Suns Rumors

Knicks/Celtics, Wolves/Lakers To Play On Opening Night

The NBA’s opening night schedule will feature home games for the league’s two most accomplished franchises, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the Celtics will host the Knicks in the early game, while the Lakers will host the Timberwolves in the late game.

The Celtics, who won their record 18th NBA title in June, will receive their championship rings on opening night, which will take place on Tuesday, October 22. That game will be the first for the new-look Knicks, featuring Mikal Bridges.

The game between the Lakers and Timberwolves will feature several stars who participated in Saturday’s gold medal game in Paris, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers and Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert of the Wolves.

Both games will air on TNT Sports, which will be distributing NBA games for one final year in 2024/25, assuming their lawsuit against the league doesn’t result in a new broadcast rights deal that begins in ’25/26.

The full regular schedule for the 2024/25 NBA season is expected to be released later this week, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. In the meantime, here are a few more notable matchups, courtesy of Charania:

  • The new-look Sixers, led by former MVP Joel Embiid, reigning Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, and free agent addition Paul George, will host the Bucks on October 23 to open their regular season (Twitter link).
  • The first regular season game at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood will be played on October 23, when the Clippers host the Suns (Twitter link).
  • Klay Thompson and the Mavericks will visit the Warriors on November 12 in Thompson’s first trip back to the Bay Area (Twitter link). That will also be the first game of the in-season tournament (NBA Cup) for both Dallas and Golden State (Twitter link).
  • The NBA Finals rematches between the Celtics and Mavericks will take place on January 25 in Dallas and February 6 in Boston (Twitter link).
  • In case you missed it, 2024’s Christmas Day matchups were reported last week.

Team USA Notes: Durant, Holiday, Brown, Tatum, Embiid

Team USA will make a lineup change for its gold medal game on Saturday vs. France, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says that Suns forward Kevin Durant will be inserted into the starting five, with Celtics guard Jrue Holiday expected to make the move to the bench.

Durant missed all of Team USA’s exhibition contests leading up to the Olympics due to a calf strain, or else he might have been a starter from day one. Despite not getting any game reps in before the Olympics, Durant has been one of the team’s most-used players and top scorers in France, averaging 13.6 points in 20.5 minutes per contest and posting a white-hot shooting line of .579/.611/.929.

The French team’s frontcourt is its biggest strength, with Victor Wembanyama, Guerschon Yabusele, and Mathias Lessort playing key roles in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Rudy Gobert is also in that mix, though he’s banged up and has played a limited role in the knockout round. Adding Durant to the starting five will put the U.S. squad in a better position to match up with France’s size.

Here’s more on Team USA ahead of Saturday’s gold medal game:

  • USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill spoke to Joe Vardon of The Athletic and Rachel Nichols on the All The Smoke podcast (YouTube link) about the process of building the U.S. roster and his areas of concern entering the tournament. In his conversation with Nichols, Hill discussed the omission of Jaylen Brown from the 12-man squad, indicating that the Celtics wing will receive consideration for the 2028 team in Los Angeles despite the public criticism Brown offered last month. “He’ll be a candidate if he wants in ’28,” Hill said (Twitter video link). “One thing I’ve learned is you can’t take anything personal. My objective is to win.”
  • After Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was a DNP-CD for the second time in the Olympics in Thursday’s comeback win over Serbia, head coach Steve Kerr explained that it’s hard to find playing time for 11 players in a 40-minute game, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It’s not about anything Jayson is doing or not doing,” Kerr said. “It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin has filled in since he came back from his injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything.” While it’s a small sample size, Tatum’s .389 FG% in Olympic play is the worst among U.S. players.
  • Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic take a look at the Joel Embiid subplot that will play a part in Saturday’s final, given that the former NBA MVP chose to play for United States over France in these Olympics. Embiid fully anticipates a cool reception from the home crowd in Paris. “They’re going to boo me,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to go back at them and tell ’em to suck it. And so it’s going to be fun.”

Christmas Day Games Include Sixers-Celtics, Lakers-Warriors

The NBA’s leaked slate of Christmas Day games will feature several heavy hitters.

Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that, as usual, five games will be broadcast, highlighted by a marquee matchup between two longtime Eastern Conference foes, the revamped Sixers and the Celtics. Boston, the reigning league champion, will host.

The schedule will be rounded out by several clashes between starry clubs, from veteran-laden squads to young up-and-comers. The Spurs will travel to Madison Square Garden to play the Knicks. A Western Conference Finals rematch is also on the docket, as the Mavericks will host the Timberwolves.

