Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Executive Jason Rowley Resigns From Position

February 6th, 2023 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns president and CEO Jason Rowley has resigned from his position with the franchise, sources tell Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

Rowley had been with the Suns since 2007 and has been the team’s president since 2012. He came under scrutiny following the publication of an ESPN report detailing team owner Robert Sarver‘s history of workplace misconduct in Phoenix.

ESPN’s reporting indicated that other high-level team executives, including Rowley, had also treated employees poorly and engaged in acts of retaliation and intimidation.

Despite those allegations, Rowley reportedly told Suns employees in January that he had no intention of resigning from his role. He issued a statement to ESPN saying that the outlet’s reporting “misrepresented me and others,” adding that he would “never quit on this team and the people who make up this great organization.”

Less than a month later, he has resigned, according to Holmes, though it’s fair to question how voluntary the decision was.

Sarver has sold the Suns to Mat Ishbia and the new owner is expected to formally take control of the franchise this week, so it seems likely that there will be turnover in the upper ranks of the organization – though not necessarily among basketball operations executives – in the near future as Ishbia puts his stamp on the team and looks to distance himself from the Sarver era.

Devin Booker Expected To Return On Tuesday

February 6th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns star Devin Booker is expected to return to action for Tuesday’s contest in Brooklyn, head coach Monty Williams told reporters, including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that the shooting guard could return as soon as Tuesday, and barring any last-minute setbacks, it appears that will be the case.

Booker, a three-time All-Star, has been sidelined since Christmas Day due to a left groin strain, missing 21 consecutive games with the injury. The Suns were initially in a tailspin without their best player, losing nine of 11 games, but have righted the ship recently, winning eight of their past 10 contests.

Through 29 games (34.6 MPG), Booker is averaging 27.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 5.6 APG on .477/.370/.850 shooting. Phoenix is currently 29-26, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

Suns Reportedly Offered Chris Paul, Jae Crowder For Kyrie Irving

February 5th, 2023 at 9:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns put together a trade offer for Kyrie Irving that included Chris Paul and Jae Crowder, along with draft capital, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Brooklyn also received an offer from the Lakers that included the only first-round picks left at their disposal — the ones in 2027 and 2029. Confirming a report that surfaced on Friday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that the Lakers offered the Nets a package of Russell Westbrook and the two first-round picks but the Nets also wanted all of their young players, including Austin Reaves and Max Christie.

Charania also provided more specifics on Phoenix’s offer. The Suns were willing to give up Paul, Crowder and one first-round pick. However, the Nets wanted three first-round picks in order to take that deal. The Suns never added those picks and ultimately lost interest in pursuing a trade.

The Nets ultimately decided to go with the Mavericks‘ offer of Spencer Dinwiddie, forward Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick with Markieff Morris also going to Dallas.

Despite Paul’s age, Phoenix’s willingness to give up its floor leader for the unpredictable Irving is an eye-opener. The Suns had a successful weekend, picking up victories in Boston and Detroit, and should get Devin Booker back soon from his groin injury.

However, Paul has battled heel and hip injuries that have led to questions about how his body will hold up throughout this season and the remainder of his contract. Paul is making $28.4MM this season and $30.8MM next season, though only $15.8MM is guaranteed. His $30MM salary in 2024/25 is not guaranteed.

Crowder has been sitting out all season, awaiting a trade.

Pacific Notes: Hachimura, Irving, Durant, Fox

February 5th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Lakers combo forward Rui Hachimura is comfortably slotting in to his new role with the club, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. The athletic 6’8″ forward has become a solid fast-breaking force for Los Angeles so far.

His length, size and speed are massive attributes for a team desperately bereft of those components.

“[Russell Westbrook and LeBron James] get all the defensive attention so I have a lot of easy looks, in either transition of the half court,” Hachimura said. “So, yeah, I love playing with those guys.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Prior to his eventual move to the Mavericks, the Lakers had conversations with the Nets about a framework for a Kyrie Irving trade, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Woj reveals that Brooklyn prioritized the Dallas trade offer because it gave them better role-player depth than Los Angeles could offer, in addition to similar future draft equity.
Now that Irving is off the Brooklyn roster, the Suns are hoping to make a legitimate trade offer for the Nets’ lone remaining All-Star, power forward Kevin Durant, sources inform Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). There’s no indication that Brooklyn is willing to listen on Durant at this point — if that changes, plenty of other suitors figure to join the Suns.
With Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry likely to be sidelined for multiple weeks due to a leg injury, commissioner Adam Silver may have to select an injury replacement for the All-Star Game. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee tweets that Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox deserves to receive serious consideration for that spot.

