It's Always Sunny in Phoenix...Literally

[NAUHurdler]

In the past two weeks, the Phoenix Suns, though way out of the playoff picture have been quite busy (not to mention somehow shockingly winning a matchup against playoff hopeful Lakers, annoying haha)

First, the team in a shocking move offered a contract to the oft-injured Greg Oden. The team offered a league minimum deal to the former overall #1 pick but offered the deal for 3 seasons (including this year). There had been multiple reports that Oden had been working hard to make another return to the NBA and that many contending teams were interested in his duties. Later as the story developed, we came to discover that Oden really didn't want to make his decision until after this year was over. That news wasn't good enough for GM NAUHurdler. "We wanted to strike now. Low risk move here. If he doesn't come back even next year, we can still cut him and the $250k really is no hinder. At the end of the day, we like the potential, had the opened roster spot, and figured why not. We're hoping that if he can come back and contribute consistency in a few areas, that he will have a spot in our rotation."

A few days later, the team was wheeling and dealing again as they sent PG Mario Chalmers to Boston in return for PG/SG Jimmer Fredette. Fredette is a higher cap hit but also has an optional 2015 season on his contact, something Phoenix valued. "We really like Jimmer. We had been in previous talks with Boston to acquire him but it just wasn't the right time to do so. We really like that we will get to see him grow next year and then have the option of another year of his services. We're hoping he can get put in a situation better than his current where he can gather valuable playing time. If this happens, we feel Jimmer will truly get to show that special spark everyone remembers from his BYU days." quoted GM NAUHurdler. "We appreciate Mario for all he's done for our organization. He continued to lay it all on the line night in and night out for a team in a rebuilding mode and we can't overstate how much that meant to us. He'll be a great addition and someone who we'll keep our eyes on if his contract were to expire as a Celtic."

When asked if there would be any further moves heading into the Playoffs and off-season, GM NAUHurdler said, "We're always on the lookout and on our phones looking to make things happen. Can't keep the phone on vibrate when you're always waiting for the next big call!"

[NAUHurdler]

After a long difficult season for fans in Phoenix, the season actually worked out in the teams favor as they were able to surprisingly win the lottery for the upcoming 2013 NBA Draft. This immediately brought hope back to the Valley of the Sun despite the so called "weak draft" many are expecting.

GM NAUHurdler has already been hinting that the team knows the direction they are going with the pick unless any last second things come up. "I'm ecstatic right now! We've seen this kid in enough workouts and strongly feel that he's going to surprise a lot of people and possibly make this draft look a lot stronger than initially expected. Rookie of the Year baby!" When asked for further comment on what type of player the team would be targeting, NAUHurdler simply said "A game changer, that's what we need obviously."

Along with this, the Phoenix Suns can look forward to another draft pick coming from their trade two years ago that netted them three total first rounders when they sent aging star Dirk Nowitzki to Great Britain. "I still look back on that deal and even though it's really made these last couple years hard struggling to go 7-19, we knew that with the aging squad we had that things were going to get tougher anyways. Dirk was great for us but the fact that we already pulled a budding star in Dion Waiters out of the deal along with 2 other first rounders, I strongly feel it worked out for both parties."

Recent rumors are spreading that Dion Waiters has suddenly become not untouchable. GM NAUHurdler said earlier today, "On a team like this one, with the guys on this roster, everyone is available for the right price. We aren't trying to have more seasons like we saw this year so there is a lot of work and changes to be made." Rumors state that the team is interested in moving again into the top 6 of the draft this year if at all possible.

On another note, the team has announced today that they will begin negotiations for Center Robin Lopez. Lopez was recently moved to a new destination but the team still feels as a big that he can contribute in a couple different ways for a few more years in this league.

[NAUHurdler]

Rumors spreading that the Phoenix Suns are in trade discussions involving a three or four team blockbuster trade. GM NAUHurdler would not comment as he simply waived away reporters. More to come from this developing story.