The newly Klay Thompson-less Warriors will host the Lakers, and the Nuggets will travel to Phoenix to face the retooled Suns.

Philadelphia almost completely overhauled its roster around incumbent All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The new additions are headlined by nine-time All-Star combo forward Paul George, who departed the Clippers to sign a four-year, maximum-salary deal with the Sixers. Philadelphia also signed seasoned free agents like forward Caleb Martin, center Andre Drummond, and shooting guard Eric Gordon while bringing back wing Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Celtics retained all of their own key players after going 64-18 in the regular season and 16-3 in the playoffs. A pair of new extensions for All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and All-Defensive Team guard Derrick White highlighted the team’s transactions, though longer-term uncertainty looms as owner Wyc Grousbeck is looking to sell the franchise.

Led by Defensive Player of the Year and impending Olympic medalist Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs figure to improve on their paltry 21-61 record in 2023/24. The team signed 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul to a one-year deal this summer, and traded for veteran combo forward Harrison Barnes. San Antonio also used its No. 4 pick in the lottery on NCAA championship-winning UConn guard Stephon Castle, the 2023/24 Big East Freshman of the Year.

The Knicks, meanwhile traded for former All-Defensive small forward Mikal Bridges this summer to maximize their ability to switch on the wing. The team also re-signed free agent forward OG Anunoby to a long-term contract and free agent center/power forward Precious Achiuwa to a shorter-term deal, inked All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson to a contract extension, and brought aboard veteran point guard Cameron Payne for extra depth.

Fresh off its first NBA Finals appearance with star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas added future Hall of Famer Thompson away from the Warriors as part of a sign-and-trade, while also acquiring young guard Quentin Grimes from the Pistons. Dallas also signed free agent wing Naji Marshall to a three-year deal.

After winning their first (two) playoff series in 20 years this spring, the Timberwolves traded for the draft rights to No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham and retained several of their own free agents.

While Golden State did lose out on Thompson, the Warriors quickly pivoted on the perimeter, signing free agent guard De’Anthony Melton and signing-and-trading for free agent wings Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield. The team is hoping to rebound from a finish as the West’s No. 10 seed and a quick play-in tournament exit.

Denver let free agent starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency and brought in reserve guard Russell Westbrook.

The Suns hired title-winning head coach Mike Budenholzer and signed Tyus Jones to a steal of a veteran’s minimum contract. Phoenix also brought back several of its own free agents, including wings Josh Okogie and Royce O’Neale and Damion Lee. The team also inked free agents Mason Plumlee and Monte Morris to minimum-salary contracts.

The most questionable omission from all this Christmas scheduling is clearly the Thunder, who claimed the West’s No. 1 overall seed last season and added ex-Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein via a lucrative three-year, $87MM deal. Oklahoma City also dealt guard Josh Giddey – who fell out of the starting lineup in the playoffs – to Chicago for All-Defensive wing Alex Caruso.

With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having finished as the MVP runner-up last year and young pieces Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams set to develop, the Thunder look poised to contend for the West’s top seed once again.

Knicks Notes: Center Options, Wing Depth, Brunson, Randle

Even if Mitchell Robinson can manage to avoid serious injury this season, he may not be the center the Knicks want on the court once they reach the playoffs, John Hollinger and Fred Katz of the Athletic write in a discussion about the team. Hollinger notes that while Robinson’s skills as a rim protector and offensive rebounder are valuable, New York was at its best with the pick-and-roll game and switchable defense of Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed with Oklahoma City in free agency.

Although he doesn’t expect the Knicks to add another center before training camp, Hollinger believes trade options will become available as the season wears on. He suggests the SunsJusuf Nurkic as a possibility if Phoenix gets off to a disappointing start or the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, who may be a third-stringer in Portland behind Deandre Ayton and lottery pick Donovan Clingan. Larry Nance Jr., who was recently traded to the Hawks and has an $11MM expiring salary, could also be considered.

Another option that Hollinger and Katz discuss is experimenting with Julius Randle at center. Katz states that coach Tom Thibodeau has resisted using Randle as a small-ball five, but New York’s strong perimeter defense can make up for the lack of a shot-blocker.

