Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Isaiah Thomas Signs 10-Day Deal With Suns

March 20th, 2024 at 12:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 20: The signing is official, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets.

MARCH 16: The Suns will add former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas on a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 35-year-old guard recently joined the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League in hopes of landing another NBA opportunity. He showed he still has his scoring touch, averaging 32.5 points in four games while shooting 45% from three-point range.

Thomas will provide another veteran scorer with playoff experience for a Phoenix team that’s locked in a tight race to avoid the play-in tournament. The Suns entered tonight percentage points behind Sacramento for the sixth spot and one game ahead of eighth-place Dallas.

The 11-year veteran has been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, when he made brief appearances with the Lakers and Mavericks before ending the year with the Hornets.

Thomas was an All-Star with Boston in 2015/16 and ’16/17 before suffering a right hip injury that derailed his career. He bounced around the league after that, and most of his recent stops have been on 10-day contracts.

Phoenix plays in Milwaukee at noon Central time on Sunday and has a three-day break before its next game, so it’s unclear whether or not Thomas will sign his new deal right away. If his contract begins when the team returns home on Wednesday, he would be eligible for six games over the following 10 days. A second 10-day deal would take him close to the end of the season, but the Suns would have to give him a standard contract to make him eligible for the playoffs.

Phoenix has a roster opening, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary to make room for Thomas, who will earn $183,704 over the course of his 10 days with the team. The Suns will take on a cap hit of $116,075.

And-Ones: Cousins, Cooks, Eubanks, Valentine

March 19th, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

DeMarcus Cousins‘ contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards, slated to begin in mid-April, will cover a month-and-a-half, sources inform Marc Stein (Twitter link).

The 6’10” big man was a four-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA honoree while with the Kings and Pelicans. Major lower leg injuries cut his career short at an all-too-brief 11 years.

Following his All-Star prime, he played for the Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Bucks and Nuggets in brief stints as a reserve. Across 654 total NBA regular season contests, he boasts averages of 19.6 PPG (on .460/.331/.737 shooting), 10.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG and 1.1 BPG.

Cousins hasn’t been able to find an NBA home since the end of the 2021/22. He has since played for clubs in Puerto Rico and Taiwan.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Suns reserve big man Drew Eubanks wants to play for the Italian team in a future Olympics, according to Simone Sandri of La Gazzetta (hat tip to Kevin Martorano of Sportando for the translation). “I would certainly like to be able to play in an Olympics,” Eubanks said. “…I like to play competitive games even in the offseason. In fact, the idea of playing different basketball during the summer is intriguing to me and can only be beneficial to my NBA career. The prospect of joining a new team intrigues me, but let’s see what happens with the paperwork and then we’ll decide.”
Former Wizards guard Xavier Cooks has inked the biggest deal in the history of Australia’s National Basketball League to return to the Sydney Kings, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Cooks, a league MVP, helped propel Sydney to consecutive titles in 2022 and ’23. He has agreed to a three-year contract with the Kings.
One-time NBA lottery pick Denzel Valentine, hot off his own stint with the Sydney Kings, has signed a contract for the rest of the 2023/24 season with Italian club Olimpia Milano, per Alessandro Maggic of RealOlimpiaMilano.com. Valentine was selected with the No. 14 pick in 2016 out of Michigan State by the Bulls. He also suited up for the Cavaliers and Jazz.

Thomas Could Make Suns Debut Wednesday

March 18th, 2024 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Thomas is expected to be available for the Suns’ game against Philadelphia on Wednesday, John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix tweets.

While the transaction has not officially been finalized yet, Thomas is expected to sign a 10-day contract with the Suns. The 35-year-old guard recently joined the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League in hopes of landing another NBA opportunity. He showed he still has his scoring touch, averaging 32.5 points in four games while shooting 45% from three-point range.

