Landry Shamet

And-Ones: T. Davis, Player Tiers, 2025 FAs, R. Thompson

August 16th, 2023 at 7:19pm CST by Rory Maher

According to Arale Weisberg of Israeli outlet Walla Sport (Twitter link), Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona is keeping tabs on free agent wing Terence Davis, who spent the past two-and-a-half seasons with the Kings (hat tip to Dario Skerletic of Sportando).

In 64 regular season games (13.1 MPG) with Sacramento in 2022/23, Davis averaged 6.7 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .423/.366/.791 shooting. In total, the 26-year-old has appeared in 227 games over four seasons with the Raptors and Kings.

A handful of NBA teams were rumored to be interested in Davis once free agency got underway on June 30, but he has yet to find another club. The Kings renounced his rights in order to maximize their cap space this summer.

As Skerletic notes, Barcelona — which recently signed Jabari Parker — would likely have to give Davis a contract in the range of Parker’s deal to entice him to come to Europe. Parker will reportedly receive a one-year, $2MM contract that includes an NBA opt-out clause.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Earlier this week, Seth Partnow of The Athletic released his first two player tier rankings ahead of the 2023/24 season. Roughly ranking the top-125 players in the league, tier five consisted of 45 players, while tier four contained 41. His latest installment — tier three — includes 21 players, such as Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Kings guard De’Aaron Fox. Partnow’s top two tiers will feature 18 total players.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes an early look at the potential 2025 free agent class, with Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ranked No. 1 overall. Wizards guard Landry Shamet rounds out Gozlan’s top-65 list.
Former Indiana forward Race Thompson, who went undrafted earlier this summer, recently revealed that he sustained a right tibia plateau fracture a couple months ago, as Kyler Staley of Hoosier Illustrated relays. Thompson had reached an agreement to play for the Knicks in Summer League action, but obviously the injury prevented that from happening.

Suns, Wizards Officially Complete Bradley Beal Trade

June 24th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns and Wizards have issued press releases confirming that the Bradley Beal trade is official. Word of the agreement first broke last Sunday afternoon, with further details trickling out on Monday and Thursday.

The Wizards’ trade with the Pacers that moved Washington up from No. 8 to No. 7 in Thursday’s draft is also being folded into this transaction, making it a three-team deal. The full terms of the blockbuster deal are as follows:

Suns acquire Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd.
Wizards acquire Chris Paul; Landry Shamet; the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick); the Suns’ second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2030; first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030; and cash (approximately $3.5MM; from Suns).
Pacers acquire the draft rights to Jarace Walker (No. 8 pick), the Suns’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Wizards’ 2029 second-round pick.

Because the Suns’ 2028 second-rounder, originally committed to the Wizards as part of the Beal trade, is being rerouted to Indiana, all three teams satisfy the NBA’s “touching” rules for three-team deals.

The Wizards have now traded away their top two leading scorers from the 2022/23 season on consecutive days, having formally finalized their deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Boston very early on Friday morning.

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and new president of basketball operations Michael Winger issued statements within today’s trade announcement, wishing Beal well after he spent the first 11 years of his NBA career in D.C.

“Bradley leaves a legacy and impact that will continue to be felt by those he helped during the 11 seasons we watched him develop into a cornerstone of our on-court and off-court efforts,” Leonsis said. “We appreciate and respect the place he holds in our franchise’s history and we’re proud that he established himself as a star player, community leader and family man in Washington, D.C.”

“From afar, I’ve admired Bradley as an All-NBA player and a difference-maker in his communities,” Winger said. “We were pleased to work together to find a deal that moved us closer to our goal of eventually competing for championships while getting Bradley to a place where he’ll be able to do so immediately. We wish Bradley and his entire family the best of luck in Phoenix and thank him on behalf of the organization, the fans and the city of Washington for his immeasurable contributions.”

