Pacific Notes: Garland, Leonard, Kleber, Thiero, Bouyea
Darius Garland made his long-awaited Clippers debut on Monday. The former Cleveland guard, the centerpiece of the deal for Los Angeles in the trade that sent James Harden to the Cavs, had 12 points, two rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes in a win over Golden State. Garland hadn’t played since January 14 due to a toe injury.
“Just getting adjusted,” Garland said, per The Athletic’s Law Murray. “Getting adjusted to L.A., getting to know the guys. Getting to know the staff, everybody around the organization, and just trying to get back to me. Getting healthy — training staff been with me a lot and doing a lot of work. So I really appreciate them, just getting me back to this point. Yeah, man, it’s good getting out there with the guys for sure. Especially getting a win, my first win with the Clips. It’s a blessing.”
Kawhi Leonard is looking forward to developing chemistry with Garland.
“Number one, just competitive nature,” Leonard said of what Garland brings to the Clippers’ point guard spot. “But every situation is different. So from Darius, we’re looking at him to get us involved, get him some shots. Pushing the pace in transition for us. And just getting everybody involved and calling sets so we’re not stagnant at times. So I think he’s able to do that. He’s an All-Star player. Just looking forward to playing more basketball with him. More minutes, as he ramps up to playing 30-plus minutes per game.”
Garland will make his home debut against the Pacers on Wednesday. Coach Tyronn Lue said he’ll come off the bench until he’s able to play more minutes, Murray tweets.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Maxi Kleber, an unrestricted free agent after the season, has made steady contributions in recent games for the Lakers. He had four points and three blocks in 13 minutes against Golden State on Saturday and six points and six rebounds against Sacramento. “He does everything right, man,” guard Marcus Smart told the California Post’s Khobi Price. “And he’s such a good person. He wants to see everybody win, even though he’s not winning in certain circumstances of not getting playing time as much as he would like, probably. Not getting the ball as much as he would like. But he doesn’t let that deter him from cheering on his teammates and being there for his teammates. And then when he does get in and his opportunity comes, taking full advantage of it.”
- After missing over a month of action with a knee sprain, Lakers second-round rookie Adou Thiero has shown promise at the G League level. Playing for the South Bay Lakers, Thiero posted a combined 33 points and 14 rebounds in back-to-back games late last month. Elevated to the Lakers over the weekend, Thiero had three points, a rebound and assist in four minutes against Sacramento. “I’m just going out there, keep getting comfortable with the game, the pace, just trying to work on things that I need to develop and be better at,” Thiero told Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register. “Just trying to get 1% better every day, just keeping that mindset and just knowing that, … there’s a bigger picture. So just making sure I’m ready for that day, when that day comes.”
- Jamaree Bouyea had his contract converted from a two-way deal to a standard one by the Suns. However, the undrafted player can’t get too comfortable, according to his coach. “Earned it, got it,”Jordan Ott said, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “Now we’ll see where it goes. Work left to do, but what he has brought to our group has definitely been beneficial.”
Suns Promote Jamaree Bouyea To Two-Year Standard Deal
1:10 pm: Bouyea’s promotion to Phoenix’s standard roster is official, according to the team (Twitter link).
9:19 am: Two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea will sign a two-year contract with the Suns, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Bouyea, 26, has emerged as a valuable rotation piece after joining Phoenix on a two-way deal in November. He has appeared in 33 games and is averaging 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 15.5 minutes per night with .480/.317/.710 shooting numbers.
Bouyea will fit into the roster opening the Suns created on Friday by waiving Cole Anthony. Phoenix acquired Anthony from Milwaukee in a three-team deal at the deadline, but he never reported to the Suns.
As Charania notes, the new contract is a huge milestone for Bouyea, who has spent time with six teams over the past three-plus years on a variety of two-way and 10-day deals.
Bouyea was in training camp with Miami in 2022 after going undrafted out of San Francisco and was waived before the start of the season. The guard signed 10-day deals with the Heat and Wizards later in ’22/23, but didn’t get a second contract from either team. He returned to Miami during the summer of 2023, but was waived again before landing two-way contracts with Portland and San Antonio during the 2023/24 season. He got into five games with Milwaukee last season and briefly returned to the Spurs before becoming a free agent again.
