Basketball sense vs Economic sense

Basketball sense vs Economic sense or in other words:
(a) is it correct to trade Kurt Thomas to save some money against the luxury tax ?
(b) is it correct to trade a first round pick for 3 million $ ?
As fans, quite frankly, I feel we shouldn't care too much about the net operating profit of an already very rich man who happens to own OUR NBA franchise. Our Suns are actually owned by someone else who has all the right in the world to make decisions based on his return. I don't wanna sound too much pathetic on that but that's the point.

All we need to care is that if you have a chance to make a run at the Championship, you have to, even if that means you'll have to pay out 8 million $ in luxury tax or risk paying 3 million $ over a couple of years to a first rounder that could end up playing 5 minutes a game.
The Suns are right now a perfect example of that situation as they have a great nucleus of players that seems so close to winning it all that every move could prove to be decisive unless of course the ownership is already thinking long term? Personally I would make a run, give it a try! But you have to understand that it could mean a few years like those suffered by the post MJ Bulls...after 2 or 3 years with losing records you inevitably start lo lose money.

The balance between the Game and the Economics of the game is what pro sport is all about. Unless you're the New York Yankees, today's GMs have to - above all - manage payrolls, salary cap, luxury tax, contract extensions, etc. so that "real" basketball people can try - under those conditions - to assemble the best possible team.

The Suns have some very good players (Amare, Marion, Leandro, Boris) and a great one (Steve Nash) that should have 2, hopefully 3, great years left in him. Possibly the perfect mix to win a championship during the next couple of years. All the winning teams in the NBA have had at least 2 great players, a few good ones and some role players like the '99 Spurs (Robinson and Duncan), the '00-'02 Lakers (Kobe and Shaq) or the '06 Heat (Wade and Shaq). Not to mention the '07 Spurs...with Duncan, Ginobili, Parker and Donaghy.
I feel Amare could become that second GREAT player and so the Suns could win it all without trading for KG or someone like him, but you need to have at least 8 players that can contribute. In that sense, the Grant Hill signing was just perfect and that is why trading Kurt Thomas doesn't make much sense to me, unless it's part of a bigger plan and that 8 million trade exception was needed. We'll have to wait and see which is so much sweeter when you just come off a 61 wins season.

GO SUNS !