Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Frustration Plaguing Suns After Blowout Losses

December 9th, 2018 at 5:53pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

The Suns have been struggling through an extended rebuild for several years now, which has led to them piling up plenty of young players and prospects that have had to compete for playing time. First it was Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, now it appears to be Mikal Bridges and Josh Jackson. As Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer writes, Bridges appears to have the edge moving forward as a result of the added shooting he can provide.

Bridges has impressed so far this season for the Suns while Jackson has only continued to disappoint, which has led to inconsistent playing time and opportunities for the sophomore wing. With shooting being emphasized all over the league, it’s no surprise that Bridges is getting more opportunities, especially considering that he has been solid on the defensive end for a rookie.

Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how the playing time and opportunities play out on the wing for the Suns, especially as they will likely add another top prospect to the roster for next season.

As the lopsided losses continue to pile up for the Suns, frustration is mounting within the locker room. As Duane Rankin writes for Arizona Central, there have been numerous instances of friction and disconnect throughout the team, especially because the Suns were looking to be more competitive this season.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Pacific Division

December 7th, 2018 at 8:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Pacific Division:

Jonas Jerebko, Warriors, PF, 31 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2.18MM deal in 2018
Jerebko has bounced around the league the last few seasons but he always stays within his role and provides solid contributions wherever he lands. He’s averaging 7.2 PPG while shooting a career-high 48.9% from the field in 19.8 MPG. He’s also helped on the boards (5.5 RPG). An above-average 3-point shooter, Jerebko shouldn’t have too much trouble finding another contender to sign him as their backup stretch four next summer. It could be Golden State if he’s willing to settle for the veteran’s minimum again.

Tobias Harris, Clippers, 26, PF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $64MM deal in 2015
When news leaked over the summer that Harris turned down an $80MM extension offer from the Clippers, many people wondered what Harris was thinking. He was willing to bet on himself that he could do even better as an unrestricted free agent and thus far, the odds have increased in his favor. Harris is posting career highs in several major categories, including scoring (21.0 PPG), shooting (50.8%) and rebounding (8.5 RPG) for one of the league’s surprise teams. When the superstars come off the board, Harris will be next in line for a big payday.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lakers, 25, SG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $12MM deal in 2018
The previous Pistons regime declined to give Caldwell-Pope a multi-year extension. He wound up signing a pair of generous one-year contracts with the Lakers but he’s been reduced to backup duty. Most of the shots he’s taken have come from beyond the arc and he’s not particularly good at it (33% this season, 34.4% for his career). Caldwell-Pope doesn’t appear to have a future with the Lakers beyond this season and will have to take a pay cut to find work elsewhere.

Dragan Bender, Suns, 21, PF (Down) — Signed to a three-year, $13.4MM deal in 2016
When the Suns drafted Bender No. 4 overall in 2016, then traded with Sacramento for No. 8 selection Marquese Chriss, they seemingly resolved their power forward spot for years to come. Instead, they wound up with two of the biggest busts in that draft. Chriss was traded away to Houston during training camp while Bender is barely seeing the court in Phoenix. He’s appeared in eight games while averaging just 5.5 MPG. Bender needs a change of scenery but he’ll have to settle for a modest deal next year until he proves he’s a genuine NBA player.

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kings, 25, PF (Up)– Signed to a four-year, $15.35MM deal in 2015
The Kings have a lot of young bigs but Cauley-Stein has been a fixture in the lineup. He’s posting career highs at 14.3 PPG and 8.2 RPG while generally playing the same amount of minutes as last season. Cauley-Stein came into the league with a reputation of being a quality defender and he’s posted positive Defensive Box Plus/Minus ratings each season, according to Basketball-Reference. He’ll be a restricted free agent but might be one of the few who gets a substantial offer sheet, considering Sacramento will like choose to make Marvin Bagley III their main man in the middle.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Suns Sign Jawun Evans To Two-Way Deal

December 7th, 2018 at 5:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:55pm: The Suns have officially signed Evans, the team announced in a press release.

5:00pm: The Suns will sign guard Jawun Evans to a two-way contract, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets.

Evans has been playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns. The 6-foot Evans, 22, has appeared in 14 G League games this season, averaging 18.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.6 APG and 1.6 SPG in 30.4 MPG.

The Suns have been searching for a short-term solution at point guard with Devin Booker, who had been moved to the point in the starting lineup, nursing a hamstring injury.

Phoenix had an open two-way slot. George King, a shooting guard, has the other two-way deal.

The Clippers waived Evans in mid-October despite having a guaranteed contract worth approximately $1.378MM after they acquired swingman Wesley Johnson. Evans underwent sports hernia surgery last spring after appearing in 48 games with the Clippers as a rookie. He averaged 4.8 PPG and 2.1 APG in 16.2 MPG.

