Hi Guys! My name's Lynton and I'm an exchange student studying here for the semester, in Miami. As a long time suns fans (Charles/KJ era originally) its always been my dream to go to a home game. Well as a gift from my girlfriend - IM COMING TO PHX to see the SUNS v the Lakers on april 7th. Anyway, the point of my post wasnt to gloat, I wanted to know if u guys have like pre game parties or anything like that? (im over 21). Also are there any particular bars which are best to go to before/after the game? I really wanna get amongst it! I haven't booked accomodation yet - anyone know of any cheap places near by the arena?? Hopefully i can meet some of u guys at the game!! Thanks guys!

"NO RETREAT! NO SURRENDER! THIS IS SPARTA LAW! And by Spartan law, we will stand and fight... and die."

"O-kay. We see where you're going with this. But hear us out. What if, like, instead of fighting to win, you like, lose some battles, so you're more effective later?"

"WHO ARE YOU?!? Who are these Cretins? Why aren't you dressed in battle armor?"

"Oh, we don't actually fight with you. We more like cheer from the sidelines. See those logs all tied up and webbed together beside the battlefield? We sit there and sort of tell you what you should do."

"THE PERSIANS ARE ALREADY HERE! We've made a giant wall out of boulders and their bodies! Why do you want us to not fight our hardest?"

"You see, there's some fine up and coming young fighters, and if you lose a lot, you would get first pick! So by strategically having some of your best warriors hide in that water tank over there part of the time, you could throw a few battles, BUT next year pick up some young stud who has a 7' wingspan!"

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Hi, I noticed a lot of people still have very big hopes for this summers’ free agency, so I decided to take an in depth look at the Suns cap situation.

For the 2012-13 season, the Suns will have 6 players under contract at a total of 30,712,000 which leaves $27,288,000 in cap space but that giant amount will not be the amount the Suns can spend.

The Suns are currently drafting at 11 in the draft and the salary for last year’s 11th pick was 1,772,100, a report a few days ago suggested the Suns would pay Steve Nash $8-10m this summer, so let’s say the Suns pay him $9m, the Suns’ cap space is already down to $16,515,900.

And then we have Aaron Brooks, when he returns from China next month, the only way he can sign for about 25 of the NBA teams is if the Suns renounce him. If he is going to leave the Suns, he will likely have to sit out the rest of the season when the Suns make him a new qualifying offer and teams will have more cap space, still I will be very surprised if Aaron Brooks is not a Sun, the Suns need a PG who can split minutes with Nash over the next 2 years and he should be that man. How much will he cost? That’s debateable, but around $5.75m a year will be likely be enough to secure him for 4 years, I will be very surprised if he signs for less than that.

At $5.75m for Brooks, the Suns cap space would be down to $10,765,900, that $27m cap room isn’t looking so great now is it. They will also have the MLE available if it is needed.

The Suns will have much less cap space in 2013 if they spend money now because they have no one coming off the salary til 2014 when Marcin Gortat and Hakim Warrick’s contracts worth a combined $12,687,200 in the final year end.

The Suns are currently committed to 4 guys through at least 2015 if Childress and Frye pick up their player options. Obviously the Suns still have the amnesty clause, my guess is that Hakim Warrick is the guy who it will be used on sometime in the next 2 years, he is the only guy who has no future with the team long term.

Obviously trades can happen between now and free agency that may alter the Suns’ cap situation but if the front office continue to do what they say they will; rebuild with Nash, stay competitive and be good enough when Nash retires to not lose a beat and continue to improve. $10m cap space seems a lot more realistic than $20-30m.

Who will the Suns pursue you may ask, well it depends on the draft. If the Suns draft Beal or Lamb they will probably pursue someone like Batum, Beasley or Landry. If they draft Thomas Robinson, Perry Jones or MKG then they will probably pursue someone like Nick Young, OJ Mayo or possibly Barbosa on a short term deal.

Just don’t expect the Suns to sign 2-3 RFA’s and spend a ridiculous amount of money because the FO will be wary of losing all future financial flexibility. Who do you want to sign in free agency? Let us know in the comments.

Poll

Who do would you like to sign in free agency?

