Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Middleton, Lopez, Crowder, VanVleet, Harden, Poeltl, Suns, Morris

June 28th, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks appear to be in a good position to re-sign several of their key free agents, Marc Stein writes at Substack. Stein gets the sense that Khris Middleton‘s return to Milwaukee is “all but assured,” and says Brook Lopez seems to be leaning toward remaining with the Bucks too, despite the fact that he’ll draw interest from rival suitors like the Rockets.

Interestingly, Stein hears that Milwaukee is considered increasingly likely to re-sign forward Jae Crowder as well. A trade deadline acquisition, Crowder had a forgettable postseason, scoring just seven points and missing all six of his 3-point attempts in 41 total minutes of action. However, he was effective in 18 regular season appearances for the Bucks, who gave up several second-round picks to land him.

Here’s more from Stein:

After he wrote earlier this week about the Rockets‘ interest in Fred VanVleet, Stein has been told by a “flurry of informants” that Houston is believed to be looking to sign the point guard to a two-year, maximum-salary contract. Such a deal would be worth just shy of $84MM based on the NBA’s latest cap projections.
The latest rumblings Stein has heard suggest that James Harden will likely return to the Sixers on a two- or three- year deal and that Jakob Poeltl is expected to re-sign with the Raptors for about $20MM per year, whether or not VanVleet remains in Toronto.
Veteran forward Yuta Watanabe and former NBA guard Mike James have been mentioned as potential targets for the Suns as they look to fill out their roster around their stars, says Stein. James, who has spent the past two seasons with AS Monaco, last played in the NBA in Brooklyn in 2021 and is close with Durant.
Clippers forward Marcus Morris remains on the trade block after a proposed three-team deal that would have sent him to Washington fell through last week, Stein says.

International Notes: Fernandez, Canada, Paris, Almansa, More

June 28th, 2023 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez will replace Nick Nurse of the Sixers as the head coach of the Canadian national team, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Canada Basketball has officially confirmed the news, indicating in a press release that the leadership change will take place immediately. Nurse, who coached the Raptors – Canada’s only NBA team – for five seasons before being dismissed this spring, subsequently stepped down from his position with the national team. Fernandez will take the reins for the 2023 World Cup, which begins in less than two months.

Fernandez, who was born in Spain, was an assistant coach on the Nuggets’ staff from 2016-22 before joining the Kings under Mike Brown last year. He’s considered a rising head coaching candidate, having interviewed for the coaching vacancies in Phoenix and Toronto earlier in the offseason.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

After playing a regular season game in France in 2020 and again in 2023, the NBA is on track to return to Paris in 2024, according to a report from L’Equipe, which states that the Nets and Cavaliers are the teams expected to compete in that game. There’s hope that French phenom Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will play a game in Paris as soon as 2025, per L’Equipe.
Izan Almansa, a 6’10” Spanish big man who spent the last two years with Overtime Elite and projects to be a first-round pick in 2024, has signed with the G League Ignite, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Almansa, the last prospect to join the Ignite for 2023/24, will be part of a star-studded group that includes potential top-five picks Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis.
Gianni Petrucci, the president of the Italian Basketball Federation, wasn’t thrilled by Paolo Banchero‘s decision to play for the United States instead of Italy at the upcoming World Cup, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that the Magic forward “fooled us.” However, Petrucci clarified that he was more upset about a lack of communication from Banchero rather than the decision itself. “It was a legitimate decision, but he could have made a call to communicate that to us,” Petrucci said, per BasketNews.com. “Instead, we learned about his decision from the newspapers.”
German forward Louis Olinde, who has spent the past three seasons with Alba Berlin, is hoping to make the move to the NBA this offseason, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. According to Urbonas, Olinde has worked out for the Warriors and Thunder and has a session lined up with the Trail Blazers too. The 25-year-old is also expected to play for the Suns at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Cameron Johnson, Coby White Among Players Receiving QOs

June 28th, 2023 at 7:28am CST by Luke Adams

A series of players have been issued qualifying offers by their respective teams, making them restricted free agents, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log.

Nets forward Cameron Johnson and Bulls guard Coby White are among the most notable QO recipients within the last couple days. Johnson’s qualifying offer is worth $8,486,620, while White’s is worth $7,744,600.

