Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Sign Elfrid Payton To One-Year Deal

August 9th, 2021 at 7:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 10: The Suns have officially signed Payton, the team announced today (via Twitter).

AUGUST 9: Payton and the Suns have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Gambadoro (Twitter link) confirms that the deal is for a veteran’s minimum salary, as he previously reported.

AUGUST 5: The Suns are close to an agreement on a one-year contract with free agent guard Elfrid Payton, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News tweets.

Evan Sidery of Basketball News broke the news on the Suns’ negotiations with Payton (Twitter link), while John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 confirms (via Twitter) that the club has made a one-year, minimum-salary offer.

If the contract is finalized, Payton would be signing up for a second stint with the organization. He played 18 games with Phoenix during the 2017/18 season.

Payton started 63 games with the Knicks this past season but his production declined after the All-Star break and he was benched during the first-round playoff series against Atlanta. Payton averaged 10.1 PPG and 3.2 APG in 23.6 MPG during the regular season.

The Western Conference champions have reached agreements with their top two point guards, Chris Paul and Cameron Payne, so Payton would slot in as a third-stringer behind that duo if the two sides finalize a deal.

Suns Notes: Jack, Payne, Nader, Shamet

August 8th, 2021 at 6:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns announced some coaching changes this week, stating in a press release that Kevin Young has been promoted to associate head coach and Bryan Gates and Steve Scalzi have officially joined Monty Williams‘ staff.

Perhaps the most notable name included in the announcement was that of Jarrett Jack, a longtime NBA guard who has been hired as an assistant in Phoenix. The 37-year-old, who spent 13 seasons in the NBA, hasn’t been in the league since he appeared in 62 games for the Knicks in 2017/18.

However, Jack spent last season on the G League Ignite, acting as a mentor to the young prospects on the developmental squad, including eventual lottery picks Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga. After serving as something of an informal coach on the Ignite, Jack will officially take on that role in Phoenix under Williams, whom he played for in Portland (2005-08) and New Orleans (2010-12) early in his career.

Here’s more out of Phoenix:

Cameron Payne‘s three-year, $19MM contract with the Suns is partially guaranteed in its final year, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, who tweets that the point guard is only assured of $2MM of his $6.5MM salary in 2023/24.
Abdel Nader‘s two-year deal with the Suns includes a team option on year two, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
The Suns ended up not making any picks on draft night after attaching the No. 29 pick to Jevon Carter in a trade with Brooklyn. However, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details, the player Phoenix acquired in that trade – Landry Shamet – has a more versatile offensive game than Carter and should immediately step into a regular rotation role.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Paul, Ariza, Lakers, Howard

August 7th, 2021 at 12:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The two-year, $21.6MM commitment the Clippers made to Reggie Jackson, including a $10.38MM cap hit next season, will have major tax implications for the team, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. After accounting for new contracts for Jackson and Kawhi Leonard, who is expected to sign for the maximum, the Clippers’ tax bill is projected to be $95MM. Taking into account both salaries and tax penalties, the cost of the roster will be $265MM, says Marks.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

In a separate tweet, Marks provides the specific details on Chris Paul‘s new four-year, $120MM contract with the Suns, confirming a report that the deal includes $75MM in guaranteed money. It will start at $30MM before dipping in year two and increasing again in the third year, which is partially guaranteed for $15.8MM. The structure will allow Phoenix to stay out of the tax in 2021/22 and ensures the deal’s cap hit will be lowest in ’22/23, when potential new contracts for Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges go into effect.
Trevor Ariza, who has signed a one-year deal with the Lakers, said that Russell Westbrook recruited him, Mark Medina of USA Today tweets. Westbrook called Ariza approximately 20 minutes after Westbrook was traded to the Lakers, the veteran forward said. He also said his children urged him to sign with the Lakers.
The Lakers may be stockpiling aging veterans like Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington and Dwight Howard to help LeBron James and Anthony Davis win another title, but Howard said there won’t be a lack of energy or enthusiasm, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. “I think we have new life, all of us coming together and playing,” he said of the Lakers’ vets. “I think it’s going to provide new life being able to see who we have on our roster, who’s going to be playing alongside of us each and every day. I think we’ll have so much energy it will be hard to contain.”

Chris Paul Signs Four-Year Deal With Suns

August 6th, 2021 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: Paul’s new contract is official, the Suns announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 3: Paul’s new four-year deal is a little more team-friendly than the initial reports suggested, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links), who says the third year will only be about 50% guaranteed and the fourth year will be a team option.

While the deal could be worth $120MM if Paul plays out the whole thing, Gambadoro suggests it only features about $75MM in fully guaranteed money.

AUGUST 2: Free agent point guard Chris Paul has agreed to a four-year contract with the Suns that could be worth up to $120MM, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Paul will turn 40 years old in 2025, the year the deal expires.

Paul turned down a $44MM player option with Phoenix on Sunday in order to lock in a more lucrative longer-term deal. The Suns were the only team that could have offered him more than three years due to the NBA’s Over-38 rule, so it’s possible that helped push the deal over the finish line.