The Suns issued a statement of their own expressing excitement about the acquisition of Beal.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bradley, Jordan and Isaiah to the Phoenix Suns as we continue to build one of the premier organizations in all of sports,” Suns owner Mat Ishbia said. “Bradley Beal is one of the best players in the NBA and brings so much to our team including incredible work ethic, great character, and the mindset of a champion. Jordan and Isaiah add talent and versatility to our roster that will continue to make this team among the league’s best. We are committed to bringing an NBA championship to Phoenix and I could not be more excited about how this organization is coming together heading into the upcoming season.”

The Wizards have already agreed to a separate trade that will send Paul on to Golden State for a package headed by Jordan Poole, but referred to Shamet within today’s press release as someone who will be a “valuable contributor to our organization,” which suggests they plan to hang onto him.

For more details on the Beal trade, you can read our original story here and our Thursday follow-up here. We also have separate full stories detailing the Wizards’ move up to No. 7 and their trade agreement with the Warriors involving Paul and Poole.

Wizards To Receive Six Second-Rounders, Four Pick Swaps, Cash In Beal Trade

June 22nd, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

5:16pm: The Wizards will receive about $3.5MM in cash from the Suns as part of the deal, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

2:58pm: The Wizards and Suns have finalized their Bradley Beal trade agreement, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

The blockbuster deal is not yet official, but the two sides have formally agreed on the terms. They are as follows, according to Wojnarowski:

Suns to acquire Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd.
Wizards to acquire Chris Paul; Landry Shamet; the Suns’ second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030; first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030; and cash.
- Note: Paul will be flipped to Golden State in a separate trade.

It was previously reported that Goodwin and Todd would go to Phoenix as part of the package, and we knew that the Wizards were receiving “multiple” second-round picks and first-round swaps. However, it’s news that Phoenix is sending every second-rounder and first-round swap it possibly can to Washington.

NBA teams can only trade picks for up to seven drafts in the future, so this deal will have to wait until after Thursday’s draft is officially completed, since it includes assets from 2030.

The Suns previously traded away their 2029 second-round selection, so they’ll send the Wizards their six remaining tradable second-rounders.

Phoenix also previously dealt its 2025, 2027, and 2029 first-round picks to Brooklyn and gave the Nets the right to swap first-round picks with the Suns in 2028. The Suns will be able to offer Washington the ability to swap first-rounders with Phoenix in 2024, 2026, and 2030 and the ability to swap the Wizards’ own first-rounder with the least favorable of the Suns’ and Nets’ picks in 2028.

There’s also a scenario in which the Wizards would be able to swap their own first-rounder for the Sixers’ pick in 2028 if the Suns end up with that one instead of their own or Brooklyn’s, but that would require a specific set of outcomes and is probably a long shot.

A previous report stated that the Wizards and Suns are hoping to complete their trade call with the NBA on Friday. For cap-related reasons, the Beal trade will have to be completed in June, while the subsequent Paul trade with the Warriors will be finalized in July, tweets cap expert Albert Nahmad.

Wizards To Trade Bradley Beal To Suns

June 19th, 2023 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 19, 12:21pm: In addition to Beal and Goodwin, the Wizards are also sending Isaiah Todd to the Suns in the trade, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Todd’s minimum salary ($1,836,096) for the 2023/24 season is fully guaranteed.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets, Todd is coming off a disappointing season and was no longer in the Wizards’ plans, but from the Suns’ perspective, he’ll be a little cheaper than a minimum-salary veteran.

JUNE 18, 7:34pm: The Wizards are likely to include Jordan Goodwin in the trade, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Goodwin’s minimum-salary ($1,927,896) contract for next season is currently partially guaranteed for $300K.

JUNE 18, 3:35pm: The Wizards and Suns have agreed to a blockbuster trade that will send Bradley Beal to Phoenix, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links).

According to Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Wizards are expected to receive Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps in the trade. It will likely take a few days for the deal to be officially finalized, Woj adds.

Word first broke on Wednesday that the Wizards and Beal’s camp had been in contact about possible trade scenarios as the team’s new front office – led by president of basketball operations Michael Winger – mulled the possibility of a roster reset.

