Ryan McDonough’s comments were a stroke of political genius

Ryan McDonough said that the Phoenix Suns will not be in the hunt for a free agent superstar in the summer of 2018, and that makes me sad.

Although, I see his point.

When I initially started writing this post, my emotions were still of the idea that the 2018 free agency period was going to be crazy. It seemed like multiple superstars would be available for sure  at one time and the Phoenix Suns would have the option to seek the services of one or more to partner up with Devin Booker.

However, while this post was still in the draft phase, Russell Westbrook signed a massive extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder making him the wealthiest player in NBA history.

Let’s face it, money talks, and players can make more staying put (if their current employer wants them) rather than in free agency. It thus behooves players to either remain with their current team or demand a trade, rather than test the market.

Just ask Alex Len how risky that can be.

Truly only a handful of even the superstars can decide to pick up their roots and plant themselves and their families wherever they wish and not lose any money because of the endorsements that follow them like a shadow.

Even that list pretty much begins and ends with LeBron James.

In the end, I just do not believe that there will be too many moving parts in 2018. If any superstars move, they already have their banana boat plans in place and we all know exactly where they’re going – and it’s not Phoenix. For the others, they will take their services to the highest bidder, and that will probably mean staying right where they are.

For Ryan McDonough and the Phoenix Suns, they have a nice, young, developing core, that how it is currently comprised even in five years probably couldn’t compete for a title. But if they strike gold with even one or maybe two more draft picks, they could up near the league’s pinnacle without ever really having to look outside the franchise for talented help.

That statement by McDonongh was thus genius. It essentially pronounced that he was still just as dedicated to the rebuild this week as he was last, and by announcing that he will not seek expensive free agents in 2018, he is also informing general manager’s around the league that he is not desperate to move Tyson Chandler, Eric Bledsoe, Jared Dudley, and Brandon Knight. If a team wants one of them either this season or next, they will have to take them as is, and not demand a young player or pick alongside.

Phoenix Suns

He too realizes that it would be a tough road to travel to attract one or two superstar free agents next offseason to pair up with Devin Booker. If he forced the free agency issue and set the franchise up to make such an attempt by trading off two or three of those aforementioned names with a couple of young players and/or picks and then fails  in his free agency bid, he has not only shot the franchise in the foot, but likely too cost himself his job.

There is no doubt that if he could move a couple of big contracts this season and take back only contracts that expire this offseason in return, he’d do it. At that point too, if LeBron James (or insert available superstar name here) made it publicly known that Phoenix was their ultimate destination, McDonough would find a way to make it happen. But he is not going to risk the long-term future of the franchise in the hopes  of something panning out, that likely would not, all things considered.

Phoenix Suns fans have long sought for the days when they can not only support their franchise in the playoffs, but hopefully all the way to a first championship. Granted the slow-and-steady approach is one that can do just that (if the draft is executed exceptionally well) at a fraction of the cost than through free agency and even trade. While the odds of swinging and missing on a college or European player are far greater than on a proven commodity already shown what his prime can be, right now the team still isn’t quite set for such a change in philosophy and therefore is not ready for a course correction.

For McDonough to say now that the Suns are not going to put themselves in the market for a superstar hunt next summer when this summer just barely ended, is a painful reminder of what the process of the slow build is all about.

Next: Top-5 Rookies in Phoenix Suns History

However in the end, if the Suns were going to be active then, they need to clear space soon. And if teams believe that Phoenix has no interest in forcing moves this season, then trades that cost, say, the 2018 Miami pick with Tyson Chandler, or a future Phoenix first with Jared Dudley, just to rid them of those contracts, won’t happen.

Couple this statement with the proported shenanigans he pulled surrounding the draft and Josh Jackson, and maybe Ryan McDonough might someday be well versed enough in political maneuvering to run for public office.