[NAUHurdler]

Rumors have heated up. Lots of player names and picks being thrown around. We'll have to see what happens when the dust settles. Hopefully for Phoenix fans, that dust will settle on another good move for the organization moving into the future. GM NAUHurdler was finally giving some insight as he was quoted saying "It's been a long long day of discussions. We've been working with some great owners who have some great ideas and creativity to make this thing hopefully work out. We're just waiting for one final go at this point."

The Suns currently are sitting with the #1 pick in the draft and at this point, there are no indications of which direction the team will go. "We are looking for someone to come in and be able to help us now but more so in the future." said GM NAUHurdler. He still wouldn't even hint at even the position of the player that the team is targeting by stating, "Look at our roster. We need help everywhere!"

[NAUHurdler]

The Phoenix Suns have had quite a busy week during this offseason. The smallest of moves includes the resigning of free agent big man Robin Lopez. The Suns used the first of their 3 resigns on the 25 year old center and GM NAUHurdler had some thoughts on what the plan was with this resign. "Robin has worked out well for us are really grew a lot last year. He was a top 10 fantasy center and I hope he continues to get play time in his new setting. He's young still and at this point there are no other players on our roster that we plan to resign so this just made sense. Giving him the money he wants while keeping him through his age 29 season works out for us."

Prior to this signing, the Suns made some huge trades altering the roster dramatically. First, in a shocking development the team sent off the one big piece they had in second year SG Dion Waiters. Waiters was dealt to Houston in return for the #6 and #36 overall picks in 2013. Waiters who was drafted #9 overall last yeae by the Suns had an up and down season but GM NAUHurdler clarified more questions as to why they made this deal. "As much as we enjoyed Dion, we really wanted to improve in efficiency and build around this. Dion was great but we worry about his shot selection and the fact that he doesn't contribute much on defense. We felt that since next year we will not be able to compete much that getting another young player with a longer contract would help more in our long term plans for success. We like 6-7 other players after the number 1 pick this year more than long term solutions and worry about play time for Waiters if he continues with his shooting struggles."

The last move of the day was simply a three team deal that had all three teams moving draft picks around. The Suns sent a 2014 first rounder from Kansas City to Amsterdam in return for the #24 overall pick and 2015 1st round pick from Kansas City. "Kansas City is primed to make another solid run this year so shipping off a likely high 20's pick in next year's draft for two likely 20's picks makes sense with our roster makeup. More assets baby!", said GM NAUHurdler.

The Suns now hold the #1, #6, #21, #24, and #36 picks in this 2013 NBA Draft. Rumors are that the team is exploring options to try and move again into the top 10.

[NAUHurdler]

Rumors flying that the Suns have locked in their #1 overall pick. GM NAUHurdler would still not hint at the player but did state, "Our decision has been made. We are so excited to see this guy in a Suns uniform and can't wait to get him out here to the desert to get started!" When asked when the team would announce their pick and if it would be before the draft occurs, GM NAUHurdler stated, "Just so the fans can have a little fun with this, I'll tweet who we are taking on my personal account the night before. That allows fans to have great dreams overnight of the team they will see in the coming years!"

With the draft still some days away, fans will have to patiently wait to find out who will hold the keys to their future with this first overall selection.

[NAUHurdler]

LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE 2013 NBA DRAFT:

With the Phoenix Suns picking first for the first time in the team's history, it sure seemed that the selection made was one that was viewed as favorable from fans in the desert. With the #1 overall pick, the Phoenix Suns selected SG Victor Oladipo out of Indiana University. GM NAUHurdler sat grinning the entire time as the clock ticked towards the start of the draft and after the selection was asked about the direction that the team took today.

Why the selection of Victor Oladipo?

- After months of evaluation, watching game film, studying the players in this draft during workouts, we were truly only floored by one player. Victor Oladipo. The guy is a non-stop motor and showed us he has the drive and the will to be great in this league. Though he is not completely polished on the offensive side of the ball, we feel that his defensive aggressiveness will lead to easy buckets for Victor and allow him to build confidence as he works through his rookie season. We think that he has the tools to develop the offensive game that we will need from him and know that with his work ethic, that anything is possible.

What is the direction of the team with the #6 pick?