Beal’s contract, which has four years and nearly $208MM left on it, includes a no-trade clause, which gave him significant control over the process and limited the Wizards’ options. On Saturday, reports indicated that Washington was in serious talks with the Suns and Heat about possible deals involving the star guard.

It’s unclear whether the Wizards preferred the Suns’ offer, Beal preferred Phoenix over Miami, or both. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) hears that Phoenix was the only place Beal wanted to go, viewing it as the best fit for him and his family. However, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), the 29-year-old would have been happy to land with the Heat too, but the Suns were more aggressive in their pursuit.

Either way, Beal will form a new Big Three alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, as new Suns owner Mat Ishbia takes another big swing following the team’s deadline acquisition of Durant. A three-time All-Star, Beal will be changing teams for the first time in his career following 11 years in Washington.

“This was an extremely complicated process with so many different hurdles to get through and (Wizards owner) Ted Leonsis and Michael Winger were unbelievable partners in making this happen,” Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein said in a statement confirming the agreement, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

One of the NBA’s most prolific scorers in recent years, Beal averaged 30.5 points per game in 2019/20 and 31.3 PPG in 2020/21, but has seen his numbers dip in the past two seasons as he battled injuries and cut back on his shot attempts. In 90 games since the start of the ’21/22 season, he has averaged 23.2 PPG and 6.0 APG on .480/.333/.838 shooting in 34.6 minutes per night.

With Durant, Booker, Beal, and former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton all on maximum-salary contracts that run through at least 2025/26, the Suns’ team salary projects to be over the NBA’s new second tax apron for the next three seasons or more, limiting their ability to upgrade their roster around that core, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Barring a trade of Ayton, Phoenix will have to fill out its roster this offseason by re-signing its own free agents and/or adding outside free agents on minimum-salary contracts.

Having already sent their 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 first-round picks – as well as a 2028 first-round pick swap – to Brooklyn for Durant, the Suns could only offer the Wizards a pick swap in 2024 and/or 2026 in addition to multiple second-round selections. Phoenix’s 2029 second-rounder is the only one that was traded away in a previous deal.

Meanwhile, Winger’s tenure in D.C. will begin with a cost-cutting trade of a franchise player who signed what was – at the time – the richest contract in NBA history just one year ago. Paul and Shamet are under contract through at least 2024/25, but aren’t owed any guaranteed money beyond ’23/24, so they’re essentially on expiring contracts, while Beal would have made an average of $52MM through ’26/27.

Paul’s $30.8MM salary for next season is currently only partially guaranteed for $15.8MM, but that guarantee will need to be increased by nearly $10MM in order to meet the NBA’s salary-matching rules.

A league source tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the Wizards would like to keep Paul for next season, but if CP3 decides he wants to be on a club closer to contention, the Wizards and Suns would work to expand the trade to get him to a third team. It’s unclear whether Paul might be waived or bought out if he doesn’t want to play in D.C. and the trade can’t be turned into a three-team deal.

If he’s cut by Washington, Paul would be ineligible to return to the Suns, but would almost certainly pass through waivers and be able to sign with any other team as an unrestricted free agent. The Lakers are reportedly among the clubs expected to have “strong” interest in him in that scenario.

Shamet is owed $10.25MM in 2023/24 with non-guaranteed cap hits of $11MM and $11.75MM for the following two seasons.

Having moved on from Beal, the Wizards will now face major decisions on Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom can become unrestricted free agents if they decline player options for 2023/24.

If Washington pivots to a full rebuild, it will have a ripple effect on the Knicks, who are owed one of the Wizards’ first-round picks. That pick is top-12 protected in 2024, top-10 protected in 2025, and top-eight protected in 2026. It would turn into a pair of second-rounders if it hasn’t conveyed by then.

As for the Heat, they intend to shift their focus to Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and genuinely believe that Lillard could seek a trade out of Portland this offseason, reports Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link).

