healthy
besides suns could have the number 4 pick in the draft

but they will try to trade marion and will not be able to move him

[monosylab1k]

Bill Simmons suggested trading Amare, Marcus Banks + their 1st rounder from the Hawks for Kevin Garnett.

[ducks]

missed that article

[Fillmoe]

that would be a pretty good trade..... making the suns instant contenders

[Amarelooms]

Amare for Dampier....Mavs will probably do it...

[monosylab1k]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...x?name=simmons

So here's my solution: If Phoenix gets bounced this week, don't they HAVE to trade Amare Stoudemire for KG?

Right now, Stoudemire is a base-year compensation player because he's finishing the first year of his contract extension (five years, $73 million). The deal I'm proposing can't work under the cap until mid-July, when Stoudemire's cap figure morphs into the value of his current contract ($13.2 million for next season) and makes him infinitely more easy to trade (for details, check out Larry Coon's NBA salary cap FAQ). But they could still agree on a pre-draft trade that wouldn't become official until a few weeks later.

Assuming Atlanta's pick doesn't land in the top three, here's my proposal: Stoudemire, Atlanta's pick (depending on how the lottery shakes out, it would be as high as No. 4 or as low as No. 6) and Marcus Banks (for cap purposes) to Minnesota for Garnett and Minnesota's pick (as high as No. 7, as low as No. 9).

Here's why both teams should do it:

Minnesota: That's practically 100 cents on the dollar for KG. They're getting a first-team All-NBA big man who's younger than KG, plus they're jumping into the top five of the draft with a chance to add another blue-chip forward (either Brandan Wright or Al Horford). Examine the T-Wolves roster and you'll notice that they don't need a four-for-one deal for KG; they're looking at an immediate future in which the Clippers and Celtics own two of their future first-rounders within the next five years, so it wouldn't make sense for them to bottom out with picks and young players. Stoudemire is the best and most sensible option for them. Period.

Phoenix: KG solves four problems for the Suns. First, they don't have to worry about the debilitating Marion/Stoudemire alpha-dog battle anymore. Second, they don't have to worry about Stoudemire's surgically reconstructed knee anymore. Third, between KG, Nash and Bell, the Suns would have more than enough toughness/intensity/compe iveness to compete every spring (a real issue for them, even this season -- they're just not nasty enough). And fourth, they'd finally have someone who could potentially play Duncan to a draw (or as close as possible). Stoudemire just isn't a good defensive player -- he's prone to foul trouble and gets discouraged easily (as we witnessed while he pouted on the bench in Game 3). As for the age difference between KG and Stoudemire ... do you realize that Amare is only six years younger than KG? Crazy but true. And slipping two to four spots in the draft wouldn't hurt the Suns because they could still take Joakim Noah, an athletic big man who's perfect for them (and could play right away).

Now ...

Let's say the Suns make this deal, package their other two No. 1 picks (No. 24 and No. 29) to move into the mid-teens for Acie Law IV (the most NBA-ready point guard in the draft), then spend their free agent exemption on an athletic swingman like Matt Barnes. Maybe they'd be paying the luxury tax, but screw it -- how many times can you put together a potential 70-win team that's a prohibitive le favorite and the top TV draw in the league?

Check out this nine-man nucleus: KG, Marion, Bell, Barbosa and Nash as the starters, with Noah, Diaw, Law and Barnes coming off the bench. They'd be covered for every conceivable situation (smallball, grind-it-out ball, run-and-gun, you name it) and they'd be led by two desperate superstars (KG and Nash) who'd basically be ready to give 10 years of their lives to win one le.

Would you bet against that team in the 2008 playoffs? Me neither.

[Findog]

That Amare for KG trade will never happen because McHale is too dumb to pull it off. And trading Marion makes more sense, because he's five years older and makes more money. If they're going to do a salary dump as expected, Marion will go strictly for financial reasons. In the short term I'd rather have Marion because he is a two-way player and Amare can't guard an empty gym, but defense is more about effort and hustle than it is talent and skill. Amare is 5 years younger, he's shown that he's healthy now and he will only get better. I would also imagine that he, Barbosa and the draft picks are the foundation for a post-Nash team.

