With a new two-year contract in hand, Josh Okogie hopes to help the Suns become a legitimate contender in the West, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Okogie, who has been a valuable reserve in Phoenix for the past two years, was rewarded with a $16MM deal, although only the first season at $8.25MM is guaranteed.
“My mentality is just to go out there and just try to try to give this team the energy that they need on both sides of the floor,” Okogie said. “We have a lot of talent on this team, but I want to be the battery of this team, if that makes sense. The motor of this team, to get people going, get people excited to play, get people moving. … Just, when JO steps on this court, everybody’s intensity level just rises.”
Okogie is with the team in Las Vegas, but he’s concentrating on his photography skills rather than basketball. After trying out his new hobby during Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Okogie is learning how to shoot the action of Summer League.
“I’m still not good,” Okogie said. “I’ll say 90-95% of my pictures are B.S., but I feel like I’ve gotten better — slightly — each day I’ve taken pictures. I’ve kind of figured out how the camera works, how to do the settings, how to do the white balance and all that. So it’s been pretty cool.”
There’s more on the Suns:
- First-round pick Ryan Dunn didn’t play on Saturday as Phoenix closed out its Summer League schedule with a loss to Sacramento, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Playing for the fourth time in five days, the Suns chose to rest their top rookie, who displayed elite defensive instincts but struggled with his shot. In four games, Dunn averaged 5.8 PPG on 34.4% shooting, along with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals. “Our guys loved him,” owner Mat Ishbia said in an NBA TV interview. “His work ethic. His defensive ability. His athleticism. He’s the kind of guy that fits in well with our team. We’re looking for some young guys that have energy and some positivity while playing great defense. He’s long, athletic and in the Summer League he’s performed just as we expected. It’s been fun having him so far and we’re excited to see what he can do during the season, too.”
- After going through his first practice with Team USA on Friday, Kevin Durant sat out Saturday’s close call against South Sudan. Monday’s game with Germany will be Durant’s last opportunity to take the floor before the start of the Olympics.
- Assistant general manager Gerald Madkins won’t return to the Suns next season, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Also leaving are personnel evaluation manager David Sevush and scouts Charles Payne and Darrel Johnson.
KD is a Knick by the deadline?