Eastern Notes: Drummond, Knicks, Wizards
- Forward Lance Thomas is off to a rough start after being re-signed this offseason to a four-year, $27MM deal by the Knicks, Marc Berman of the New York Post points out. He is averaging 3.3 points on 33% shooting in 20.6 minutes and his defense hasn’t been good enough to make up for his offensive woes, Berman continues. New coach Jeff Hornacek has stuck with Thomas in the rotation even though European rookie Mindaugas Kuzminskas might be a better option, Berman adds.
- Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue admits he wasn’t paying much attention during the free agency period, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports. Lue was impressed when he found out about the Celtics’ signing of Al Horford, making Boston of one the main threats to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference, Fedor adds. “Whenever you are able to acquire another All-Star automatically you are going to get better,” Lue told Fedor. “That’s a great piece in going in the right direction.”
- Wizards rookie point guard Tomas Satoransky may have already moved ahead of Trey Burke in the rotation behind starter John Wall, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. Satoransky played 10 second-half minutes against the Raptors on Wednesday in place of Burke, who was acquired in a trade with the Jazz this offseason, Buckner adds. “It’s definitely something that’s going to be considered,” new coach Scott Brooks told Buckner. “Tomas brings a lot of energy and brings some toughness and has good size and athleticism. He’s played that position his entire life.”
Offseason In Review: Phoenix Suns
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2016 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2016/17 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Phoenix Suns.
Free agent signings:
- Jared Dudley: Three years, $30MM.
- Leandro Barbosa: Two years, $8MM. Second year partially guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Gracin Bakumanya: One year, minimum salary (summer contract). Waived.
- Derek Cooke: One year, minimum salary (summer contract). Waived.
- Shaquille Harrison: One year, minimum salary (summer contract). Waived.
- Derrick Jones: Three years, minimum salary ($42.5K guaranteed)
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Marquese Chriss (No. 8 pick) from the Kings in exchange for the draft rights to Georgios Papagiannis (No. 13 pick), the draft rights to Skal Labissiere (No. 28 pick), the draft rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic, and the Pistons’ 2020 second-round pick.
Draft picks:
- 1-4: Dragan Bender. Signed to rookie contract.
- 1-8: Marquese Chriss. Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-34: Tyler Ulis. Signed for four years, $4MM. Third and fourth years non-guaranteed.
Departing players:
Other offseason news:
- Named Earl Watson the team’s permanent head coach (had been interim).
- Hired Jay Triano and Tyrone Corbin as assistant coaches. Hired former NBA big man Mehmet Okur as a player development coach.
- Exercised 2017/18 team options on Devin Booker and T.J. Warren.
- Alex Len eligible for contract extension until October 31.
- Lost NBA rights to 2014 second-round pick Alec Brown.
- Hired Ty Ellis as head coach of the Northern Arizona Suns, their D-League affiliate.
Check out our salary cap snapshot for the Phoenix Suns right here.
The most important moves made by the Suns this offseason came before the free agency period began on July 1.
Phoenix’s first order of business was to decide what coach would guide a young roster through its rebuilding process. The second was to accumulate more difference-makers in the draft lottery through its abundance of picks.
The Suns didn’t take long on the first of those offseason decisions. They gave interim head coach Earl Watson the job full-time, making him the second youngest head man in the league this season behind only the Lakers’ new coach, Luke Walton.
Watson joined Jeff Hornacek’s staff prior to last season and got promoted when Hornacek was fired in early February. Though the Suns only went 9-24 the rest of the way, the front office liked the way the players responded to him.
“Earl did a very good job with our team last season after taking over as interim head coach during a challenging time for the organization,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough said at the time. “Earl’s natural leadership qualities and his ability to connect with and motivate our players have stood out throughout his time here in Phoenix.”
Former Raptors coach Jay Triano was soon hired as Watson’s right-hand man to lend guidance and an experienced voice.
With that out of the way, the front office’s attention turned to player personnel. The next few seasons for the Suns will be shaped by what they did on June 23rd. They walked into the draft with four first-rounders, including two lottery selections, and a high second-rounder.
They held onto the fourth overall pick and chose Euro big man Dragan Bender, giving them a stretch four with length and versatility. What they did with their other picks was both curious and intriguing. They packaged them up and shipped them to the Kings for another power forward, Marquese Chriss, a one-and-done prospect whom the Kings selected at No. 8.
