Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Chandler, Lakers, Williams, Jones

November 8th, 2018 at 7:33pm CST by JD Shaw

The free agent signing of Tyson Chandler paid dividends for the Lakers on Wednesday against the Timberwolves, with Chandler grabbing eight rebounds in 23 minutes — including a clutch offensive rebound to help seal the team’s 114-110 win.

“We needed the help now,” coach Luke Walton said postgame, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And I don’t know how that all works but give [general manager] Rob [Pelinka] and [president] Magic [Johnson] credit for recognizing that and going out and getting that job done for our squad.”

Chandler reached a buyout agreement with the Suns last week, and the Los Angeles native joined the Lakers just in time for their game Wednesday. Chandler, an 18-year veteran who won a title with Dallas in 2011, provides the team with a locker room presence and ability to play center off the bench.

“I love this city the way they love me,” Chandler said when asked about the standing ovation L.A. fans gave him. “When you’re homegrown from here, go to high school and all of that, and you have these same fans that have been watching [your career] and now you represent the jersey that everyone has been cheering for their entire lives, you kind of become one.

“I’ve been on the other side and played the villain. Now it’s great to be on this side and actually rep ’em.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

A panel of ESPN writers voiced their opinions about what’s wrong with the Lakers (article link), with Kevin Arnovitz, Chris Herring and Tim Bontemps among those from the company who participated. The Lakers own a modest 5-6 record despite having LeBron James and an array of promising pieces around him.
Kings forward Troy Williams is making a strong bid to land a full-time roster spot with the team, James Ham of NBC Sports contends. Williams signed a two-way contract with the team in October, holding per-game averages of 8.3 points and three rebounds in four contests. “It’s what they ask of me – just to be versatile, just to be athletic, just to defend multiple people,” Williams said. “What I focus on is how I can help this team defensively before anything else.”
Suns president of basketball operations James Jones did LeBron James “a solid” by reaching a buyout with Tyson Chandler and allowing him to join the Lakers this early in the season, a league source told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “He deserves all the credit,” LeBron told ESPN of Jones. “He was very instrumental. He did right by Tyson as a veteran.” Jones and James were teammates during a four-year run in Miami and three-year run in Cleveland, which produced a total of three NBA championships.

Devin Booker Says He'd Like To Play With D'Angelo Russell

November 8th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Before the Nets defeated the Suns on Tuesday, Devin Booker told Greg Logan of Newsday that he’d “love to play” with Brooklyn guard D’Angelo Russell someday, adding that Russell “makes people around him better.” A union between the two players is unlikely to happen in Brooklyn anytime in the next few years, since Booker’s five-year extension with the Suns begins next season. But perhaps Russell, who will be a restricted free agent in 2019, will draw interest from Phoenix.

Booker Believes Suns Have Chemstiry Problems

November 7th, 2018 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns star Devin Booker believes chemistry issues have affected the team as it has stumbled to a 2-8 start, according to an ESPN story. Phoenix fell at home to the Nets by 22 points Tuesday, marking its sixth defeat already by 18 or more points. “I think all good teams have that trust and chemistry, where they’re able to get on each other and know that it’s for a better purpose,” Booker said. “For us, I don’t think we have that right now. We’re not comfortable with each other, we don’t step on each other’s toes, we don’t push each other, and I think that’s what we need to do.”

Suns Seeking More Stability From Point Guard Spot

November 7th, 2018 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyson Chandler, poised to suit up for the Lakers on Wednesday night against Minnesota, said he picked Los Angeles among about five potential teams, according to Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com. Speaking today to reporters, including Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register, Chandler said he knew his days with the Suns were numbered and jumped at the chance to join his hometown team.

The Suns are still seeking more stability out of the point guard position, having resorted to running the offense through Devin Booker when needed, writes Katherine Fitzgerald of The Arizona Republic. Head coach Igor Kokoskov said he’s looking for more out of Isaiah Canaan: “We know he is a fearless shooter and he is capable of making those shots, but he’s got to also give us stability when it comes to (running the) team, keeping us organized.”

Terry Rozier Unhappy With Playing Time?

November 7th, 2018 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics point guard Terry Rozier has been unhappy with his playing time so far this season, according to Bill Simmons of The Ringer (Twitter link). Simmons suggests that word of Rozier’s discontent has “gotten around the league,” and that a trade of the 2019 free-agent-to-be may be necessary.

Simmons isn’t an NBA reporter in the traditional sense, but he’s plugged in, particularly in Boston, so there’s no reason to believe his intel is off here. Rozier himself admitted earlier in the season that his fluid role off the Celtics’ bench was “not the easiest” to embrace, and a report prior to last month’s rookie scale extension deadline suggested that Rozier would likely seek the “minutes and money” of a starter on his next contract

Last season, Rozier averaged 25.9 minutes per game during the regular season for the Celtics before playing an impressive 36.6 MPG during the postseason when Kyrie Irving was unavailable. With Irving and Marcus Smart both fully healthy so far this season, Rozier has seen his role reduced — he’s averaging 22.7 MPG through 10 games and has struggled to make an impact, with 7.5 PPG on 35.5% shooting.

