A Plan to Conbuild

Here at BSotS we have talented writers who spoon-feed us with information about our team - giving us the down low on their real world observations of our team dynamics and player attitudes. This isn't one of those posts, though.

We also have mathematical geniuses who show us through the fine art of statistics how and why our Suns are falling off a cliff playing the way they are. This, also, isn't one of those posts.

And then we have a bunch of armchair GM's and coaches - a group of lively hacks who love to speculate idly on how the current management is doing it all wrong (morons I tell ya!), and how we could do it so much better.

This is TOTALLY one of those posts!

In this latest iteration on that theme, we examine the controversy du jour here at BSotS - whether tis better to contend (poorly), or else to suck for luck rebuild via the draft. (Originally there was a 3rd option to rebuild via free agency, but with all the premium free agents seemingly re-signing, the 3rd option has become more of a 3rd rail.)

I say that we do both! Let us take on some bad contracts, for some decent players, in exchange for draft picks. These decent but overpaid players will help us to be a fun reasonably competitive team for a couple years, and the extra draft picks will move us well on our way towards rebuilding with young talent at the end of that time!

All that is needed is a lot of cap space (check!), and some teams that are up against it financially and willing to give away draft picks and/or young talent in order to shed salary. Now... where can we find such a sucker?

Milwaukee: Drew Gooden is making a little over $6M dollars this year, and will make slightly more each of the next 3 years. However, he's been mostly injured for injury depleted Milwaukee. Gooden isn't playing badly for them, but doesn't have the skills to be a 1st option, and probably isn't worth that contract. The guy behind him in the rotation, Ilyasova, is a young player who needs floor time. Would Milwaukee be willing to give up a 1st round pick or a Tobias Harris in exchange for a nice juicy trade exception? Probably.

Atlanta: has been trying to shed Marvin Williams bloated contract ($7.5M this year) for several years. Is Williams a good fit here in the PHX? Probably not. But if Atlanta was willing to through in a 1st round pick, in, say, 2013? In this case, we might not even need to wait til the offseason, as Atlanta would probably be perfectly willing to take back resident headcase Robin Lopez and expiring fluff to try and shore up their depleted center position right now.

Denver: Al Harrington has been an explosive scorer for the stiffs in the mile high city. But they've got a team packed with exciting young studs, who are getting fat contract extensions (Afflalo, Nene, Gallo), and a desire to re-up with old school gangsta Andre Miller. Harrington was supposed to be a secondary scorer to take pressure off Carmelo Anthony. Would Denver be willing to give up Kenneth Faried and a draft pick near the bottom of the 1st round? Top of the 2nd round?

Detroit: Is there any team more hamstrung by bad deals than the Pistons? What would they give up to be out from under Charlie Villanueva's $7.5M contract? Young players, draft picks? Both, perhaps?

Hit the poll on your way out!