Trade Rumors: Anunoby, Crowder, Heat, Thybulle, Wood, Russell, Plumlee

February 4th, 2023 at 10:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors will be looking for young talent rather than draft assets if they decide to trade OG Anunoby, multiple league insiders tell Christian Clark of NOLA. Toronto plans to wait until its current road trip ends on Sunday before making a decision on whether to part with Anunoby or any of its other top players.

Clark points out that the Pelicans can offer players such as Dyson Daniels, Herbert Jones and Naji Marshall, who are all on team-friendly contracts, along with a large collection of draft picks. In addition to holding all its own first-round picks over the next five years, New Orleans is owed future first-rounders from both the Lakers and Bucks.

Anunoby is one of the league’s top perimeter defenders, ranking first in both steals and deflections per game, and he shoots 39.2% on three-pointers. He can be used at shooting guard in a fully healthy lineup or he can handle either forward slot if Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson continue to battle injuries.

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

The Bucks have been considered a potential landing spot for Jae Crowder, but John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets that the Suns are unlikely to accept Milwaukee’s latest offer of Serge Ibaka, George Hill, Jordan Nwora, and second-round draft capital. Gambadoro also doesn’t expect Phoenix to wind up with Anunoby (Twitter link).
Assuming the Heat don’t make a play for Kyrie Irving, their main focus before the deadline will be finding another power forward or center who would be worth giving up a first-round pick, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson talks to a scout from a rival team about several trade prospects and what it would take to acquire them.
The Hawks have joined the Kings as suitors for Sixers guard Matisse Thybulle, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. Sources tell Stein there’s a significant chance of Thybulle being moved by the deadline.
The Clippers are considering Mavericks big man Christian Wood and Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell, Stein adds in the same piece. He also states that the Kings have contacted the Hornets to see if Mason Plumlee is available. Sacramento is hoping to deal Richaun Holmes and Alex Len and would like to improve its interior defense.

Kyrie Irving Notes: Possible Suitors, Tsai, Nets’ Reaction

February 4th, 2023 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

Following Kyrie Irving‘s trade request on Friday, initial reporting identified the Lakers, Mavericks, and Suns as the point guard’s top potential suitors. Could there be other teams willing to enter the fray and make a play for the Nets star?

Don’t count on the Clippers being one of Irving’s suitors, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his latest Lowe Post podcast. Although the Clippers have been linked to some points guards who are considered trade candidates, Lowe and his guest Bobby Marks expressed skepticism that L.A. would have legitimate interest in acquiring Kyrie.

“Everything I’ve heard for a year is leading me to say I would be very, very surprised if the Clippers actually dip their toe into this Kyrie Irving situation,” Lowe said. “Maybe that’ll change if Kawhi (Leonard) goes to them and says, ‘Do this or else’ or whatever. I just don’t get the sense that they have the appetite for it.”

There has been some speculation that the Heat could get involved, but Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links) says Miami won’t be aggressive in its pursuit of Irving. The Heat will monitor the situation and could be a landing spot if Brooklyn gets desperate, Jackson says, but other suitors will likely be more motivated. Jackson adds that Irving “doesn’t exactly fit the qualities” the Heat value in their players, including “reliability, selflessness, (and) putting (the) team first.”

Sam Amick of The Athletic offers up the Jazz as an outside-the-box suitor for Irving, observing that CEO Danny Ainge wouldn’t have the same reservations about Kyrie that some other executives would, even though his time in Boston didn’t necessarily go as planned.

Amick is just speculating though — there’s no indication the Jazz have actually expressed interest in Irving. I’d be surprised if they do, given that the chemistry in the locker room has been a major asset in Utah this season, and Irving may not have any desire to re-sign with the Jazz when his contract expires in the summer.

Here’s more on the Irving situation:

League sources with knowledge of the Mavericks‘ thinking downplayed Dallas’ chances of landing Irving, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. In the same story, Scotto says the Nets are fans of Mikal Bridges. However, it’s highly unlikely the Suns would be willing to give him up in a deal for Irving.
Nets owner Joe Tsai was firmly against the idea of offering Irving a maximum-salary extension last summer and that stance hasn’t changed, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link). Begley doesn’t specify whether Tsai is only opposed to the idea of a long-term maximum extension for Kyrie or if he’d also be opposed to guaranteeing him the max for one or two years. Either way, the difference in opinions on Irving’s value going forward was clearly the driving factor in his decision to request a trade.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated on his Hoop Collective podcast that he believes the Nets were surprised by Irving’s trade request, as RealGM relays. A source close to people in the organization who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com conveyed a similar sentiment. “People are walking around like, ‘What the f–k just happened?’ It’s crazy,” the source said. “Crazy. But we’ve seen it before there, so nobody should be that surprised. Crazy.” One player source who spoke to Bulpett speculated that Irving’s trade request was a gambit designed to get him the sort of extension he wants.
After “a few months in the sun,” the Nets find themselves in a familiar place, clouded by chaos, Alex Schiffer writes for The Athletic. Elsewhere at The Athletic, John Hollinger explores what an Irving trade might look like for nine different teams, including extreme long shots like the Pelicans and Bulls.
Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post argues that the Nets should give Irving the trade he wants and “end the charade” of trying to mollify him in Brooklyn.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

