There was a lot of shade in the Valley of the Sun this week. It all started with Goran Dragic, who is far from blameless in this mess. But because the Phoenix Suns sent Dragic packing in a trade, president Lon Babby and GM Ryan McDonough got to write the epilogue and spin it in intelligence-insulting fashion. Dragic is an unrestricted free agent this summer. At 28, it’s his first and last chance at a max contract. And while the idea of
It is pretty unusual for a team in the playoff picture to make wholesale changes at the trade deadline. While it is common to add a piece or two, trading featured stars or half the roster is not common for teams in the hunt. This season it was surprising that so many impactful trades were made at the trade deadline, the busiest one in NBA history. With Phoenix and Oklahoma City fighting for the last playoff spot, team instability is something
Why is the trade deadline different from all other nights of the year? It’s not. The West just got tougher. In the East, where there’s no life-or-death importance attached to getting better, the top teams sat this one out while the bad teams—your Knicks and 76ers—dumped, shut down or otherwise disposed of their best players in order to tank more definitively. [Read more…]
The NBA’s trade deadline is now under 48 hours away at 3 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, and it’s the Phoenix Suns who seem to be driving the market. The Suns are expected to meet Tuesday with Bill Duffy, the agent for Goran Dragic. The assumption, of course, is that the Suns would like an indication from their point guard on his offseason plans. He’ll be a free agent in July and is said to be eyeing an “open” free agency. And with a star like Dragic
With Thursday’s NBA trade deadline quickly approaching, one of the bigger names who’s rumored to be dealt is Phoenix Suns point guard Goran Dragic. Despite Phoenix clinging to a half-game lead over Oklahoma City for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Suns reportedly may want to deal Dragic, who’s an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Lakers, Rockets and other teams have been trying to persuade the Suns to deal Dragic, according to an ESPN.com report
Doc Rivers is still trying to make things work on the basketball court with his son Austin. After orchestrating a three-way January trade for his son with Boston and Phoenix, giving up what many thought was too high a price at the time, Doc is betting on Austin becoming the catalyst for a Los Angeles Clippers second unit that has been in the league’s bottom third this season in both points scored and allowed. Austin has played 10 games so far for Los
It would seem that the NBA levies punishment on its athletes and allows its owners to act with impunity. At least, that is what Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes would have you believe, after explaining in lengthy detail the circumstances for his most recent $25,000 dollar fine. At minimum, the picture he paints is certainly one of inequality showcasing the disparity between the level of professionalism expected of the league’s athletes and its owners, in this case Phoenix Suns owner
The 2015 NBA All-Star weekend is approaching quickly. It will happen in just under a month, on the weekend of February 13-15th. Commissioner Adam Silver has decided to switch things up a little bit this time around. Take the Risings Stars Challenge, the concept that pits first and second-year upcoming talent in the League against one another on the biggest and brightest stage, for example. [Read more…]