Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Rumors: Harden, Paul, Ayton, Vogel

June 9th, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

With Chris Paul‘s future in Phoenix up in the air, the Suns may be in the market for a point guard this summer. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, there have whispers around the NBA in recent weeks about the possibility of the team making a run at one of the top free agents on this year’s market.

“I want you to keep your eye on James Harden,” Shelburne said during an ESPN LA Radio appearance (hat tip to HoopsHype). “I don’t want to report anything, but that was in the wind for the past month or so. Everybody thinks it’s Philly or Houston (for Harden), but I don’t know, there have been discussions in the wind.”

While the latest reporting from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicates that Harden’s decision may come down to the Sixers or Rockets, Shelburne isn’t the only reporter linking the former MVP to Phoenix. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer agrees that the Suns will be “trying to do something big” this offseason, suggesting during an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link) that Harden and Kyrie Irving may both be on the club’s radar.

As for Paul, O’Connor hears from sources that the Clippers, Lakers, and Spurs would be the teams to monitor as potential destinations for the veteran point guard if he’s waived. Although the Sixers aren’t one of the teams mentioned by O’Connor’s sources, he views Philadelphia as a possible fit for Paul too, and wonders if there’s a scenario where the Suns and 76ers essentially swap point guards.

Of course, it’s worth reiterating that Paul hasn’t been waived yet, and even if he is, he could still return to Phoenix as long as the Suns don’t stretch his remaining guaranteed money across multiple seasons. NBA analyst Isiah Thomas, who is close with Suns owner Mat Ishbia, said this week during a TV appearance not to “close the door” on the possibility of CP3 remaining in Phoenix.

Here’s more out of Phoenix:

In a podcast with ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst (YouTube link), Zach Lowe said he believes the Suns’ hiring of Frank Vogel as head coach increases the odds of Deandre Ayton remaining with the team by “a non-trivial amount.” Lowe adds that he has heard Ishbia is a fan of Ayton. “I think part of the reason why Frank Vogel got the job was because when he came in he had an idea of what to do with Deandre Ayton,” Windhorst said. “It does not mean it’s going to work. They obviously, as an organization, have a complicated relationship there, they did not want to pay him the max. But for the last year, he was in an adversarial relationship with his coach.”
For his part, Vogel told reporters this week that he’s looking forward to working with the former No. 1 overall pick, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (via Twitter). “There’s still areas that he can grow offensively, but I’m intent on really connecting with him and restoring him to an All-Star level player,” Vogel said of Ayton.
Speaking to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Suns general manager James Jones outlined his vision for what he wants the 2023/24 Suns to look like. “A team that shoots it, off-ball movement,” Jones said. “A team that can rebound well and put pressure on the rim. I know that seems very generic, but those are the areas of the game that if you’re effective in those areas, you give yourself a chance really good chance at winning with just good players. If you can do that with great players like we have… you increase your odds and that’s all you want to do. You want to tilt the odds in your favor.”
Vogel has the support of Suns stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant and has spoken to both of them since being hired by the team, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. Vogel said he’s looking forward to seeing what Booker and Durant will bring defensively in addition to their elite play on offense. “I really love how Kevin and Devin compete on the defensive end,” he said. “KD even hit me when we were talking, he said, ‘I can’t wait to guard in your system.’ He wants to get after it on both sides of the ball and feels like that’s something that really gets him going on the other end and I love that.”

Suns Notes: Ayton, Vogel, Young, Paul

June 8th, 2023 at 5:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns center Deandre Ayton enjoyed yet another promising regular season run in 2022/23, followed by a second consecutive disappointing playoff performance. Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic unpacks three reasons Phoenix should retain Ayton for 2023/24, along with three reasons to trade him.

Ayton signed a four-year, $133M offer sheet from the Pacers last summer, which the Suns promptly matched. Rankin believes that Ayton’s scoring versatility and his solid work as a screen-setter make him a good fit alongside stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, adding that working with a new head coach could be good for him.

The 6’11” big man averaged 18.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG across 67 contests with the Suns during the regular season, but took a step back as a scorer and defender in the playoffs. He averaged 13.4 PPG and 9.7 RPG overall in Phoenix’s 10 postseason contests this year.

