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Suns Sign Jimmer Fredette

March 22nd, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 22: The Suns have made it official, announcing Fredette’s new deal today in a press release.

MARCH 21: The Suns have reached an agreement to sign former lottery pick Jimmer Fredette to a rest-of-season contract which will include a team option for 2019/20, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. Because Phoenix has an open spot on its 15-man roster, no corresponding move will be required to create an opening.

The move is not yet official, as Fredette still requires clearance after spending the 2018/19 season in the Chinese Basketball Association, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. That should happen soon.

Once Fredette officially finalizes his new deal with the Suns, he’ll be back in the NBA for the first time since the 2015/16 season, when he appeared in just six games for the Pelicans and Knicks. Since then, the 30-year-old guard has made a name for himself in China, where he has put up huge scoring numbers for the Shanghai Sharks. In 43 games this season, Fredette averaged a league-leading 36.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 2.6 SPG.

Although he never developed into a reliable rotation player in 235 games for the Kings, Bulls, Pelicans, and Knicks, the former BYU star has said that he feels as if he’d succeed if given another opportunity in the NBA. Given how often teams are launching three-point shots these days, Fredette’s outside touch should be an asset — he made 38.1% of his three-point attempts in his previous five NBA seasons.

“I definitely get that itch when I watch NBA games, I know that I can be out there,” Fredette told Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype in November. “They’re shooting so many three-pointers and so much of it has to do with space, movement and transition. During half-court sets, they’re looking to space and drive and shoot and that plays into my skill set so well. It’s absolutely my style. I see their offensive systems and everyone can use another shooter, another scorer.”

The Suns will now have a full 15-man roster, with all 15 players on guaranteed contracts. The exact terms of Fredette’s deal aren’t yet known, but if he signed for the minimum, his non-guaranteed 2019/20 option would be worth just shy of $2MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Jamal Crawford Reflects On Challenging Season With Suns

March 21st, 2019 at 10:47pm CST by JD Shaw
  • Suns veteran Jamal Crawford reflected on his season in Phoenix, calling this year “the most challenging year by far on so many levels” of his NBA career. “This is a younger team and I’m having to lead more,” Crawford said, as relayed by Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I’m talking more than I ever have as well. Just different challenges.” Phoenix has the second-worst record in the league at 17-55, with Crawford stepping into more of a leadership role to help the team’s younger players.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/21/19

March 21st, 2019 at 9:27pm CST by JD Shaw

Here are Thursday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

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Kevin McHale, Jim Paxson Among Suns’ GM Candidates?

March 21st, 2019 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns are still in the early stages of their search for a permanent general manager, but a couple names have emerged as potential options, per Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Stein (via Twitter), Phoenix has spoken to Kevin McHale and also has interest in Jim Paxson.

McHale, who currently works as an analyst for TNT, was the head of basketball operations for more than a decade in Minnesota before he stepped down from that role to become the club’s head coach. He went on to coach the Rockets as well, holding that position until 2015.

The Wolves had a run of eight consecutive playoff appearances during McHale’s time in the front office, though the team advanced beyond the first round just once in that stretch. The club was also stripped of multiple first-round picks for agreeing to a cap-circumventing deal with Joe Smith during McHale’s stint in Minnesota.

As for Paxson, he currently serves as a Bulls consultant after previously working in management roles in Portland and Cleveland. He was the Cavaliers’ general manager from 1999 to 2005. During his time as GM, the Cavs didn’t earn a playoff spot, though adding LeBron James in 2003’s draft helped buoy the club to five consecutive postseason runs from 2006-10 after Paxson left the organization.

It’s now clear how serious Phoenix’s interest in McHale or Paxson is, or if that interest is reciprocated. While McHale and Paxson are the first names to emerge in the Suns’ search, the franchise will likely consider a number of other options.

James Jones and Trevor Bukstein have been Phoenix’s interim co-GMs since former GM Ryan McDonough was fired in October, a week before the season began. They’re expected to receive consideration in the team’s search for a permanent GM and could remain with the organization even if neither gets the full-time job.

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Suns To Meet With Jimmer Fredette

March 20th, 2019 at 8:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmer Fredette‘s next shot at the NBA might come in Phoenix. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports is reporting that Fredette will meet with the Suns tomorrow about the possibility of filling an open roster spot.

Fredette, 30, is available after his Shanghai Sharks were eliminated from the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs on Tuesday. He has been a star in China since leaving the NBA in 2016, and led the CBA in scoring this season at 36.9 points per game.

