Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Devin Booker Talks MVP Race, Sarver, Ayton

December 1st, 2022 at 1:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-NBA Suns shooting guard Devin Booker spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic for a wide-ranging interview that was published the day he would help extend Phoenix’s win streak to six games on the strength of a 51-point performance, while shooting a terrific 20-of-25 from the field through just three quarters.

Booker has emerged as a possible frontrunner for league MVP honors. He has been the best and most consistent player on the top team by record (15-6) in the Western Conference to start this season. Amick notes that Booker finished fourth in MVP voting last year, as the best player on a 64-18 Suns team.

Through 21 games this season, Booker is averaging 29.0 PPG on .489/.378/.878 shooting splits. He is also contributing 5.8 APG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.1 SPG.

The 6’5″ three-time All-Star’s conversation with Amick is worth reading in full, but here are some highlights:

On being a potential early favorite for the 2023 MVP award:

“I’m not even in that race. I just let these people say what they want. Like bro, I focus on hoops only… And historically speaking, if you look at last year, like somebody (else) might have got MVP (in his situation) if it wasn’t me. Best team in the league with whatever (production). But the criteria changes, the media changes. I think it’s good for the NBA, (but) there’s just certain people that they want to push more than others. And that’s just the nature of life.”

On his feelings towards minutes management:

“I’m not a part of that, man (laughs). I’m 26 years old, man. I train hard. I spend a lot of time in the summer making sure my body’s right to be able to take that load on, so I want to be out there, and I want to win basketball games and do what I have to do to help the team. That’s just how I’ve always been… Every day I wake up grateful for the opportunity to play, and I’ve never lost sight of that, back from being the little kid who wanted to be in the NBA. And I haven’t lost sight of those kids that are up in the stands that might be seeing me for the first time.”

On the team’s ability to ignore the chaos surrounding embattled owner Robert Sarver:

“I don’t think it’s fair to think that that would come in between what we have going on in this locker room. There’s too many level-headed guys. We have too many conversations that we keep in house between the team. Like, we have a lot of educated people on this team. We’re pretty close, and we talk about everything. Our group chat is going. And we keep everything in (house) and talk about it here. And, you know, a decision was made (regarding Sarver), so there’s really nothing else we can do or say about it. Media day was tough, and that was it.”

On Suns center Deandre Ayton dealing with tension ahead of his eventual maximum contract:

“I think he grew up a lot. He’ll be the first one to tell you that it was just realizing what the NBA is about. You grow up and you’re like, ‘I want to play in the NBA,’ but you don’t realize it’s a business. There’s things that go on. There’s conversations that had to be had. And being a young top pick and coming in at 18 (years old), and him being all over in his childhood from the Bahamas to San Diego, I don’t think he realized that it’s actually business. And that was good for him. I mean, he got his money. He’s in a great situation now. He’s playing free. He’s happy.”

Wizards Among Potential Suitors For Jae Crowder

November 30th, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards appear to be among the trade suitors for Suns forward Jae Crowder, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast. Crowder has sat out the entire 2022/23 season as Phoenix has looked to move him, and Washington is in the market for a three-and-D type player.

“There’s been some chatter about them looking at a guy like Jae Crowder,” Windhorst said of the Wizards (hat tip to RealGM). “I’m pretty confident there’s been some discussions between the Wizards and Suns. We’ve been talking about Jae Crowder now for about two months. It’s obvious it’s a hard trade to pull off. The Wizards have a bunch of guys who make decent salaries on their roster that they can use in trades.”

A number of Eastern Conference playoff contenders have already been linked to Crowder, with the Heat, Hawks, and Bucks among the teams said to have interest. There was a sense a couple weeks ago that Phoenix might be on the verge of completing a deal involving the 32-year-old, but nothing has come of those rumors to date.

The Suns are one of the NBA’s best teams and will be looking for win-now pieces – rather than draft picks or prospects – in any Crowder trade, which has made it challenging for them to make a straight-up trade with another contending club. They’ve reportedly explored multi-team scenarios in an effort to get the sort of player(s) they’re targeting.