There’s more out of Phoenix:

New Suns head coach Frank Vogel made an instant impression on new majority owner Mat Ishbia, per Doug Haller of The Athletic. “Right away, he puts you at ease,” Ishbia told Haller. Haller details how Vogel, who won a title with the Lakers in 2020, got the gig, and how he’ll help the team take the next steps in its championship chase. Haller reveals that Ishbia and team president James Jones kept Booker and Durant looped into their coaching search as they narrowed down their candidates. “Sometimes you need an injection of something, a different message, a different focus, a different perspective,’’ Jones told Haller. “You just need a different message and someone to carry the message differently. That’s sports.” Haller notes that Vogel’s previous experiences winning it all, managing star players, and being able to adjust his defensive schemes to accommodate different rosters particularly stood out.
Jones viewed the retention of assistant coach Kevin Young, a finalist for the head coaching position, as imperative to the team. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports unpacks Jones’ comments and more from the introductory press conference of Vogel. “Throughout the entire process, we’ve had frank discussions with Kevin around his desire to be in Phoenix,” Jones said. “He wanted to be here, we wanted him to be here, because he’s a great coach and he wants to win. So given the opportunity to stay here and continue to build with us, it was an easy decision for him, and it was an easy decision for us.”
As the Suns continue to consider whether they will waive veteran starting point guard Chris Paul, stretch and waive him, or trade him, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports weighs the various positives and negatives surrounding each potential decision.

Central Notes: Bucks Assistants, Beauchamp, Bulls, Pistons

June 8th, 2023 at 3:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin will be adding a couple of veteran assistants to his staff, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The new hires are Joe Prunty and Patrick Mutombo, who were with the Hawks and Suns this past season, respectively.

It will be Prunty’s second stint in Milwaukee, as he previously spent four seasons with the organization (2014-18), serving as interim head coach in 2017/18. He had a brief stint as interim coach of the Hawks in ’22/23 as well before they hired Quin Snyder. Prunty has been an NBA assistant for over 20 years, getting his start with San Antonio.

A former assistant with the Nuggets and Raptors, Mutombo was also head coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate, before heading to Phoenix to join Monty Williams‘ staff. Williams was fired after the season ended (he was recently hired by Detroit), leaving Mutombo to find a new opportunity. He previously worked with Griffin in Toronto.

Here’s more from the Central:

Bucks wing MarJon Beauchamp, who just completed his rookie season, said he had plans to travel to Greece on Wednesday to train with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, writes Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m excited – I don’t know what to expect,” Beauchamp said with a big smile. He also intends to play in Summer League next month, according to Nickel. The 2022 first-round pick was attending Griffin’s introductory press conference when he relayed the information.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago weighs the pros and cons of the Bulls possibly pursuing Chris Paul if he ends up getting waived by the Suns. While Paul could help the Bulls, Johnson considers it a “long-shot scenario” at the moment, noting that signing him while retaining some of the team’s own free agents could push Chicago into the luxury tax.
If Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson are the first four names called during the upcoming draft, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic believes the most likely scenario for the Pistons at No. 5 is selecting Villanova wing Cam Whitmore. In the event that Whitmore is taken No. 4, Edwards predicts Detroit will take Houston forward Jarace Walker instead of either of the Thompson twins. He also explores a “very, very, very unlikely” but “non-zero” scenario in which Miller falls to No. 5.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Russell, Paul, Draft

June 8th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Rory Maher

A primary goal for the Lakers this offseason will be signing Anthony Davis to an extension, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said earlier this week on Get Up (YouTube link).

As Windhorst notes, Davis won’t be extension-eligible until August, at which point the Lakers could offer him a three-year contract worth a projected $167.5MM. If the two sides can’t reach an agreement on a new deal, Davis could enter unrestricted free agency in 2024 if he declines his $43.2MM player option for 2024/25.

