Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler’s Latest: Dragic, Deng, Garnett, Lawson

February 17th, 2015 at 10:09am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks have engaged the Suns in talks as they keep an eye on Goran Dragic, just as the Lakers have done, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in his NBA AM piece. The Knicks and Lakers would be on board with trading for a player whom they could otherwise just wait to sign outright in free agency this summer, like Dragic, but it doesn’t seem that either would give up major assets in any such swap. Kyler has plenty more new information with the trade deadline just two days off, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

Miami is open to trading Luol Deng, according to Kyler, who suggests that the veteran small forward isn’t garnering the sort of interest it would take for him to be traded. Kyler also lists Norris Cole, Chris Andersen and Danny Granger as players the Heat are making available, which jibes with earlier reports on all three.
Golden State is “more than” interested in Kevin Garnett, Kyler hears, which advances a suggestion from Grantland’s Zach Lowe on Monday that the Warriors would like to try to convince Garnett to waive his no-trade clause. The 20th-year veteran reportedly has no plans to seek a buyout.
The Bucks are “being linked” to Ty Lawson, Kyler writes, though it’s unclear just what sort of interest is there.
The Bulls would think about trading Tony Snell for a veteran shooting guard who fits what they’re looking for, Kyler writes. Still, while Chicago is speaking generally about doing some deals before the deadline, the team doesn’t appear to be willing to give up what it would take, according to Kyler.
The Suns are making Gerald Green available, according to Kyler.
Charlotte has interest in Wilson Chandler, but the Hornets would prefer to trade for Arron Afflalo, as Kyler hears. That’s the reverse of the Blazers‘ apparent preference. The Bulls are “sniffing at” both players, too, Kyler adds, nonetheless casting doubt once more on whether Chicago is willing to give up the assets necessary to swing a deal.
Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas have come up in trade rumors, but it’s more likely that the Raptors deal someone on an expiring contract, according to Kyler, naming Landry Fields, Tyler Hansbrough and Amir Johnson as examples.
Sources close to the Pacers tell Kyler that David West is likely to opt in with the Pacers for next season, when his contract calls for him to make $12.6MM.
There is “a sense” that the Magic are making Ben Gordon and Luke Ridnour available, Kyler says.

Knicks Waive Amar’e Stoudemire In Buyout Deal

February 16th, 2015 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

12:33pm: The Knicks have waived Stoudemire, the team announced via press release, making the buyout deal official. It’s still unknown just how much Stoudemire gave back.

“Amar’e’s period as a Knickerbocker has come to pass, at his request. His time here should be marked by recognizing his effort – it was 100%,” Knicks team president Phil Jackson said in the statement. “As we move forward in structuring this team, we will look for players that exhibit his desire to win.”

The Knicks are left with 14 players on their roster. GM Steve Mills said in the team’s release that he and Stoudemire had developed a “long-term friendship” that would remain in place as they parted ways, and Stoudemire, in his quote as part of the statement, expressed gratitude to the organization, saying, “Once a Knick, always a Knick.”

MONDAY, 7:35am: The Blazers aren’t in the mix, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 11:15pm: The Clippers, Blazers, Suns, and Raptors are expected to pursue Stoudemire, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

11:04pm: Stein (link) adds the Cavs to the list of teams that are not actively pursuing the veteran.

11:00pm: The Grizzlies and Warriors are not pushing to sign Stoudemire, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

10:40pm: The Clippers and Mavericks have strong interest in Stoudemire but the Spurs are a dark horse “with [a] level of intrigue,” according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

10:12pm: The Knicks and Amar’e Stoudemire reached a buyout agreement on Sunday night, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). The big man’s camp has been discussing a buyout with the club for quite some time.

Stoudemire, 32, is in the final year of a massive five-year contract worth nearly $99.744MM that pays him almost $23.411MM this season. The veteran has averaged 12.0 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 36 games (14 starts) for the blue and orange this season. Stoudemire has a rather respectable 19.7 PER on the year and his 6.8 boards per game is a good improvement over his averages from the previous two campaigns.

