Earlier this week, Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby told Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports that he never would have predicted trading Steve Nash early in the 2011/12 season. Of course, the time came where it made sense for the Suns to agree to a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers for the veteran point guard, and Babby noted that owner Robert Sarver was really good about making a deal that may hurt the team's revenue in the short-term but should prove to be a smart basketball move in the long run. Here's more out of Phoenix and other items from around the Association..
- Michael Beasley averaged 13.4 shots per game despite only playing 27.9 minutes per contest, but the Suns are actually encouraging their new forward to shoot the ball more, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Beasley has never been big on three-point attempts, but he did shoot 37.6% from downtown last year and the Suns are encouraging him to let it fly more often.
- The Magic have undergone a major renovation and it extends well beyond the hardwood, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The organization's basketball operations department has grown from 26 employees under former GM Otis Smith to 33 employees this season under Rob Hennigan.
- Former NBA forward Lee Nailon has signed a contract with the Goyang Orions of South Korea, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter). Nailon spent eight years in the Association, seeing time with the Sixers, Bobcats, Knicks, Magic, Hornets, and Cavs.
- The Mavs fully own and operate their D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, and with new coach Eduardo Najera, they're trying to build a successful organizational culture from top to bottom, as Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside writes.