For many restricted free agents, qualifying offers essentially function as placeholders, giving the team the right of first refusal on the player as long as that QO remains on the table.

It’s also a one-year contract offer that the player is free to accept at any time, which is a more viable route for some RFAs than others — Johnson, for instance, looks like a safe bet to secure a lucrative multiyear deal, so it would be a major surprise if he simply accepted his $8.5MM qualifying offer.

Besides Johnson and White, here are some of the players who have received qualifying offers this week and are now restricted free agents, per RealGM:

Ayo Dosunmu, Bulls ($5,216,324)
Jock Landale, Suns ($2,219,706)
- Note: This is a projected amount. Landale’s QO will be worth $200K more than his minimum salary.
Trent Forrest, Hawks (two-way)
Terry Taylor, Bulls (two-way)
Collin Gillespie, Nuggets (two-way)
Jack White, Nuggets (two-way)
Kendall Brown, Pacers (two-way)
Moussa Diabate, Clippers (two-way)
Saben Lee, Suns (two-way)

The deadline for teams to issue qualifying offers is Thursday, so we’ll likely get many more updates on QOs being extended to players today and tomorrow.

Suns Retain Forward Ish Wainright

June 27th, 2023 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have exercised their 2023/24 team option on Ish Wainright‘s contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The option will pay Wainright a salary of $1,927,896 for next season.

Wainright, 28, has played the last two seasons for Phoenix. This past year, he appeared in 60 regular-season games (two starts), averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. He also saw action in six postseason contests.

With four maximum-salary players on the books, Phoenix needs to fill out its roster with low-cost options and Wainwright was productive enough to retain his spot. He’s also considered an above-average defender.

He originally joined the team on a two-way contract, which was converted to a standard contract in February.

In addition to a temporary attempt at switching to football, the 6’6″, 250-pound combo forward also played international basketball in Germany and France.

Trade Rumors: Lillard, Valanciunas, N. Powell, Wizards, K. Martin

June 27th, 2023 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

Following Monday’s meeting with Damian Lillard and his agent, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin put out a brief statement indicating that the team remains committed to building around its star point guard. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday morning (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst provided some additional information on how that meeting went.

“This was the meeting that a lot of the league was watching to see if Damian Lillard requested a trade, and he absolutely did not,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “From what I understand, the tenor of the meeting was that he doesn’t want to put pressure on the Blazers, that he wants to see what they do in free agency, and he’s going to give them that time do that.

“This is an interesting strategy move. He said at the end of the season ‘Get me veterans.’ The draft came and went, no veterans. He’s still not pressing, from what I have been told. He’s still going to give the Blazers every opportunity to work through this free agency process this week, whether it’s through trades or signing players.”

As Windhorst points out, given that no trade request from Lillard seems imminent, teams like the Heat – who were reportedly preparing to make a trade offer for the Blazers star – might have to move forward with their other offseason moves rather than hoping that Lillard’s situation will change.

“This is going to potentially cause some teams that were going to make offers for him to have move on with business,” Windhorst said. “They were waiting to see whether Dame Lillard was going to be on the market before they started to make moves this week. Now, some teams are going to have to make a decision either go forward or wait around. Lillard is going to wait around.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Pelicans have made center Jonas Valanciunas available in trade talks as they seek out a big man who is more mobile and more of a rim protector, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says New Orleans inquired with the Cavaliers about Jarrett Allen‘s availability. Cleveland has reportedly rebuffed all inquiries for Allen.
Clippers swingman Norman Powell is another veteran who is considered available on the trade market, Fischer reports, adding that Powell’s name popped up in rumors when L.A. was trying to acquire Chris Paul from Washington.
Speaking of the Wizards, even after flipping Paul to Golden State, they’re still looking to move on from one or two more of their veteran point guards. Sources tell Fischer that Washington is seeking draft assets for Monte Morris and/or Delon Wright.
The Rockets have been engaging in more trade talks involving Kenyon Martin Jr. since last week’s draft, Fischer writes. While it’s not clear exactly which teams Houston has talked to recently, Fischer says the Hawks, Suns, and Nets have been cited as possible suitors for Martin dating back to the trade deadline in February.

