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Suns Notes: Ishbia, S. Lee, Johnson, Okogie

January 21st, 2023 at 6:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mat Ishbia isn’t officially the new owner of the Suns yet, but his presence at courtside for Thursday’s game reinforced the idea that a new era is starting in Phoenix, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. It was the first time the billionaire mortgage lender has attended a game since reaching an agreement to purchase the team last month, and the players were happy to have him there.

“He’s a cool guy,” Ish Wainright said. “I look forward to meeting him, picking his brain about not just basketball, but about business. I want to get to know him.”

Ishbia is still awaiting league approval on his $4 billion purchase, a process that Rankin notes typically takes about two months. Once the sale is official, the franchise can move on from current owner Robert Sarver, who was pressured to sell the team after being suspended for a year and fined $10MM for creating a toxic work environment. Coach Monty Williams believes Sarver shouldn’t be judged too harshly for his actions.

“Robert did a lot for this team, he did a lot for this city, he did a lot behind the scenes that people will never know about,” Williams said. “It was an unfortunate ending … but now as we turn the page, you start to look forward to what can be with the team with new ownership.”

There’s more from Phoenix:

  • Saben Lee is thrilled to get a second 10-day contract, Rankin tweets. Although Lee saw consistent playing time in his first four games with the Suns, averaging 11.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per night, he didn’t take a second deal for granted. “When you expect things in this league, it usually doesn’t go the way you want it to,” Lee said.
  • Cameron Johnson, who played 22 minutes Thursday in his return to action following meniscus surgery on his right knee, will sit out Saturday’s game due to injury management, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.
  • Josh Okogie, who suffered a broken nose Monday when Deandre Ayton accidentally elbowed him in the face, will be able to play Saturday night after clearing his final concussion evaluation, according to Bourguet (Twitter link).
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Suns Sign Saben Lee To Second 10-Day Deal

January 21st, 2023 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

JANUARY 21: As expected, the Suns have signed Lee to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

JANUARY 20: Saben Lee‘s first 10-day contract with the Suns hasn’t technically expired yet, but it will do so before Saturday’s game, so he’ll need to be re-signed if the team wants him available for that contest — and beyond. That’s expected to happen, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who says Lee is on track to ink a second 10-day deal with Phoenix.

Lee, 23, has been the only 10-day signee so far this season to immediately step into a regular role upon joining his new team. The former second-round pick has averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game during four appearances with the Suns.

Lee’s best game came on Thursday, when he played a season-high 29 minutes, scoring 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and dishing six assists in a Phoenix victory.

Assuming Lee officially signs a new contract with the Suns on Saturday, his contract would run through January 30, making him eligible to play in the club’s next six games. As was the case on his first 10-day deal, he would earn approximately $106K for his 10 days of work, as our chart shows.

After his second 10-day contract expires, Lee wouldn’t be able to sign a third with the Suns, so the team would have to either sign him for the rest of the season or let him walk.

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Suns Notes: Ishbia, Lee, Paul, VanVleet

January 19th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Brothers Mat and Justin Ishbia reached an agreement last month to purchase a majority stake in the Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury. Ishbia attended Phoenix’s game against Brooklyn on Thursday and is already influencing the team’s approach to the trade deadline, Shams Charania said on The Rally (video link).

“I’m told since Mat Ishbia and his announcement that he’s going to take over the Suns’ ownership has come out, the Suns have actually informed teams that they’re willing to move a first-round pick and potentially take on salary long-term for good players,” Charania said.

We have more on the Suns:

  • The team will have to make a decision on Saturday whether to offer Saben Lee another 10-day deal. Coach Monty Williams strongly endorses keeping Lee on the roster, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com tweets. “I’m hopeful to keep him around, because he brings something that we need,” Williams said. Entering Thursday’s game, Lee had appeared in three games with Phoenix, averaging 10.0 points and 3.0 assists in 19 minutes per game.
  • The Suns decided to sit Chris Paul on Thursday even though he practiced on Wednesday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “He did everything yesterday. It was just a decision that was made,” Williams said. It was Paul’s sixth consecutive missed game due to a hip issue.
  • Phoenix has been mentioned as a potential free agent destination for Raptors guard Fred VanVleet but as Bourguet explains in detail, that doesn’t seem feasible. The Suns don’t have the cap space to sign VanVleet in free agency and would have to blow up the roster to do a sign-and-trade. Trading for him before next month’s deadline in an attempt to re-sign him to max money also seems unwise, given their salary issues, especially if Paul remains on the roster as the starter.
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Checking In On 10-Day Contracts

January 18th, 2023 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams gained the ability to sign players to 10-day contracts on January 5, which was 13 days ago. As a result, a few of the first 10-day deals signed this season have already expired.

Of the three players whose 10-day contracts have expired, only one – Joe Wieskamp of the Raptors – has received a second 10-day commitment. His new 10-day deal will run through next Thursday (January 26).

Lakers guard Sterling Brown had his 10-day deal expire on Sunday night and wasn’t re-signed by Los Angeles before the team took the floor on Monday, which is an indication that L.A. is exploring other options for that roster spot. Meyers Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins recently worked out for the Lakers and may be candidates to become the club’s 15th man for at least 10 days.

