Morgan Cato

Pacific Notes: Lue, Little, Roddy, Suns’ Front Office, Kings

Tyronn Lue has a year left on his contract and the Clippers reportedly want to extend him, but The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on the Up & Adams show (video link) that the parties are not close to any agreement.

“To my knowledge there hasn’t been any progress in those conversations,” Charania stated. Lue stated shortly after the Clippers were eliminated from postseason contention that he’s eager to sign an extension.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Suns are hamstrung by reaching the second luxury tax apron, which severely limits what they can do in terms of personnel moves. Gerard Bourguet of PHNX Sports explores potential trades involving Nassir Little or David Roddy, noting that Little’s $6.75MM could force the Suns to explore three-team deals if they try to deal him to another team above one of the tax aprons. That’s because apron teams can’t take back more salary than they’re sending out. Roddy’s modest $2.8MM contract includes a team option but they might have to add a draft pick to trade him.
  • The Suns are making some changes to their front office. Assistant general managers Morgan Cato and Trevor Bukstein have not been retained, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
  • The Kings have the No. 13 pick but that didn’t deter them from interviewing some of the top prospects at the recent draft combine, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. The list of players who met with Kings representatives included Alexandre Sarr, Donovan Clingan, Dalton Knecht, Ja’Kobe Walter, Cody Williams and Sacramento native Jared McCain. Sarr is the considered the favorite to be chosen No. 1 overall, while many draft experts have Clingan in their top three.

Suns Hire Morgan Cato As Assistant GM

6:42pm: The team has officially hired Cato, according to a press release.


5:07pm: The Suns will hire Morgan Cato as an assistant GM and VP of basketball operations, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Cato will become the first woman of color in the league’s history to hold the title of assistant GM. She will report to GM James Jones and work with coach Monty Williams in a variety of ways. Those duties will include leadership and strategy related to coaching development, player engagement and front-office personnel operation.

Cato has been working the league office as an associate vice president. She spent the past decade working under president of league operations Byron Spruell. Her responsibilities included developing strategies to grow the game throughout the NBA and around the world, including the launch of the Basketball Africa League.