How the Suns plan to use tandem of teenage power forwards in the long run remains as a question mark. The 7’1” Bender would have to fill out physically to handle the banging required to play center, and it’s doubtful two players of their size could man both forward positions because of obvious concerns guarding quicker small forwards.
So unless the Suns plan to have them split the minutes at power forward in the near future, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense unless they eventually make one of them a trade chip.
McDonough offered an explanation shortly after the draft.
“We knew Sacramento would consider dropping down from 8 to 13 if we made it worth their while. But both teams wanted to get on the clock in the draft to see who was still available on the board,” he said. “We took Dragan and said, let’s see what we can do to get No. 8 and get both of them. We think those two guys are perfect for the modern NBA, where athleticism and shooting and defensive versatility is at a premium, and they were the two best guys in the draft at those things.”
Phoenix went much smaller with its second-rounder, selecting diminutive point man Tyler Ulis out of Kentucky. Ulis provides a change of pace option to starter Eric Bledsoe, and the Suns were impressed enough to give him a four-year, partially-guaranteed contract.
In the early going, all three rookies have seen action, with Chriss getting rotation minutes.
Small forward P.J. Tucker had his $5.3MM guaranteed just before the start of free agency, but the Suns renounced their rights to four other players heading into the market. One member of that quartet, Jon Leuer, landed a lucrative four-year deal with the Pistons.
The Suns knew they weren’t going to attract any top-level free agents, so they went shopping for a couple of high-character players who could contribute in the short term. The biggest fish they landed was power forward Jared Dudley, who received a three-year deal to hold the fort until either Chriss or Bender is ready to move into the starting lineup.
Dudley’s contract was structured to give him slightly more at the front end, allowing a little more cap flexibility for the next two seasons.
The other top free agent addition, guard Leandro Barbosa, has a championship pedigree after playing for the Warriors during their trips to the Finals the last two seasons. The second year of Barbosa’s deal is non-guaranteed, but at $4MM per is cost effective if he shows he still has something in the tank this season.
Once those free agents were signed, the only other order of business was to decide whether to pursue a rookie-scale extension with Alex Len. There was never any indication the Suns were willing to get serious in that regard with their backup center, and no agreement was reached.
It’s obvious the Suns’ roster is still a work in progress. They have an aging center in Tyson Chandler, a backup guard in Brandon Knight with four years and nearly $57MM left on his deal, and uncertainty at small forward. T.J. Warren’s fast start could alleviate concerns with the latter issue.
Phoenix seemingly struck gold by selecting Devin Booker late in the 2015 lottery, and the 20-year-old shooting guard could develop into one of the league’s top scorers.
Ultimately, the success of the Suns’ 2016 offseason will be determined by whether Bender or Chriss develops into an All-Star level talent. Essentially, the Suns opted to give themselves two chances to find one top-notch power forward.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ex-Piston Lorenzo Brown Headed To Russia
Point guard Lorenzo Brown will sign with Russia’s Unics Kazan in the Euroleague, league sources informed Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter links).
Brown was forced to consider other options after being a late training camp cut by the Pistons. He battled Ray McCallum for the third point guard spot behind Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith, a competition that McCallum won. It turned out to be a moot point when coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy opted to claim Beno Udrih off waivers from the Heat just before the season opener and waive McCallum.
Detroit signed Brown to a 10-day contract late last season and then decided to keep him during the postseason, when it was swept in the opening round by the Cavaliers. Brown, who had a non-guaranteed deal, never appeared in a game with the Pistons.
Brown’s last NBA action came in January, when he was on two 10-days with the Suns. He averaged 2.5 points, 1.4 assists and 1.1 turnovers in 7.6 minutes per game across eight appearances with Phoenix.
Brown spent much of the season with Detroit’s D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, averaging 18.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.9 turnovers in 33.3 minutes per game. The relationship between the Pistons and the former N.C. State standout, who was the 52nd pick in the 2013 draft, dates to the 2014 preseason, when Brown was on Detroit’s training camp roster.
Brown, 26, appeared in 29 games with the Timberwolves in 2014/15, including seven starts, and played 26 games for the Sixers in his rookie year.
