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Suns Interested In Anthony Bennett?

February 29th, 2016 at 2:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns are a “possible” suitor for Anthony Bennett should he clear waivers from the Raptors, sources told Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Of course, any team is a possibility for Bennett, but this suggests that Phoenix has interest in him. Toronto is waiving Bennett to make room for Jason Thompson, Charania reported within the hour. The Suns have an open roster spot following the release of Kris Humphries, who had been starting at power forward for Phoenix in the brief time between the trade that brought him in from the Wizards and the apparent buyout deal that’s put him in line to sign with the Hawks.

Phoenix could claim Bennett off waivers, just as the team did with John Jenkins last week, but the sides could instead work out an arrangement that carries beyond the end of this season if he clears waivers. Bennett’s existing contract is up at season’s end. The Suns are 14 games out of a playoff spot and have little motivation to make moves with only the short term in mind.

Less than three years removed from having been the No. 1 overall pick in 2013, Bennett has seen just 84 minutes in the NBA so far this season, compared to 107 while on four separate D-League assignments from the Raptors. His next NBA team will be his fourth, since the Cavaliers traded him to the Timberwolves in the Kevin Love deal and he worked a buyout with Minnesota in September before signing a minimum salary contract with Toronto.

Do you think Bennett will ever develop into a rotation-caliber player in the NBA? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

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Pacific Notes: Rivers, McDonough, Ranadive

February 29th, 2016 at 1:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers insisted the team didn’t listen when it fielded trade calls about Blake Griffin from other clubs, as Rivers told Marc J. Spears of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports, reiterating his faith in the power forward he contends was having an MVP-caliber season before his two-month absence. Rivers also defended the job he’s done as team’s player personnel chief.

“I don’t know. I don’t evaluate. I have too many people evaluating for me,” Rivers said. “I let them do it and I keep doing my job. I don’t care about the evaluations. I care about the team. We’re a team that doesn’t have a lot of leverage. We don’t have a lot of assets. But to me, we keep ending up with the Jeff Greens of the world, Cole Aldrich is terrific, Wes Johnson. … We’re getting these guys at minimum contracts. Even Josh [Smith] was a good gamble. It didn’t work out for us. But when you are in that minimum contract deal, you’re going to have some hits and misses and we’re fine with it and you keep doing.”

See more from the Pacific Division:

  • Suns owner Robert Sarver issued a vote of confidence to GM Ryan McDonough in an open letter to fans posted on the team’s website, acknowledging that some of the risks the team has taken lately haven’t panned out but pointing to the Warriors as reason to continue making bold moves. “Not every decision will be the right one, but [McDonough] will continue to build our team around the young, talented players acquired through the draft and opportunistically in free agency,” Sarver wrote in part. “The best team in the NBA right now is a perfect example of that model.”
  • Kings owner Vivek Ranadive may have encountered trouble running the team so far, but his success in other venues shows he’s no fool, writes Andy Furillo of The Sacramento Bee. Ranadive told Furillo he’d buy out the stake of any minority-share owner who wants out, responding to reports that many of his partners are upset with him. “If somebody’s unhappy, I’ll write them a check today,” Ranadive said.
  • The Kings could use some more defense in the backcourt and coach George Karl has praised Seth Curry‘s performance on that end, but Curry has remained largely tied to the pine, much to his frustration, as The Bee’s Jason Jones examines. Curry has a minimum-salary player option for next season.
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Suns Waive Kris Humphries

February 28th, 2016 at 4:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:18pm: The Suns have waived Humphries, the team announced (on Twitter), confirming an earlier tweet from Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

SUNDAY, 11:01am: The Suns are expected to complete a buyout deal with Kris Humphries later today, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The Hawks are the favorite to sign Humphries after he clears waivers, as Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops first reported Saturday. Because Humphries is being released before Tuesday’s deadline, he will be eligible to participate in the postseason with his new team. “Basketball always comes down to winning and competing, especially now that the season is so long,” Humphries said, according to Coro. “[Joining a playoff team] is always an option.” 

Humphries has been in Phoenix for a little more than a week after Washington traded him there in a deadline deal for Markieff Morris. The Suns also received a top-nine protected draft pick and DeJuan Blair, who was waived on Monday. Humphries is making $4.6MM this season and in 2016/17, so it’s possible he could be giving up a substantial amount of money in the buyout.

The parting of ways with Humphries coincides with Phoenix’s desire to give more time to younger players, as Coro examines in a separate story. Interim coach Earl Watson used the team’s 18th different starting lineup of the season Saturday and wants to see more of Alex Len, Archie Goodwin and Devin Booker.

“I think it’s time to put our young guys in position, as many young guys as we can, in a position to be successful,” Watson said. “I think we have to let them be comfortable.”

The Hawks have an open roster spot and are definitely interested in Humphries, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta has been monitoring buyout candidates as it searches for a replacement for center/forward Tiago Splitter, who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing hip surgery this week. Splitter was averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds through 36 games, mostly as a reserve.