At this time, Windhorst also believes the Lakers will continue on their stated path of re-signing their own key free agents — including Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura — instead of creating cap room in pursuit of Kyrie Irving. Windhorst thinks the mostly outcome for Irving is re-signing with the Mavericks, noting that they can pay him much more money than L.A. can.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Guard D’Angelo Russell‘s stock seems to have taken a hit after a poor showing in the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension (he’s eligible for a two-year deal). While he might not be the Lakers’ top priority, ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested on his podcast that a reunion may still be in the cards (hat tip to RealGM). “I actually think there are corners of the organization that would still like D’Angelo Russell back just because they have a void at that position,” Lowe said. “They need a point guard.” Jovan Buha of The Athletic said last week that he thought Russell would most likely end up back in L.A., perhaps on a two- or three-year deal worth around $20MM annually, though it’s far from a lock.
Chris Paul‘s uncertain status with the Suns has rivals speculating about his future, and the Lakers are atop the list of his possible suitors, multiple league executives tell Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “Lakers first,” one Eastern Conference GM texted. “It’s not definite, a lot can happen. But you’d have to start there. He always had (the) dream of being a Laker (and) playing with LBJ (LeBron James).” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently cited the Lakers as a potential destination as well, noting that Paul lives in Los Angeles during the offseason.
The Lakers will be hosting a pre-draft workout on Thursday, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The six featured prospects are D’Moi Hodge (Missouri), Caleb McConnell (Rutgers), JT Shumate (Toledo), Logan Johnson (Saint Mary’s), Damion Baugh (TCU) and Matthew Mayer (Illinois). The Lakers currently control two picks in the 2023 NBA draft, Nos. 17 and 47.

Western Notes: CP3, LeBron, Mavs, Jeter, Blazers

June 7th, 2023 at 8:48pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns “would like to find a way to financially keep Chris Paul” on their roster, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link).

That said, if Phoenix is unable to find a better alternative and winds up releasing Paul, the longtime veteran would be “very coveted” on the open market, Wojnarowski says. Woj names the Lakers and Clippers as two teams that would be interested in Paul’s services, noting that the veteran point guard lives in Los Angeles in the offseason.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated speculates (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies, Celtics and Heat could be among the other teams calling Paul’s agents if he hits unrestricted free agency.

Here’s more from the Western Conference

LeBron James hinted at retirement after the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whom James passed this season to become the league’s all-time leading scorer, recently touched on the possibility of James retiring, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times writes. “At the end of the year, after all that, LeBron and most of the guys looked like they’d been through two seasons, you know? But they still gave it an awesome effort,” Abdul-Jabbar said Monday. “I think it’s up to him. Certainly doesn’t have to prove anything. And it’s just what he wants to do at this point.”
Kyrie Irving reportedly wants the Mavericks to pursue James, but that’s certainly far-fetched. Even if they could pull it off, Tim Cato of The Athletic argues that adding James wouldn’t make the Mavs a title contender, as having three players on max (or near max) deals while trading away all their remaining assets would make it incredibly difficult to build out the rest of the roster. Cato also notes that James’ defensive effort comes and goes at this stage of his career and he isn’t a reliable spot-up shooter to complement Luka Doncic.
Former NBA guard Pooh Jeter is retiring as a player, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (via Twitter). Jeter played for the G League Ignite this past season and mentored Scoot Henderson. The 39-year-old has already found a new gig, reaching an agreement in principle to become an assistant GM for the Trail Blazers‘ new G League affiliate. Jeter will also serve as a player development coach for the Blazers, according to Spears.

Latest On Suns, Chris Paul

June 7th, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Rory Maher

There are conflicting reports on what the Suns intend to do with future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul.

Although Chris Haynes recently reported that the Suns plan to waive Paul’s partially guaranteed contract, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic hears from sources who say Phoenix is still evaluating its options with the veteran point guard. Paul remains on the roster for now.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Suns spoke to Paul’s agent on Wednesday and let him know they want to find a mutually beneficial resolution. Charania reports that a trade, waiving and stretching Paul’s contract, and waiving Paul outright and possibly re-signing him are among the options being considered.

One notable option that Charania did not mention is fully guaranteeing Paul’s $30.8MM contract for 2023/24, which is currently partially guaranteed for $15.8MM (it’s non-guaranteed for $30MM in ’24/25). The 38-year-old’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 28, but that doesn’t sound like it’s on the table for the Suns.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Suns intend to explore trade possibilities for Paul and Deandre Ayton, which could obviously have a profound impact on the team’s roster.

As of now, sources tell Wojnarowski that Paul wants to return to Phoenix and play with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. However, Paul and his representatives would like the Suns to find a quick solution, particularly if he’s waived, even though they’re technically under no obligation to do so.