The 10th pick in the 2011 draft, Fredette played for four teams in five seasons and hasn’t been in the NBA since signing a 10-day deal with the Knicks three years ago. He was never more than a part-time player in the league, averaging 6.0 PPG in 235 games.

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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/15/19

March 15th, 2019 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

  • The Spurs recalled rookie forward Chimezie Metu from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. In 23 games with Austin, Metu has averaged 14.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 1.5 BPG in 27.7 MPG. The second-round pick out of USC has played 28 games with San Antonio.
  • The Suns recalled rookie guard Elie Okobo from the Northern Arizona Suns, according to a team press release. Okobo is averaging 18.1 PPG, 7.4 APG and 4.7 RPG in nine G League appearances. Okobo is averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.5 APG in 17.8 MPG in 44 games with the Suns.
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Latest On Luke Walton

March 15th, 2019 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The idea that Lakers head coach Luke Walton is on the “hot seat” implies that he still has a chance to keep his job if things turn around, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, according to Martin Rogers of USA Today (video link).

Rogers hears from multiple sources that the Lakers are expected to move on from Walton at the end of the season, suggesting that president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and controlling owner Jeanie Buss are prepared to make a change.

Johnson and the Lakers have insisted for months that Walton will finish out the season with the team, but barring major unexpected developments in the coming weeks, it doesn’t look like the head coach’s stint in Los Angeles will last much longer than that.

Here’s more on Walton and the Lakers:

  • Sean Deveney of Sporting News – who agrees that Walton “appears to be on a countdown to the end of his tenure in L.A.” – hears from a source that the Lakers’ head coach is viewed as a potential replacement in Phoenix if the Suns elect to move on from Igor Kokoskov this spring. It would be a little surprising if Kokoskov is fired just a year after joining the Suns, but the team is 16-53 and the GM who hired him (Ryan McDonough) is no longer with the organization, so stranger things have happened.
  • The Cavaliers will be seeking a permanent head coach this spring and are expected to target a coach capable of developing their young prospects, per Deveney. Walton has some ties to Cleveland, having finished his playing career with the team when GM Koby Altman first joined the front office, so it’s possible he’d get a look from the Cavs, Deveney writes.
  • Here’s what one source with knowledge of the situation said about Walton to Deveney: “He wants to stay in the game. For most front offices, I think you look at what he did in Golden State, what he did in L.A. before LeBron came, and you have to say he has a good, solid résumé developing players, dealing with stars. Have to think Phoenix would jump on him, if everything falls into place, but he might get a better offer.”
  • As for Walton’s potential replacement in Los Angeles, Deveney suggests that LeBron James, Johnson, and Buss may all have different views on what kind of coach the Lakers should hire. Buss figures to support a “reasonable, qualified head coach who can please multiple factions,” according to Deveney, who cites former Pelicans coach Monty Williams as one example.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/13/19

March 13th, 2019 at 7:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Sixers have re-assigned Zhaire Smith and Justin Patton to their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, the club announced (via Twitter). Smith was available to play for Philadelphia on Tuesday night, but didn’t get a chance to make his NBA debut.
  • After scoring a game-high 28 points to help lead the Capital City Go-Go to a Tuesday win, Chasson Randle was recalled from the G League today by the Wizards, per the team (via Twitter). Randle is part of Washington’s rotation tonight vs. Orlando.
  • The Suns recalled rookie guard Elie Okobo from the G League in advance of their game tonight vs. Utah, the team announced in a press release. Okobo had 19 points, five assists, and five rebounds for the Northern Arizona Suns on Tuesday.
  • Rookie forward Chimezie Metu was assigned to the G League today by the Spurs, according to a team release. Metu is active for Austin’s game tonight vs. Iowa.
  • The Thunder recalled dunk contest champion Hamidou Diallo from the G Leauge today, tweets Brett Dawson of The Athletic. Diallo, who is active tonight for the Thunder, recorded 18 points and nine rebounds for the Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday.
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Suns Notes: Front Office, Price, Warren, Jackson

March 13th, 2019 at 6:36pm CST by Luke Adams

A recent report from ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz portrayed the situation in Phoenix as one long plagued by dysfunctional leadership, from owner Robert Sarver on down, and questioned the Suns‘ current front office structure, which features James Jones and Trevor Bukstein operating as interim co-GMs. For his part though, Jones believes he, Bukstein, and the rest of the club’s current management group has done well dealing with a challenging situation after former GM Ryan McDonough was unexpectedly fired in October.

“I think we’ve done a pretty damn good job,” Jones said, per Gina Mizell of The Athletic.

Within her look at the Suns’ front office situation, Mizell notes that, despite not fully replenishing their scouting department after some dismissals last fall, the Suns have been active when it comes to scouting college prospects, sending personnel to multiple ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, and Murray State games over the past couple of months.

