GAMBO

Suns’ fireworks on the Fourth: Gambo’s take

Jul 5, 2012, 2:56 PM | Updated: 4:08 pm

The Phoenix Suns supplied lots of fireworks Wednesday on
the most appropriate day of the year.

Things moved fast once they agreed to move Steve Nash to
the Lakers, ending an exciting and highly-successful era
in
Suns basketball.

Here is a breakdown of what transpired with my thoughts on
each deal:

Nash to the Lakers in exchange for two first and two
second round picks

Look, it sucks that Nash now plays for a bitter rival and
will wear purple and gold. But if we are being honest and
taking emotion out of it, this was the best
deal the Suns could have made.

New York was an option but
Steve’s preferences were Los Angeles first, Toronto
second. If he would have signed with Toronto, the Suns
would have got nothing. Yes, he would have been gone
across
the border likely to never be heard from again, but
Phoenix would have lost a valuable player without any
compensation.

In the NBA you build through the draft, so acquiring picks
is vital to success. I fully understand the Laker
picks should be low in the first round, but nonetheless
having those assets
gives you options. The Suns could package their first and
the
Lakers’ first and move up in the draft. They could package
picks and make a trade or they could keep the picks and
hopefully end up with a good player.

Plus, there is no
guarantee the Lakers will be any good in 2015 when the
Suns get their second first round pick. The second round
picks are almost worthless, but they can allow you to take
a flyer on an overseas player or again use as part of a
trade.

Plain and simple, these picks help the rebuilding
process and the Suns needed to start rebuilding and need
to get younger. Suns brass did what was best for the
organization here.

Signing Michael Beasley to a three-year, $18 million
deal

Michael Beasley is a high-maintenance risk. I am not a fan
of his at all, but the Suns believe he has matured and
that he is ready to turn the corner in his career. I have
my doubts.

To this point in his career Beasley has been a loser, yes
a loser. He is a low-character guy and a player Minnesota
has tried to trade for the last two years. So think about
that — Minnesota a young, rebuilding team has no interest
in keeping a 23-year old player who was the second choice
in the draft a few years ago.

There is some potential here in that Beasley is highly-
skilled, something the Suns were sorely lacking. He didn’t
cost a lot of
money or a lot of years with a three-year, $18 million
contract, so his salary won’t handcuff the organization. I
just wouldn’t let him hang out with Kendall Marshall and
have any influence on the rookie first round pick.

If the Suns had Amare, Nash and Hill and they added
Beasley, that’s one thing. But they don’t, so it’s
another thing altogether. I understand the Suns need to
take a chance and maybe Beasley will prove me wrong, but I
fear disaster here.

Goran Dragic signs a four-year contract

Goran Dragic is back and that is exciting because he
really
blossomed last year in Houston. He was the best free agent
point guard available after Nash and Deron Williams, so
this is a win-win for Phoenix.

The alternative was the fat and always out-of-shape
clubhouse lawyer Raymond Felton. Dragic is much better
than the 5-11 Felton, and at 6-foot-4, he can play with
Marshall, which is a big plus.

Dragic comes at a respectable price of $34 million over
four years. I love his work ethic and that he continues to
improve year after year. I believe in Marshall and may
have turned the reins over to him this year but the Suns
want to gradually bring him along and Dragic allows that.
Plus, if Marshall proves himself early in his career
Dragic is very tradeable, Felton is not.

This was a solid move by Phoenix.

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Suns’ fireworks on the Fourth: Gambo’s take