Beal has a 15% trade kicker, but because he’s already earning the maximum salary, it will be voided in this deal, Marks notes (via Twitter). Crucially, the guard’s no-trade clause will carry over to Phoenix, so the Suns would need to get his approval if they want to trade him down the road.

Stein’s Latest: Beal, Heat, Suns, Zion, Harden, Rosas, Bucks

June 17th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards may be motivated to move Bradley Beal sooner rather than later, Marc Stein writes at Substack, observing that the team’s leverage in trade negotiations could take a hit if Damian Lillard asks the Trail Blazers for a trade while Beal is still in D.C.

As Stein writes, the Heat are currently one of Beal’s prime suitors, but if Lillard were available, Miami would be at the top of his wish list too. The Heat are believed to prefer Lillard to Beal, but may not have the luxury of waiting to see if the Blazers guard will request a trade, says Stein. Miami theoretically has the assets to make a play for both stars, but the Wizards probably don’t want to risk having the Heat pivot to Lillard and away from Beal.

As we noted within our initial story on Beal this afternoon, the Wizards seem to be prioritizing cap relief rather than players on long-term contracts, which means Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul would be at the center of offers put forth by the Heat and Suns, respectively. Stein and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) confirm that Paul is expected to be part of any Phoenix offer, with Haynes adding that Landry Shamet would likely be included too.

Stein and Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald suggest that Paul’s partially guaranteed contract could appeal to the Wizards, since they could waive him by June 28 and only owe him his $15.8MM partial guarantee instead of his full $30.8MM salary for 2023/24. However, Paul’s outgoing salary for matching purposes in a trade would be equivalent to his guarantee for ’23/24, not his full cap hit, so the Suns may need to increase that guarantee in order to adhere to the NBA’s trade rules.

Here’s more from Stein:

While it remains to be seen whether the Pelicans will seriously consider moving Zion Williamson this offseason, Stein hears that they “quietly” held some exploratory talks a year ago before signing him to a five-year, maximum-salary contract extension. Stein also reiterates a point he made previously, writing that the “rising level of exasperation” within the organization about Williamson’s availability and approach will have to be addressed if Zion remains in New Orleans.
Star guard James Harden is believed to be giving “renewed consideration” to the idea of remaining with the Sixers rather than leaving for the Rockets in free agency, Stein reports.
More than one rival team expects the Knicks to make Gersson Rosas their new general manager under president of basketball operations Leon Rose following Scott Perry‘s exit from the franchise, Stein writes. Rosas is currently a senior basketball advisor for the Knicks.
Before hiring Adrian Griffin as their new head coach, the Bucks expressed “strong” interest in University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, along with Monty Williams, according to Stein, who notes that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted a former NBA player to get the job.

Suns’ Ayton Out For Game 6; Nuggets’ Murray Questionable

May 11th, 2023 at 2:52pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns have ruled out center Deandre Ayton for Thursday’s pivotal Game 6 against Denver due to the rib contusion he sustained in Game 5, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

On Wednesday, Phoenix ruled out point guard Chris Paul, who is battling a left groin strain, while Ayton was listed as questionable. Something troublesome must have been discovered during his medical evaluation, as the big man has been downgraded to out.

The team will now be playing without two starters in an elimination game, as the Suns trail the Nuggets 3-2 in their second-round series.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Twitter link) hears that guard Landry Shamet will enter the starting lineup tonight — I’m assuming that will be in place of Cameron Payne, who has been filling in for Paul, and not for Ayton. Backup centers Jock Landale and Bismack Biyombo figure to see extended playing time in the middle with Ayton out.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report argued before the news broke that the Suns would be better off giving the majority of Ayton’s minutes to Landale. Phoenix is minus-59 in Ayton’s 149 minutes in the series, but plus-27 in Landale’s 74 minutes.

The Nuggets might be shorthanded as well. Guard Jamal Murray is questionable with a non-COVID illness that has been traveling through the team, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter links).

Murray was unable to participate in Thursday’s shootaround, which was cut short due to the illness that’s going around, but Denver is hopeful he’ll be able to suit up, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Head coach Michael Malone and a “handful of players” are among those who have been affected, Youngmisuk adds.