Humphries could play a role in costing his former team a playoff spot if he signs with Atlanta, writes Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic. At 27-30, the Wizards are in 10th place and four games behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The teams will meet three more times this season.

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Suns, Kris Humphries Discuss Buyout

February 27th, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kris Humphries is in “advanced talks” with the Suns on a possible buyout, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops. He cites the Hawks as the favorites to land Humphries if the deal goes through.

Humphries was sent from Washington to Phoenix in a trade at the deadline that brought Markieff Morris to the Wizards. Since the deal, Humphries has played four games for the Suns, averaging 7.3 points and 8.0 rebounds. He is making $4.6MM this season and in 2016/17, so it’s uncertain how much money he would have to give up in the buyout.

The Hawks have a roster spot open, so no corresponding move would be needed to sign Humphries. If the deal happens, Atlanta would be his seventh team in a 12-year NBA career.

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And-Ones: Ashley, Williams, Thomas

February 25th, 2016 at 10:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

During an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, Suns GM Ryan McDonough admitted that he’d erred in trading away point guard and 2016 NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas last February. “I think in retrospect trading Isaiah Thomas when we did was a mistake. I think sometimes in the recruitment process things sound better in July [luring Thomas in free agency] than they do in November,” McDonough said. “He wanted more. He wanted a bigger role and I understand why: He’s a talented player. In retrospect, we should have carried him into the summer. If there’s one [decision] that stands out, if I could get a mulligan, that’d be it.” In 58 appearances for the Celtics this season Thomas is averaging 21.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists with a slash line of .422/.348/.898.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Mavs affiliate player Brandon Ashley has signed with the German club Alba Berlin, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor reports (on Twitter). The exact terms of the deal are unknown, but international journalist David Pick (Twitter link) notes that Ashley’s deal includes an option for 2016/17, though it is unclear if that option belongs to the player or the team.
  • Thunder coach Billy Donovan indicated no date has been set for assistant coach Monty Williams to return to the team, John Reid of The Times-Picayune writes. Williams is still mourning the tragic loss of his wife Ingrid in a car accident earlier this month. ”I don’t have really know the answer to that,” Donovan said regarding Williams’ return.”We haven’t talked about when he’ll be coming back. It’s been more of how he and his children are doing; just them adjusting to life without Ingrid and just getting the kids settled and back in school. I haven’t really talked to him about that, but whatever he decides to do I’m behind him on that 100% because the one thing I know and respect about Monty is that he’s going to put his family and children first. Those decisions I think will be made once he gets to a point when he can get them into some kind of rhythm and routine after what happened.”
  • If the Rockets sign another player this season, he will likely be a power forward who is a solid defender, which probably rules out any interest in Joe Johnson, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com tweets. The Nets waived Johnson earlier today as part of a buyout arrangement.
  • Tim Frazier, whom the Blazers waived last week, is expected to rejoin the Maine Red Claws in the coming days, Reichert relays (via Twitter). Maine is the Celtics‘ D-League affiliate, though Frazier will be free to sign with any NBA team that were to come calling.
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Suns Claim John Jenkins Off Waivers

February 24th, 2016 at 7:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:03pm: The Suns have officially announced the waiver claim of Jenkins.

4:14pm: The Suns have claimed John Jenkins off waivers from the Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The team has yet to make a formal announcement, but the move had to have taken place before 4:00pm Central, when Jenkins was set to become a free agent had no team put in a claim. He’s on a three-year minimum-salary contract, and the minimum salary exception only accommodates two-year deals, so Phoenix is using part of the $1.56MM trade exception it created in the Markieff Morris deal last week. It’s a boon for Dallas, which gets to subtract the more than $981K cap hit for Jenkins from this season’s books. The Suns are responsible for that plus his remaining paychecks this year.

Jenkins, who turns 25 next month, goes into Phoenix’s open roster spot, so no corresponding move is necessary. He’ll provide depth on the wing, where the Suns have been thin in the wake of T.J. Warren‘s season-ending broken foot. The Mavericks didn’t give Jenkins much playing time in the regular season, as he’s averaged a career low 9.2 minutes per game, even though he was one of the surprises of the preseason, when he put up 19.7 points in 28.4 minutes a night across seven appearances. Dallas waived Jenkins to make room for David Lee, who came free via buyout from the Celtics.

The Suns have the ability to control Jenkins through 2017/18, since his contract contains non-guaranteed minimum salaries for the next two seasons. He holds promise, having been the 23rd overall pick in 2012, and he’s a passable floor-stretching threat, having hit 35.7% of his 227 3-point attempts over the course of 119 NBA regular season games. Phoenix nonetheless burns the majority of the Morris exception, which declines in value to $578,652, largely unusable except for rookie minimum deals.

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Pacific Notes: Varejao, Teletovic, Booker, Karl

February 23rd, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Leandro Barbosa helped recruit fellow Brazilian Anderson Varejao to the Warriors, Varejao said, adding that his familiarity with former teammates Shaun Livingston, Marreese Speights and Luke Walton and respect for Golden State’s stars also helped persuade him to sign with the team, observes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com. Varejao’s agency confirmed the Hawks, Spurs, Thunder and Mavericks were his other suitors, while Marc Stein of ESPN.com also heard the Clippers made an offer.