- Like previously mentioned, there are 6 players in this draft that we valued as players that could make an impact for us in the long-term. One of those 6 players will be available and we will not hesitate to take them when our time comes again.

Any trades on the horizon?

- I wouldn't say no that's for sure. We have a long way to go and so if the right deal were to present itself, we'd have to evaluate that.

What's the word on Greg Oden?

- We are anxiously awaiting Greg to make his decision on where to play next season but feel that one way or another, the length of his contract and the salary we are paying him that this will end up as a low risk, high reward situation that we envisioned. If only we could get him in touch with this Phoenix Suns training staff, he could then be one of the best comeback stories ever!

Any other thoughts on the draft so far?

- Yeah, let's get this thing moving!

[NAUHurdler]

LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE 2013 NBA DRAFT:

The Phoenix Suns were far from being done after their selection of SG Victor Oladipo. The team still held picks 6 and 16 and we've now found out a little more on what the Suns Draft Board looked like coming into the draft. GM NAUHurdler was interviewed again shortly after their selection at #16.

How did you feel about having Cody Zeller on the board at #6?

We felt like this is what would happen. Our board for the top two picks we had included the only 6 players that we truly loved and feel can help us make significant changes throughout this organization. It was why we targeted getting into the top 6 again earlier in the off-season. We are ecstatic to have Cody in Phoenix as he was actually #3 on our Big Board behind Oladipo and one other player. We feel this draft worked out exactly the way we wanted to. The three players we got were all three players that we highly coveted.

Archie Goodwin. What's the story there? Some may say that's a bit of a reach at #16.

We love Archie! This guy is just 18 years old yet is such an athletic and explosive player. We truly think this guy is going to surprise a lot of people. We strongly believe he'll get some solid minutes this season to begin to grow into his own. At 16, he was by far the best player available. We actually had him as the 10th best player on our big board too. With Victor and Archie, I believe we have a very unique combination of SG's to move forward with into the future. We're excited! Get excited Phoenix!

What are the plans with the number 36 overall pick?

We have a couple guys we are targeting. We hope they are there as we would give them solid run this season and a shot to make the roster again next year. If there is not someone we like there, we could explore some other options with the pick.

Greg Oden has a team. He's targeting this season for a return. Thoughts?

We are excited to see what Greg has. We feel that the trainers and people in his corner have been working very hard with him and that he won't come back until fully ready. We think this scenario could work perfect for us as the team he plays for really needs solid play from a center. Our rebuild is in process!

[NAUHurdler]

LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE 2013 NBA DRAFT:

As the draft continues on, teams continue to scuffle around picks and players in attempts to build for their futures. The Phoenix Suns have been no different as they had been in talks with multiple teams in an attempt to move up a few spots again in the draft. The first round came to an end and all indications were showing that the Suns really had a specific player in mind that they wanted to target and thus were looking for options.

Eventually they were able to find a trade partner in the Golden State Warriors that allowed them to move back up in the draft. The Suns sent their Center project Greg Oden to the Warriors in exchange for the #31 overall pick in this draft. The Suns signed Oden in the middle of the season last year and most reports from inside the organization stated that the signing was again done with the intention to use Oden as an asset in a trade down the road. Those reports, whether true or false, came to light with this deal.

After the trade finalized, the Phoenix Suns used their new draft pick to select Center Mason Plumlee out of Duke University. The athletic big has a solid collegiate career and the team hopes to have found gem this late in the draft that can help them in coming years. GM NAUHurdler was available for comment after the recent selection was made and had the following to say:

So you shipped out Greg already without him even putting on the Purple and Orange. What happened there?

I'll be honest with you. We really liked a lot of the reports at first about Greg coming back and making an impact but just felt that there was still too much risk. We felt like where our team currently stands, that it would be better for us to take a young project center than to hope for Greg's shaky knees to hold up. Additionally, reports about his playing time limitations furthered our concerns as really the signing of him was for more of a 'Boom or Bust' move than a move to get us a 15 minute a night guy. We wish him the best of luck and hope he has a long healthy career moving forward.