Southwest Rumors: Conley, Randolph, Spurs
- New Grizzlies coach David Fizdale gave Zach Randolph a detailed explanation of why he wanted the veteran power forward to come off the bench this season, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Fizdale was looking for another scorer on the second unit, Scotto continues. “He explained to me what he wanted to do and have more firepower coming off the bench,” Randolph told Scotto. “He needed me to play that role so I said, ‘Okay.’ I took it with a grain of salt, kept it moving, whatever you want me to do.” Randolph is making $10.36MM in the final year of his contract and Scotto anticipates Randolph will land another eight-figure salary when he enters unrestricted free agency.
- The Spurs found themselves a bargain in free agency with the addition of center Dewayne Dedmon, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer opines. Dedmon was signed to a two-year, $6MM to help replace Tim Duncan and he has delivered, averaging 5.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 17.1 minutes during the first five games. Dedmon’s skills as a rim runner, rebounder and shotblocker will prove useful when San Antonio reaches the postseason, Tjarks adds.
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t feel like his organization fleeced the Pacers with their 2011 draft night trade in which they landed Kawhi Leonard while shipping out point guard George Hill, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. San Antonio wound up with a franchise player but Hill had productive years with Indiana before he was traded to the Jazz this offseason. “It was what Indiana needed, and it was what we needed, and it worked out,” Popovich told Wright. “A lot of trades, one team will say, ‘Oh, we killed them on that trade. We got the better end of that.’ That’s just childish. It was a good trade for both teams.”
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Suns, Kings, Clarkson
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins appears to be bonding with new coach Dave Joerger, a stark contrast to his well-publicized issues with former coach George Karl, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Cousins expressed to Jones that they like each other, adding he appreciates Joerger’s straightforward approach and even-keeled personality. “I think what he brought to the team is what this team needed,” Cousins told Jones. “It fits our identity more than how we played in the past. Not to knock any of the previous situations but I think this situation fits this team the best.” Cousins’ relationship with his new coach will carefully watched, particularly if the season starts to go sour once again in Sacramento.
In other developments around the Pacific Division:
- Suns coach Earl Watson will insert a pair of rookies, point guard Tyler Ulis and power forward Dragan Bender, into the second unit to replace veterans Leandro Barbosa and P.J. Tucker, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports. Watson decided to make the change after an opening-night loss to the Kings. They will join Brandon Knight, fellow rookie Marquese Chriss and Alex Len on that unit, Coro adds. “To me, they play with the most heart,” Watson told Coro. “Heart gets rewarded.”
- The Kings’ brass told NBA Commissioner Adam Silver they want to host the 2020 All-Star Game, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets. No formal application has been made but their desire to host that game was made clear as Silver toured the Kings’ new Golden 1 Center, Howard-Cooper adds.
- Combo guard Jordan Clarkson is not fazed by his new role as the Lakers’ sixth man, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times relays. The former starter had 23 second-half points and three steals in their opening-night win over the Rockets. “He’s been absolutely great,” Walton told Ganguli. “I’ve talked to him about starting or coming off the bench; he’s been good with both. It’s nice to have guys like that on your team.”
Atlantic Rumors: Lopez, Knicks, Sixers, Siakam
Nets center Brook Lopez doesn’t seem to fit into new coach Kenny Atkinson’s motion offense, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Lopez played just 21 minutes, fewer than eight of his teammates, in Brooklyn’s opener on Wednesday against the Celtics. He scored only one basket, an odd sight for a player who averaged 20.6 PPG last season. Lopez is making $21.16MM this season and $22.6MM in the final year of his contract in 2017/18. “It’s a learning process. It’s both of us: It’s him learning a totally new system and us integrating him into a new system,’’ Atkinson told Lewis. “But I have complete confidence that as the season goes on, you’re going to see a better Brook. He’s going to understand it more.”
- Developing Kristaps Porzingis should be Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek’s top priority this season but it will difficult with two ball-dominant players like Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony in the lineup, Chris Mannix of The Vertical opines. Hornacek is intent on improving Porzingis’ post moves in order to punish teams using smaller defenders on him, Mannix notes. But rival coaches are skeptical that Hornacek’s hybrid triangle offense will allow him to take advantage of mismatches, Mannix continues. Those coaches also believe Porzingis is better suited at center but the signing of Joakim Noah limits that possibility, Mannix adds.