The Oklahoma State product was the 39th pick of the 2017 draft and was traded by the Sixers to the Clippers in a draft-night swap.

Pacific Notes: Ariza, James, Cauley-Stein, Ingram

December 6th, 2018 at 7:38pm CST by JD Shaw

Suns forward Trevor Ariza is viewed by teams as a player who will become available before the NBA’s Feb. 8 trading deadline, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported this week. However, Ariza rejected the idea upon hearing the rumors and explained his desire to stay in Phoenix, despite his team holding just a 4-20 record as of Thursday.

“I’m not one to get somewhere and then just duck out,” Ariza told Gina Mizell of The Athletic. “I’m one to be in it, regardless of whatever the situation is. Fight until the end. That’s the type of person that I am, and that’s what I expect.”

Of course, the Suns could always choose to move Ariza against his wishes if the right deal comes. He signed a one-year, $15MM deal to join the young team in free agency, entering a vastly different situation than what he had in Houston during the 2017/18 season.

“It gives you a different perspective,” Ariza told Mizell. “Although I love to win, sometimes you have to be the person that’s able to take these punches and be able to still get up. (I have to) teach the next generation, teach the younger players how to prepare, how to become better pros.

“Right now, that’s the situation that I’m in, so I’m not worried about it. I’m not crying about it. I’m very thankful for my position. The only thing I can do is hope that we get better every day.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division tonight:

LeBron James tuned out the noise surrounding him against the Spurs on Wednesday, scoring 20 fourth-quarter points to propel the Lakers to victory. “I’m past the [taking things] personal stage,” James said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I can do whatever. I can have a huge workload, I can have a not so huge workload. … It doesn’t matter for me. What’s most important is seeing my teammates make huge shots in the fourth quarter. … That’s what’s most important to me. I can care less about the narrative about me. It doesn’t matter. I’m a staple in this game.”
Willie Cauley-Stein is proving his worth with the Kings this season, gunning for a bigger contract in free agency next summer, James Ham of NBC Sports writes. Cauley-Stein is averaging a career-high 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, shooting 54% from the floor in 23 contests.
Lakers forward Brandon Ingram will miss at least two games after spraining his left ankle on Wednesday, according to McMenamin (Twitter link). Ingram didn’t travel with the team and is set to undergo a precautionary MRI Thursday evening. His status will be updated Friday morning.

Suns Considered Trading Up For SGA Instead Of Bridges

December 5th, 2018 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Within an in-depth look at the Suns‘ point guard options, Bob Young of The Athletic reports that the team nearly traded up in the 2018 draft using the extra first-round pick it owns from the Bucks, and would’ve selected Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in that scenario. However, owner Robert Sarver pushed instead for the deal that saw the Suns give up Miami’s 2021 first-rounder for Mikal Bridges, according to Young.

Teams Expect Suns To Make Trevor Ariza Available

December 4th, 2018 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Having signed a new contract as a free agent over the summer, Trevor Ariza won’t become trade-eligible until December 15. However, rival clubs expect the Suns to make him available after that date, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

As Stein outlines (via Twitter), teams with interest in Ariza have been hoping that the Suns will take the same route with the veteran forward that they did with Tyson Chandler, simply buying him out and letting him reach free agency. However, Phoenix is expected to field trade inquiries on Ariza in an effort to secure at least one asset in return.

Ariza, who is on a one-year, $15MM contract with the Suns, isn’t off to a particularly hot start this season, shooting a career-worst 37.2% from the field through 21 games. However, he continues to play solid defense and knock down three-pointers at a respectable rate (35.7%), which will make him appealing to contending teams in need of wing help. His expiring contract should also be favorable to franchises looking to open up cap room during the summer of 2019.

As Stein observes (via Twitter), it will be interesting to see if the Suns are willing to take on unwanted multiyear salary in order to accommodate an Ariza trade. Doing so would compromise Phoenix’s 2019 cap flexibility, but would likely improve the quality of the assets trade partners are willing to offer. For instance, if the Suns and Pelicans were to discuss an Ariza deal, Phoenix would almost certainly have to take on Solomon Hill‘s contract in order to have a shot at acquiring a first-round pick from New Orleans.

It’s also worth noting that the Suns have been linked to Markelle Fultz, which has resulted in some speculation about a swap centered around Fultz and Ariza. The Sixers could use a veteran wing like Ariza, while Phoenix has been in the market for point guard help.

There will likely be no shortage of teams around the NBA that would like to add a player like Ariza to their rotation though, so the Suns should field plenty of interest once the 33-year-old becomes eligible to be traded later this month.

Suns Continue Search For Short-Term PG Solution

December 4th, 2018 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns remain in the market for a short-term solution at their point guard position, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has been eyeing potential trade targets, free agents, and candidates for call-ups from the G League.