You used the Greg Oden signing to score the #31 Overall Pick. How do you feel about that?

While we were hoping to eventually get a 1st Round Pick out of Oden, we noticed that one of the players on our Big Board that we had quite high was falling and falling. By the time pick 29 came up, we had a strong feeling that our guy would still be there at 31 so felt like this trade still was netting us a 1st Round talent. Honestly, I'm glad we were able to move Oden before any sort of set backs could occur and I'm happy we were able to replace him with a center that can do many of the same things yet has no current health concerns. That's a win-win for a team rebuilding like we are.

You took Mason Plumlee out of Duke. What was the draw towards him? Why was he so highly valued by your organization?

We are excited to get a chance to give Plumlee some run this season. The fact that we don't have to have him locked into contract for 3+ years was a real benefit in our mind especially feeling that we were getting a 1st round talent in the 2nd round. Going back to the comparisons to what Greg could have done for us, I strongly feel that Mason will be a more efficient player with us overall and a player that actually will contribute more this year than expected. His athleticism and basketball IQ are very high for a big guy like Mason and we think that he has the opportunity to learn behind some of the greatest players to play the game in his current rotation spot.

Any ideas for what the plans are at #36?

There are 5 players left that we would give a shot to. Two of those players we highly covet and would be ecstatic to get an opportunity to see what they have. Crossing our fingers that one of them falls to us at 36. If that happens, I do have to say, that I feel like everything went the way we wanted it to in this 2013 Draft. Now it's time to see what these prospects can actually go out and do on the hardwood!

After that final pick, your roster will be full with 12 total players. Any more moves we can expect with Free Agency approaching?

That is definitely something that we've been talking a lot about. Having added 5 rookies in this draft has really bloated our roster and eliminated any roster flexibility that we had. Fortunately, we have a few 2014 contracts that we may be willing to release if the right player were to present himself available for us. We have some cap room and the 2014 cap hits would not affect us much this year in the rebuilding process. We will also of course be exploring any other possible trades if they come up. You know we're always willing to shake things up!

[NAUHurdler]

LIVE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH GM NAUHURDLER PRIOR TO NEXT WEEK'S NBA LOTTERY SELECTION:

After another disappointing season for the Phoenix Suns that saw the team hit an all-time low in wins, or lack there of, by going 0-16, the Phoenix Suns ownership, staff, and fans are all looking forward to an active and aggressive off season to halt their recent trend of losing. GM NAUHurdler has spoken about his plans all along but eventually those plans need to pan out to keep the faith of fans and the team. After taking over the team 3 seasons ago, GM NAUHurdler has led the team to a combined record of 7-35 with just one playoff appearance that ended abruptly in the first round of the 2011-2012 Playoffs. With the season concluding and the NBA Lottery quickly approaching, GM NAUHurdler scheduled a press conference to discuss with the media the past season, the upcoming year, and future of the team.

0-16. Wow, that's got to be tough. What positives if any can you take away from this season?

Surprisingly, we've taken a lot from this season. We've seen a lot of positives and still feel optimistic about the direction of this team. Yeah the record doesn't look good, but our players really made some strides in showing that they will be able to help us in the future become a winning ball club. Victor showed us exactly what we wanted to see in a first year player. He showed us that he very well can be the contributor across the board that we hoped for with taking him #1 overall this past year. Though Cody didn't put up the stats we had hoped for this season, we still see the flashes of athleticism and talent that we saw in him when we traded for him. We also really were pleased with Mason's continued growth throughout the year, we're excited to see what the big guy looks like next year. And we can't forget Marshall. Let's be honest, we were coming into this season worried that his game just wasn't going to translate in this league but he finally got an opportunity to show us those passing skills we knew he had, and we were pleasantly surprised to see his improvement from behind the arc. All in all, we like the direction we are headed. We will focus on the good things from this past season and move forward with optimism.

You mention the trade for Cody Zeller. You basically gave up on Dion Waiters for him. How do you feel that's panned out?

