The Suns are targeting Cavs restricted free agent Alonzo Gee with a multi-year offer worth $4MM per season, according to a tweet from Brendan Bowers of SLAM Online. Teams can't start signing other teams' free agents until July, but Bowers says the Suns are the early leaders for Gee's services.
Gee blossomed this season in Cleveland, having bounced around the NBA and the D-League his first two seasons after going undrafted out of Alabama. The 6'6", 220-pound swingman averaged 10.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG, both career highs, while posting a 13.2 PER. He supplanted Omri Casspi as the starter at small forward midway through the season. Gee just finished the second year of a minimum-salary contract he signed with the Cavs in December 2010 shortly after the Wizards waived him.
The Cavs figure to have plenty of cap space this summer, particularly once they get rid of the $18MM+ cap hold of Antawn Jamison, who's unlikely to re-sign with the team. They should have the ability to match, if they so choose. The Suns will have a lot of cap space, too, and their pursuit of Gee indicates they may be reluctant to re-sign incumbent small forward Grant Hill, who turns 40 in October. Phoenix's offseason plans are beginning to take shape, as earlier this week Lon Babby, the team's president of basketball operations, said it was likely the Suns would match any offer for restricted free agent Robin Lopez.
Gee whiz!