• Michael Beasley
• Nick Young
• OJ Mayo
• Carl Landry
• Jeff Green
• DJ Augustin
• Leandro Barbosa
• Nicolas Batum

  48 votes | Results

Looks like possibly the next Steve Nash? Check

Young? Check

Unrestricted FA? Check

Franchise Cashcow? Check

He would get the Suns some attention, all assuming he can keep up starter quality play.

Knicks do not hold bird rights? Check, the Knicks can offer him their MLE at most.

He is currently 2nd in PER in the league and averages 25/8/4 in the last 3. Lets say his production drops to 12/6 for the rest of the year what would you offer?

The Phoenix Suns have won 3 games in a row and are 3 games out of the 8th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs...

Our next 3 games come against the Rockets at home, The Kings in Sac-Town, The warriors at the oracle... those are ALL winnable games and could bump our win streak up to 6

We know Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat are gonna bring the same numbers every night, however, if we can get a 12ppg 5reb 4ast from Dudley and Hill per game.... and Frye scores over 10 while getting his rebounds, IM SURE WE CAN MAKE PLAYOFFS!

but then again I look at the losses to the Cavs, Nets, Hornets, Raptors, @ Spurs(no manu), @ Chicago (no drose), @ Dallas (no dirk) and i think no way this team is consistent enough to make the playoffs

But this year the west is WIDE open and im not saying we could win a championship but once you get into the playoffs, you never know (2010)

HALF OF ME WANT US TO SUCK FOR A TOP-5 PICK BUT THE OTHER HALF THINKS WE COULD MAKE THE PLAYOFFS...

Poll

Predict the outcome of the season

• Playoffs ; 1st rd exit
• Playoffs ; magical ride similar to 2010
• Barely miss playoffs ; end up with #13 pick :(
• Tank ; end up with top 8 pick

  82 votes | Results

So, yes, I am originally from Detroit. So, I do pay attention to how my first home town and the sports teams there are doing. I am saddened to see my former Detroit Pistons fall so far from their Bad Boys championship era (Yes, I know if you weren't living in Detroit then you hate the Bad Boys Pistons, but I was in middle school then and they were MY Bad Boys, from the only city I ever knew and called home).

I am now also saddened to see how the Phoenix Suns have fallen from their Conference Championship winning ways. So, I draw a connection when I see my Detroit Tigers' owner, Mr. Mike Ilitch pulling out his checkbook and spending money with his heart set on a championship for his team, his city, the teams' (e.g. The Detroit Red Wings too) fan-base and yes, in the end if the championships come as he envisions, for his bottom line too.

So, I do apologize for bringing baseball references to The Bright Side of the Sun twice AND for a team not named the Diamondbacks, but again, Detroit is where I grew up.

http://blog.mlive.com/hugeblog/2012/01/attacking_mike_ilitch_for_spen.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+detroit-tigers+%28Detroit+Tigers+Impact+-+MLive.com%29

Now, reading this article, if there are implications for a successful sports team to bring an economic boom, a national smiling eye (world peace and puppies for all, heh heh) to a city as Detroit...What could the same do for our home (now) Phoenix!?!

Look, it is not my money and until his books are made 100% public and until all of his basketball oriented conversations are taped and made public (which neither will ever happen), I can not and will not tell another person what to do with their money...But dammit all! If we could just convince a great owner like Mike Ilitch to buy the Suns, I would be all the more happy!

Poll

Are these articles regarding how ownership of a professional sports team helpful to fuel whatever blame you already put/or NOW put on Robert Sarver for the state of the Phoenix Suns?

• Heck Yeah!
• These are two different sports and have no relevance to each other
• There were many other factors leading to where the Suns are now
• Vince Carter is the reason why the Suns are where they are
• No, no one cares about Detroit here

  28 votes | Results

Hello Bright Siders!