Though stats this year make this trade look one sided, we still feel this was the right move for our organization. We got a younger player and one that we feel will be much more of an impact and much more efficient for us for years to come. Dion is a nice player but we have no regrets in that move whatsoever. In Cody, we believe!

Speaking of trades, you also made quite an interesting trade during the season in landing Thaddeus Young while only giving up Channing Frye and Robin Lopez. What sparked that deal?

Really it was Kansas City. We are always open to trades but they reached out to us needing help at the Center position and so we asked if one of their re-signable players would be available. After back and forth discussion, we came to a deal that I still believe helped both teams. Robin was great for us and really has grown into his new role while Channing made one of the best comebacks of the year that flew under the radar after some heart issues last year. Bringing in Thaddeus was key for us as we believe he is a young and upcoming starter in this league and will be another player to help us in multiple categories. We'll just have to see what type of role he ends up being in to see if this deal really pans out for us.

You have a 25% chance of winning the lottery again. What would winning the lottery for a second year in a row do for your franchise?

Mainly, it'll just give us options. There is so much talent that we like at the top of this draft that can come in and help us right away that the main thing about this lottery chance is that we would have options.

With that being said, if you win, who would you take?

The best available player. Like previously mentioned, we'll have options and will need to do a fantastic job in evaluating all of the prospects.

You have 3 total draft picks, 2 in the first round. What are the plans with these picks?

Well we've already been in talks with multiple teams on various options. We're more than happy to continue to take young talent and develop it but we would also be open to making a splash with talented veterans on good contracts. We'll have to wait it out and see.

How realistic is it to think that you guys can compete in this upcoming season?

VERY realistic. Not only do we feel that we can make the right moves with our draft picks, but you can bet that we'll be aggressive in the free agent market while also ensuring to be smart with our signings. We have a lot of cap room so we strongly believe with the right moves, that we can catapult ourselves back into competing for a playoff spot and going even higher from there.

Lastly, we know this isn't the most important move of the off season, but who will you be sending to represent the Phoenix Suns as your good luck charm to the Lottery next week?

Victor will go for sure. We wanted him heading into the Lottery last year and winning the lottery allowed us to get our man. We feel that his positive vibes and outlook on this team is what will help bring home another #1 overall pick.

Phoenix Suns have a lot to look forward to and it all starts this Tuesday, March 20th. Fans across the state will be closely watching in hopes to score their next Superstar talent.

[NAUHurdler]

LIVE COVERAGE AT THE 2014 NBA DRAFT, PRESS CONFERENCE WITH GM NAUHURDLER AFTER THEIR #2 OVERALL SELECTION:

The Phoenix Suns have promised their fans that this year things would be different and fans have already taken notice of the efforts and changes made throughout this ball club. With the 2014 Re-sign Period ending just days ago and the 2014 NBA Draft starting just hours ago, GM NAUHurdler sat down and answer questions with the press.

Before we address the draft, since the lottery selection you've made a number of moves. What was behind these transactions?

We're extremely happy with both trades we made after the Lottery Selection. Being able to package up a few less valuable picks to move into the top 10 again this year was our goal. We traded away one of our own picks but we believe our push to be competitive is in full motion now. Additionally, we didn't have room for the 2nd Round pick on our roster at this point. Lastly, we are very happy to bring in Alex Len, another lottery selection from a year ago. We believe he will recover from his recent fluke injury and will be able to carve out some nice minutes in his current situation. Losing Marshall is something I'll be frank and honest about. I really will never regret that, we were ready to move on from him for reasons we don't need to speak about.

OK then. Interesting. Who initiated the Lance Stephenson trade?

We have a strong belief that Lance is ready to explode onto the scene. We are extremely excited for the versatility he will bring us. We targeted Lance for sure. We actually had this trade lined up while the prior trade was in its final stages. This is another reason why we feel the first trade was so huge for our organization and direction. At the end of the day, we traded Pick #16, Pick #31, a late 2015 pick, and Kendall Marshall for Pick #9, Alex Len, and Lance Stephenson. That's a really good feeling for us.