Even though he has not found individual success with the Knicks, STAT was said to be conflicted about the idea of a buyout. Still, Stoudemire’s reps were pushing for a deal and the Knicks had no intention of re-signing him this summer as they look to push their resources towards younger talent.

“All possibilities at this point are still open,” Stoudemire said of his own buyout possibility. “The door is still open for that. But at the same time, I am with the Knicks now. I got to stay optimistic about things and what we are doing here. I can’t really focus on the future because it’s not here. We still have a couple weeks left before it’s all said and done. It’s a decision I have to make with my family to figure out the best scenario for the near future.”

The Mavs are reportedly the favorites to sign Stoudemire should he buy his way off the Knicks and clear waivers. Of course, with a $23MM+ salary, Stoudemire would be a mortal lock to pass through waivers unclaimed. Besides Dallas, the Clippers and Warriors are said to be interested as well. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently wrote that it’s “quite possible” that Stoudemire would return to the Suns this summer and speculated that the Magic would have interest in the central Florida native this summer, though it’s not clear what the interest level would be from either team if Stoudemire were to reach free agency mid-season.

And-Ones: Knight, Lopez, OKC, Clippers

February 15th, 2015 at 11:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Impending restricted free agent Brandon Knight says he’s in a “great situation” with the Bucks, but that’s no guarantee that he’ll want to stay put, Susan Bible of Basketball Insiders writes. “Well, speaking for myself, I would want to go into a situation where I can win,” Knight said regarding what factors he’ll consider in free agency. “I think that’s the biggest thing. Winning has to be a priority. I’m pretty sure if you ask any top free agent, winning is going to be the main thing.” Here’s more from around the Association..

An executive told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links) that the Thunder and Nets are the most aggressive teams in trade talks. The two teams want to make a move and they may wind up trading with each other. He adds that OKC’s interest in center Brook Lopez is real and he wouldn’t be surprised to see a deal involving him go down.
The Clippers have been trying very hard to make a trade, but they don’t have the assets to swing a worthwhile deal, so they’ll instead try and sign bought out players to bolster their roster, Kennedy tweets.
When asked whether the frigid weather would scare him off from signing in New York, Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge responded, “It’s cold everywhere,” Sean Deveney of the Sporting News tweets.
Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders gathered quotes from Aldridge, Knight, and other prospective Knicks free agent targets regarding their thoughts on the team and the city.
Any deal the Suns make would be made in the name of building an elite team down the line, not a fringe playoff team now, as Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. Meanwhile, both Isaiah Thomas and Goran Dragic have been mentioned in recent trade rumors.

Western Notes: Kings, Karl, Matthews, Suns

February 15th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The hiring of George Karl as coach of the Kings shows that second-year GM Pete D’Alessandro has won a power struggle in Sacramento, writes Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. D’Alessandro and Karl have a history together with the Nuggets, as do Kings assistant GM Mike Bratz and analytics expert Dean Oliver. It was the GM who pushed for Karl’s hiring and prevailed despite rumored opposition from minority owners and star player DeMarcus Cousins. “I think any time there’s a coaching vacancy, if you’re a serious team, and George Karl is a free agent, he should be the first name that pops into your mind,” D’Alessandro said. “He’s top tier, both in terms of basketball acumen and what he has accomplished.”

There’s more from the Western Conference:

As Karl assembles a staff, a name to watch is Tim Grgurich, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The veteran coach could be Sacramento’s top assistant next season.
In New York for Saturday’s three-point shooting contest, the Trail Blazers’ Wesley Matthews didn’t sound like a man with plans to leave Portland, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “To be honest with you, I haven’t even really thought about being a free agent, man,” Matthews said in response to a question. “I’m extremely happy in Portland and we have a great thing going there and that is where my mind is.” Matthews, who has become one of the elite three-point threats in the NBA, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Suns are more apt to try and trade Isaiah Thomas than to deal Goran Dragic before the trade deadline and the guard understands the trade rumors surrounding his name, writes Shlomo Sprung of Sheridan Hoops. “I can’t comment on it too much just because it’s out of my control,” Thomas told Sprung. “The game of basketball, especially the NBA, is a business and nobody is ever safe. You just have to be professional and come to work every day.” Thomas signed a four-year deal worth slightly more than $27MM last offseason.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 2/8/15-2/14/15

February 14th, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:

“The Hawks are at the top the league right now. Is there a move for them to make now that will help them come playoff time?” — Jason C.

