Phoenix Suns talk about initial offseason targets
The Suns came to work Thursday to talk about next season, whenever that might begin, and how they can avoid being uninvited to the playoff party again.
With a lockout and eventual makeover to the collective-bargaining agreement possible, how the Suns will go about pulling off another franchise turnaround contains some mystery.
Six years ago and last year, the Suns followed non-playoff seasons with conference-finals runs, but it will require some CBA or trade creativity, a wise lottery pick and a possibly a free-agency gamble to pull off something like that again.
The Suns' clear path for now is that they need to add a go-to scorer, more size and improve defensively, in attention and scheme as well as personnel.
"Had we snuck into the playoffs, we would not have been honest with ourselves about where this franchise is and where we need to go," Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said. "We're going to find the solutions, but we've got a lot of work to do."
The only immediate changes would come with the June 23 draft, where the Suns will pick 13th if their 2.2 percent chance of moving into the top three via the May 17 draft lottery does not occur. The Suns also continue to analyze various scenarios with a new CBA, which will have a lower salary cap to further restrict what the Suns can spend.
"We've got to be little better from the standpoint of being able to have a go-to guy where we don't count on Steve (Nash) to create every play at the end of the game and to make every shot in situations like that," coach Alvin Gentry said. "That's something that we have to look at. We have to get better overall size-wise. But if we add size, it has to be good players. We can't be adding size just to be adding size. We have to continue to get better defensively. I was a little bit disappointed this year, because I thought we took a step back from where we were."
And for those who have not heard Nash and the Suns all season, that was a reference to Nash as part of their future once again. After the season ended with a 40-42 record Wednesday, Nash said, "This is my team. I feel like this is my home as a basketball player, and I want to try to get back to the playoffs with this team."
Gentry opened his media session Thursday by saying, "Yeah, Steve's coming back." Babby again called Nash "the sun, the moon and the stars."
"I just can't imagine a scenario where he won't be back, but there's honestly uncertainty about everything," Babby said. "We want him back. We recognize his value here. We may have to find better ways to utilize him and to utilize the pieces around him. We probably put too much burden on him this year. Anybody who begins the analysis of the Phoenix Suns and where we're headed with anything that suggests Steve Nash is the problem and not the solution is looking at it backward."
Babby said the Suns need wing scoring and a post or wing player who scores in isolation and in crunch time.
Where defensive improvement comes from is more nebulous. They hope emphasis and structure is the answer. But they also must bring in better defenders, a trick when also wanting to add a go-to scorer.
Babby said guard Vince Carter understands that his contract "creates a problem." Carter has an $18 million salary for next season, but the Suns acquired him because he could be waived by June 30 and owed only $4 million.
Babby said he "can't contemplate the notion of going forward without" Grant Hill, the team's only unrestricted free agent, but will relinquish negotiating with Hill because he is his former client and is represented by Babby's former firm.
On trading Goran Dragic and Orlando's No. 23 pick for Aaron Brooks to make a playoff push, Babby said the "jury is out" on the deal, but Gentry said he thinks Brooks is part of their future. Brooks will be a restricted free agent, allowing the Suns to match any offer from another team.
Babby and Gentry independently defended Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver's commitment to investing in a winning team.
"I have not found anything financially that we've asked him to do, as far as improving the team, that he hasn't been willing to do if it made sense," Gentry said.