The Suns now have a roster opening that can be filled on or before Wednesday, which is the cutoff date to sign players to two-way deals. Koby Brea and Isaiah Livers occupy the other two-way slots for Phoenix.
Suns Waive Cole Anthony
As expected, the Suns have waived guard Cole Anthony, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Reporting shortly after the trade deadline indicated that Phoenix was expected to cut Anthony after acquiring him in a salary-dump deal.
According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the Suns didn’t make the move right away because they were waiting to see if a buyout was possible. Gerald Bourguet of Suns After Dark (Twitter link) adds that Phoenix was also in no rush to waive Anthony until two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea got closer to his games-played limit.
Meanwhile, head coach Jordan Ott suggested this week Anthony was still on the roster in part to provide emergency depth due to Phoenix’s backcourt injuries, though the former first-round pick had yet to actually report to the Suns and never seemed likely to suit up for the team.
The 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Anthony spent his first five NBA seasons with Orlando, averaging 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 24.8 minutes per contest on .419/.345/.847 shooting in 320 total games. However, his minutes have declined over the past few years and he was traded to Memphis in the 2025 offseason as part of the Desmond Bane blockbuster.
Anthony reached a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies and signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Bucks. He averaged 6.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 3.5 APG on .424/.306/.615 shooting in a career-low 15.1 minutes per game in 35 appearances with Milwaukee this season. The Bucks traded him and Amir Coffey to Phoenix in a three-team deadline deal that allowed the Suns to duck below the luxury tax line.
As both Gambadoro and Bourguet note, the expectation is that the Suns will use the newly opened roster spot to promote Bouyea to the standard roster, making him their new 15th man. That would open up a two-way slot, which Phoenix would have until next Wednesday to fill.
As for Anthony, he’ll clear waivers on Sunday if his minimum-salary contract goes unclaimed. Because he was waived by March 1, he’ll retain his playoff eligibility if he catches on with a new NBA team between now and the end of the regular season.
Buyout Market Rumors: Anthony, Middleton, Ball, D-Lo, Boucher
Veteran guard Cole Anthony has remained in limbo since being acquired by the Suns at this month’s trade deadline, having continued to hold a spot on Phoenix’s 15-man roster despite being away from the team. Reporting prior to the All-Star break indicated Anthony would likely be waived, but that still hasn’t happened. According to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, head coach Jordan Ott suggested on Thursday that the delay may be related to depth concerns in the Suns’ backcourt.
“It’s still the same,” Ott said of Anthony’s situation. “There hasn’t been much change, but we have had injuries and that’s kind of where it’s at. That’s why there hasn’t been much change, but that’s why it’s not completely out. We’ll continue to just stay in touch with his people and move this thing forward.”
Friday is the first of four days off for the Suns, and Devin Booker (hip strain) appears likely to return after that break, either on Tuesday in Sacramento or Thursday vs. Chicago, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. If Phoenix is confident in where Booker’s at in his recovery, it’s possible we could see Anthony let go on or before Sunday, which is the final day a player can be waived and retain his playoff eligibility for a new team.
[UPDATE: Anthony has been waived.]
If Anthony is cut, it would open up a spot for the Suns to promote two-way player Jamaree Bouyea to the standard roster. The club could then back-fill Bouyea’s two-way slot before next Wednesday’s deadline for two-way signings.
Here are a few more rumors related to the NBA’s buyout market:
- In addition to Denver, the Spurs are among the teams with interest in Mavericks forward Khris Middleton, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Dallas has reportedly given Middleton the option of negotiating a buyout or sticking with the Mavs for the rest of the season — he figures to make that decision within the next 48 hours or so.
- Although the Warriors, Nuggets, and other teams has some interest in Lonzo Ball after he was waived earlier this month, concerns about the guard’s knee dissuaded those potential suitors from moving forward on a deal with the veteran point guard, Siegel reports, adding that nothing is imminent on that front.