Suns Notes: Paul, Shamet, Ayton, Jokic, Durant, Williams, Ishbia

May 8th, 2023 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have ruled out Chris Paul for Game 5 of the team’s second-round series against the Nuggets on Tuesday, ESPN’s news services relay. Paul has already missed the last two games after suffering a groin injury in Game 2.

Although these types of injuries normally take weeks to heal, there’s a possibility that Paul will return for the Suns in Game 6, Shams Charania said on Fan Duel TV (Twitter link). “I think the window for him to return from that groin strain is Game 6, potentially,” Charania said.

We have more from the Suns:

Guard Landry Shamet and center Deandre Ayton shrugged off criticism and made major contributions in Game 4, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com notes. Shamet had 19 points in 30 minutes off the bench, more points than the Nuggets’ entire bench produced. Shamet had only 14 points in the first seven playoff games. Ayton’s numbers were modest but he found ways to impact the game. “I thought he came out in that fourth quarter and made some huge defensive plays for us,” Kevin Durant said of Ayton.
How do the Suns feel about Nikola Jokic only getting fined after his sideline incident with new owner Mat Ishbia? Durant is happy that a potential suspension didn’t overshadow a pivotal contest, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “Glad none of that can get in the way,” he said. “We can just focus on basketball.” Coach Monty Williams feels the same way. “I just heard about the decision and that’s that,” he said. “I’m focused on us playing better, making the adjustments that we need to make. Being better at things we need to be better in. That’s my mindset. I don’t want to give energy and time to something that I can’t control. I’m good with it.”
Regarding the same incident, Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler wonders why Ishbia didn’t receive some disciplinary action from the league for holding the ball away from Jokic. Keeler suggests Ishbia should pay Jokic’s fine or that he also should get docked $25K.

Suns Notes: Booker, Durant, Ayton, Shamet, Ishbia

May 8th, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns have been able to even up their second-round playoff series behind phenomenal shot-making from Devin Booker, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Booker was 14-of-18 from the field in Sunday’s Game 4 victory after hitting 20-of-25 Friday night. MacMahon notes that the 331 points Booker has scored so far in the playoffs are the most by anyone through nine games since Michael Jordan 33 years ago.

“I know the spots where I’m supposed to be aggressive and where I’m supposed to make ’em pay,” Booker said. “I talked about transition earlier and just trying to get out and play fast, so they can’t set their defense and set their double-team. I don’t usually get open shots. So this is a new thing with having (Kevin Durant‘s) gravity on the floor.”

Sunday also marked the best game of the series for Durant, who delivered 36 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Injuries limited him to eight regular season games after he joined the Suns in February, so he’s still adjusting to his new teammates.

“To be honest, we’re still learning each other, learning which plays work for both of us, which plays work for our team as well,” Durant told reporters. “But at the core of it, it’s just all about playing ball and getting to your spots and just playing aggressive. I think we both do that. Book is always comfortable out there in any spot on the floor, and I feel like I’m the same way. The more reps we get, the better we going to get.”

There’s more from Phoenix:

Deandre Ayton tried to put aside the controversy that arose after he was pulled from Game 3 with 4:57 left to play (video link from Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). After being limited to four points Friday night, Ayton responded with eight points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes Sunday. “I know everybody seen me getting checked out late (in Game 3),” he said. “I don’t blame coach (Monty Williams). You’re trying to win.”
Landry Shamet scored 19 points Sunday and played 30 minutes, the most of any Phoenix reserve. He admitted being upset with his limited role in the playoffs and the criticism the team’s bench has received (video link).
Suns owner Mat Ishbia said there’s no need for the league to take further action following a sideline incident with Nikola Jokic in Game 4. “Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right,” Ishbia tweeted. “I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that.”