“I’m glad I came here [to Oakland], because I can tell they love each other,” Varejao said, according to Poole. “That’s what it’s about. When you want to win, you have to be like they are. Friends that have fun out there, have fun in the locker room. I’ve been here for a couple hours, but I can tell. I can tell this group, they love each other.”

See more from the Pacific Division:

  • Mirza Teletovic is on a one-year contract and was reportedly the subject of trade talk between the Suns and Bucks, but he said he’d like to stay in Phoenix as long as possible, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
  • Rookie Devin Booker is the top scorer remaining on the Suns in the wake of injuries to others and the Markieff Morris trade, but while Booker manages the difficulty of having become the focal point for opposing defenses, the Suns want him to work on his defensive development, Coro writes in a separate piece. “His major, major growth opportunities are on defense,” Suns interim coach Earl Watson said. “We don’t care about offense and averaging 20 points a game. We care about defensively being accountable, getting stops, being in the right position, helping your team.”
  • The Kings have been unfair to George Karl, argues Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, who believes that the coach has much too long a track record of success to put up with the turmoil in Sacramento. Still, Dempsey can’t envision Karl quitting and walking away from the money the team owes him.
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Suns Waive DeJuan Blair

February 22nd, 2016 at 6:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

MONDAY, 6:11pm: The team officially announced today that Blair has been waived (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 5:15pm: The Suns will waive newly acquired power forward DeJuan Blair, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports. The news that Phoenix would waive Blair or Kris Humphries was first relayed by Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Blair was shipped to the Suns along with Humphries in exchange for Markieff Morris earlier today.

Blair is earning $2MM this season, the remainder of which Phoenix will be on the hook for. The power forward is under contract for 2016/17, but that salary is non-guaranteed, so the Suns won’t have any impact on their salary cap for next season as a result of this move.

The 26-year-old appeared in 29 contests for the Wizards this season and averaged 2.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 7.5 minutes of action per outing. His shooting numbers are .412/.000/.385.

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And-Ones: Morris Twins, Gerald Green, Hardaway

February 22nd, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris thought their close relationship with Suns owner Robert Sarver, which included invitations to Sarver’s home to work out on his basketball court, would ensure advance warning of the trade that sent Marcus to the Pistons, the twins told Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. It’s not simply a matter of the trade having separated them, Marcus insists, saying to Bucher that he also would have pulled off the deal that sent him to the Pistons if he thought, as the Suns did, that it would give them a better shot at LaMarcus Aldridge.

“Everybody thinking that we’re upset because we don’t get to play with each other,” Marcus said. “Kieff can’t deal with adversity? We’re from north Philadelphia. This isn’t adversity. This is betrayal.”

The Magic offered Channing Frye for Markieff shortly after the deal that sent Marcus to the Pistons this summer, a league source told Bucher, and the Cavaliers and Bulls were interested in Markieff, too, Bucher hears, also confirming an earlier report that the Pistons held interest in reuniting the brothers. Bucher indicates that the twins were closer with former Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby than with Suns GM Ryan McDonough, suggesting that that the reduction in Babby’s role played a part in the end of the run for the Morrises in Phoenix. See more from around the NBA:

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Eastern Notes: Morris, Teague, Middleton, ‘Melo

February 22nd, 2016 at 12:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ex-Suns coach Jeff Hornacek gave one of the most positive reviews about Markieff Morris that the Wizards encountered when they asked around the league about Markieff Morris prior to last week’s trade, sources told TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip for NBA.com. Wizards coach Randy Wittman said he only heard “rave reviews,” while Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley, former teammates of Morris who are now on the Wizards, told the front office that Morris wouldn’t be a problem, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post details. See more from the Eastern Conference as the ramifications of the trade deadline continue:

  • The Bucks reportedly had at least passing interest in Jeff Teague, but they weren’t willing to part with Khris Middleton to get a deal done, league sources told Aldridge for the same piece. Milwaukee reportedly held tight to Middleton in talks about Ricky Rubio, too. The Hawks were trying to score both a starter and a first-round pick in would-be trades involving Teague, sources told USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt last week (Twitter link).
  • Meanwhile, the Pelicans were the team that clung to one of their players in their talks with the Bucks, as the conversation between those teams involving Greg Monroe fell apart when New Orleans refused to give up Jrue Holiday, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
  • Several teams think that if the Knicks don’t make much progress in their rebuilding by the middle of July, Carmelo Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause, Deveney writes in the same piece. The Knicks spoke with the Rockets about Ty Lawson before the trade deadline, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
  • The retention of Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside this summer would almost assuredly mean the end to Luol Deng‘s time with the Heat, observes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who writes in his mailbag column. Front office executives around the league were led to believe that Deng was available on the trade market before last week’s deadline, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt noted (on Twitter).
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