There’s more on the Knicks:

  • Wing depth has become New York’s best attribute since the trade for Mikal Bridges, Hollinger states in the same piece. He cites Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo as “automatic starters” for most teams, while the Knicks also have Miles McBride to handle minutes at two guard. Hollinger expresses concern about backup point guard, where McBride hasn’t shown an ability to create offense, Cameron Payne is with his fourth team in a little over a year and second-round pick Tyler Kolek isn’t likely to play much as a rookie.
  • Jalen Brunson has been selected as captain for the upcoming season, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). Brunson, who recently signed a four-year, $156.5MM extension that’s well below his market value, becomes the 36th captain in team history and the first since Lance Thomas during the 2018/19 season. “Jalen is a natural born leader, and I am confident he will continue to represent our organization, fans, city and his teammates with the same heart, grit and class he has displayed each and every day since he came to New York,” team president Leon Rose said.
  • The Knicks should work out an extension with Randle before the start of the season as a reward for his role in turning around the franchise, David Vertsberger contends in an SNY column. Randle is eligible for a new deal that could be worth up to $181.5MM over four years.

Suns Announce Mike Budenholzer’s Coaching Staff

The Suns have issued a press release formally announcing their coaching staff for the 2024/25 season under new head coach Mike Budenholzer.

As is typically the case, most of these hires were reported earlier in the summer, but the Suns waited until now to officially confirm them all at once.

Here are Budenholzer’s assistants:

  • Chad Forcier, who has worked as an NBA assistant in Detroit, Indiana, San Antonio, Orlando, Memphis, Milwaukee, and Utah since 2001, winning titles with the Spurs (2014) and Bucks (2021).
  • David Fizdale, formerly the head coach of the Grizzlies and Knicks, who was first hired as an assistant by the Suns in 2023 and decided to remain with the team following its head coaching change.
  • Vince Legarza, who worked under Budenholzer in both Atlanta and Milwaukee and also served as an assistant coach in Utah from 2019-22.
  • Mike Hopkins, a longtime assistant coach under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse and the head coach at the University of Washington from 2017-24.
  • Brent Barry, a former NBA sharpshooter, TNT analyst, and front office executive. He was most recently the Spurs’ vice president of basketball operations and the Austin Spurs’ general manager.
  • James Posey, who won titles with the Heat and Celtics as a player and has served as an assistant coach in Cleveland and Washington since his retirement.
  • Schuyler Rimmer, who won a championship with Budenholzer in 2021 as a Bucks player development assistant and also worked under Budenholzer in Atlanta. He has been a Lakers assistant for the past two seasons.

Fizdale is the lone holdover from Frank Vogel‘s 2023/24 staff.

Pacific Notes: Jones, Durant, Podziemski, Christie

While Tyus Jones surely expected to sign for more than the veteran’s minimum when he first reached free agency on July 1, he’s thrilled about his new opportunity in Phoenix despite settling for a one-year, $3MM deal. As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, Jones raved during his introductory media session this week about what he views as an ideal fit with the Suns.

“I’m excited. I’m ready for the opportunity, ready to seize it, but for me, again, going back to the fit. I felt like the fit was perfect,” Jones said. “I’m ready for the season to be here already. I know we got some time, but I just want to hoop. I want to get out there with the guys, build our camaraderie, build our chemistry and ultimately compete for a championship. That’s our end goal.”

Jones told reporters that the Suns did a “great job” recruiting him and that the strength of the roster helped convince him to sign in Phoenix. He’s looking forward to serving as a facilitator within a high-powered offense led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

“Just trying to make their job easy,” Jones said of his role. “Last year, I know Book, Brad had to do a lot of playing the one, kind of facilitating, orchestrating the offense. The fact that they can do that, but what they really do is put the ball in the basket and so I know it’s going to be up to me to put them in the right spots. Put KD in the right spots, put Book in the right spots, put Brad in the right spot, everybody.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • It’s unclear if Durant will receive the one-year, $59.7MM extension he’s eligible for before the regular season begins, but Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein tells Rankin that the relationship between the star forward and the organization is in a great place. “The most important thing is Kevin loves being here and we love having Kevin here,” Bartelstein said. “… I talk to (Durant’s manager) Rich Kleiman, who works with Kevin, all the time. Conversations are great not just on extension stuff, but on all things that have been going on.”
  • Appearing on The Dinner Table podcast, Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski made it clear he’s not bothered by the fact that his name has popped up in trade rumors this summer. In fact, he thinks it’s “fun” to see the discourse on whether or not he should be included in an offer for Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, as Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “No one likes to admit it, but everybody sees … the good and the bad,” Podziemski said. “For me, I think the bad can just be used as motivation. Obviously, my name has been in the Markkanen trade a lot, so if the trade doesn’t go through and I’m still here, to have a good second year and be like, ‘Good thing we didn’t trade him,’ would be cool for me.”
  • The Lakers are counting on third-year guard Max Christie to become a more significant part of their rotation as he begins a new four-year, $32MM contract, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. In particular, Christie expects to match up on defense with opponents’ top wing or backcourt scorers and has been working this offseason on building up his stamina in preparation for those assignments. “When you’re guarding the best player, all the actions are being run for him,” Christie said. “You’re running through screens, so that’s tiring. It’s hard. And then, especially if you’re chasing shooters … it’s fatiguing. … I want to keep growing my game, obviously defensively, looking ahead to next season.”