According to Windhorst, Phoenix would like to acquire a power forward in a Crowder trade. A previous report indicated the Suns have interest in Kyle Kuzma, but the Wizards are presumably looking to supplement Kuzma in their frontcourt rather than give him up, given the year he’s having. Former lottery picks Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija could be trade candidates, as Windhorst observes.

“What Phoenix has been looking for in return for Jae Crowder is a power forward,” Windhorst said. “So you can look at the (Wizards’) roster and you can identify that maybe Hachimura would be a guy. But they haven’t made the deal yet, so there hasn’t been a connection there.

“… To be honest with you, if I was Phoenix – now again, this is me speaking, this is not what I’ve heard, to be clear – I’d be interested in Avdija. I am interested in what he can do defensively. But I haven’t heard that. I’ve just heard that those two sides have talked.”

Crowder ($10.18MM) and Hachimura ($6.26MM) are on expiring contracts, while Avdija ($4.92MM) has one more year left on his rookie deal after this one.

Pacific Notes: Crowder, Paul, Ham, Green

November 29th, 2022 at 9:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns president of basketball operations James Jones said he hasn’t found the “right fit” to make a deal involving veteran forward Jae Crowder, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). Crowder is sitting out while waiting to be moved.

“Just haven’t been able to get a deal done,” Jones said. “We have natural deadlines, like the trade deadline, where you usually have a flurry of deals but other than that, it’s just finding the right fit and we just haven’t been able to find that yet.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Suns guard Chris Paul is “close” to returning, Jones said in another video link posted by Bourguet. “He’s been looking good and we’re still taking the long view,” Jones said. A heel injury has sidelined Paul since Nov. 7. Paul is still listed as out for Wednesday’s game against Chicago, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.
Lakers first-year coach Darvin Ham dealt with trade rumors during his playing career and hopes his current players take the same approach as rumors swirl around the franchise, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. “I’ve dealt with that myself personally,” he said. “But you just have to have an approach that whatever jersey you put on, it’s a blessing to be in this league and handle it like a professional.”
Draymond Green‘s status with the Warriors franchise seemed tenuous after he punched Jordan Poole during a practice in training camp. However, Green has reestablished himself as an indispensable cog as they shoot for a second consecutive title, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “I’ve said for years that Draymond is the heartbeat of our team,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s the guy who kind of makes everything go. He’s the motivator. He’s the bully who protects his teammates on the floor and talks trash. This guy is just so good at basketball.” Green holds a $27,586,225 option for the 2023/24 season.

Suns Notes: Ayton, Paul, Payne, Landale

November 28th, 2022 at 7:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Deandre Ayton was named the Western Conference Player of the Week. The Suns have seen stretches of dominance from Ayton during his career but he hasn’t been able to sustain it.

The former No. 1 overall pick believes that putting up big numbers should be the “norm” at this stage of his career. Phoenix is certainly paying for that kind of production after matching Indiana’s four-year, $133MM offer sheet this summer.

“I want to be a great player, and you’ve got to be willing to put up numbers and win games night in, night out,” he told Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. “So I think I’m to that point where this should be a norm. This is how I’m supposed to play.”

We have more on the Suns:

Chris Paul missed his 10th straight game on Monday due to right heel soreness, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. The Suns have gone 6-3 entering the game with Sacramento since Paul has been sidelined. Cameron Payne is averaging 17.7 points and 6.8 assists since he became a starter in place of Paul.
Backup big man Jock Landale has played sparingly but he provided a spark in a one-point win over Utah on Sunday, Rankin notes. Landale had four points, an offensive rebound and an assist in a five-minute cameo. “I think that’s the benefit of being on this team is we have three guys pretty much at every position that can hold it down,” Landale said. “They call on me to come in and help out and I just went in there and played hard and that’s the stuff I can control is going in and playing hard and helping the team out.”
In case you missed it, general manager James Jones was promoted to president of basketball operations. Get the details here.