February 3rd, 2023 at 8:00pm CST by Rory Maher

After Kyrie Irving‘s agent reached out to the Nets about an extension last week, Brooklyn offered him a deal that included an unlikely incentive based on the team winning a championship, sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Haynes was told that Irving’s camp refused to negotiate after the offer, and now the All-Star guard reportedly won’t re-sign with the Nets even if he was offered a fully guaranteed maximum-salary extension, which would be worth $198.5MM over four years.

According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), an unlikely incentive can be worth up to 15% of a contract’s yearly value.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Nets offered a multiyear extension, with the stipulations tied to the last year of the deal. Charania didn’t specify the years or amount that was offered.

Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Nets were “reluctant to rush into a long-term commitment without further evidence that Irving could stay reliable, perform at a high level and remain controversy-free.” Reading between the lines, it’s pretty clear that he wasn’t offered a four-year extension.

The market isn’t exactly brimming with teams in pursuit of Irving due to how many games he’s missed over the past handful of years, not to mention the controversy. In fact, two of his primary would-be suitors, the Lakers and Mavericks, are wary of giving up “significant trade assets” in a potential offer, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Irving, who turns 31 next month, is making $36.9MM in the final year of his contract. If he’s traded, he would be eligible for a two-year extension worth up to $78.6MM until June 30, but Woj sounds skeptical that would be available to Irving, especially right away, writing that “no teams are privately expressing a desire to make that investment.” That includes the Suns, another team expected to have interest in acquiring Irving.

The Nets are currently 31-20, the No. 4 seed in the East, but have gone just 4-7 since Kevin Durant was injured. Wojnarowski reports that many rival teams are “far more interested” in seeing how Durant reacts to Irving’s trade request and learning whether Durant may decide to follow suit, rather than pursuing Irving himself.

In an appearance on NBA TV (Twitter video link), Haynes said he “would be very surprised if Kyrie is a Net past the trade deadline,” which is February 9 at 2:00pm CT.

Lakers, Mavs, Suns Among Possible Kyrie Irving Suitors

February 3rd, 2023 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Mavericks are among the teams expected to talk to the Nets before next Thursday’s trade deadline about a possible deal involving Kyrie Irving, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

In addition to the Lakers and Mavs, the Suns have emerged as a potential suitor for Irving, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times tweets that there has also been some buzz in league circles about the Heat being a team to watch.

Irving has reportedly requested a trade out of Brooklyn.

There are a handful of reasons why the list of obvious matches for Irving isn’t lengthy. His history of mercurial behavior and inconsistent availability will scare many teams away, as will the fact that he’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end — some suitors will be reluctant to give up much for a player who might be a rental, while others may not welcome the idea of having to negotiate a new contract with the 30-year-old. Additionally, Irving’s $36.9MM cap hit is sizable and wouldn’t be easy for certain clubs to match.

Still, Irving remains an elite talent on the court, having averaged 27.1 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 5.1 RPG on a sparkling .486/.374/.883 shooting line in 40 games (37.0 MPG) for Brooklyn this season, so it’s safe to assume Sean Marks and the Nets’ front office will get some inquiries.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Irving hasn’t given the Nets a list of preferred landing spots, but his interest in the Lakers has carried over from the 2022 offseason.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, have had interest in Irving in the past, though they’ve been reluctant to give up a substantial haul of assets for the All-Star guard, tweets Wojnarowski. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon observes (via Twitter) that Mavs president of basketball operations Nico Harrison (a former Nike executive) and head coach Jason Kidd have long-standing relationships with Irving, and Dallas badly wants a co-star for Luka Doncic.

As for the Suns, they’re viewed as one of the only teams capable of making a deal with the Nets that could leave both teams as contenders, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

When Irving explored the possibility of changing teams last summer, the Lakers, Mavericks, and Heat were said to be on his wish list, along with the Clippers, Knicks, and Sixers. New York and Philadelphia don’t look like logical fits for Kyrie at this point, but L.A.’s other team could be worth keeping an eye on.

