And-Ones: Christmas, Calderon, Fultz, Parker, Dolan
A right Achilles tendon rupture has brought an end to Dionte Christmas‘ season, Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com reports. It’s an unfortunate development for the 30-year-old, as Christmas had averaged 14.9 points with 3.2 assists in 31 games with the Delaware 87ers. Delaware’s GM, Brandon Williams, lauded Christmas’ efforts in a team statement:
“[Christmas] has been a consummate professional, positive influence on the development of our young roster, and vital to our energy and drive. We will certainly miss his leadership on the court, but are inspired by his confidence as he attacks the next steps on the road to recovery.”
Other stories from around the league-
- Bobby Marks of The Vertical profiled the Lakers, Nets, and Heat in his trade deadline series; three teams “in the rebuilding process that have limited assets.” Marks cites Jose Calderon as a buyout candidate for GM Mitch Kupchak; Calderon has previously been reported as a target for the Cavs. Trevor Booker and Brook Lopez, who are each under contract for the 2017/18 season, would provide “good value” for contending teams. While Miami’s front office have made deals in three straight trade deadlines, the Heat may be quiet come February 23. Miami has “depleted draft assets,” and appear unlikely to trade Goran Dragic or Hassan Whiteside.
- The Vertical’s writing staff released their 2017 NBA Mock Draft, with Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Jackson going to the Celtics, Suns, and Lakers, respectively. The Vertical has Malik Monk of Kentucky falling to the Knicks at #10, calling him a good fit “under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.”
- Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker‘s ACL injuries will create “tricky” rookie extension negotiations, Kevin Pelton of ESPN writes. While Parker’s value has been better established than LaVine’s entering contract discussions, Milwaukee GM John Hammond could limit risk by adding “guarantees based on games played” in Parker’s next contract.
- James Dolan and Knicks management were subject to a scathing write-up from Michael Powell of the New York Times, who criticized Dolan’s lack of accountability in their confrontation. Phil Jackson, too, was targeted by Powell: “He [Jackson] fires off obscure Twitter posts poking Anthony in one rib or another, suggesting his skills are eroding and his hoop IQ low.”
Suns’ Alex Len Suspended One Game
The NBA announced today that Suns big man Alex Len has been suspended one game for leaving the bench during an altercation in Wednesday’s game against Memphis. Len will serve the suspension tonight when the Suns host the Bulls.
As a result of the incident, which took place with just over a minute left in Wednesday’s game, Tyler Ulis and Marquese Chriss of the Suns, along with Troy Daniels of the Grizzlies, were fined $15K apiece. Len, meanwhile, will be docked 1/110th of his salary for the one-game suspension, which works out to just under $44K.
With Len out of action tonight, Tyson Chandler, Chriss, and Alan Williams are all candidates to see an uptick in playing time.
Dragan Bender To Undergo Ankle Surgery
11:50am: Bender will undergo ankle surgery, but the timeline for his return has yet to be determined, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who tweets that Bender hasn’t necessarily been ruled out for the year.
I’d expect the Suns to play it safe with Bender and shut him down for the season, rather than trying to get him back on the court for the lottery-bound franchise down the stretch, but we’ll await official word from the team.
11:14am: Dragan Bender‘s rookie season will come to an early end, according to Croatian journalist Bernard Jurisic, who reports that the Suns big man will require surgery on his injured ankle (English link via Sportando). Although the team has yet to make a formal announcement, international basketball reporter David Pick has heard the same thing, tweeting that Bender will undergo a season-ending procedure on his ankle today.
Bender, 19, hasn’t made a major a splash in his first NBA season, averaging 3.2 PPG nad 2.2 RPG in 38 regular season contests (12.7 MPG). Still, despite coming off the board fourth overall last summer, Bender wasn’t viewed as a player who would make an immediate impact, so the Suns certainly remain optimistic about his long-term future.
As Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote this week, Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said his front office was “almost split down the middle” on whether to take Bender or Marquese Chriss with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft. Phoenix ultimately opted for Bender, but was able to snag Chriss as well after acquiring the No. 8 pick from Sacramento.
Within O’Connor’s piece, McDonough praised Bender’s maturity and suggested that the Suns are happy with what they’ve seen from him so far.