The Hawks are indeed on a roll, despite entering the All-Star break with a loss, and that means acting GM and coach Mike Budenholzer needs to be extremely careful when tweaking his team. Locker room chemistry is such a delicate formula, and it isn’t wise to fiddle with the roster when a team is playing this well. But having said that, I can see two areas that the Hawks may do well to take a shot at strengthening.

Atlanta could use more offensive firepower on the wing, and I would suggest that it targets the Nuggets’ Arron Afflalo, whom Denver is reportedly requesting a first round draft pick for. The Hawks have an open roster spot thanks to dealing Adreian Payne to the Wolves, and with a very real shot to make it to the NBA Finals the team should maximize this opportunity. Bringing Afflalo to Atlanta would be a solid move, though making the trade work under the cap without impacting its overall roster strength would be a bit tricky.

The other area the Hawks could benefit from addressing is at the center position. If Al Horford were to suffer an injury the team would have only Pero Antic and Mike Muscala to man the pivot. While I like Muscala’s potential quite a bit, neither player strikes me as a starting center on a contending team this season. I think the Hawks should take a run at prying Enes Kanter away from the Jazz. Sure, he’s not a great defender, but his offensive skillset would blend in nicely with Atlanta’s system.

“Who is the biggest name that will be dealt before the deadline?” — Kenny R.

If I have to take a stab at predicting this, I’ll go with Reggie Jackson of the Thunder. I haven’t been sold on his long-term future in Oklahoma City since the arrival of Dion Waiters from Cleveland. With Jackson set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and him more than likely in line to garner player friendly offer sheets from a number of teams, OKC may decide to part ways with him and reap something of value in return at the deadline.

Since Waiters’ arrival Jackson’s minutes have taken a hit, which more than likely hasn’t sat well with a player who is in a contract year. This means that there could be some cracks in the relationship between Jackson and the team, and if that is indeed the case, it’s not a great start to negotiating a new deal if the team wished to retain the guard for the long-term.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jackson head to Brooklyn, New York, or Miami via a trade. The Knicks have already tried to acquire Jackson, though they likely lack the assets needed to entice Thunder GM Sam Presti into pulling the trigger on a deal. The Nets are a much likelier landing spot, and a trade centering around Brook Lopez and Jackson wouldn’t be a shocker. The Heat could also factor in since their point guard situation is far from settled, and Miami could offer a number of interesting pieces in return, though no one quite as appealing as Lopez.

My second choice for the biggest name to be dealt would be the Suns’ Goran Dragic. But I think that would happen only if Phoenix could nab a star player in return, or if Dragic has informed GM Ryan McDonough that he has no intentions of returning to Phoenix next season. With McDonough dropping hints that he needs to part ways with one of his guards, Dragic could very well be wearing a new uniform come Friday.

“What do the Sixers end up doing with Andrei Kirilenko? What kind of trade value does he have?” — Ron

I would speculate that Kirilenko has very little value as a trade chip at this point of the season. I can’t see a team giving up a worthwhile player or a second round pick for him, which is GM Sam Hinkie‘s likely asking price, since there are still a few of those between now and 2020 that he doesn’t own yet. If Philadelphia and Kirilenko arrange a buyout, which is the likely outcome of this relationship, interested teams could simply sign him for the veteran’s minimum instead of picking up the remainder of the Russian’s $3,326,235 salary for 2014/15.

“What are your thoughts on the hiring of George Karl? Do the Kings make the playoffs next season? — Bobby S.