There haven’t been any reports linking Irving to the Clippers so far, but they’ve reportedly expressed interest in some other point guards and have been “proactive” in gauging John Wall‘s trade market, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Trade Rumors: Anunoby, Hornets, Prince, Beasley, Crowder

February 3rd, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have told teams they’ll wait until their current road trip is over before making a decision on their direction at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an appearance on NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link). With games in Houston on Friday and Memphis on Sunday still on tap for Toronto, potential trade partners will have to wait a few more days for clarity.

However, if the Raptors do make OG Anunoby available, Windhorst expects there to be several playoff teams vying for his services.

“If the Raptors are willing to put OG Anunoby on the trade block, I believe – conservatively – there could be six or seven different teams, a lot of them contenders for the title this year, who are willing to put in a significant offer for him,” Windhorst said. “It would really depend then on whether the Raptors prioritized getting young players… or if they decided to focus on draft picks, because that would change the order of teams that you’d like for OG.”

In the same TV segment, Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Bobby Marks observed that it would help potential Anunoby suitors if they could get some clarity on whether the NBA will tweak its contract extension rules in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Based on the current rules, if he were to sign an extension, Anunoby could only get a 20% raise on next season’s $18.6MM salary (or on his $19.9MM player option for 2024/25). As such, he may be inclined to wait for free agency to sign a new contract, since he could get a bigger raise at that point. However, if the new CBA loosens restrictions on veteran extensions, a team acquiring Anunoby now would be in a better position to extend him before the end of his current contract.

CBA negotiations are ongoing, so it’s unclear if teams will have a real sense by the February 9 deadline of whether or not those rules will change.

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

The Hornets are engaged in trade talks about “almost all of their veterans,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link) writes, citing league sources. While Lowe doesn’t name specific players, we’ve previously heard Mason Plumlee, Terry Rozier, and Kelly Oubre, among others, referred to as possible trade candidates.
In his Lowe Post podcast, Lowe mentions in passing that teams are calling the Timberwolves about forward Taurean Prince “a lot.” Lowe doesn’t provide any additional details, but it seems safe to assume that Minnesota isn’t eager to move one of its key role players, given the team’s playoff aspirations. The Wolves currently rank sixth in the West at 28-26.
Rival executives tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report that they believe the Jazz have at least one team willing to offer a first-round pick for veteran wing Malik Beasley. It’s unclear what sort of protections that first-rounder might have or whether Utah would have to take back a multiyear contract for salary-matching purposes.
The Bucks aren’t the only team that has requested and received permission to speak to Suns forward Jae Crowder, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who says there are “others” who have done the same.

Suns Notes: Booker, Payne, CP3, Lee, Washington

February 3rd, 2023 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to return to action as soon as Tuesday against the Nets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Booker hasn’t played since Christmas Day due to a left groin strain, but was reevaluated on Wednesday and was said by the Suns to be “game-to-game” at that point.

Booker has already been ruled out for Friday’s game in Boston and it sounds like he won’t be back for Saturday’s contest in Detroit, but Wojnarowski suggests the standout guard could return to the court for the third game of Phoenix’s road trip, on Tuesday in Brooklyn. Booker said on Wednesday that he felt like he was “rounding third (base),” as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic tweets.

Unfortunately for the Suns, it will still be a little longer before they get another key backcourt piece back. As Rankin writes, the club announced on Friday that Cameron Payne (right foot sprain) continues to make progress in his recovery but will be out at least one more week before being reevaluated.

Here’s more on the Suns:

The Suns have been linked to a handful of point guards in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, including Fred VanVleet and D’Angelo Russell, but that doesn’t mean they’re considering the idea of trading current starter Chris Paul, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe stated on his Lowe Post podcast. “Let me be clear, I don’t think they’re trading Chris Paul,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “I’ve heard nothing about trading Chris Paul. In fact, I’ve heard the opposite.”
Discussing the Suns’ decision to cut Duane Washington Jr. in order to bring back Saben Lee on a two-way contract after Lee’s second 10-day deal expired, head coach Monty Williams said that there will some “financial implications” in play, tweets Rankin. Phoenix has an open spot on its 15-man roster, but is well above the luxury tax line — two-way salaries don’t count against the cap or tax.
Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com shares five of his takeaways from the Lee/Washington roster swap, exploring why the Suns were willing to let Washington go and considering whether the club’s decision to retain Lee is a reason to be concerned about Payne’s status.