“I know people look at the raw stats,” McDonough said. “But more for us, when we look at him defensively, him moving the ball, him making the right play, and being in the right position, he does all those things at a very high level for a 19-year-old guy.”
Tucker Has Tough Love For Rookies; What's Next In Phoenix
- Veteran forward P.J. Tucker knows how to get the most out of his younger teammates and his tough-love approach has been put in effect with current Suns rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, writes Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic.
- There are plenty of assets on the Suns roster, writes Kevin O’Conner of the Ringer. The scribe breaks down what could be next for Phoenix, including franchise cornerstone Devin Booker and “good-but-not-great” point guard Eric Bledsoe.
And-Ones: 2017 Draft, Trade Rumors, J. Anderson
With the NBA’s All-Star Game around the corner, the trade deadline nearing, and the home stretch of the 2016/17 season not far off, it may not be the time to focus on June’s draft. But don’t tell that to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link), who has published his newest 2017 mock draft, based on the current projected draft order.
In Ford’s latest mock, Markelle Fultz (Celtics), Lonzo Ball (Lakers), Josh Jackson (Suns), Malik Monk (Sixers), and Dennis Smith (Magic) are the first five players off the board. As ESPN’s draft guru explains, teams like the Celtics and Lakers don’t necessarily need another point guard, as their rosters feature bigger holes elsewhere. However, Ford thinks it will be hard for any team in the top two to pass up Fultz or Ball, based on their potential.
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype spoke to a handful of current and former NBA players, including Caron Butler, Garrett Temple, and Rashard Lewis, about what it’s like to have one’s name mentioned in trade rumors, and how NBA players deal with those reports. “A lot of times, guys just want to be told the truth – no matter what that is,” Temple said. “What upsets guys the most is when the GM or personnel people are saying one thing to their face and doing something totally different behind the scenes.”
- James Anderson, who has appeared in 247 NBA games, including 51 for the Kings last season, is believed to be drawing NBA interest, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’6″ wing has spent the season with Turkish team Darussafaka Dogus, with whom he has a two-year deal. However, Carchia writes that the club may be willing to let him out of that pact in the event of an NBA offer.
- Former Mavericks center Bernard James has been cut by French club Limoges just two games into his contract with the team, a source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). It’s not exactly an ideal birthday gift for James, who turns 32 today.
Suns Re-Sign Ronnie Price
The Suns have re-signed veteran point guard Ronnie Price to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). Price’s first 10-day deal with the team, signed on January 27, expired overnight.
Although he has been with the team for the last week and a half, Price has yet to play a single minute for the Suns this year. In 62 games for Phoenix last season, he averaged 5.3 PPG and 2.4 APG, earning himself a two-year, $5MM contract with the Thunder last summer. However, Oklahoma City rethought that commitment in the fall, opting to waive Price at the end of the preseason rather than carrying him on the 15-man roster.
Price’s new 10-day contract will run through February 15, at which point the Suns will have to decide whether or not to retain him for the rest of the season. Considering the veteran hasn’t had a rotation role at all so far, I’d be a little surprised if Phoenix locked him up beyond this deal — the club could benefit from having an open roster slot heading into the trade deadline, and may want to use that 15th roster spot to take a shot on a younger player.
Bledsoe Continues To Develop In Year 7
- Seven-year veteran Eric Bledsoe continues to make strides for the Suns and is enjoying his best season as a pro. “He’s taking amazing steps in his development,” head coach Earl Watson said Thursday . “It’s allowed him to become more efficient, and he’s seeing the game differently. What’s scary, in a positive way, is that he still has room to grow.”
Timberwolves Offered Muhammad for P.J. Tucker
The Timberwolves offered swingman Shabazz Muhammad for Suns forward P.J. Tucker, according to Basketball Insiders’ Michael Scotto, citing a league source. Minnesota was rumored last month to be one of the teams interested in Tucker, who told Scotto he’d rather stay put in Phoenix.
The salaries don’t quite match up but they’re reasonably close, with the 6’6” Tucker making $5.3MM in the final year of his contract and Muhammad earning approximately $3.0MM. Muhammad’s qualifying offer is priced at $4.24MM this summer.
Tucker, 31, is one of the hottest trade candidates this month because of his cheap, expiring contract and his reputation as a solid defender. Tucker, who is averaging 6.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 28.3 MPG this season, has posted a positive Defensive Box Plus/Minus rating ever since he joined the Suns for the 2012/13 season, according to Basketball Reference.