Suns Disappointed By Defensive Effort In Milwaukee

March 18th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns were unhappy with their defensive effort in Sunday’s loss at Milwaukee, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined by a hamstring injury, Phoenix allowed the Bucks to score 82 points in the first half and 140 for the game.

Thomas Addition Will Help Preserve Lee's Remaining Games

March 17th, 2024 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant said he’s “excited” for Isaiah Thomas to join the Suns and head coach Frank Vogel called the veteran guard a “hell of a player,” per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Vogel noted that adding Thomas will help Phoenix preserve the four active games remaining on Saben Lee‘s two-way contract.

10 NBA Teams Likely To Sign Players In Coming Weeks

March 17th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

A total of 20 NBA teams currently have full standard rosters consisting of 15 players on contracts that run through at least the rest of the 2023/24 season.

That leaves 10 clubs that have one or more roster spots, or whose 14th and/or 15th roster spots are occupied by players on 10-day contracts that will expire before the end of the month.

If recent history is any indication, it’s a safe bet that all 10 teams will, sooner or later, sign a player – or players – to rest-of-season or multiyear contracts in order to fill out their 15-man rosters. There were no open 15-man roster spots available by the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. The same is true of the ’21/22 season.

Even if a team has no intention of using a 15th man down the stretch or in the postseason, using that final roster spot to sign a prospect to a multiyear contract that includes no guaranteed money beyond this season is good business, increasing that club’s roster flexibility heading into the offseason.

Here are the teams likely to fill their open roster spots in the coming weeks:

Teams with 14 players on full-season contracts:

(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)

Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers *
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
New Orleans Pelicans
Phoenix Suns *
Toronto Raptors *

The Raptors currently have a player on a 10-day contract (Jahmi’us Ramsey) occupying their 15th roster spot. The Cavaliers and Suns will soon follow suit, with Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas, respectively.

It’s possible that all three teams will ultimately turn to another player for a rest-of-season contract, but Ramsey is the only player to get two 10-day deals from Toronto this season, and Morris and Thomas are the types of veterans that contending teams often add to their roster down the stretch. A Saturday report indicated that Thomas is likely to stick with Phoenix beyond his upcoming 10-day contract.

I’d still view two-way player Neemias Queta as the most likely player to fill the Celtics‘ final roster spot, but that could change if Boston has to deal with some injuries in the backcourt or on the wing and wants to add some depth there. Pelicans sharpshooter Matt Ryan is another player on a two-way deal who’s a candidate to be promoted.

The Pistons and Warriors don’t have any obvious candidates for a promotion on two-way contracts, so both clubs may end up turning to the G League or free agency to add a 15th man.

Teams with 13 players on full-season contracts:

(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)

Minnesota Timberwolves *
New York Knicks **
Philadelphia 76ers *

While the seven teams listed above are good bets to sign one player before the end of the season, these three teams will likely sign two.

T.J. Warren, who immediately stepped into a rotation role after signing his first 10-day contract and is currently on his second 10-day deal, is an obvious candidate to fill one of the Timberwolves‘ two openings. It’s unclear which direction Minnesota go with its other spot.

I had expected Taj Gibson to eventually find his way back to New York, but he has signed for the rest of the season with the Pistons, so the Knicks will go in another direction with their final two roster spots.

DaQuan Jeffries and Mamadi Diakite are currently on 10-day deals and could receive consideration for rest-of-season contracts. For what it’s worth, like fellow Tom Thibodeau favorite Gibson, Ryan Arcidiacono won’t claim one of these openings, since he’s ineligible to re-sign with the Knicks this season.

If the Sixers like what they see from Kai Jones during his 10-day contract, it wouldn’t surprise me to see if they can lock him up to a multiyear deal. If not, they may look elsewhere for frontcourt help, since adding one more center to their roster makes sense with Joel Embiid‘s health still a question mark. The 15th man could be a wing — Philadelphia is ineligible to re-sign Danuel House, but could bring back Danny Green if there’s interest in a reunion.