- Although D’Angelo Russell wasn’t required to report to the Wizards after being included in the Anthony Davis trade and has been viewed as a potential buyout candidate, there has been little interest around the league in the point guard, per Siegel. Russell’s contract includes a $5.97MM player option for 2026/27 that Washington would probably want to eliminate – or at least significantly reduce – as part of any buyout agreement, whereas D-Lo presumably wouldn’t want to give up that guaranteed money without a favorable deal lined up elsewhere. According to Siegel, Russell could end up simply finishing the season with the Wizards.
- Many league personnel believe Chris Boucher would like to reunite with the Raptors after being waived by Utah earlier this month, but it’s unclear whether Toronto reciprocates that interest, says Siegel.
Blazers’ Cissoko Latest Two-Way Player To Reach Active Game Limit
Several teams will head into the NBA’s All-Star break with roster decisions to make before their schedules resume next week. One of those teams in the Trail Blazers, who deployed two-way player Sidy Cissoko for his 50th game of the season on Thursday in Utah.
Cissoko, who made his 24th start of the season and played 30 minutes in Portland’s win over the Jazz, has now reached the active game limit for two-way players and will no longer be able to suit up for the NBA team unless he’s promoted from his two-way contract to the Blazers’ standard 15-man roster.
Cissoko is one of several players in that boat, along with Nuggets forward Spencer Jones, Timberwolves guard Johnny Juzang, and Sixers forward Jabari Walker. All four two-way players have been active for 50 NBA games this season.
Cissoko and Jones have emerged as key contributors for their respective teams and will likely be promoted to standard contracts sooner rather than later. The Nuggets might have taken that route with Jones already if not for the concussion that sidelined him for the final three games before the All-Star break, which allowed the team to put off an official roster move for an extra couple weeks.
Denver has two openings on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to promote Jones, making the club’s decision even more straightforward.
That’s not the case in Portland though, where one of the team’s 15 players currently holding standard contracts will need to be cut if the Blazers want to promote Cissoko. If the team decides to convert both Cissoko and its other standout two-way player, Caleb Love (who is at 45 active games), two cuts would be required. Rayan Rupert and Matisse Thybulle have been mentioned as possible odd men out, but that’s not necessarily a given.
There’s less urgency for certain other teams whose two-way players have reached – or are fast approaching – their active game limits. For instance, while Juzang has been active for 50 games this season, he only actually saw the floor in 21 of them — he was a DNP-CD in the other 29. As such, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Wolves haven’t rushed to promote him to the standard roster. Juzang was on the inactive list for Minnesota’s last three games prior to the All-Star break.
Rockets two-way guard JD Davison is another player nearing his 50-game limit (he has five games left), but like Juzang, he hasn’t been a crucial part of his team’s rotation when he’s active. Davison has appeared in 24 games and been a DNP-CD in 21 others. With that in mind, Houston may not be in a rush to move him to the 15-man roster when he gets to his game limit.
It’s also worth noting that promoting a two-way player or leaving him in limbo aren’t the only two options a team has at its disposal after he reaches his active game limit. When two-way player Chris Youngblood found himself in that situation last week, the Thunder decided to waive him, recognizing that there was no room for him on their 15-man roster and wanting to give him the chance to explore other opportunities before the end of the season.
Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (six games left) and center Moussa Cisse (eight games left), Wizards big man Tristan Vukcevic (nine games left), Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens (nine games left), and Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea (10 games left) are among the other notable two-way players whose teams will have roster decisions to make in the coming weeks.
The full list of players who have already been converted from two-way deals to standard contracts can be found here.
Bulls Acquire Nick Richards In Three-Team Trade Involving Suns, Bucks
9:48 pm: The three-team trade is official, the Bulls announced (via Twitter).
1:58 pm: The Bucks and Suns have expanded the trade, adding the Bulls to the mix, Charania tweets. Richards will head to Chicago instead of Milwaukee with Ousmane Dieng going to Milwaukee.
Richards could see more playing time with the Bulls, considering they dealt Nikola Vucevic this week. Dieng wound up in Chicago earlier this week when the Thunder traded him to Charlotte, which then re-routed him to the Windy City in the Coby White deal.