I like the concept of hiring Karl, but loathe the execution. The Kings have made a mess of themselves this season, and a new coach, no matter who he is, isn’t going to right the ship in 2014/15. I’d also like to get on record that Tyrone Corbin, a true gentleman and professional by all accounts, deserves much better than the treatment he has received by Sacramento throughout this very public process. I’ll also add that the team would have been much better served to stick with Michael Malone for the entire season, and if a change was needed, have it take place during the summer, not when the Kings were off to such a solid start, and the team’s difficult star, DeMarcus Cousins, appeared to be firmly in his former coach’s corner.

Speaking to what Karl will bring to the organization, I think it will be good for a boost in the short-term. But unless Karl has mellowed a bit, or Cousins is ready to grow up and buy in fully to what Karl is selling him, this is a tabloid-worthy relationship waiting to happen. Karl had difficulties with some of his players in Denver, notably his star at the time, Carmelo Anthony, and ‘Melo is a church mouse compared to Cousins when he gets his ire up. So this pairing is a potentially volatile situation that could make for good theater, but rough seas on the hardwood if the two men don’t click.

As for whether or not this will mean a playoff spot for the Kings, I’d say the draft (if the Kings don’t convey their first-rounder to Chicago), and the team’s offseason moves will have much more of an impact on next season’s outcome. The NBA is a player’s league, and coaches can instill a culture conducive to winning, but unless Sacramento improves its roster, we’ll likely see similar results no matter who is calling the timeouts on the sidelines.

“Who are the biggest potential sleepers in the 2015 draft?” — Malik

This is going to be an intriguing draft since after the top four players (Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns, and D’Angelo Russell), the second tier becomes a true tossup. There are a number of players who seem interchangeable between picks 5-20 in the upcoming draft, and I’m glad that I’m not the one who has to put his job on the line in making the final call on whom to select with those picks. This year’s pre-draft workouts are going to be vital and extremely stressful for a large number of players, as well as teams’ evaluation staffs. If I had to pick a few players who could outperform their likely draft slots, I’d go with R.J. Hunter (Georgia State), Dakari Johnson (Kentucky), and Delon Wright (Utah). All three players are likely to be mid-to-late first-rounders, but all of whom I believe will become pleasant surprises at the next level.

That’s all the space I have for this week. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. Gentlemen, hopefully you didn’t forget to take care of your significant others today, or else you may have to monitor all the trade deadline activity from the dog house. Keep sending in your questions, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Karl, Thompson, West

February 13th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings are poised for trade deadline action after resolving their coaching situation, while in Phoenix, suitors are lining up for Goran Dragic. We’ll run through the latest news and notes from a busy Pacific Division here:

DeMarcus Cousins praised new Kings coach George Karl to reporters at All-Star weekend in New York, saying he looked forward to working with him, tweets Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. The center has expressed exasperation with the team’s coaching turmoil.
Karl was the right choice for the Kings, argues Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, who also lists Scott Brooks among the names of coaches who would have been candidates for the Sacramento job if the team hadn’t hired Karl.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was largely responsible for halting a proposed blockbuster last summer that would have sent Klay Thompson to the Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Love, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Kerr and Warriors team consultant Jerry West talked ownership out of making the swap, which would have also sent David Lee to Minnesota and Kevin Martin to Golden State, Deveney adds. A source close the talks told Deveney that the trade was a done deal until Kerr, who took the job with the expectation of coaching Thompson, and West convinced management not to do it.
The jealousy that the Warriors worried might develop when they gave Thompson a more lucrative extension than Stephen Curry got a few years ago hasn’t developed, and Thompson doesn’t regret agreeing to contract terms that might give him less than the max, as Deveney writes in the same piece.
West, who made his mark as an executive with the Lakers, is confident the Lakers wouldn’t ask him back, as he said on 95.7 The Game, as station host Matt Steinmetz relays (Twitter links). West’s son, Ryan, is the Lakers’ assistant scouting director, notes Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
Trading Dragic would be a wise move because the Suns are not true title contenders, Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic argues. Bickley believes the Suns should be acquiring trade assets in order to make a future move to acquire a superstar talent rather than adding short-term pieces such as Ray Allen or Amar’e Stoudemire. If the Suns can add a first-round pick by swapping Dragic while concurrently breaking their point guard logjam, they should not hesitate, Bickley concludes.

Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.

Heat Eye Goran Dragic, Reggie Jackson

February 13th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat are especially high on Goran Dragic, and they also find Reggie Jackson intriguing, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. Jackson writes about Dragic in the context of free agency this summer, noting that Miami is unlikely to have the cap room necessary to sign the 28-year-old guard, who plans to opt out at season’s end, though Dragic is a trade candidate in advance of Thursday’s deadline. Jackson is poised for restricted free agency, but he, too, is a trade candidate and several GMs peg him as one of the three biggest names likely to move within the next week.

Miami is one of the few teams in the league without a strong performer at point guard, while the Suns have a glut at the position and Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough this week acknowledged his club is overloaded in the backcourt. McDonough said he would like to have “a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding.” The Heat probably aren’t going to part with Chris Bosh or Hassan Whiteside, but they reportedly made a proposal involving big men Chris Andersen, Josh McRoberts and point guard Norris Cole to the Nets for Brook Lopez. Team president Pat Riley denied that report, however, and McRoberts would be of no immediate help to Phoenix, since he’s likely out for the year.

Reports have also linked the Rockets and the Lakers to Dragic, for trades as well as free agency, and the Suns are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in exchange if they’re to relinquish him before the deadline. The Heat owe their first-round pick to the Sixers this year as long as it’s not a top-10 selection.

Jackson’s days in Oklahoma City have appeared numbered since he and the club failed to come to terms on an extension this past fall, and perhaps before then, when he made it clear that he envisions becoming a starting point guard, an opportunity he won’t have teaming with Russell Westbrook. The Knicks seem to have strong interest in Jackson for a trade or in free agency, but the Thunder have reportedly found the trade market for him weaker than they expected. The Heat would have Jackson’s Bird rights and the right to match offers for him this summer if they trade for him before the deadline and tender a qualifying offer by the end of June. As with Dragic, the Heat probably couldn’t afford him otherwise in free agency, since the team is likely to be over the cap come July unless either Dwyane Wade or Luol Deng opt out.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Dudley, Kerr

February 12th, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jared Dudley said that he played the entire 2013/14 season with a fracture in his right knee, and he did so at the request of Clippers coach and executive Doc Rivers, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes. Dudley also relayed that he played through the injury with the understanding he would be able to return to the team healthy for the 2014/15 season, but instead he was traded to the Bucks this past offseason, Markazi notes. Dudley is extremely thankful that he was dealt to Milwaukee, the ESPN scribe relays. “The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I’m healthy, I’m the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix.”

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

In an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, Suns GM Ryan McDonough acknowledged that Phoenix’s roster composition is uneven, Adam Green of RealGM.com relays. “I think our roster balance is a little off, and that’s my fault,” McDonough said. “We are a little too backcourt heavy, especially in terms of guys who, you know, I think you’d define primarily as scorers in the backcourt. So I think at some point we’ll need to balance that out, try to get a little more size, a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding.”
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive wasn’t necessarily the driving force behind the early season firing of Michael Malone, Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com writes (Twitter links). Bruski was addressing an earlier report by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that asserted Sacramento’s owner was the one who insisted that Malone be let go, though Bruski didn’t elaborate further on who was the impetus behind the coaching change.
Despite coaching the Warriors to the best overall record in the league thus far, Steve Kerr says that he still has a lot of work to do in figuring out how to be an NBA coach, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. “The biggest thing for me is learning on the job, feeling the job, feeling the routine and the rhythm of it, staying in tune with the players and making sure we’re moving the ship forward,” Kerr said. “You learn all the time. There’s a lot going on, and you have to constantly be on your toes.“