- Hornacek isn’t surprised that Rose struggled to run the offense in the season-opening loss to the Cavaliers, Barbara Barker of Newsday reports. Rose had just one assist in the Knicks’ opening-night loss to the Cavaliers and later expressed frustration over the offensive scheme. Hornacek said it was a product of Rose missing a good portion of the preseason because of his sexual assault civil trial in Los Angeles, Barker continues. “If we expected anything different, we’d be crazy,” Hornacek told Barker and other beat reporters. “He hasn’t seen a lot of this stuff.”
- Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor didn’t play together in the Sixers’ opening-night loss to the Thunder because both were on minutes limits, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Coach Brett Brown wants to play them together in certain situations but Embiid is being brought along slowly after missing two seasons with foot issues, while Okafor just returned from knee soreness, Pompey adds. “It’s not intelligent to play them together now when you only have X amount of minutes with both of them,” Brown said to Pompey.
- Rookie Pascal Siakam started ahead of Patrick Patterson at power forward for the Raptors in their opener to keep Patterson in his normal role, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Siakam grabbed nine rebounds in 22 minutes.
D-League Notes: Brown, Magette, Patterson
- Point guard Josh Magette has signed an NBADL contract, the D-League Digest tweets. Magette was a late training-camp cut by the Hawks. The Lakers’ D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders, owns his rights. Magette, 26, made three preseason appearances for Atlanta, spanning 17 minutes. He averaged 11.5 points and 9.1 assists in 45 games last season for the D-Fenders, with whom he has played the past two seasons.
- Shooting guard Lamar Patterson has signed a D-League contract and will be an affiliate player for the Kings’ Reno Bighorns, according to another tweet from the D-League Digest. Patterson appeared in four preseason games for the Kings, averaging 5.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, before he was waived. He spent much of the 2015/16 season playing in the D-League and the Hawks waived him in July.
- Yogi Ferrell plans to open the season with the D-League’s Long Island Nets, according to Jeff Rabjohns of Scout.com. The former Indiana University standout was Brooklyn’s final training-camp cut. He appeared in three exhibition games, logging 28 minutes.
- Forward C.J. Leslie has signed a contract with the Raptors’ D-League affiliate, the Raptors 905, Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets.
KeyArena Could Be Renovated To Attract NBA Team
NBA Vet Chase Budinger Headed To Europe
Forward Chase Budinger, the final training-camp cut by the Nets, has signed with Baskonia of Spain, international journalist David Pick tweets. The news was also reported by Sportando and Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Budinger will join two other former NBA players who previously signed with Baskonia in the Euroleague, center Andrea Bargnani and point guard Shane Larkin.
Budinger signed a non-guaranteed contract with Brooklyn just prior to camp. The 6’7” Budinger, who was originally drafted in 2009 by the Pistons and then immediately shipped to the Rockets, has bounced around the league in recent years. After playing three seasons in Houston, he was a reserve for the Timberwolves for three consecutive campaigns.
He appeared in 49 games with the Pacers last season before he was waived in early March. He was quickly snapped up by the Suns and came off the bench in 17 games for them as the season wound down.
Budinger averaged 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds in 19.7 minutes over 407 NBA games. A career 35.2% shooter from 3-point range, Budinger shot under 30% from beyond the arc last year for both Indiana and Phoenix, which cooled interest in him on the free-agent market. It’s possible now that Budinger, 28, has played his last NBA game.
Atlantic Rumors: Horford, Smart, Knicks, Sixers
- Celtics point guard Marcus Smart is expected to be out two weeks with an ankle injury, Mannix tweets. Smart has suffered numerous left ankle sprains before, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, but it doesn’t appear to be as serious as some of his previous ones. Since the injury is expected to be a short-term situation, it probably won’t impact the decisions that will be made in the coming days to pare the roster down to 15 players, Blakely adds.
- Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said point guard Derrick Rose will need to “learn by fire” after spending most of the past two weeks at his civil trial in Los Angeles, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports. Rose missed five preseason games and seven practices during the trial, in which a jury on found Rose and his two friends not liable in a lawsuit that accused them of gang-raping Rose’s ex-girlfriend. Rose is expected to meet with the coaching staff on Friday to review aspects of the Knicks’ offense that were implemented while he was away, Begley adds.
- The Sixers are keeping a close eye on the cuts being made by other teams around the league, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com reports. A report surfaced on Wednesday that Philadelphia was interested in point guard Tyus Jones. The club could also seek help for its banged-up frontcourt, Camerato adds. “The marketplace forces you to pay attention and make sure you’re doing your job and growing your team,” coach Brett Brown told Camerato.