Spurs big man Gorgui Dieng saw his 10-day contract expire on Tuesday night following the team’s win over Brooklyn. Dieng was only on the court for a total of 74 seconds during his 10-day deal, but he has spent most of the season out of San Antonio’s rotation and the team has seemed happy to keep him around, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he receives another 10-day offer from the Spurs. It may not happen for another day or two though, since Dieng would only be available for four games instead of five if he re-signs before Thursday.

Since teams can only sign a player to two standard 10-day contracts in a season, the Raptors will have to decide next week whether to commit to Wieskamp for the rest of the season or let him walk. I’d guess the team will choose the latter path, at least for now — it wouldn’t make sense for Toronto to compromise its roster flexibility by filling its 15th spot with a guaranteed contract before the trade deadline arrives.

Brown would only be able to sign one more 10-day contract this season with the Lakers, while Dieng could do the same with the Spurs, though both players are free to sign two 10-day deals with any other team.

Three more 10-day contracts will expire later this week. PJ Dozier‘s deal with the Kings ends after tonight’s game, while Friday will mark the 10th day under contract for both Derrick Favors (with the Hawks) and Saben Lee (Suns).

Dozier has only seen garbage-time action for Sacramento and Favors has yet to take the court for Atlanta, but Lee is playing rotation minutes for an injury-ravaged Phoenix squad. He has averaged 10.0 points and 3.0 assists in 19.0 minutes per game in three appearances with the Suns, making him a strong candidate to spend at least 10 more days with the team beyond Friday.

Be sure to use our 10-day contract tracker and our roster counts page to keep tabs on the active 10-day contracts.

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Suns Sign Saben Lee To 10-Day Contract

January 11th, 2023 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

4:35pm: Lee’s deal is now official, the Suns announced (via Twitter).

10:35am: The Suns have reached a contract agreement with guard Saben Lee and will sign him to a 10-day deal, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee spent his first two NBA seasons with the Pistons, first on a two-way pact and then on a standard contract. He appeared in 85 total games for the team, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .434/.265/.731.

Lee was traded from Detroit to Utah in September’s Bojan Bogdanovic deal and was subsequently released by the Jazz. After clearing waivers, he signed a training camp contract with the Suns, but his initial stint in Phoenix was short-lived — he was cut by the team during the preseason.

Since the start of the regular season, Lee has had two separate stints in the G League with the Raptors 905, sandwiching a one-month stay in Philadelphia on a two-way contract with the Sixers. In 15 total appearances in the NBAGL’s Showcase Cup with the Raptors’ and 76ers’ affiliates, he averaged 23.3 PPG on an impressive .531 FG% while also contributing 6.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.5 SPG.

Lee will help fortify a Phoenix backcourt that has been bitten by the injury bug in recent weeks. Devin Booker remains sidelined due to a left groin strain, Cameron Payne is out with a right foot sprain, and Chris Paul and Landry Shamet both missed Tuesday’s game due to hip problems (it was Paul’s second consecutive missed game).

No corresponding move will be necessary for the Suns, who have an open spot on their 15-man roster. As a result of his two years of NBA experience, Lee will earn approximately $106K on his 10-day deal with Phoenix, as our chart shows.

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Atlantic Notes: Lee, LeBron, Maxey, Grimes

December 29th, 2022 at 7:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After being released from his two-way contract with the Sixers earlier this week, young point guard Saben Lee has re-joined the Raptors‘ NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, writes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

Lee initially joined the 905 in October before latching on with Philadelphia in late November on that two-way deal.

The 23-year-old was initially selected with the No. 38 pick out of Vanderbilt in the 2020 draft. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the Pistons, averaging 5.6 PPG across 85 games. This season, he has appeared in 15 NBAGL games between the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and the Raptors 905, averaging 23.3 PPG, 6.4 APG and 4.7 RPG.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • With Lakers forward LeBron James recently voicing his concerns about being able to compete with his current team during the twilight of his career, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice wonders if the Sixers could work as a potential trade landing spot for the 18-time All-Star this summer. James, who just inked an extension prior to the start of this season, cannot be moved until the start of the 2023 offseason. Next summer, Neubeck notes, the Sixers could potentially trade the expiring contract of starting small forward Tobias Harris along with explosive young guard Tyrese Maxey, plus some future draft compensation, to L.A. in exchange for James.
  • Maxey, who has been sidelined with a fractured foot since November 18, practiced with the Sixers on Thursday, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, a positive sign that he’ll be back in action this weekend. The possibility of a potential Friday return against the Pelicans in New Orleans was recently floated, and he has been officially listed as probable to suit up for that game, Mizell reports (Twitter link).
  • Young Knicks guard Quentin Grimes continues to develop as a potent 3-and-D option for New York, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Grimes has been performing well since been promoted to a starting role for his team last month. “It’s not an easy chore to take the best perimeter player every game,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Grimes. “Sometimes, you can do it great, and they still can score. But he’s got the right mindset for it.”
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Sixers Waive Saben Lee, Sign Louis King To Two-Way Deal

December 26th, 2022 at 4:30pm CST by Rory Maher

4:30pm: King’s two-way deal and Lee’s release are now official, the Sixers announced in an email.