“This is the last year of my contract, but as of now, I’m a Phoenix Sun,” he told Scotto. “So, I’m going to keep playing until somebody tells me otherwise. In this league, it’s part of the business, especially coming up in a contract year.”
Tucker added that he’s not seeking a trade.
“Phoenix has been great to me. I’ve been here five years,” he told Scotto. “It’s been a great five years, somewhere I would love to be for a long time. So places like this, where I just fit and they understand me and let me be myself. It’s a big factor for me.”
The Clippers, Bulls, Cavaliers and Hawks have also been linked to Tucker. The Clippers reportedly offered a second-round pick last month but the Suns held out for a first-rounder.
Lowe’s Latest: Bledsoe, Knight, Nuggets, Mudiay
Eric Bledsoe is enjoying the best season of his NBA career so far in 2016/17, putting up career-best marks in PPG (21.6), APG (6.2), and several other categories. As Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes, Bledsoe’s impressive season raises the question of whether the Suns should sell high on the veteran point guard or commit to him a part of the team’s long-term future.
Phoenix projects to have a top pick in a 2017 draft that will be loaded with point guards, and Bledsoe has undergone three knee surgeries already, so there’s a case to be made that the Suns would be wise to sell high on him. However, don’t count head coach Earl Watson among those who feels that way. “I can almost guarantee Devin [Booker] and Eric will be on the same team next year,” Watson said, per Lowe.
Here’s more from Lowe’s latest piece:
- As a parenthetical aside in his discussion of Bledsoe, Lowe writes that “nobody wants” Suns guard Brandon Knight. Knight has been mentioned more frequently than Bledsoe as a trade candidate, but if Phoenix hopes to secure a substantial return, it doesn’t sound like moving Knight will accomplish that.
- The Nuggets are “quietly exploring” what sort of return they could get for a package of Emmanuel Mudiay and multiple picks, sources tell Lowe. The ESPN analyst isn’t sure the Suns would be a logical trade partner for Denver though, since Phoenix will have the opportunity to draft a point guard in the summer. Lowe adds that Denver is in no rush to move Mudiay.
- The Suns would have to consider moving Bledsoe if the right team were to offer a “good wing or center, plus a high first-round pick,” according to Lowe. However, he adds that most teams are reluctant to move probable lottery picks at this time of year, when it’s still not clear where they’ll land in the draft.
- Although there’s no indication that the two teams are discussing such a deal, and he acknowledges that there would be roadblocks, Lowe offers his favorite hypothetical Bledsoe deal, involving the Magic: Lowe’s proposal would see Nikola Vucevic, Mario Hezonja, and Orlando’s 2017 pick go to the Suns in exchange for Bledsoe and Alex Len. Per Lowe, the Magic front office remains “divided” on whether or not Elfrid Payton is the club’s long-term solution at point guard.
Earl Watson, Ryan McDonough Talk Trade Rumors
It wasn’t long ago that Earl Watson was in an NBA locker room as a player rather than a coach, so he knows how to help his young Suns team deal with the trade rumors that will surface this month, writes Doug Haller of AZCentral.com.
“Communication is key,” the Suns head coach said. “And it’s not communication (as far as) who’s going to get traded and who’s not going to get traded, it’s more of transparency (regarding) how much we appreciate you now. All we can control is this moment and our actions and our attitude. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Meanwhile, in the wake of a report that the Suns and Kings had trade discussions about DeMarcus Cousins, Suns general manager Ryan McDonough appeared this week on Arizona Sports 620. While McDonough stopped short of confirming any interest in Cousins, he acknowledged that he’s doing due diligence on any opportunity that may be available.
“What I will say, generally, is that we have conversations with every other team in the league about every elite player in the league,” the Suns GM said. “Our interest level, obviously, differs on those players. … This time of year I think some of the rumors get a little bit out of control. Some of them, there is a shred of truth to them. Some of them, there’s no truth to them. And obviously, from the team side, it’s not great when your own players are mentioned in a deal either individually or in a package, but that’s part of the business.”
- Among our Pacific-related items from Wednesday: Kings guard Garrett Temple is expected to miss two to three weeks, and former Suns guard John Jenkins is headed to the D-League.