Suns, Mavs Had Advanced Ayton Trade Talks During Draft

June 27th, 2023 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns and Mavericks came close to making a deal on draft night that would have sent Deandre Ayton to Dallas, according to Marc Stein (Substack link).

Sources tell Stein that the proposed trade would have resulted in Tim Hardaway Jr., Richaun Holmes, and JaVale McGee heading to Phoenix. However, the Suns balked at the idea of taking back McGee as part of the package. It’s not yet known if the negotiations can or will be resuscitated, Stein writes.

The packaged described by Stein, which doesn’t include any draft compensation, seems pretty light for a former No. 1 overall pick. Sources tell Stein that the Suns were intrigued because they like Hardaway and Holmes and envisioned them as players who could immediately step into the rotation alongside stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Their contracts would also be movable in subsequent trades.

While one of Stein’s sources wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Phoenix and Dallas resuming their trade discussions, separate reports on Friday and Sunday indicated that the Suns intend to hang onto Ayton, which makes it sound as if the team has pivoted away from any talks involving the big man that occurred prior to or during Thursday’s draft.

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reported on Saturday that the Suns had spoken to the Sixers about a deal involving Ayton and Tobias Harris, also followed up on Sunday by stating that Phoenix had ended its pursuit of Harris and planned to keep Ayton.

As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype notes (via Twitter), if the two teams are willing to reopen their negotiations, it would make sense to fold any potential deal into a four-way trade with the Thunder and Kings that includes the previous Davis Bertans and Holmes agreements. In that scenario, they might be able to find a way to reroute McGee to Oklahoma City or Sacramento.

McGee is still owed approximately $12MM in guaranteed money over the next two seasons, including a player option for 2024/25. That 2022 signing looks like a clear mistake by the Mavericks, who also explored signing Bruce Brown using part of their mid-level exception a year ago, but decided that McGee was a “bigger prize,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said during the latest Hoop Collective podcast (Twitter audio link).

Stein’s Latest: Reid, Spurs, Pistons, Johnson, Rose, Porzingis, Jazz

June 26th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs were among the teams who were interested in signing Timberwolves big man Naz Reid before he agreed to a three-year, $42MM extension, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.

San Antonio was seeking a veteran center to ease the burden on No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama during his rookie season. However, the Spurs may have only planned to offer Reid a one-year deal.

The Mavericks were among the teams with the full $12.4MM mid-level exception available who were known to have interest in Reid, Stein adds.

Here are some more tidbits from Stein:

The Pistons’ interest in Nets restricted free agent Cameron Johnson, which has previously been reported by Stein, is genuine, he reiterates. There’s rising belief around the league that he’s their No. 1 free agent target, even though the Nets have the right to match. Detroit is projected to have over $30MM in cap space.
The Suns, Bucks and Bulls have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Derrick Rose, according to Stein. The Knicks declined to pick up their $15.6MM option on Rose for next season. However, Rose’s time in New York isn’t necessarily over — the Knicks may re-sign him at a lower number if his other options don’t pan out, Stein says.
If Kristaps Porzingis had chosen to decline his player option, the Jazz were prepared to make offer for more money than the Celtics can give him via a two-year, $77MM extension, per Stein. They were also interested in being the third party to facilitate the trade between the Wizards and Celtics. Boston was Porzingis’ preferred destination, however.

Suns To Host Free Agent Workout Wednesday

June 26th, 2023 at 1:49pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns are hosting a free agent workout on Wednesday that will include a couple former lottery picks in Stanley Johnson and Jabari Parker, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Guards Chasson Randle and Quinndary Weatherspoon will also participate, Haynes adds (Twitter links).

Phoenix has 10 free agents this offseason, which is tied with the Lakers for the most in the NBA. Checking in on some unrestricted free agents whose rights aren’t held by teams is a logical step for the Suns since they have could have a lot of moving parts. Teams are officially allowed to negotiate with free agents on Friday evening.

Johnson, 27, was the eighth pick of the 2015 draft. The forward has played for the Pistons, Pelicans, Raptors, Lakers and Spurs over his eight-year career. He played 30 games (15.6 MPG) for San Antonio in 2022/23, averaging 5.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.2 APG on .533/.450/.667 shooting.