Deandre Ayton, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

November 28th, 2022 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns center Deandre Ayton and Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (via Twitter).

Ayton, the Western Conference winner, led the Suns to a 3-0 week with averages of 23.7 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 67.4% from the field and 81.3% from the free throw line. Phoenix is currently 13-6, the No. 1 seed in the West.

Antetokounmpo, the East’s winner, led the Bucks to a 3-1 week with averages of 35.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists on .611/.250/.644 shooting. He’s the first player of the 2022/23 season to win the award a second time. Milwaukee is currently 14-5, the No. 2 seed in the East.

According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant, while Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner and Donovan Mitchell were nominated in the East.

Suns Promote James Jones To President Of Basketball Operations

November 28th, 2022 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns have made general manager James Jones their new president of basketball operations along with his current title, the team announced in a press release.

Jones was named the Suns’ co-interim general manager alongside Trevor Bukstein in the fall of 2018 after joining the organization a year earlier as vice president of basketball operations. He became the lone, permanent GM in April 2019 and has held the position since then. In that time, he has taken a Phoenix team that was among the league’s worst and turned it into a perennial contender.

The Suns have captured two straight Pacific Division titles, posted franchise records with 64 wins and an 18-game winning streak and reached the NBA Finals. Jones received the Executive of the Year award in 2021.

“In the nearly 15 years I have known James, he has excelled in every role he performed, from player to NBPA Treasurer to his roles in our front office, most recently as general manager,” Suns interim governor Sam Garvin said in announcing the move. ” James has the unique ability to create and lead high-performing teams in basketball operations and his commitment to collaborating with our business side, including at the C-level with partners like PayPal and Verizon, is second to none. We are fortunate for his contributions across the organization and this promotion recognizes his commitment to excellence.”

Jones moved into a front office role in 2017 when his playing career ended after 14 NBA seasons. He was hired by Phoenix about a month after playing in the NBA Finals and began working to transform the franchise.

One of his first moves after being named the permanent GM was hiring Monty Williams as head coach, replacing Igor Kokoskov after just one season. Following the team’s undefeated run in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Jones swung for the fences by sending four players and a draft pick to Oklahoma City to acquire Chris Paul. That move lifted the Suns into the NBA’s upper echelon.

“I am grateful for the privilege to work with and support the players, staff and employees of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury,” Jones said. “The collective efforts of our business and basketball operations have allowed us to provide an amazing atmosphere and best-in-class experience for our fans and community. I remain excited about and dedicated to driving success for our teams on and off the court.”

Cameron Johnson Makes Progress; Chris Paul Still Sidelined

November 26th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns forward Cameron Johnson is celebrating his progress as he works to return from a meniscus tear in his right knee, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I jumped on it and I was shooting (on Wednesday),” said Johnson, who is projected to miss one to two months. “And I did more cardio and I was able to kind of let rip on the bike and get my heart rate up. When we go from playing every day, we’re sweating and running, that’s cardio. After surgery, it’s a little limited with those options. To be able to get back, work up a sweat and get my heart rate up and explore some new movements post-surgery, it’s my win for (Wednesday).”
Even coach Monty Williams can’t fully explain why Chris Paul remains unavailable, Rankin states in a separate story. Paul missed his ninth straight game tonight for the West-leading Suns. “My YouTube degree doesn’t go into medical,” Williams told reporters. “I just wait for them to tell me he can play. We’re just not there yet. I don’t have anything to add to that. If he was able to play, they’d be like, he’s ready to go. He’s just not there yet.”

Suns’ Landry Shamet Expected To Return After Seven-Game Absence

November 26th, 2022 at 3:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns guard Landry Shamet has missed seven consecutive games while in the NBA’s concussion protocols, but he has officially been upgraded from questionable to probable for Saturday’s game against Utah (Twitter link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).

Shamet told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that he expects to play on Saturday. He also detailed his recovery process and symptoms, among other topics.