Irving has verbally committed to re-signing with the Celtics and Smart is in the first year of a long-term deal, so the C’s may not be willing to invest heavily in a third point guard when Rozier reaches restricted free agency next summer. Still, the club will control the process and would have the opportunity to match any offer Rozier receives, potentially with an eye toward trading him later. As such, a deal before February’s deadline is far from a sure thing.

If the Celtics do make Rozier available, the Suns are one team that would have interest. An October report indicated that Phoenix would have “loved” to acquire Rozier during the offseason, as both Ryan McDonough and new interim GM James Jones attempted to make a deal. However, he was viewed at the time as “very unlikely” to be traded.

The Suns are hardly the only team that would be interested in landing Rozier. Shams Charania of The Athletic hears from sources that at least seven clubs around the NBA have been monitoring the situation and waiting to see if the Celtics will begin fielding trade calls on their backup point guard. For now, Charania notes, Boston seems happy with its roster.

Former Suns GM McDonough Talks Firing, Suns, Ariza

November 6th, 2018 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns made a surprising move during the preseason, announcing just over a week before opening night that they had fired longtime general manager Ryan McDonough. Considering the team had given McDonough the entire offseason to execute his plan for the team, which involved drafting Deandre Ayton first overall, extending Devin Booker, hiring Igor Kokoskov, trading for Mikal Bridges, and signing Trevor Ariza, the timing was considered unusual.

Speaking to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on The Jump (video link) this week, McDonough acknowledged that his dismissal was “unexpected” and that there were other times of year when he would have been more prepared for the possibility. The former Suns GM, who admitted that he was fired over the phone, also touched on a few other topics during his appearance on The Jump, so we’ll round up a few highlights…

On why he was surprised and a little frustrated by the timing of his ouster:

“I viewed the roster as not fully completed. We were working on a few trades to upgrade the team, and I guess I thought we had more time than I ended up having.”

On whether it was challenging to recruit free agents to Phoenix:

“Phoenix is a great place to live. It’s a great place to play. The team is super young, so I think that hurt us somewhat in terms of recruiting elite free agents in their prime. The two foundational pieces that we left there are 22 years old (Booker) and 20 (Ayton). I think free agents, especially veteran free agents like a LeBron James or LaMarcus Aldridge, look at it and say, ‘They’re a little ways away.’

“It is a challenge. There are unique challenges to every setup, every situation. The Suns have been a destination franchise in the past. I think, and hope, as Devin and Deandre and the rest of the young players improve, they will be again in the future.”

On his biggest regret from his time with the Suns:

“The biggest regret, I think, is how public some of the conflicts with the players became. I think the good organizations have historically handled that behind closed doors. And that’s not a shot at Phoenix — that’s more of a shot at me than anything. We could have done better internally, from ownership and the front office and our coaching staff in terms of communication with the players, and vice versa. If I do jump back in on the team side at some point, I’ll learn from that. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting over the last couple weeks, just thinking about how we can do better in that area going forward.”

On why the Suns used their cap room on Ariza instead of a point guard over the summer:

“We studied the final four teams in the league last year, and other than Cleveland with LeBron, if you look at Golden State, Houston, and Boston, they have a ton of interchangeable wing players. And a lot of times, they’ll have three or even four of them on the court at a time.

Ariza was an unrestricted free agent, he’s a West Coast guy, he had interest in coming to Phoenix, and we viewed his contract similar to how Philly viewed J.J. Redick‘s contract a year ago, where we can pay him a lot of money for one year [and] keep our future flexibility. … We thought Ariza would help us take a step from rebuilding to hopefully being playoff competitive. And then we could build from there, either with Ariza or with an elite free agent from the 2019 class.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/5/18

November 5th, 2018 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

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

The Suns assigned rookie guard De’Anthony Melton to the Northern Arizona Suns, according to a team press release. Melton has already played a game for Northern Arizona this season, posting 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 45 minutes. The second-round pick has appeared in two games with Phoenix.
The Knicks assigned big man Luke Kornet to the Westchester Knicks, the NBA team tweets. Kornet has appeared in four games with the Knicks this season, going scoreless in 13 minutes.
The Wizards recalled guard Chasson Randle from the Capital City Go-Go, according to a team press release. Randle will travel with the team on its upcoming road trip to Dallas, Orlando and Miami. Randle led all scorers in the Go-Go’s home opener on Saturday with 37 points.
The Pacers assigned center Ike Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a team press release. The 2017 second-rounder has made one brief appearance with Indiana this season.
The Clippers recalled guard Jerome Robinson and guard Sindarius Thornwell from the Agua Caliente Clippers, the team tweets. Robinson, the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft, has made five appearances with the Clippers this season, averaging 2.4 PPG in 4.2 MPG. Thornwell, a 2017 second-round selection, has yet to make his season debut with the Clippers after appearing in 73 games last season.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/4/18