Dieng appeared in 27 games off the bench for Oklahoma City. He’s making $6.67MM this season and will be a restricted free agent this summer.
11:08 am: The Bucks and Suns have reached an agreement on a trade that will send guard Cole Anthony and wing Amir Coffey to Phoenix in exchange for center Nick Richards and forward Nigel Hayes-Davis, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The news of the deal comes right on the heels of Charania’s report that the Bucks were informing Giannis Antetokounmpo suitors that the star forward will stay put and that they’re moving onto other trade opportunities.
This deal will probably have a minimal impact in terms of on-court performance but it does impact salary cap sheets for this season.
For the Suns, it’s a major financial boon. Phoenix drops under the luxury tax line by roughly $2.5MM and also creates a $5MM trade exception by shipping out Richards, cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets. Richards has an expiring contract, as does Hayes-Davis, who is making just over $2MM with no future obligations.
Anthony is making just under $2.67MM this season, while Coffey has a $2.87MM salary. Both are also on expiring deals with matching cap hits of $2,296,274.
According to Phoenix radio host John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), the trade creates a pathway for the Suns to promote two-way player Jamaree Bouyea to their standard roster. Bouyea is averaging 7.0 points in 15.3 minutes per game through 25 appearances.
Phoenix was already carrying 14 players on standard contracts, one less than the maximum, but the trade will give the team more financial flexibility to promote Bouyea and remain below the tax. It remains to be seen whether the Suns will retain both Anthony and Coffey, but they could create another roster opening if they waive one of them.
Anthony has appeared in 35 games off the bench this season, averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 assists in 15.1 minutes per game. Coffey has seen action in 30 games, averaging 2.4 points in 8.8 minutes per contest. Anthony might be the more valuable piece, as he could fill a role as a backup point.
Richards started 34 of 36 games for the Suns last season after being acquired from Phoenix but his role has diminished this season. He’s appeared in 28 games, averaging 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 9.1 minutes. Hayes-Davis has seen even less court time, averaging 1.3 points in 7.2 minutes over 27 games.
While Hayes-Davis seems unlikely to play a major role in Milwaukee and is probably a candidate to be released, Richards could see rotation minutes in the team’s frontcourt.
Suns Notes: Brooks, Booker, Green, Bouyea
In a feature story for ESPN.com, Tim MacMahon details how veteran small forward Dillon Brooks helped reshape the cultures — and drive winning — in Houston and Phoenix after his unceremonious departure from Memphis in the 2023 offseason.
“I felt like a lot of people counted me out, thinking I was just going to wash away with the rest of NBA players that had their shine and then were not able to figure out how to evolve and be able to stay in this league,” Brooks said. “I didn’t want to fall off. I didn’t want to call it where I got to go either overseas or chill at home or change my whole career point. I love this game, and I play it because I really love it. I knew that I had to put in the work to be better every single day.”
Known for his relentless work ethic and fiery competitiveness, Brooks has had a positive two-way impact on the surprising Suns, who are currently 24-17 after finishing last season with a disappointing 36-46 record.
“He’s in the gym more than anybody that I know,” guard Collin Gillespie said. “You see how hard he works, how competitive he is, and you want to not let your teammate down when you see that. He makes you want to work harder. He challenges you to be in the gym with him, challenges you to play harder.
“You might not like it sometimes if he’s getting on you, but it makes you a better player for sure.”
Suns owner Mat Ishbia has been thrilled with Brooks’ toughness and intangibles on top of his play, according to MacMahon.
“He’s exactly the type of player [who fits] what we talk about here in Phoenix, what we want to be, the identity of the Suns,” Ishbia told ESPN. “He gets up more shots than everybody else before practice. He cares about winning. He plays defense, he plays offense, he’s a leader. He’s tough. He’s doing everything.
“We wanted Dillon. I envisioned him from a cultural perspective, a leadership perspective and an impact perspective at a really high level. He’s been even better than expected.”