“After this season in Phoenix and experiencing how amazing the fans were, my chemistry with my teammates, with (Devin Booker), with Monty (Williams), I knew Phoenix was where I wanted to be,” Paul told Haynes. “It’s time to get back to work.”

According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Paul underwent surgery on his left wrist shortly after the NBA Finals ended last month. However, he’s expected to be ready for the start of training camp in the fall, a source tells Spears.

Paul, who has played for four teams in the last five seasons, had one of the best years of his decorated career with Phoenix in 2020/21. His individual numbers – including 16.4 PPG, 8.9 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 70 games (31.4 MPG) – weren’t as impressive as the ones he was posting earlier in his career, but he helped turned the Suns from a lottery team into a legit contender.

Phoenix finished the season with the NBA’s second-best record and represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, taking a 2-0 lead over Milwaukee before dropping the next four games. Paul earned Second Team All-NBA honors and a top-five finish in MVP voting as a result of his impressive season.

Because Paul’s 2021/22 salary will now be significantly lower than the $44MM+ he would’ve earned if he had picked up his option, the Suns now have some added cap flexibility for the coming season, allowing the team to make use of its mid-level exception. However, the club projects to be deep into the tax in future years if it completes long-term extensions with Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, as is expected.

Nets Trade Landry Shamet To Suns For Jevon Carter, Day’Ron Sharpe

August 6th, 2021 at 11:38am CST by JD Shaw

AUGUST 6: The Suns have officially acquired Shamet from the Nets in exchange for Carter and the rights to Day’Ron Sharpe, the team announced in a press release.

JULY 29: The Nets have agreed to trade sharpshooter Landry Shamet to the Suns in exchange for Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick in Thursday’s draft, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As a result, Brooklyn now owns the 27th, 29th, 44th, 49th and 59th picks in the 2021 draft. Carter, a 6’1″ point guard, will provide backcourt depth behind the likes of Kyrie Irving and James Harden, assuming he stays with the team.

Phoenix wasn’t interested in using the No. 29 pick on a player who likely wouldn’t have played much, preferring to add a more proven veteran to the mix, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets. The Suns are coming off their first NBA Finals berth since 1993 and third berth in franchise history.

Suns coach Monty Williams is a strong supporter of Shamet, dating back to when he coached him as an assistant with the Sixers, Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter). The 24-year-old Shamet averaged 9.3 points per game in 61 contests last season, shooting 41% from the floor and 39% from three-point range.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), the trade won’t be completed until August 6 at the earliest. Shamet’s salary will increase from $2MM to $3.76MM for next season, while Carter will make $3.65MM in 2021/22. Shamet also becomes eligible for a rookie-scale extension on August 6.

Suns Re-Sign Frank Kaminsky

August 5th, 2021 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 9: The Suns have officially announced the return of reserve center/power forward Frank Kaminsky.

AUGUST 5: Free agent big man Frank Kaminsky has agreed to return to the Suns on a one-year deal, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Kaminsky’s one-year deal will be worth the veteran’s minimum, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

Kaminsky, 28, first joined the Suns for the 2019/20 season after four years in Charlotte. He signed with Sacramento during the 2020 offseason, but was released by the Kings at the end of the preseason and was claimed off waivers by the Suns, resulting in him spending another season in Phoenix.

Kaminsky appeared in 47 regular season games for the Suns in 2020/21, averaging 6.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a shooting line of .471/.365/.617. He wasn’t in the club’s regular playoff rotation, making 10 appearances and logging just 6.8 minutes per contest.

With Dario Saric in danger of missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a torn ACL, there’s a viable path to play regular minutes for Kaminsky. Newcomer JaVale McGee and second-year big man Jalen Smith will be among the other reserves vying for playing time in the frontcourt, but Kaminsky’s ability to space the floor will make him a better fit in certain lineups.

Free Agency Rumors: R. Jackson, Cavaliers, Suns, Wizards

August 4th, 2021 at 7:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

Reggie Jackson is getting a lot of interest on the free agent market after his strong playoff run, but the Clippers remain hopeful about re-signing him, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN.

Jackson, 31, is coming off a strong season and playoff run with the Clippers — he topped 20 points nine times during the playoffs and shot a career-high 43.3% from three-point range last season. Los Angeles holds his Early Bird rights and can offer him a starting salary worth up to nearly $10.4MM.

Money will be a key factor in Jackson’s decision, according to Schultz (via Twitter), who adds that the Pelicans may be a “sleeper team” in the race for the veteran point guard. New Orleans general manager Trajan Langdon is known to be a fan of Jackson.