Isaiah Thomas Likely To Land Suns' Final Roster Spot

March 16th, 2024 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Isaiah Thomas, who’s joining the Suns on a 10-day contract, is expected to eventually receive a standard deal to fill the team’s final roster spot, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Gambadoro doesn’t expect the 35-year-old guard to become part of the rotation, but he’ll serve as insurance heading into the postseason.
Eric Gordon was able to play 22 minutes on Friday night after missing the Suns‘ previous two games with a left knee contusion, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rankin expects Gordon, Royce O’Neale, Bol Bol and Drew Eubanks to form the core of Phoenix’s second unit for the rest of the season.

Pacific Notes: Kawhi, Little, O’Neale, Warriors, Kings

March 14th, 2024 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers got a health scare on Tuesday, when Kawhi Leonard had to leave the team’s game against Minnesota in the first half due to back spasms, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. If Leonard has to miss any time, it would complicate L.A.’s push for one of the top playoff seeds in the West, writes Law Murray of The Athletic.

However, Leonard traveled with the Clippers to Chicago and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game, tweets Youngmisuk, so it doesn’t appear the issue is significant.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Suns forward Nassir Little, who has missed the past seven games due to left knee inflammation, was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice and is expected to be available for Thursday’s game in Boston, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Little is listed as probable for the showdown with the Celtics.
Suns forward Royce O’Neale said on Wednesday that it “means a lot” to hear team owner Mat Ishbia say that re-signing O’Neale will be a priority for the club this offseason, adding that it shows how much Ishbia “wants to win and keep the guys together” (Twitter video link via Rankin).
The Warriors‘ loss to Dallas on Wednesday makes it increasingly likely that Golden State will end up in the bottom half of the play-in bracket in the Western Conference, meaning they’d have to win two play-in games to even qualify for the playoffs, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The 34-31 club is now 3.5 games back of the No. 8 Mavs, who would hold the tiebreaker edge on Golden State if they win one of the team’s two remaining meetings in early April. “Yeah, it feels daunting,” Brandin Podziemski said.“Just for the fact that you don’t want to be the 10th seed. The 11th seed is, I think, four or five games behind us. So for us to get that low I don’t think is going to happen. But you don’t want to be the 10th seed and have to play two road games before you get into an actual series.”
A pair of Kings players set franchise records in a blowout win over Milwaukee on Tuesday, as Domantas Sabonis registered his 47th consecutive double-double, while Malik Monk took the lead for most career assists by a Sacramento reserve, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sabonis increased his double-double streak to 48 games on Wednesday in an impressive victory over the Lakers that moved the Kings up to sixth in the Western Conference standings.

Booker's Return Leads To Big3 Explosion

March 12th, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Devin Booker returned to the Suns‘ lineup on Monday night and the team’s big three carried it to a six-point win over Cleveland, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes. Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal combined for 88 of the club’s 117 points. Booker scored 27 points after missing four games with a right ankle sprain. Phoenix is 15-9 with all three stars in the lineup.

“They’ve got a great ability to pierce single coverage or drop coverage in pick-and-roll and when they start bringing two to the basketball, they’re all willing passers,” Suns head coach Frank Vogel said.

Veteran forward Thaddeus Young has only played in two games since the Suns signed him off the buyout market. “If the matchup fits, then we’ll use him, but for now he’s behind Drew (Eubanks) on the depth chart,” Vogel said, per Rankin (Twitter link). Bol Bol has received steady, if limited, minutes this month. He’s averaging 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 11.2 minutes over six March outings. Regarding Bol’s minutes, Vogel said it’s about either matchup or being able to go zone to protect him on the defense, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets.

Devin Booker Making Progress In Recovery From Ankle Sprain

March 9th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Devin Booker continues to make progress toward returning from the sprained right ankle he suffered last Saturday, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Suns coach Frank Vogel told media members that Booker went through an “extensive workout” earlier today, adding that he’s “pleasantly surprised” by how quickly Booker is recovering.