Here’s more from Phoenix:
- Star guard Devin Booker is questionable for Saturday’s contest in New York due to the left ankle sprain that caused him to miss Thursday’s loss at Detroit, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Fellow guards Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Jamaree Bouyea (concussion) remain out.
- Although Green will be out again tomorrow, he’s inching closer to a return from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for all but two games this season, Rankin writes in a full story. “He’s looking more and more confident,” center Mark Williams said. “He’s looking more and more comfortable. Whenever that time is for him, we’ll be excited.” Green’s return might force Gillespie, who has been starting, back to the bench, Rankin notes.
- Brooks says Green will provide a “big spark” for the Suns, according to Rankin, though he’s expected to be on a minutes restriction after a long layoff — he last played on November 8. Head coach Jordan Ott says the team will be cautious with Green, but the club is looking forward to having him back. “Full of talent, full of youthful energy we need,” Ott said. “His speed. His ability to attack off the dribble. We need him, but we need him healthy.”
Pacific Notes: Hachimura, Luka, Harden, Suns, Warriors
Although he was available on Monday, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura sat out for a seventh straight game after head coach JJ Redick learned that Hachimura would be available for just one game in the team’s back-to-back set. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Redick decided to save the forward for Tuesday’s game against Atlanta.
The Lakers lost without Hachimura on Monday, falling to a Sacramento team that made 17-of-26 three-point tries. Luka Doncic racked up 42 points vs. the Kings, but was battling a groin issue that required treatment throughout the night, notes McMenamin.
“I was really uncertain (about playing),” Doncic admitted after the game. “Before the game, like warming up, I felt something. So we were just trying to get warm and get going.”
While Hachimura will make his return on Tuesday, it’s unclear whether Doncic (left groin soreness) or LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) will play. They’re both listed as questionable, per Marc Stein (Twitter link), and could join Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring soreness) and Austin Reaves (left calf strain) on the sidelines.
“Obviously we’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now,” James said on Monday, according to McMenamin. “Not only guys that are not in uniform, but even guys that are in uniform. So, we’re just trying to weather the storm.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Clippers guard James Harden become the NBA’s ninth all-time leading scorer on Monday, passing Shaquille O’Neal‘s career total of 28,596 points. “Shaquille O’Neal, somebody that I literally grew up watching here in L.A.,” Harden said, per The Associated Press. “Him and Kobe (Bryant) doing their thing, winning multiple championships, the most dominant big man in the history of the game. It’s a true honor, it’s a testament to the work that I put in.”
- Asked if injured guards Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Jamaree Bouyea (concussion protocol) will be available at some point during the six-game road trip that begins on Tuesday, Suns head coach Jordan Ott replied, “That’s the plan” (Twitter link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Green has been out since November 8, while Bouyea has missed Phoenix’s past four games.
- Spencer Davies of R.org profiles second-year Suns big man Oso Ighodaro, who has earned praise from Ott for his versatility and his ability to be a “connector” in a variety of lineups. Phoenix has a +7.5 net rating during Ighodaro’s time on the court this season, compared to a -1.2 mark when he sits. “I think last year, when it was spot minutes, I was just giving everything I got,” Ighodaro said. “And now, (I’m) playing a little bit longer stretches, trying to maintain that same level of play just for my entire stretch I’m in the game. I’m definitely being asked to do a little bit more this year, so I’m trying to do all that while maintaining all the effort and intensity.”
- In the wake of Sunday’s loss to Atlanta, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area refers to the Warriors‘ roster as “profoundly defective” due to the team’s lack of length and athleticism, while Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area questions whether head coach Steve Kerr should remain committed to a starting lineup featuring Moses Moody and Quinten Post alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. That five-man unit has started 13 of the Warriors’ past 14 games but has a net rating of -3.3 on the season.
Injury Notes: Strus, Bogdanovic, Wagners, Bouyea
The Cavaliers still aren’t close to having swingman Max Strus back in their lineup. Strus, who is coming off left foot surgery to repair a Jones fracture, recently underwent evaluation and imaging on that foot, and while that exam showed “positive progress,” more time is required for the fracture to fully heal, the team announced today (Twitter link).