Suns Notes: Durant, Bench, Paul, Payne, Shamet

May 3rd, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant‘s playoff résumé – including 29.4 PPG in 155 games and a pair of Finals MVP trophies – was a major part of why the Suns traded for him in February. Durant performed at his usual postseason level in the first round against the Clippers, but has been a minus-24 in Phoenix’s first two games vs. Denver, making just 3-of-15 three-pointers (20.%) and committing nine turnovers.

As Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com writes, the Suns need more from Durant if they hope to erase their 2-0 deficit and knock off the top-seeded Nuggets. Still, head coach Monty Williams isn’t concerned about his star forward’s production, chalking up Durant’s 10-of-27 showing on Monday to an off night.

“He just missed a ton of shots, but we got a lot of the shots we wanted,” Williams said. “He and Book took most of the shots, we just didn’t shoot a great percentage tonight. And that kind of stuff happens. They only scored 97 points. Our defense was much better tonight, we just couldn’t put the ball in the hole.”

Here’s more out of Phoenix ahead of Friday’s Game 3:

The Suns’ bench production was dismal in Game 2, as Damion Lee, Cameron Payne, Torrey Craig, Bismack Biyombo, Jock Landale, and Ish Wainright combined for just four points on 2-of-16 shooting (0-of-9 on threes). While the team would presumably like to see those numbers improve going forward, Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic notes that Phoenix ranked last in the regular season among playoff teams in bench points, and Williams has said the roster is designed for the starters to do most of the scoring while the reserves contribute in other ways.
After Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that Chris Paul is expected to miss at least one week of action, the Suns officially listed their point guard as day-to-day due to his left groin strain (Twitter link). Although the team’s designation leaves the door open for a quicker return, I’d still be surprised if Paul makes it back before the one-week mark.
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, who also hears that Paul will miss at least a week, examines how the Suns can cope with the veteran’s absence. As Rankin observes, if Phoenix doesn’t want to move Payne into the starting lineup, the club could opt to shift Devin Booker to the point and start a player like Landry Shamet alongside him. Shamet was a DNP-CD in Game 2 after logging 14 minutes in Game 1.

Suns Notes: Durant, Ayton, Booker, Shamet

March 22nd, 2023 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns won their first three games with Kevin Durant in the lineup, but they’ve gone into a skid since his injury that could put them in danger of falling into the play-in tournament, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix is just 2-4 since Durant sprained his left ankle during warmups two weeks ago. The Suns are still fourth in the Western Conference standings, but they’re just two-and-a-half games away from the seventh spot, which is currently occupied by the Thunder and Mavericks.

Durant will miss his seventh straight game tonight, and although he recently started participating in shootarounds, there’s no indication of when he might be able to return. He’s scheduled for a medical reevaluation later this month, according to Rankin.

“We have some things to clean up,” Devin Booker said of the team’s recent play. “We know roles are going to change when KD comes back, but polishing everything up before he comes back is important, too.”

There’s more on the Suns:

Deandre Ayton will miss his second straight game tonight with a hip contusion he suffered last Thursday, Rankin adds. Bismack Biyombo took over as the starting center in Sunday’s game at Oklahoma City, and coach Monty Williams expressed confidence in his backups’ ability to contribute while the stars are injured. “You obviously need the guys that are important to the program, but all of our guys are,” Williams said. “That’s why player development, being ready to play is important also. That doesn’t diminish what Kevin and DA bring to the table. We all understand that, but we’ve prided ourselves having guys ready to play.”
With 11 games remaining, Booker understands that the Suns need to finish strong to give themselves the best possible chance in the playoffs, Rankin states in another Arizona Republic story. “You want homecourt advantage,” Booker said. “Honestly, if that’s not the case, I’m fine, too. I don’t think you want to be in the play-in. I think them adding the play-in kind of dices things up. It’s a one-game thing, but we just want to be there.”
Landry Shamet provides a balance of offense and defense that could lead to an important role for the rest of the season, observes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Bourguet assesses the strengths and weaknesses of all the Suns’ wing options and notes that Durant’s injury has prevented Williams from establishing a set rotation around his top four players.

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