Mason Plumlee really was a bright spot for you last year, a fantastic pick late in the last year's draft by yourself. Why did you guys send him to New York in a later deal?

We knew that regardless of how good he did this year, we would be losing him next year due to his short contract and not having any resigns available. With that foresight in mind, we decided to explore options that would give us a shot at another player that would be on a longer contract. Getting Pick #20 was the main point for us here but getting additional assets in Pick #38 and Pick #57 of this years draft sweetened the deal. We hope the best for Mason and just wish we had the opportunity to nab a late first round pick last year like we attempted so we could have kept him longer.

After that, the resign period began. You had two guys you planned to sign. What was the goal there when heading into negotiations?

We couldn't be happier we the way that the resign period went for us. We went into negotiations with Thaddeus Young and Lance Stephenson hoping for a total of $12 million combined but were ready to go up to $16 if need be. We feel very fortunate to have gotten Thad at $6 million but it feels great to have gotten Lance at $5 million. We feel that both of these contracts were ideal for the direction of our team in giving us solid starters on very friendly contracts. This gives us even more flexibility in free agency and the ability to remain aggressive.


And as of just 17 hours ago, you selected Andrew Wiggins out of Kansas with the #2 Overall Pick in the NBA Draft. How does he fit into the future of this organization?

We couldn't be happier to have Andrew in Phoenix. The Phoenix Suns fans have been waiting for 2 years to have an identity to their team and we now have one. With Andrew and Victor anchoring our young talent, we feel that we immediately have a chance to see improvement after improvement for many years to come from this team. Phoenix Suns fans, just wait till you see this kid in person. We'll be talking about him for a long time here in the great state of Arizona! Go Suns!

GM NAUHurdler concluded his press conference by stating that he would be back again soon to discuss any further moves the team makes during this draft. He did not hint towards any further moves at this time but he's notorious for always keeping his ears open to any opportunity that presents itself. The Suns draft next with the 9th overall pick followed later by the 20th overall pick before the second round begins.

[NAUHurdler]

Suns Late Season Rally, Moment Of Truth Comes Tomorrow

The Phoenix Suns have what anyone would call, an up and down season. After starting the year 0-5 after having 4 of their top performers injured, the Suns were looking square in the eyes of a third consecutive awful season and record that brought up the rear of the league. After all this turmoil, the young team led by second year stud Victor Oladipo and future Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, the Suns quickly turned from a team that could be considered a bye to a team scrapping every week.

Coming off of the bye at 0-5, the Suns opened with a 3 game win streak, their longest winning streak in 4 years. After the Suns fought to a 3-5 record, their schedule really punished them but they continued to scrap their way into staying competitive. The next 4 weeks saw the Suns go 1-3 but losing each matchup 4-5 against double digit legit contenders. GM NAUHurdler was quoted "It's been a tough month for us in the standings but our team is growing and growing faster than we could have imagined. We can't help but love the direction we're headed."

Finally, the Suns finished 2-1 the last 3 weeks bringing us to this weeks, what should be winner is in the playoffs matchup, against division foe New York. GM NAUHurdler was asked leading into this weeks matchup, just how important it would be for the team to make the playoffs regardless of result. "It would be a tremendous step in the right direction. We've had a couple seasons that were tough to get through so for us to take a step forward in making the playoffs considering our potential and how things played out this season, we'd be extremely happy and pleased." When asked if this season would be called a success so far, GM NAUHurdler replied, "I'd have to say so. We say some pretty special things happen this year and have seen a couple young men really grow into great talents."

Heading into the final hours, the New York matchup has concluded with a 7-2 Phoenix win pushing their record to 7-9 for the year. This also pushes the Suns into a 3 way tie with Brisbane and New York at 7-9. Per ESPN rules for custom leagues, sources believe that the Suns will win the tie breakers and thus squeak into the playoffs to face the top seeded Denver Nuggets. The Suns went 1-1 vs New York this season and went 1-0 vs Brisbane. Along with this, the team went 3-2 in the Sidney Deane Division while New York went 2-4. We'll have to wait until the morning to know for sure so Suns fans may not get much sleep tonight.