There’s more news on free agency:

After completing a trade for Ricky Rubio, the Cavaliers are still searching for another point guard, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Sources tell Fedor that Cleveland has looked at Raul Neto, who played for the Wizards last season, and Brad Wanamaker, who finished the season with the Hornets. Fedor lists a few other names still on the market, such as Frank Ntilikina, Ryan Arcidiacono, Tim Frazier, Jeff Teague, Elfrid Payton and Mike James. The Cavs still have their $9.5MM mid-level exception left, along with the flexibility to open spots on the roster.
Neto is among the backcourt options the Suns might consider in completing their roster, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Some others are Elfrid Payton, Dante Exum, Quinn Cook and Ryan Arcidiacono. Up front, Phoenix will likely look at Paul Millsap and possibly Isaiah Hartenstein, although Gambadoro isn’t sure about a potential reunion with Aron Baynes (Twitter link).
The Wizards have remade their roster in the past week, but the major moves may be done for now, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). He notes that the Spencer Dinwiddie trade will leave Washington too close to the luxury tax line to consider using its mid-level exception.

Free Agency Rumors: Paul, Caruso, Birch, Green, Heat

August 4th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pelicans offered Chris Paul a $100MM contract early in free agency, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on today’s episode of The Hoop Collective podcast. Windhorst believes the Pelicans’ offer helped convince the Suns to add a fourth year to their offer — that fourth year is not guaranteed, but it’s not clear if New Orleans’ offer would have been fully guaranteed either.

According to Windhorst, after new Pelicans head coach Willie Green tried to help recruit him, Paul entertained the idea for some time before ultimately committing to the Suns.

On the same episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne stated that Alex Caruso was willing to go back to the Lakers for three years and $30MM, but that the Lakers weren’t willing to higher than about $7MM per year for the veteran guard. Concerns about an exorbitant luxury-tax penalty factored into that decision, per Shelburne.

We have more free agency rumors:

Khem Birch could be nearing a return to the Raptors, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Grange reports that there’s “growing momentum” toward the two sides reaching a deal. The 28-year-old center was extremely productive in his 19 games for the Raptors after coming over in a trade, and has turned himself into a solid starting center over the last couple seasons.
Add the Cavaliers to the list of teams interested in Danny Green, reports ESPN’s Jordan Schultz. Schultz also confirms, in a follow-up tweet, that the Lakers remain interested in a reunion with Green, which Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports previously reported. It doesn’t appear the Lakers will be able to offer Green more than the veteran’s minimum though.
Following their deal with Victor Oladipo, the Heat remain interested in a low-cost veteran guard who will be healthy at the start of the season, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), who names Lou Williams as a player who would “welcome” interest from the team.

Free Agency Roundup: Rose, Bjelica, Suns, Vanderbilt, Niang, Schroder

August 3rd, 2021 at 6:12pm CST by Eli Cohen

Derrick Rose had received interest from the Pelicans, Wizards, Bulls, and Heat before re-signing with the Knicks, write Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina of USA Today. The USA Today adds that Kyle Lowry signing with the Heat helped usher Rose back to the Knicks and coach Tom Thibodeau. Rose agreed to a three-year, $43MM deal on Monday.

In the same piece, Zillgitt and Medina write that five other teams considered signing Nemanja Bjelica with their mid-level exception, but Bjelica prioritized signing with the Warriors instead. Bjelica agreed to a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum earlier today.

We have more free agency rumors:

The Suns have two or three roster spots available, and according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, they expect to fill those spots with another big man, a ball-handler, and a wing. Gambadoro adds that JaVale McGee‘s agreed-upon deal will use part of the non-tax payer mid-level exception, leaving the remainder for another move.
Darren Wolfson of SKOR North reports that the Timberwolves have met with RFA Jarred Vanderbilt. The 6’9 power forward is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 5.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 1.2 APG and providing an interesting blend of defense and play-making from the forward spot.
Georges Niang may be on the Sixers‘ radar as a backup power forward, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Niang has had a productive last three years for the Jazz, and would give the Sixers another shooter in the frontcourt.
Dennis Schröder was seeking $25MM a year when free agency started, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Now that Schröder is one of the last point guards left on the market, it’s unclear how much that number has come down.

Suns Re-Sign Abdel Nader

August 3rd, 2021 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 6: Nader’s deal is now official, the Suns announced in a press release.

AUGUST 3: The Suns and Abdel Nader are in agreement on a two-year, $4.2MM deal that will ensure the forward remains in Phoenix, agent Cervando Tejeda tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Nader, the 58th overall pick in the 2016 draft, was sent last offseason from Oklahoma City to Phoenix in the blockbuster Chris Paul deal. While he didn’t exactly make the impact that the Suns’ other acquisition in that trade did, Nader played well in limited rotation minutes, averaging 6.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG on .491/.419/.757 shooting in 24 games (14.8 MPG).

Nader dealt with some health issues this season and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late April. He was cleared to return to action late in Phoenix’s postseason run.

A two-year, minimum-salary contract for Nader would be worth about $3.8MM, so it’s possible the Suns were willing to go a little higher than that using the 27-year-old’s Bird rights to make sure he remains on the roster. It’s also possible this is some generous rounding at work and Nader’s deal is actually worth the minimum. We’ll keep an eye out for further confirmation.