November 4th, 2018 at 8:39pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

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

The Pistons have recalled forward Henry Ellenson and rookie guard Khyri Thomas from the Grand Rapids Drive, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News (via Twitter).
The Hornets announced in a press release that they recalled rookie guard Devonte’ Graham from their Greensboro affiliate.
Ahead of their matchup with the Grizzlies, the Suns announced that they recalled rookie point guard De’Anthony Melton from the Northern Arizona Suns.
The Hawks have recalled wing Daniel Hamilton from the Erie BayHawks, according to a press release from the team.

Suns, Tyson Chandler Finalize Buyout Agreement

November 4th, 2018 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns officially reached a buyout agreement with Tyson Chandler and have requested waivers on the veteran center, the team confirmed today in a press release. It was first reported on Saturday that the two sides would be parting ways.

“We want to thank Tyson for his contributions to the Suns over the past three-plus seasons,” interim co-GM James Jones said in a statement. “With respect for Tyson’s accomplished career, today’s move gives him the chance to pursue a new opportunity while allowing our younger players to continue developing. Tyson is a consummate professional and we wish him all the best.”

Chandler’s role with the Suns had dwindled, from 25.0 minutes per game last season to just 12.7 MPG in the early going this year. The 18-year veteran started all 46 games he played for Phoenix in 2017/18, but had been moved to the bench this season due to the arrival of first overall pick Deandre Ayton. Chandler averaged 6.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG last year.

Chandler was in the final year of a contract that paid him approximately $13.59MM this season. Phoenix will be able to trim some of that cap hit off the books as a result of the buyout agreement, while the 36-year-old figures to sign a minimum salary with his new team.

That new team will be the Lakers, according to multiple reports. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) indicated on Saturday that the framework for a buyout agreement between Chandler and the Suns had been in place for a little while, but it wasn’t put into motion until the big man knew he had a landing spot lined up.

The Lakers have been thin at center this season, leaning heavily on JaVale McGee and relying on smaller players to spend time at the five, so Chandler should see some playing time in Los Angeles. He’ll be eligible to sign with L.A. after he clears waivers on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Notes: Chandler, Holmes, Cousins, Gortat

November 4th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns‘ buyout with Tyson Chandler would have helped the team much more if it had occurred during the preseason, tweets salary cap expert Albert Nahmad. The parties have reportedly had a standing deal on a buyout in place for some time, but Chandler was reluctant to commit until he was confident that another organization would pick him up. The consensus is the Lakers will be his next team.

The money saved through Chandler’s buyout could have benefited the Suns in a number of ways, Nahmad notes. De’Anthony Melton, a second-round pick acquired in a trade with the Rockets, was limited to a two-year, minimum-salary deal because Phoenix didn’t have money available for a three- or four-year offer (Twitter link). Nahmad is assuming Chandler will give back about $452K in his buyout, and notes that the Suns waited until just before the start of training camp to sign Melton in the hopes that they could free up more cash.

Unloading Chandler earlier would have also opened a roster spot and would have eliminated the need to waive Davon Reed when Jamal Crawford was signed (Twitter link). Reed, who is now on a two-way deal with the Pacers, is still owed his entire $1.4MM salary from the Suns.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

The news about Chandler explains why Richaun Holmes was the Suns‘ first choice at backup center in Friday’s game, tweets Gina Mizell of The Athletic. Holmes, who was acquired from the Sixers in an offseason trade, played a season-high 13 minutes.
DeMarcus Cousins is expected to have a one-year stay with the Warriors, but GM Bob Myers isn’t giving up on the idea of extending their arrangement, relays Chelsea Howard of The Sporting News. During a recent appearance on the team’s pre-game show, Myers said “options are open” when it comes to keeping the All-Star center. “These type of predictions — good or bad — are pretty fruitless because you just don’t know,” he said. “You don’t know what’s going to be going on on July 1, 2019. You don’t know if it’s going to be better than you think … but it’s not going to be what you think. So, with a guy like DeMarcus, who knows? If he wants to come back, let’s bring him back.” If Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both re-sign, Golden State would be well above the cap and would be limited to offering Cousins its mid-level exception again.
Clippers center Marcin Gortat re-tweeted a message bemoaning the end of his consecutive games streak. L.A. traded for Gortat in June to help offset the expected loss of DeAndre Jordan, but he has averaged just 3.6 PPG and 3.9 RPG and is losing minutes to Montrezl Harrell and Boban Marjanovic.