According to the Cavs’ statement, Strus will continue doing rehab and conditioning work and is scheduled for a follow-up evaluation with the club’s medical staff and Dr. David Porter (who performed the surgery) within the next four weeks. A clearer timeline for Strus’ return could be established in the wake of that follow-up evaluation.
Strus was a key contributor last season for a 64-win Cavs team that has missed him in 2025/26. A healthy version of Strus would have slotted into the starting lineup in between the backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and the frontcourt pair of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. However, Cleveland has been forced to rotate players in and out of that lineup spot over the course of the season – while also dealing with injuries affecting other starters – in an effort to find the right fit.
Here are more injury updates from around the NBA:
- It doesn’t sound like veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic will return from his left hamstring injury during the Clippers‘ upcoming three-game road trip. According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Bogdanovic – who last played on December 26 – has been ruled out for the week. The Clippers are playing in New York on Wednesday, Brooklyn on Friday, and Detroit on Saturday before returning home.
- Magic color commentator Jeff Turner said last Friday that Franz Wagner (high ankle sprain) and Moritz Wagner (ACL recovery) should both be back within a week, but the team hasn’t corroborated that report and the duo has yet to be upgraded on the injury report at all. Asked on Sunday about the status of the Wagner brothers, head coach Jamahl Mosley said there’s still no timeline for their respective returns, though he did add that they’re “responding to the treatments pretty well” (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel).
- Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea, who has been playing a rotation role since late November, traveled with the club on its two-game road trip, but sat out on Monday in Houston while going through the concussion protocol and may not return on Wednesday in Memphis, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bouyea is already halfway to his limit of 42 active games and looks like a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to a standard deal before season’s end.
Suns Notes: Booker, Goodwin, Allen, Green, Flight Delay, Bouyea
The Suns delivered their most thrilling win of the season on Sunday, knocking off the defending champion Thunder 108-105 on Devin Booker‘s 35-footer over Alex Caruso in the final second. It was their first win in their last nine matchups with Oklahoma City.
Booker didn’t downplay the moment. It marked his eighth game-winner in the final three seconds of a game.
“It’s a feeling you can’t replicate,” Booker told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I’m not close to retirement, but whenever that day comes, you’ll look back on those moments that you dreamed of as a kid with the team trusting you with the ball in your hands no matter what the result is. (Sunday), I was on the good side of it.”
Jordan Goodwin also had a huge impact with a career-best 26 points, including eight three-pointers. He contributed on the other end of the court too, as the primary defender on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was motivated by some texts from coach Jordan Ott.
“Never too many good things to say to me, but he does that to get me going,” said Goodwin, a free agent after this season. “He definitely texted me (Saturday night just to get me going for (Sunday).”
Goodwin’s minimum-salary contract for this season becomes guaranteed later this week.
We have more on the Suns:
- Grayson Allen missed his ninth straight game due to a right knee injury. However, there’s a good chance Allen will play against the Rockets on Monday night after he went through a 5-on-5 session on Saturday. “That’s what we were looking for. He wasn’t going to play the back-to-back anyways,” Ott said, per Rankin (Twitter link). “His play (Saturday) on the 5-on-5, everything seems to be good to go.”
- Ott also provided an update on Jalen Green, who is working his way back from a right hamstring strain. “Still steady progress,” Ott said. “It’s real close to now playing against bodies, live bodies. Still in that same, got to continue to make progress. Any type of one or two days, but he’s made great progress. You seem him out there pregame before. It has continued to pick up.”
- The Suns’ win over the Thunder was more seamless than their ability to reach Houston in the second game of a back-to-back. Their flight last night was canceled due to a mechanical issue, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets. Management made the decision to delay their departure until late this morning before the players headed to the airport.
- On his “Suns After Dark” Film Session (for Patreon members), Gerald Bourguet discusses Jamaree Bouyea‘s surprise impact, noting that he’s in the top five in scoring among two-way players while making 41 percent of his three-point attempts. Bouyea is also in the 98th percentile among all guards in rim field goal percentage.