Darius Morris is among the players to receive interest from the Suns, with Wojnarowski reporting that the former Lakers point guard visited Phoenix early this week. Morris, who appeared in 132 total games for the Lakers, Sixers, Clippers, Grizzlies, and Nets from 2011-15, hasn’t appeared in an NBA regular season game in more than three years, though he was in camp with the Pelicans in the fall.

Morris is currently playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G League affiliate, where he has put up 19.5 PPG and 6.7 APG with a .412/.355/.683 shooting line in 11 games so far this season.

The Suns have tried a handful of different players at the point in 2018/19. Isaiah Canaan earned most of the minutes there in the early going before being waived last Wednesday. Rookies Elie Okobo and De’Anthony Melton have each seen some action at the point, but may not be ready for major roles yet. Recently, Phoenix handed the play-making reins to Devin Booker, but a hamstring injury is currently keeping the team’s star guard on the shelf.

After releasing Canaan, the Suns have two open spots on their 15-man roster and have until next Wednesday to fill at least one of them, as we explained yesterday. It remains unclear which player will become the club’s 14th man, but it seems safe to assume it’ll probably be a point guard.

Booker To Take Cautious Approach

December 3rd, 2018 at 9:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns star guard Devin Booker will take a cautious approach after re-aggravating a hamstring injury against the Lakers on Sunday, Gina Mizell of The Athletic tweets. There’s no timetable for Booker’s return, Mizell adds. Booker, who missed the team’s previous game against Orlando, departed after 17 minutes. He is averaging 23.5 PPG and 6.7 APG. Booker has been starting at the point and rookie Elie Okobo could pick up some of Booker’s minutes.

Suns Roster Move Required By Next Week

December 3rd, 2018 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

No NBA team is currently carrying fewer players than the Suns, who have just 14 total players on their roster — 13 on standard deals and one on a two-way contract. While Phoenix isn’t obligated to fill that second two-way contract slot anytime soon, it’s just a matter of time until the team will have to sign a 14th man on a standard deal.

NBA rules allow teams to slip below 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time. Since the Suns officially waived Isaiah Canaan last Wednesday, that means the team will have until next Wednesday, December 12, to get back up to 14 players on its 15-man roster.

The most likely outcome will see the Suns add a player on a non-guaranteed contract next week, fulfilling the league’s roster requirements without necessarily giving any assurances or making a longer-term commitment to that 14th man. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on Phoenix to see if the club uses its roster flexibility to make a trade.

The Suns have been in the market for another point guard for months, and have been linked to both Frank Ntilikina and Markelle Fultz since Canaan’s release. There’s no indication that anything is imminent, and if any deals happen, they’re more likely to go down after December 15, when dozens of players around the NBA become trade-eligible.

Nonetheless, the club is a strong candidate to make a move or two at some point this season — with its place at the bottom of the Western Conference all but assured, it makes sense for the Suns to be a seller and keep compiling assets for the future.

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Phoenix Suns

Suns Notes: Holmes, Melton, Okobo, Canaan

November 30th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Richaun Holmes has settled in as the Suns’ backup center since Tyson Chandler‘s contract was bought out, as Katherine Fitzgerald of the Arizona Republic notes. Holmes has averaged 7.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 1.4 BPG in 15.9 MPG during the month of November. Coach Igor Kokoskov cites Holmes’ biggest asset as something that goes beyond box scores. “Energy is a talent, we always say, and that’s his job,” Kokoskov said. “He helps his team, and for him to understand his role, and just embrace it, is a huge thing for our team.” Holmes, who was acquired from the Sixers during the summer, has a $1.6MM contract that doesn’t become fully guaranteed until January 10th. He’l be an unrestricted free agent in July.

We have more on the Suns:

Rookie point guards and second-round picks De’Anthony Melton and Elie Okobo have been bouncing back and forth between the NBA and G League and it’s proving beneficial, as Bob Young of The Athletic details. The duo has gained experience by playing and practicing at both levels. Melton has appeared in four games with the Suns and five with Northern Arizona. Okobo has seen action in 12 NBA and two G League games. “I think it’s helping me a lot,” Melton told Young. “I trained for it all summer, to be a point guard. I don’t think it matters to me. I’m fine getting off the ball. Down in the G League, I got to handle the ball a lot and really run a team and show what I can do.”
Kokoskov expects point guard Isaiah Canaan to quickly find another NBA job, Gina Mizell of The Athletic writes. The team waived Canaan on Wednesday after he lost his starting job. “It’s just a pure business decision,” Kokoskov said. “I wish him nothing but the best, and he’ll be good. I know a lot of teams (will have) interest in him.” The Suns have two open roster spots, which will facilitate a potential trade for a more accomplished floor leader. Devin Booker has been moved from shooting guard to the point for at least the short run.
The Suns are one of the teams interested in acquiring second-year point guard Frank Ntilikina from the Knicks. Get all the details here.