“I feel a lot better,” he said. “You know, trusting our medical staff, they’ve been great. Concussions are weird. I don’t know, they just are. Sometimes you don’t really know what your feeling or what you’re supposed to feel, so really just communicating with them, trusting them. They’ve been great taking the lead and I feel really, really good, progressing back and I’m excited to get back going here (Saturday) hopefully.”

The 25-year-old said that he had another concussion in college, but this one was very different because the symptoms were delayed after initially just experiencing neck tightness. He said the worst came when the team traveled to Orlando earlier this month.

“We landed in Orlando − my siblings, Jacksonville’s home to them, so they came to visit me, one of my sisters, and that was when I felt like really bad,” Shamet said. “It was also the hurricane, so we flew into a hurricane, and with a concussion that’s just awesome (smiles). When we got to dinner, I couldn’t focus, the light, sounds, whatever, every time I stood up, I felt like Bambi, felt like I was gonna fall out. So that’s when it got like, ‘OK, this is kinda scary.’ I don’t throw up. I got really nauseous and threw up a couple times. A lot of that stuff I don’t take lightly. That’s what got me to be like, ‘This isn’t just a little headache I had.’”

The former 26th overall pick is in the first year of a four-year, $42.5MM rookie scale extension that he signed prior to last season. Only the first two years are guaranteed (at $19.75MM), so he could realistically become a free agent as early as 2024.

Unfortunately, although Shamet is on the verge of a return, 12-time All-Star Chris Paul continues to be hampered by right heel soreness and has been ruled out for tonight’s game, according to Bourguet. Saturday marks his ninth straight absence for the 12-6 Suns, the No. 1 seed in the West.

Chris Paul, Landry Shamet Full Participants At Practice

November 23rd, 2022 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Chris Paul and Landry Shamet were full participants in a non-contact practice today, Suns coach Monty Williams tells Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Paul is trying to return from a heel injury, while Shamet has been in concussion protocols.

Fischer’s Latest: Bey, Suns, K. Martin, Collins, J. Holiday

November 23rd, 2022 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

Team personnel around the NBA are keeping an eye on Pistons forward Saddiq Bey, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says Detroit has received some calls from clubs inquiring about the third-year pro.

Bey has been considered part of the Pistons’ core since being selected 19th overall in the 2020 draft. However, his production has dipped so far this season and he was recently moved to a reserve role for one game before an Isaiah Stewart injury reopened a spot for him in the starting five. That brief demotion represented the first time Bey had come off the bench since the first half of his rookie season.

Still, while the Pistons may be more amenable to listening to inquiries on Bey than they have been in the past, Fischer says the team still seems intent on further evaluating the former first-round pick before seriously considering the idea of making him available.

Here are a few more notes from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up, which also included items on the Jazz and Clippers:

The Suns‘ interest in Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr., first reported by Shams Charania last week, has resulted in Houston getting involved in some three-team Jae Crowder trade discussions, Fischer reports. Sources also confirm to Yahoo Sports that the Bucks have tried to use Grayson Allen to acquire Crowder, but Phoenix and Milwaukee have yet to find common ground on a straight-up deal.
There was “true momentum” toward a trade this past offseason that would have sent Hawks big man John Collins to the Kings, and the Wizards showed real interest in Collins prior to last season’s trade deadline, writes Fischer. However, Sacramento was happy to make a deal with Atlanta for Kevin Huerter instead, while Washington ended up landing Kristaps Porzingis to fortify its frontcourt. Fischer doesn’t say it outright, but the implication is that neither team is still pursuing Collins at this time.
Fischer echoes a John Gambadoro report stating that the Suns aren’t interested in acquiring Collins, largely due to the long-term money still left on his contract (he’s in the second season of a five-year, $125MM deal). And Phoenix may not be the only team that feels that way — Collins’ contract could complicate the Hawks‘ efforts to find a trade partner, according to Fischer, who suggests that the deal is “perceived to be above market value.”
Hawks wing Justin Holiday is worth monitoring as a possible trade candidate, per Fischer, especially if AJ Griffin continues to solidify a role in Atlanta’s regular rotation.