“The perception is that we’re not out there,” Jones said. “We are out there.”

While they haven’t replaced all the basketball evaluators that were fired along with McDonough, the Suns did quietly hire longtime NBA guard Ronnie Price as a scout, Mizell notes, confirming a previous report from John Gambadoro of ArizonaSports.com. The franchise has also “taken steps to add offseason consulting help” for evaluating international draft-eligible players, though there are no top-tier European prospects like Luka Doncic available this year, Mizell writes.

Here’s more from out of Phoenix:

  • Suns forward T.J. Warren, who has been sidelined since January 22 with an ankle injury, remains out for tonight’s game against Utah. However, head coach Igor Kokoskov said on Tuesday that the club has yet to have any discussions about shutting down Warren for the season, tweets Mizell.
  • Although it’s clear that 2018 lottery pick Mikal Bridges will be a building block for the Suns going forward, it remains to be seen whether 2017 lottery pick Josh Jackson is still a part of that core group, according to Bob Young of The Athletic. As Young outlines, Jackson’s long-term place in Phoenix will be even more up in the air if Kelly Oubre re-ups with the team this summer.
  • Heading into Wednesday night, the Suns have won five of their last seven games, a stretch that coincides with Devin Booker being as healthy and productive as he has been all season, writes Cody Cunningham of Suns.com. While the hot streak may cost Phoenix the top spot in the 2018/19 Reverse Standings, Booker’s run is a positive sign as he prepares to enter the first season of his five-year, maximum-salary extension this summer.
  • In a separate article for Suns.com, Cunningham explores how the Suns’ young players are looking to develop leadership skills.
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Knicks, Hawks, Suns Carrying Most 2018/19 Dead Money

March 12th, 2019 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

All but two of the NBA’s 30 teams are carrying some sort of “dead money” on their salary cap for 2018/19. This dead money is created as a result of having, at some point, waived a player who had guaranteed money left on his contract (or having 10-day contracts expire).

In some cases, teams are carrying cap hits for players even though they released them several years ago. That’s the case in Detroit, for instance, where the Pistons have a $5,331,729 cap charge for Josh Smith this season — the Pistons cut Smith in 2014.

For other clubs, the dead money is a result of having waived players more recently. The Knicks, for example, shot to the top of 2018/19’s dead money list after the trade deadline when they released Enes Kanter and Wesley Matthews, both of whom had cap hits of $18,622,514.

Carrying a significant amount of dead money isn’t necessarily a sign of cap mismanagement — the Hawks, for instance, have nearly $44MM in dead money on their books, but a significant portion of that money came as a result of acquiring and waiving Carmelo Anthony and Jamal Crawford. Both of those players came with first-round picks attached, so Atlanta doesn’t mind the fact that they’re taking up a chunk of the team’s cap room this year.

Conversely, the Hornets are one of just two teams with absolutely no dead money on their cap this season, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been well-managed. After all, many of Charlotte’s highest-paid players aren’t giving the team much in the way of on-court production.

Here’s the full list of 2018/19 dead money by team, as of March 12, starting with the Knicks:

  1. New York Knicks: $60,490,344
  2. Atlanta Hawks: $43,703,050
  3. Phoenix Suns: $39,609,580
  4. Brooklyn Nets: $39,363,271
  5. Los Angeles Clippers: $30,930,897
  6. San Antonio Spurs: $20,306,394
  7. Chicago Bulls: $18,918,503
  8. Dallas Mavericks: $15,593,061
  9. Los Angeles Lakers: $14,354,067
  10. Sacramento Kings: $11,827,028
  11. Indiana Pacers: $10,888,661
  12. New Orleans Pelicans: $10,196,784
  13. Milwaukee Bucks: $7,412,562
  14. Detroit Pistons: $7,189,209
  15. Portland Trail Blazers: $5,091,108
  16. Oklahoma City Thunder: $4,799,674
  17. Memphis Grizzlies: $3,884,469
  18. Minnesota Timberwolves: $2,945,201
  19. Toronto Raptors: $1,885,458
  20. Philadelphia 76ers: $1,740,276
  21. Cleveland Cavaliers: $1,572,152
  22. Washington Wizards: $1,553,515
  23. Orlando Magic: $1,333,333
  24. Golden State Warriors: $945,126
  25. Houston Rockets: $931,943
  26. Denver Nuggets: $412,389
  27. Miami Heat: $397,459
  28. Boston Celtics: $92,857
  29. Charlotte Hornets: $0
  30. Utah Jazz: $0

Contract information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

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