And-Ones: Buyouts, Dragic, Stauskas, Magic

February 12th, 2015 at 10:53am CST by Chuck Myron

Andrea Bargnani, Brandon Bass, Marcus Thornton, Andrei Kirilenko, Willie Green, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur are all likely buyout candidates if they’re not traded before the deadline, league sources tell Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Beck also mentions Tayshaun Prince, who’ll probably strike a buyout deal with the Celtics if he’s not traded, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported last month. The Bleacher Report scribe also reiterates that Kevin Garnett isn’t seeking a buyout, seconding an earlier report from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Suns want a first-round pick if they’re to give up Goran Dragic in a trade, as Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times hears (Twitter link). Woelfel suggests that opposing teams will be willing to pay that price and believes the Rockets, who’ve reportedly tried to trade for Dragic this season, will consider going after him again.
There are rumors connecting the Bucks to Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, according to Woelfel (Twitter link). Still, it’s unclear if there’s truly interest from Milwaukee’s end.
James Borrego says the Magic haven’t told him whether or not he’ll be the head coach for the rest of the season, and he takes it as a signal that he’ll remain in place, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The timing of the situation and the Magic’s track record don’t suggest they’ll make a move before season’s end, though “it’s widely believed” the team will eventually replace Borrego with a proven coaching veteran, Schmitz writes. Rumored coaching candidate Scott Skiles indeed has interest in the job, but the Magic’s players seem to be supporting Borrego, Schmitz adds.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey is exploring possible trades to help shore up the team’s depth, The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman writes, noting that Thomas Robinson and Will Barton seem unsure if they’ll remain on the team past the deadline. Olshey declared earlier this week that he wouldn’t trade any of the team’s starters and also talked up the value of his bench players in an interview during a game broadcast, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian transcribes.
Former Mavs guard Dominique Jones is drawing renewed NBA interest following an impressive showing in China, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Jones, who last played in the league in 2012/13, averaged an eye-popping 36.8 points per game over 41 appearances in China this season.

And-Ones: Sanders, Johnson, Suns

February 11th, 2015 at 10:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Larry Sanders‘ league-imposed suspension for marijuana use has ended, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Twitter link). The big man had been suspended without pay for a minimum of 10 games for a violation of the anti-drug policy, the NBA had announced back on January 16th. The league had stipulated that the suspension would remain in effect until Sanders fully complied with his treatment program. There has been no official announcement from the league or the Bucks regarding Sanders’ reinstatement as of yet. Sanders has missed a total of 12 games while on suspension, totaling $1.2MM in lost wages.

The end of the suspension makes it certain that the team will be unable to re-sign Jorge Gutierrez, whose 10-day contract will expire during the All-Star break, unless the Bucks unload one of their 15 players who are signed through the end of the season. Gutierrez has occupied the extra roster spot that Milwaukee’s has had thanks to the presence of Sanders on the suspended list.

Here’s more from around the league:

If Tyler Johnson remains on the Heat‘s roster past August 1st, half of his $845,059 salary for the 2015/16 season will become guaranteed, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (Twitter link). Johnson was signed to a two-year deal by Miami after completing a pair of 10-day contracts with the team.
The Suns have recalled Archie Goodwin and Reggie Bullock from the Bakersfield Jam, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This was the the fourth trek of the season for Goodwin to Bakersfield, and the second for Bullock.
Pistons president of basketball operations and coach Stan Van Gundy blasted the Kings for how they have treated interim coach Tyrone Corbin, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. Van Gundy took issue with the organization’s public courting of George Karl, who is reportedly finalizing an agreement to coach Sacramento, Mayo notes. “I think it’s an unfortunate situation, the way it’s been handled,” Van Gundy said. “I think Tyrone Corbin has been treated very, very poorly by their organization. I think the way they have treated him is unfortunate and inexcusable for one of the real class acts in our business.“
While Jahlil Okafor remains the consensus No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft, the player likely to be selected No. 2 remains a tight race between Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns, and D’Angelo Russell, Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) notes.