There’s an expectation that the Suns will use the stretch provision on Paul’s deal if he does end up getting cut, Wojnarowski writes. That would spread his $15.8MM cap hit over five seasons, for annual charge of $3.16MM. Paul would be ineligible to re-sign with Phoenix in that scenario.

Plugged-in local radio host John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM also disputes Haynes’ report, tweeting that the Suns haven’t yet decided what they’re going to do with Paul.

Suns Reportedly Plan To Waive Chris Paul

June 7th, 2023 at 4:22pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns plan to waive point guard Chris Paul, whose $30.8MM contract for 2023/24 is partially guaranteed at $15.8MM, sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link).

In a recent podcast appearance with Zach Lowe, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested the Suns might waive Paul instead of guaranteeing the remainder of his salary. He also predicted Paul would still be on the roster next season (YouTube link).

“Stretch Chris Paul?” asked Lowe (hat tip to RealGM)

“There are other things that can be done,” said Windhorst.

“I might be dumb, but I think Chris Paul is still good,” replied Lowe.

“I think Chris Paul will be a Sun next year, but what if he’s a Sun and they don’t have to pay him $30 million,” said Windhorst.

As Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype tweets, the Suns could stretch Paul’s $15.8MM cap hit over five years, which would equal $3.16MM annually. However, if they go that route, they would be ineligible to re-sign Paul over that same time frame.

If they simply release his contract and he clears waivers, Paul will become an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any team, including Phoenix. In a thin free agent market, he will be one of the best players available, despite his advancing age (he turned 38 last month).

As we noted in our Offseason Preview, if the Suns were to guarantee Paul’s salary, they would have been in danger of exceeding the second tax apron, which is a pseudo-hard cap in the new CBA. Waiving (or waiving and stretching) Paul would make it easier to stay below that threshold and give Phoenix more options to work with, but the team would also risk losing him for nothing.

The 12-time All-Star plans to play “several” more seasons and is enthusiastic about helping a team contend for a title, according to Haynes (Twitter link). Haynes reported last month that the Suns were considered likely to guarantee the remainder of Paul’s contract, but obviously there was a change of plans.

Paul is coming off another disappointing playoff exit that was related to injuries. This time, he suffered a left groin strain in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Nuggets that sidelined him for the rest of the series.

Paul, who has led the league in steals six times and assists five times, is widely considered one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, as well as one of the best players to have never won a championship. In his first season with Phoenix back in ’20/21, he helped the team reach the Finals, ultimately falling to the Bucks in six games.

In 59 regular season games (32.0 minutes) in ’22/23, he averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals on .440/.375/.831 shooting. He holds career averages of 17.9 points, 9.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals on .472/.369/.870 shooting in 1214 games (34.4 MPG).

Suns Hire Frank Vogel As Head Coach

June 6th, 2023 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

June 6: Vogel is officially head coach of the Suns, the team announced in a press release.

“We are thrilled to welcome Frank Vogel to the Phoenix Suns as our new head coach,” said owner Mat Ishbia. “This is an important day for our organization as we continue to build a championship culture on and off the floor.

“Frank is an accomplished coach who understands how to win an NBA championship, which is our priority. Frank brings incredible character and work ethic, making him the ideal leader to continue to build one of the best organizations in all of sports.”

June 2: The Suns intend to hire Frank Vogel as their new head coach, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Vogel will replace Monty Williams, who was dismissed this spring after four years on the job.

Vogel and the Suns are currently working on finalizing a long-term deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Charania says it’s expected to be worth $31MM over five years (Twitter link).

This will be Vogel’s fourth NBA head coaching job. He coached the Pacers for five-and-a-half seasons from 2011-16, moved to Orlando from 2016-18, and was the Lakers’ leader for three years from 2019-22.

While his two years with the Magic (54-110) were forgettable, Vogel posted winning records in Indiana (250-181) and Los Angeles (127-98) and led the Lakers to a championship in 2020. Vogel, who took this past season off, was an assistant for the Celtics, Sixers, and Pacers before earning a mid-season promotion in Indiana in 2011.

Vogel was initially reported as one of five finalists for Phoenix’s coaching job, alongside Kevin Young, Doc Rivers, Jordi Fernandez, and Nick Nurse. Nurse accepted a position in Philadelphia, while a subsequent report indicated that Fernandez was no longer in the running, narrowing the Suns’ remaining candidates to Vogel, Young, and Rivers.