I do not post here, but I do enjoy reading everyone's opinions and the debates that may come up. Now, I know most of us blame Robby for the dismantling of our once winning franchise, so to add a bit more fuel to this flame I look to the recent actions of one Mr. Mike Ilitch (notice the difference in references I give to both owners), owner of the Detroit Tigers! Sure, there are some who believe this signing may not bring a championship to Detroit, but the heart and passion and effort and money and (to quote Amar'e) gonads of Mr. Mike Ilitch are all attributes I WISH Robby had...If there were any question as to his success, take a look at the Detroit Red Wings' record and all of their Stanley Cups before you go any further with that thought! The article gives a bit more detailed argument:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/joe_sheehan/02/06/owners.money/index.html?sct=mlb_t11_a0

Poll

Would you want an owner who leads with his/her heart and not their pocketbook (regardless of how many orange dress shirts and foam fingers they bring to games!)

• Heck Yeah!
• Robert Sarver is doing a good job, leave him alone
• This is just too obvious to NOT answer: A) Heck Yeah!

  24 votes | Results

The right hand side of BSOTS is usually besotted with rosterbation posts, and with the Suns in their current struggles, this season has been no exception.

Hell, I do it all the time.

But I think there is a HUGE difference between trades to improve the team, and the current "tear down and rebuild through the draft" club.

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ROSTERBATION ALERT!!!!!!

The suns know they are not going anywhere the next 3 years unless they make some trades LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE!!! I've come to think that we have to players in their prime or soon to be and 2 other valuable assets to trade

We have 5 trade assets that can make us a average team now, but a contender in 3 years...

-STEVE NASH, GRANT HILL, JARED DUDLEY, MARCIN GORTAT, ROBIN LOPEZ

There is no point in wasting these 4 players' final years as a player, or waste their prime and then by the time we become contenders, Dudley/Gortat would be in their early 30's

SO I HAVE CAME UP WITH TRADE SCENARIOS THAT WILL MAKE US INSTANT CONTENDERS IN 3 YEARS IF WE TANK THE NEXT 2 SEASONS... now i know some wont agree but i just dont see a point in keep players in their prime years on a rebuilding team when they are valuable trade asets!

HOW I SEE IT SHOULD BE DONE:

1) Find a trade partner for Nash, Hill, etc. who has valuable young assets and contracts to match up

2) DING : Atlanta Hawks

3) Suns recieve: Jeff Teague, Josh Smith, Kirk Hinrich(expiring contract), 2012 1st rd pick

Hawks recieve: Steve Nash, Marcin Gortat, Grant Hill, Ronnie Price

4) Find a trade partner desperate for a big man and/or a 6th man

5) DING: Minnestota TWolves

6) Suns recieve: Michael Beasely, 2nd rd pick

Minnisota recieve: Jared Dudley, Robin Lopez

7) Find a taker in desperate need of spreading the floor

8) DING: any team who could use a 7'0 3pt shooter

9) Suns recieve: Late 2012 1st rd pick , 1 bad contract

xxxx recieve: Channing Frye, Sebastion Telfair

WITH THESE 9 STEPS, YOU ARE LOOKING AT 2 MORE LOTTERY YEARS BUT WITH MANY MANY BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE FUTURE, MANY MANY DRAFT PICKS, MUCH MUCH CAP SPACE FOR 2014.......

Potential scenario:

PG: Jeff Teage, Kirk Hinrich

SG: Michael Redd, Shannon Brown

SF: Josh Smith, Hakim Warrick

PF: Michael Beasely, Markieff Morris

C: bad contract from xxx team

We would have 3 expiring contracts and 3 1st rd picks in 2012 (top 5, mid, late)

4 young building blocks (TEAGUE, SMITH, BEASELY, MORRIS)

By the time those 4 hit there prime, we would be contenders with our 3 1st rd picks all on rookie contracts and we would have PLENTY A PLENTY of cap space to sign veterans/ expeirinced players in 2014/15 to come try win a ring in phoenix...

Comment what you think/ Are the trades fair? How fast would we be contenders?

Poll

What would you do

• Tank the WHOLE next 2 seasons and start anew with young talent
• Trade some old players, get some picks in return, and remain a 8th seeded playoff team
• Nothing, try signing some free agents and make playoffs next year

  61 votes | Results

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!

Poll

How should the Suns go about making this franchise relevant again?

• You're right bro - we can conbuild!
• I want to suck really bad so we get good draft picks
• There's still some free agents left... I think
• I think we can contend with the roster as it is. I also sniff glue.

  37 votes | Results

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