3:28pm: The Sixers are signing forward Louis King to a two-way contract, his agent George Langberg tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Both of Philadelphia’s two-way spots are currently occupied, so the team will be waiving guard Saben Lee to make room for King, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

King spent one college season at Oregon before going undrafted in 2019. He has three years of NBA experience with the Pistons and Kings, all on two-way contracts. Sacramento waived him in February, making him a free agent.

In 26 career games (9.7 MPG), King holds averages of 4.2 PPG and 1.5 RPG on .392/.327/.684 shooting. Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, acquired hiss returning player rights at the end of September and he’s been playing for them in 2022/23. In 18 games with the Vipers, the 23-year-old averaged 19.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG and 0.9 BPG on .451/.314/.778 shooting.

The 38th pick of the 2020 draft out of Vanderbilt, Lee spent his first two seasons with the Pistons, averaging 5.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.3 APG and 0.8 SPG on .434/.265/.731 shooting in 85 games (16.3 MPG). He was sent to Utah as part of the Bojan Bogdanovic trade in the offseason and was subsequently waived by the Jazz, despite having a guaranteed $1.84MM salary.

The 23-year-old signed contracts with Phoenix and Toronto in the preseason, but he was cut shortly after each deal was completed. Lee signed a two-way deal with the Sixers on November 23, though he hasn’t made an impact at the NBA level, appearing in just two games for 10 total minutes. However, he has put up big numbers in the G League this season, averaging a combined 23.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.4 APG and 1.5 SPG on .531/.308/.753 shooting splits with the Raptors 905 and the Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia’s affiliate).

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Sixers Sign Saben Lee To Two-Way Deal

November 23rd, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 23: The Sixers have officially signed Lee and waived Foster, the team confirmed today in a press release.

NOVEMBER 22: The Sixers will sign point guard Saben Lee to a two-way deal, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.

Philadelphia waive Michael Foster Jr. to clear a spot for Lee, Bontemps adds. The hope is that he’ll clear waivers and join the 76ers’ G League team, the Delaware Blue Coats.

Lee spent the last two seasons with the Pistons after being the 38th pick of the 2020 draft. He appeared in 85 games for Detroit, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .434/.265/.731.

Lee was included in the preseason trade with the Jazz that landed Bojan Bogdanovic in Detroit. He failed to make the Jazz’s opening night roster and was waived. He then signed with Phoenix and was quickly waived; the Raptors signed and waived him in mid-October.

Toronto gave Lee an Exhibit 10 contract and he has played for Raptors 905, their G League team, so far this season. Lee was averaging 21.7 points and 6.0 assists in seven G League appearances.

Foster, a rookie forward, had his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal in mid-October. He made a brief appearance in Tuesday’s win over the Nets. Foster played for the G League Ignite last season.

Lee provides some depth at the point guard spot with Tyrese Maxey sidelined by a foot fracture and James Harden out due to a foot strain.

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And-Ones: Media Rights, G League, Bledsoe, Beasley, Franklin

November 2nd, 2022 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

When the NBA negotiates its next television deal, expect the league to sell a separate package of streaming-only games, writes Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. As McCarthy outlines, the NFL and MLB have sold packages of games to Amazon and Apple in recent years, and the NBA is expected to follow suit, with Amazon in particular having made it clear it wants to get into business with the league.

“Amazon is locked and loaded for a shot at the NBA,” a source told Front Office Sports.

According to McCarthy, sports media consultant Patrick Crakes estimated that the bidding for a streaming-only NBA package could start in the neighborhood of $1 billion per year. The league’s current TV deal with ESPN/ABC and Turner Sports pays the league about $2.6 billion annually — the next rights deal is expected to double or triple that figure, McCarthy writes.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

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Raptors Sign, Waive Saben Lee

October 16th, 2022 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have signed and subsequently waived free agent guard Saben Lee, the team announced today.

The 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Lee spent his first two NBA seasons with the Pistons, first on a two-way contract and then on a standard deal. He appeared in 85 total games for the team, averaging 5.6 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .434/.265/.731.

Lee was traded from Detroit to Utah last month in the Bojan Bogdanovic deal and was subsequently released by the Jazz. After clearing waivers, he signed a training camp contract with the Suns on Tuesday, but his stint in Phoenix was short-lived — he was cut by the team on Thursday.

Despite the fact that he spent time on three rosters leading up to the 2022/23 season, Lee’s G League rights weren’t held by any team until he signed with the Raptors, his fourth club of the last month. Toronto signed Lee to an Exhibit 10 contract that will ensure he receives a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Raptors 905.

The Raptors didn’t have to make a corresponding roster move to make room for Lee, since the 15-man limit still won’t apply until after Monday’s cut-down deadline. Since Lee won’t clear waivers until Tuesday, Toronto will be on the hook for one day’s worth of dead money for him — that portion of prorated salary figures to be worth $10,552.

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