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It seems the Phoenix Suns can't catch a break.

With reports that forward Grant Hill will leave the team and all signs pointing to Eric Gordon remaining in New Orleans, the Suns haven't had a very successful free agency campaign.

And then there's Steve Nash, the point guard maestro, who now sports purple and gold for the city of angels, a move that has (so far) headlined this year's NBA offseason and heralds the beginning of a rebuilding process for the Suns.

The above shifts for Planet Orange are the main reason why ESPN.com Insider Chad Ford assigned the Suns a C- grade for free agency.

According to Ford, the lone positive is the reacquisition of Goran Dragic who "isn't Nash, but he's a good, young point guard who fits the Suns' system." Dragic agreed to a reported 4-year, $34 million deal after averaging 11.7 points and 5.3 assists per game with Houston this past season.

The other pickup, Michael Beasley entered free agency from Minnesota, averaged 11.5 points in 47 games in the 2011-12 season, but "his difficulty playing with others will be an issue," said Ford. The small forward signed a three-year deal worth $18 million, but Ford expects the Suns will "play him out of position at the 3, which isn't great."

And amidst all the talk about Kendall Marshall being the next great assists-leader, Ford isn't convinced, citing the point guard's "lack of athleticism and defensive ability" as reasons to be hesitant to call him the Suns' savior.

Ford concludes his below average rating of Phoenix with a stinging prediction: that the Suns are destined to struggle for the coming years with below-average players and late-lottery picks.

14 Comments   |   Join the conversation »
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  • Abuse
    Jim R. wrote...
    Not much of an insider
    Someone tell the insider FA isn't over and Suns did well with getting picks for an aging and expensive Nash.
  • Abuse
    TBC1977 wrote...
    Chad Ford...
    ...always has been, is now, and always will be a moron. He doesn't have the insight or credibility that Marc Stein has in his pinky finger. Why ESPN keeps him on payroll as their "insider" is beyond me, regardless of what the Suns have done or will do this offseason.
  • Abuse
    azgbayfan wrote...
    Who?
    I know Ford has been around for while but I never listened to him before and there is no reason to start mow. I wonder how he got to be an authority. I don't consider him one.
  • Abuse
    azgbayfan wrote...
    Who?
    I know Ford has been around for while but I never listened to him before and there is no reason to start mow. I wonder how he got to be an authority. I don't consider him one.
  • Abuse
    JW L. wrote...
    May Not Like Chad
    ..but he is dead on. Goran is decent but not an all star. Beasley has been dumped by 2 teams now. He was having weed issues as recently as a year ago. Somehow the Suns will turn him around? Probably not! Marshall may turn into a decent point guard, but if the Suns liked him so much, why did they go after Dragic? Mayo has been cast off by Memphis. Will he turn around in Phoenix? We should have stayed in the tank and picked up high draft picks. Now the money and draft picks will be gone. Bad moves.
  • Abuse
    Jdanielson wrote...
    Totally agree
    This team is just good enough to not be bad enough. They are destined for mediocrity. Chad Ford nailed it.
  • Abuse
    rdgroce wrote...
    bigger picture
    Dragic/Marshall is as good as Nash/Telfair, Gordon or Mayo, either one will be better than Brown, Beasley is an improvement cause Hill couldn't stay healthy (even with suns wizards healing him), throw in the picks and options still available, we did better than a C, not much. I give a B, maybe a B+.
  • Abuse
    daamage wrote...
    NO, rdgroce nailed it.
    Both mayo and beas came off the bench last year for their teams for good reasons. The only reasons the wolves and grizz let these guys go is because they simply cannot afford them, and the suns can, NOT because they are not good players. These additions are very nice and suns fans should be excited. I cant think of a better replacement for nash in dragic, he is a nash killer and when lakers come to town, GOOD LUCK LA. If the suns land mayo (cause they not getting gordon)they deserve at least a B+
  • Abuse
    Kevinsunsfan wrote...
    Listen
    Look, the suns have been playing with talks of trading Nash. Although I wish he didn’t go to LA, the suns staff did the right thing. Us as suns fans must ask the question, was this team going to win an NBA title? That was a big no…. The suns management already messed up this team when the suns went to the WCF.. Teams usually add a player to help them, not subtract them. Actually we can go back when they did the sign and trade of Joe Johnson.. How dumb was that? It is what it is, so now we have to rebuild. A So the suns did the right thing considering where they were at.
  • Abuse
    jdlaw wrote...
    Chad Ford
    He is a legendary insider - at least in his own mind. Has been critical of Suns for past 10 years. Why change now. I either ignore him entirely or take whatever he says with a large grain of salt.
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