The Phoenix Suns have gradually slipped from the NBA elite to the wrong side of the playoff bubble. They finished the 2008/9 NBA Season ninth in the Western Conference with a 46-36 record.
The team went with Coach Terry Porter to add a defensive element to the high-scoring Suns' attack, but the defense never quite got there while the offense slowed to a crawl.
For the second year in a row, General Manager Steve Kerr tinkered with the roster midseason. While not nearly as dramatic as last year's Shaquille O'Neal acquisition, holdovers Boris Diaw and Raja Bell were sent to the Charlotte Bobcats for athletic shooting guard Jason Richardson.
Meanwhile both the front office and players seemed to agree that the Porter coaching experiment was not working out. Porter was let go after the All-Star Break. Assistant Coach Alvin Gentry took over, reigniting the Phoenix signature offense.
As the trade deadline neared, rumors had the Suns simultaneously working on trades for both Amar'e Stoudemire and O'Neal. No deals would get done and in late February and soon after Stoudemire was forced to sit out the rest of the season with a detached retina.
In the end, chemistry and injuries kept the Suns from becoming a true contender. After the season, Kerr would lock in Gentry as head coach for three years.
The question moving forward . . . who exactly will Gentry coach?
Status of the Current Roster
The Suns have two key free agents in Grant Hill and Matt Barnes. The small forward and backup point guard positions are wide open.
Star point guard Steve Nash can technically be bought out for $7.5 million instead of his full $13.1 million, but the team instead is trying to entice Nash to sign a contract extension.
While Steve is already 35 years old, he keeps himself in excellent shape and remains the face the team would like to market around.
People close to the organization say Nash is open to staying long-term but is enticed at the thought of playing in New York for former coach Mike D'Antoni. The Knicks are set to have significant cap room next summer when Steve is an unrestricted free agent.
Staying in Phoenix is a strong possibility but Nash doesn't want to ride out a rebuilding project.
Additionally, sources say Steve is not particularly fond of playing with Shaq. It's not necessarily a personality thing; it's just a lot harder for Nash to play his game with the 350-pound (?), 37-year-old center trying to run the floor and clogging the lane.
Nash is far more comfortable playing with Stoudemire, but sources say the team doesn't intend to invest long-term in Amar'e, who can opt out after this season.
Can the team make the right additions and subtractions to convince Nash to stay?
Immediate Needs for the Draft
The Suns have the 14th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. They also have two second-round picks (48 and 57).
What they need in the draft is dependent on what happens with O'Neal, Stoudemire and even Richardson.
While Jason is still young (28), he was cited driving under the influence in Arizona less than two weeks after being traded to the Suns. A few months later and he was stopped for speeding (over 90 MPH) with his three-year old son unrestrained in the back.
Richardson is under contract for two more seasons for nearly $27.8 million.
At a more reasonable salary, the Suns have Leandro Barbosa ($7.1 million average over the next three). Shooting guard appears to be spoken for unless the Suns make a deal.
Gordan Dragic had a disappointing rookie season as the backup to Nash. In this point guard rich draft, the Suns should be able to find an upgrade. Robin Lopez and Louis Amundson are serviceable big men, but role players. Jared Dudley is probably the best young prospect on the list as a rugged swingman. Alando Tucker is still looking to make his mark.
To put it simply, the Suns have needs all over the floor.
Point guard prospects that still may be on the board at 14 could include Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor and Darren Collison. Lawson may be the best candidate left as Jennings, Flynn and Holliday are expected to go in at least the top-13. The odds of a Tyreke Evans or Stephen Curry (let alone a Ricky Rubio) dropping to 14 seem quite remote.
Forward options may include DeMar DeRozen, DeJuan Blair, Earl Clark, Austin Daye, James Johnson, Terrence Williams, Tyler Hansbrough, Sam Young or Chase Budinger.
Immediate Needs in Trade/Free Agency
Should the Suns take the player option on Admundson and keep the 14th pick, they'll be locked into 11 players with a total team salary at about $79 million. Add in a couple of rookies to hit the roster minimum plus about $8.8 million in luxury taxes and the number balloons to about $88.8 million.
With a payroll that high, the concern shifts from re-signing Hill and/or Barnes to trimming the fat.
Recently Kerr told local radio (KTAR) that the Suns "can't sit here and say we're still championship contenders and because of that, we have to look at every possibility that's out there and see what that is."
The rumor mill has been buzzing regularly as of late whether it's O'Neal, Stoudemire or Nash.
Eventually the Suns will find a trade (or multiple trades) that provide luxury tax relief. Will those changes take Phoenix further down the path of rebuilding, leading to Nash's exit?
Considering the Suns financial position is no mystery and the national economy remains stagnant, Kerr doesn't necessarily sit in a position of strength. Stoudemire's eye condition remains a concern. It's not easy moving a $21 million contract like O'Neal's.
Sending out either for expiring contracts might save some money (especially in tax dollars) but the Suns may be better served to find a team like the Dallas Mavericks who have Jerry Stackhouse at $7.25 million but with only $2 million guaranteed.
If Ben Wallace of the Cavaliers was truly willing to retire and leave a sizable portion of his $14 million contract on the table, O'Neal could very well end up in Cleveland. That's a big if. Big Ben may want to tough it out one last year at that salary.
Kerr may also have luck with teams armed with cap room like the Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder or Memphis Grizzlies. An unbalanced trade might be the solution but as is the case for any GM, Kerr is somewhat at the mercy of the offers he's given by other teams. You can't make a trade in a vacuum.
The future for the Suns isn't clear but player payroll is out of hand.
It's going to take some fine work to clean up the accounting, keep the team viable and convince the two-time league MVP to stay.
Otherwise Nash could very well end up a New York Knick . . .
