The talk about LeBron James coming to the Suns is a lot of fun, and it makes sense on a basketball level.
Take contract concerns out of the conversation for just a moment. In the NBA, teams have a limit on how much they can spend for players, but those rules are easily bent for teams controlled by a guy like Mat Ishbia, whose pockets are so deep he had to hire a couple of 7-footers to help him reach his money clip at the bottom.
The Suns need someone who can organize the team on both ends of the floor and generate easy shots for guys like Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
James would excel in this role.
But why stop there?
Why not get Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, too?
For that matter, what about Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard?
Or Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley?
You think this is funny?
We’ve heard about “youth movements,” why not “experience actions?"
The talk about LeBron has been widespread, starting with the Suns scheduling Bronny James for a pre-draft workout.
The speculation is that LeBron might be willing to play at a discount for a chance to run with his son, making the first such tandem in NBA history.
The joke is that a core of James, Booker, Durant and Beal would be hard to stop in 2017.
But these guys can still play.
And so can Chris Paul in limited minutes. Melo, too. (Probably).
Paul helped take the Suns to the NBA Finals before he was traded for Beal and ended up in Golden State,. Why not see if he’ll come back to help finish the job? The Suns certainly could have used his on-court leadership last season.
And just think of the commercials! Jake from State Farm, CP and LeBron could walk into an old-folks home where Melo is playing pickleball and break him out with the help of a magic headband that turns back time.
And if that’s your core, why not go get the rest of “The Redeem Team”?! If nothing else, it’ll make for a great sequel to the Netflix documentary of the same name.
Wade probably has at least one more clutch performance in him, and that’s what the Suns have needed in each of their last few playoff fizzles.
Bosh retired too soon. OK, yes, he had a potentially life-threatening medical condition, but no guts, no glory, amirite?
Howard … well. … Yeah. … Probably not Howard. He’s got a lawsuit pending against him that seems to stem from a sexual encounter gone wrong. If the case gets dismissed, maybe we can talk.
Anyway, Mike Budenholzer would have no problems coaching this group. He could just play Kobe Bryant motivational speeches on TikTok and take a nap on the bench. His squad would be leading by 20 by the time he woke up.
From there, the team would need depth.
Could you imagine if Magic, MJ and Sir Charles were talking trash from the end of the bench and going crazy over lob passes and blocked shots?!
Just imagine the quotes in the postgame news conferences.
Reporter: "Charles, can you tell us what was going on out there tonight?"
Barkley: "You tell me. Your view was good as mine. I ain’t played a minute all season. I’m just here till Kenny, Shaq and Ernie tell me we’ve got a new home for 'Inside the NBA.'”
In all seriousness, there’s plenty of reason to be skeptical over adding the oldest player in the league in LeBron James.
It rarely goes well when star players chase rings at the end of their careers. I still have nightmares about Barkley playing for the Rockets.
But James was All-NBA last season, and he fits well with the Suns' current core.
Paul fits in a reserve role.
And if Howard’s legal troubles go away, why not bring him in on a couple of 10-day contracts to see how it goes?
Teams go young all the time. Why not zig where everyone else is zagging and go old?
And if all it takes is considering drafting Bronny James to have this much fun, imagine what would happen if the Suns actually selected him.
If nothing else, the jersey sales would cover the luxury taxes (Especially if they were to somehow lure Jordan off his yacht and into a uniform).
And, like a joke I heard from a buddy, the alternate uniforms could be “Los Suns,” “El Valle Suns” and “Phoenix Sun Cities.” (And for the record, I would 100 percent bring in James and James. Wouldn’t think twice. I’d sign them both and start planning a parade.
Reach Moore atgmoore@azcentral.comor 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter,@SayingMoore.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: LeBron James to Suns? Why not Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, too?