Parker, 28, is another forward who was the second pick in 2014. He spent his first four seasons with the Bucks, but has bounced around in recent years, suiting up for the Bulls, Wizards, Hawks, Kings and Celtics since 2018. Parker was out of the NBA in ’22/23, last playing for Boston in January 2022.

Randle, 30, is a veteran point guard who went undrafted in 2015 after four years at Stanford. He has played a total of 119 NBA games across parts of four seasons with the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, Warriors and Magic. His last regular season appearance was with Orlando back in May 2021.

In addition to the Suns, Weatherspoon also has a workout scheduled with the Wizards this week, per Haynes. The 26-year-old former second-round pick played 42 games with the Spurs and Warriors from 2019-22, mostly on two-way deals. He played in China last season.

Suns Want To See Ayton Play Alongside Star Trio

June 25th, 2023 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns are moving forward with their plan to hang onto center Deandre Ayton, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

According to Haynes, Phoenix believes Ayton’s value – to the franchise, if not on the trade market – is at an “all-time high” following the additions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal this year. The Suns want to see the former No. 1 overall pick play alongside those stars, and Devin Booker, Haynes adds.

The rumor mill has been all over the place on Ayton so far this offseason. His name popped up in trade rumblings after the team agreed to acquire Beal, but a subsequent report said the Suns found a “lean” market when they gauged the big man’s value.

After plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro said on Friday that he didn’t expect Phoenix to move Ayton, the 24-year-old was mentioned in another trade rumor on Saturday, but Gambadoro emphatically shot down that report and reiterated that Ayton is likely to remain with the Suns. Haynes’ new report echoes what Gambadoro has been saying.

Assuming they do hang onto Ayton, the Suns will be extremely limited as they attempt to fill out their roster around their stars. Cameron Payne, whose $6.5MM salary is currently partially guaranteed, may end up being the only player on the roster who isn’t earning the maximum or the minimum.

Among the Suns’ players with guaranteed salaries for 2023/24, Durant, Beal, Booker, and Ayton are on max deals, while Jordan Goodwin and Isaiah Todd have minimum-salary contracts. The club won’t have access to the mid-level or bi-annual exception this summer, but does have a $5MM trade exception and will have some form of Bird rights on its own free agents, including Darius Bazley (Bird), Jock Landale (Early Bird), Torrey Craig (Early Bird), and Josh Okogie (Non-Bird).

Pacific Notes: Suns, Ayton, Camara, Lakers, Warriors

June 25th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Responding to a Saturday report that suggested the Suns are interested in using Deandre Ayton as a trade chip to acquire Tobias Harris from the Sixers, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 calls the rumor “just total BS,” tweeting that Phoenix has “no interest” in such a deal.

Gambadoro, who reported earlier in the week that Ayton appears unlikely to be traded, reiterated that point in his tweet on Sunday. While that doesn’t mean that the former No. 1 overall pick is a lock to begin next season in Phoenix, Gambadoro is pretty plugged in on Suns issues, so it sounds – for now at least – like Ayton is a good bet to stay put.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

The Suns didn’t have a first-round pick on Thursday night, but they were able to add a young player using a second-rounder, the last one they’ll own until 2031. Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com takes a look at what the team should expect from No. 52 pick Toumani Camara.
The Lakers‘ No. 17 pick was mentioned in a series of trade rumors leading up to the draft, but the team hung onto it and nabbed Jalen Hood-Schifino, whom Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka referred to as a “lottery-level talent,” adding he “fits well with the young core that we’re building here.” As Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, by drafting Hood-Schifino – and Maxwell Lewis at No. 40 – rather than trading for a veteran, the team was prioritizing its future over its present, at least on draft night.
Although the Warriors‘ leaders can’t formally address the Chris Paul acquisition until it becomes official, head coach Steve Kerr told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic that the team “sensed we needed a shift” entering the offseason. “Didn’t mean we needed an overhaul, but we needed a shift of some sort. I think everybody in the organization sensed that,” Kerr explained. “And it feels like we’ve made a pretty significant shift without giving up our identity and our sense of who we are as a team. I think, all in all, it’s a very positive shift.”
In case you missed, we rounded up a few Clippers-related items earlier this morning.