[MrChug]

Yeah...the Suns organization was so hush-hush strategically about starting Kurt Thomas in game 2 against the Spurs! Amare: "Yeah, we're gonna start Kurt Thomas and put him on Duncan."

[SRJ]

I like the "KG is only six year older than Amare" quote, as if six years is an insignificant amount of time.

[Xylus]

Amare for KG.

no.

[monosylab1k]

Considering how small the window of time is for Phoenix to win a le (they last as contenders as long as Nash holds up, once he's gone they're ed) I would do this trade in a heartbeat. They have maybe 3 years as contenders, it's time to dump the future for a le right now if they're serious about winning.

[Chris]

[Findog]

Considering how small the window of time is for Phoenix to win a le (they last as contenders as long as Nash holds up, once he's gone they're ed)

Uh, that's not at all settled. Amare, Barbosa and 3 picks in this year's draft is a pretty good foundation for a post-Nash team. There's no way to tell what kind of landscape we'll be looking at in 3-4 years, so you can't definitively say that the Suns have no shot to win a le without Nash. Financial commitment and competent front office management seems to be the requisites for winning a le. Suns have both.

[atxrocker]

this is stupid. say what you will about the guy, but on the court hes money. you dont trade a star player unless there is a deal that you can't refuse. the whole "go young" thing doesn't make sense, since amare is well.... young.

[monosylab1k]

Uh, that's not at all settled. Amare, Barbosa and 3 picks in this year's draft is a pretty good foundation for a post-Nash team. There's no way to tell what kind of landscape we'll be looking at in 3-4 years, so you can't definitively say that the Suns have no shot to win a le without Nash. Financial commitment and competent front office management seems to be the requisites for winning a le. Suns have both.

There's also no telling how Amare's knee will continue to hold up, no telling if Barbosa can ever be a true PG rather than a 6th man/energy guy, and no telling if any of those draft picks pan out. And considering just how awful the team is without Nash, I'd say they're alot farther away from being contenders once Nash is gone.

With Nash, they're contenders right now. Once he's gone, maybe and maybe not. If you're contenders in the present, then you've got to sacrifice the unknowns of the future to give yourself the best chance to win. Garnett would be a SIGNIFICANT upgrade over Amare, and has alot better chance at putting this team over the top.

[atxrocker]

problem is that kg is getting older by the day and hasn't proven to be a winner in any capacity. if im the suns, i wouldn't do it.

[monosylab1k]

competent front office management

I wouldn't say that at all. Bryan Colangelo was responsible for nearly everything the Suns have in place right now, and he's not around anymore.

[MrChug]

If the Suns had Gasol, they would be unstoppable. I know Amare is a better player but Gasol would give the Suns a real threat in the post and a decent defender.

I have to agree...it'd be difficult to prove that to the novice basketball fan, but the results would be so telling. He's more versatile, a far better defender, shot blocker, and passer. He doesn't high-fly to the rim often, but he's still a 54% shooter and is better around the basket.

[Matrix Marion]

Amare>>>>>>>>>Garnett

[monosylab1k]

Amare>>>>>>>>>Garnett

in what ways beside dunking?

[Matrix Marion]

in what ways beside dunking?

Main reason he is a lot younger

[monosylab1k]

Main reason he is a lot younger

in that case we'll trade you Devin Harris for Steve Nash....he's a lot younger so this should be a no brainer for you.

[Trainwreck2100]

If they don't trade him, hire a guy who keeps an eye on him and makes sure he doesnt up on the bench.

[Findog]

There's also no telling how Amare's knee will continue to hold up,

True, but he seems pretty much all the way back.

no telling if Barbosa can ever be a true PG rather than a 6th man/energy guy,

I think he's the real deal at this point

and no telling if any of those draft picks pan out.

3 picks in this draft is pretty solid.