Just before word broke that Vogel was Phoenix’s choice, Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) reported that Rivers had withdrawn from consideration, though it’s unclear whether that’s because he decided he didn’t want the job or because he got the sense the Suns were going in another direction.

Young, who served as Williams’ associate head coach in Phoenix over the last few seasons, was considered a legitimate candidate who had some support within the organization, including an endorsement from star guard Devin Booker.

However, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the Suns liked the fact that Vogel has championship experience and a reputation as a defensive guru. Gambadoro adds that there’s a real chance Young could remain with the Suns as the top assistant on Vogel’s staff.

In Phoenix, Vogel will get the opportunity to coach a team led by Booker and Kevin Durant. The rest of the roster is in flux entering this offseason, with Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul viewed as trade candidates and only two other players – Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne – under contract.

The Suns are the latest team to complete a head coaching search this spring, joining the Rockets, Sixers, Bucks, and Pistons. As our tracker shows, the Raptors are the only team that still has a coaching vacancy.

Suns To Hire David Fizdale As Assistant Coach

June 5th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns are adding former Grizzlies and Knicks head coach David Fizdale to be an assistant on Frank Vogel‘s coaching staff, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, Phoenix made a “significant financial play” to lure Fizdale away from his current position as associate general manager of the Jazz. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, who first reported that Fizdale was a prime candidate to join Vogel in Phoenix, hears that Fizdale tripled his salary and will be making in the range of $1.2-1.5MM annually (Twitter link).

Gambadoro writes that Fizdale was happy with his job in Utah, but enjoyed working with Vogel after spending the 2021/22 season on his staff with the Lakers. Wojnarowski notes that Fizdale also has experience with Suns president of basketball operations and GM James Jones, as they spent several years together in Miami when Jones was a player, winning a couple of championships.

Fizdale, who played college ball at San Diego from 1992-96, became an assistant coach at his alma mater in 1998. He made the transition to the NBA in 2003 and served as an assistant coach for the Warriors, Hawks, and Heat before being hired as the head coach of the Grizzlies in 2016. The 48-year-old had brief head coaching stints in Memphis and New York, compiling a 71-134 record (.346 winning percentage) and making one playoff appearance.

And-Ones: Expansion, Free Agency, Adelman

June 5th, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

NBA commissioner Adam Silver made his latest statement on the possibility of expansion during an interview Sunday on NBA TV (video link).

Silver has repeatedly said that the idea of adding teams won’t be considered until after the 2024/25 season. The league wanted to get its new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, which has been done, and negotiate its new media rights deal before thinking about expanding.

“I think it makes sense over time, if you’re a successful organization, to continue to grow,” Silver said. “There’s no doubt there are a lot of great cities we’re interested in having in the NBA.”

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Lakers guard Austin Reaves is among the upcoming free agents who boosted their value during the NBA playoffs, writes Frank Urbina of HoopsHype. Reaves was already headed for a big payday, but his importance to the team was on display during L.A.’s run to the Western Conference Finals. Reaves will be restricted, so the Lakers can match an offer from another team, and Urbina believes he might get more than the $52MM over four years that L.A. can offer before he explores the market. Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, Heat guard Gabe Vincent, Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, Nuggets swingman Bruce Brown, Nets forward Cameron Johnson and Suns center Jock Landale also make Urbina’s list.
James Harden and Kyrie Irving are the top names on HoopsHype’s updated list of this year’s best free agents. The former Nets teammates will be the most-watched players on the market this summer, with Harden rumored to be interested in returning to Houston and Irving possibly not a lock to re-sign with Dallas. Kristaps Porzingis, Fred VanVleet and Khris Middleton round out the top five. The same five players are at the top of a free agent list compiled by Alex Kennedy of Heavy.com.
The National Basketball Coaches Association announced Sunday that Rick Adelman is this year’s winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Adelman ranks 10th in career coaching wins with 1,042 and reached two NBA Finals with the Trail Blazers.“Chuck was a great coach and respected by all those who coached against his teams,” Adelman said. “To receive an award like this I have to thank all those who helped me along the way, in particular my assistant coaches and front offices. I would also like to thank the players I had through the years. Their effort and cooperation made everything I did possible. Good players make coaching much easier.”