Steve Kerr Has Been Avoiding an Age-Old Question

To Re-Build or Build?

Ah the age-old question many General Managers ask themselves when they are in the exact position the Phoenix Suns are in now.

That is of course a team that ran its turn, made several trips deep into the playoffs, changed coaches, changed management, and has become a borderline playoff team. 

Do you re-build: deal your longer contracts, veterans, and perhaps franchise player…Or do you simply build: Deal some youth, expiring contracts, picks, and any other potential assets for a star or two that could put your team back into contention?

Before we delve into the age-old question, let’s hone in on recent notable franchises that went through both of these stages.

Perhaps the clearest example of a team being successful that took the Build route was the Boston Celtics.  Danny Ainge stockpiled picks and young assets and eventually was able to trade in his chips for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. 

Danny had drafted well for the franchise, raised the players value, and dealt them when their values were at its highest (Gerald Green, Delonte West, and Ryan Gomes are prime examples). 

Danny did have to face a tough question regarding one of his projects, Al Jefferson, specifically. 

Was Big Al worth dealing away from Boston?  In Danny’s mind he could either have traveled one of two paths: Re-Build —Deal Paul Pierce, net additional picks and youth, and build around Al Jefferson, Jeff Green (Ray Allen trade would not have occurred), Rajon Rondo, and whatever Pierce had netted in a trade, or Build—Deal Jefferson, the fifth pick, and the rest of the youth for big named veterans that could catapult the team into contention. 

Danny carefully assessed both paths, but realized he could not ignore the being a part of the enticing contender, thus he chose to Build.

Not all teams were as successful as Boston in the Build route, just ask stubborn owner Mark Cuban (who still refuses to believe the following trade was a mistake).  Like the Celtics’ Al Jefferson, the Dallas Mavericks had their prized young asset in Devin Harris.  They were very reluctant to deal Harris and tried arduously to acquire Jason Kidd.

Rod Thorn, GM of the Nets, knew this and was very stringent in his hardball tactics with the Mavs.  He eventually got Dallas to muster up a favorable deal involving picks AND Devin Harris in a trade for the aging, but still talented, Jason Kidd. 

Jason was never able to lift the Mavs pass the Lakers or Spurs and now still remain behind many of the West’s Elite in terms of legitimate title contention.

Teams have also gone the reverse route.  The then Seattle Sonics, back in the 2006-2007 season, finished 31-51, fifth in the division and 20 games out of first place.  This was despite the stellar seasons by the Sonics’ two franchise players.

Both Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis topped career best scoring averages and were All Star caliber talents.  Despite their individual successes, the Sonics only mustered 31 wins. 

Sam Presti took over this situation and thought, this team is not one or two-pieces away from contending, they are a ways away from being a contender.  Truth is Presti probably could have looked at this team and said we have some young pieces, future picks etc, maybe we can make a deal for a premier big man and then this team could contend. 

Sam was far more realistic.  He knew that the West already had stalwarts such as the Spurs, Suns, and Mavericks and the Sonics were much further away from contention.  Thus, he chose the opposite path. 

Sam Presti let Rashard Lewis’ contract expire (which he used in future deals to take advantage of team’s strict cap situations…see the three draft picks he netted by using Kurt Thomas) and dealt Ray Allen away in a trade to net expiring deals (Wally), a nice subtle youth piece (Deltone West) and the fifth pick of the draft from Boston, Jeff Green.

Of course, landing the second pick of the draft and Kevin Durant didn’t hurt either.  Now instead of being a potential consistent 11-eighth seed in the West, the now Oklahoma City Thunder have a nice young core consisting of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.

Other teams are not quite as lucky via the lottery and/or can net pseudo potential stars in the draft.  The Sacramento Kings saw a nice run with Chris Webber and Mike Bibby finally run its course and Geoff Petrie decided it was time to deal C-Webb in February of 2004.  Petrie dealt Webber to Philly for Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas, and Brian Skinner. 

Later, much later (foreshadowing for three), Petrie traded Mike Bibby to Atlanta for a slew of random pieces, Sheldon Williams, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright, Anthony Johnson, and a future second round pick.  Four years after the Webber deal, it became even more evident that the Kings were rebuilding. 

In the last several years the Kings have continued to rebuild and traded away any veterans with some ample value (Artest, Salmons, and Brad Miller) for some young pieces.  Sacramento opted for the more complex and lengthy Re-Build approach and now has a core of Kevin Martin, Tyreke Evans, and Justin Thompson.

The Kings have been rebuilding for several seasons now, but still seem fairly far from their goals of ever contending.

Now back to the Phoenix Suns.  The Suns core right now consists of Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, and Leandro Barbosa.  Phoenix main attractive young assets besides future picks is essentially Robin Lopez and Earl Clark.

Unlike Boston or even Dallas, Clark and Lopez don’t seem to have the eventual market peak as Al Jefferson or Devin Harris ever had.  On top of this, Robert Sarver seems unwilling to add too much cap restraining contracts to the team.  Thus, it seems the Suns are much further away from doing a Boston or even Dallas type Build route. 

On the other side, how comparable are the Phoenix Suns team now to the 31-51 Seattle Sonics of 2006-07?  Stoudemire and Nash together have far greater value than Ray Allen and Shard Lewis ever did in 2007.

Both Ray and Lewis did have career seasons, but have always been seen as fairly interchangeable wings that never had consistent playoff success (until only recently for both of course). 

Nash is a two-time MVP still somewhat in his athletic prime and Stoudemire, only 26, has not yet reached his full potential.  It is very safe to say that the Suns should be able to warrant far better value from their two cornerstones via trade than the Sonics were able to from Lewis and Allen.

If the Suns do decide to rebuild though, they should do so now.  Part of the reason why the Kings have been unsuccessful in their rebuilding path was due to in large part to the length of time it finally took the franchise to deal Webber, Bibby (4 years), and then Artest (1.5 years). 

It is much more of a benefit to the franchise to deal their slew of veterans all at once.  You thus start the re-building process quicker and are more likely to turn around the franchise in a less amount of time.

There are plenty of teams out there that will give the Suns ample value for Stoudemire if he signs an extension.  The Bulls, for example, could be willing to part with Luol Deng, Ty Thomas and picks as part in a package deal.  Other teams would show great interest in Steve Nash if were to become available. 

Orlando could see adding Nash as pushing them ahead of Boston, Cleveland, and LA and may even be willing to even part with Nelson in a package.  There are plenty of ways for Phoenix to rebuild, and even do a better job than the Sonics/Thunder.  They just need to deal these players now…like right now.

Why are you waiting Mr. Kerr?  Pick up the phone and start dialing!  If Steve Kerr does wait or simply refrains from rebuilding, you are looking atjust another perennial 11-eighth seeded team, which is the worst thing for an NBA franchise to become.