TyTy Washington Signs Two-Way Contract With Suns

2:33pm: Washington’s contract is official, the Suns announced (via Twitter).


10:12am: Free agent guard TyTy Washington will sign a two-way contract with the Suns, agent Kevin Bradbury of Lift Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Washington, 22, appeared in 11 games with Milwaukee last season on a two-way deal, averaging 1.3 PPG in 5.1 minutes per night. He spent much of the season in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd.

Washington was a first-round selection out of Kentucky in the 2022 draft, taken by Houston with the 29th pick. He was limited to 31 games as a rookie while also splitting time in the G League.

The Rockets shipped Washington to Atlanta last summer as part of a complex five-team deal. Four days later, the Hawks moved him to Memphis, which eventually waived him, and he signed with the Bucks in late August.

The addition of Washington will fill Phoenix’s last open two-way slot. Collin Gillespie and Jalen Bridges were signed to two-way deals last month.

Suns Trade David Roddy To Hawks For E.J. Liddell

JULY 29: The trade is now official, according to a press release from the Suns. As we detailed in separate stories, Phoenix isn’t expected to retain Liddell into the regular season, since the team has 16 players on guaranteed contracts after signing Tyus Jones.


JULY 26: The Suns and Hawks have agreed to a minor trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Phoenix is sending forward David Roddy to Atlanta in exchange for forward E.J. Liddell.

It’s a cost-saving move for Phoenix, which is above the second tax apron and cannot take in more salary than it ships out in a trade.

Liddell has a $2.1MM contract and a $2.3MM team option for 2025/26. Roddy has a $2.8MM salary and a $4.8MM team option for 2025/26. Atlanta has until October 31st to exercise its ’25/26 option on Roddy, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link).

Roddy was shipped from Memphis to Phoenix in a three-team deal at last season’s trade deadline. The 23rd overall pick of the 2022 draft will be entering his third season. He started 13 of 48 games for the banged-up Grizzlies last season, averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.7 minutes per contest. He saw less action in a Suns uniform, appearing in 17 games off the bench and averaging just 3.7 minutes in those outings.

It remains to be seen how Roddy slots in to the Hawks’ plans, since they have a number of options at both forward spots. It stands to reason they value him over Liddell, since they’ll add some salary in this transaction. Indeed, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter link) reports via a source that the Hawks view Roddy as a better roster fit than Liddell.

Liddell, a 2022 second-rounder out of Ohio State, has only been under contract with Atlanta since July 6. He was thrown into the Dejounte Murray blockbuster with New Orleans for salary-matching purposesl

Liddell had his rookie season delayed by a devastating right knee injury in July 2022. Last season, he appeared in just eight games off the bench for New Orleans. He played 26 games for the Birmingham Squadron in the G League, averaging 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest.

Tyus Jones Signs With Suns

JULY 29: Jones’ deal with the Suns is official, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.


JULY 27: Free agent point guard Tyus Jones has agreed to sign with the Suns, agent Kevin Bradbury tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. According to Wojnarowski, Jones will sign a one-year, minimum-salary contract.

Jones confirmed his decision in a statement to ESPN, as Wojnarowski relays (via Twitter).

“The chance to play for the Phoenix Suns made the most sense on a lot of levels to me and my family – beginning with the way (Suns owner) Mat Ishbia and the front office recruited me to how coach (Mike Budenholzer) showed me how I can significantly impact a team that has a real opportunity to challenge for an NBA title as their starting point guard,” Jones said.

“My agent (Bradbury) walked me and my family through multiple free agent offers and sign-and-trade proposals at a number of different financial levels but the Suns’ opportunity is where I can best maximize my value for a return to free agency next year as well as give myself a chance to be part of what I think will be a special team and season.”

A nine-year veteran, Jones was long considered one of the NBA’s top backup point guards while playing in Minnesota and Memphis. He got the chance with the Wizards in 2023/24 to become a full-time starter and made good on that opportunity by establishing new career highs in field goal percentage (48.9%), three-point percentage (41.4%), points per game (12.0), and assists per game (7.3) while continuing to take excellent care of the ball (he has never averaged more than 1.0 turnover per game).

We ranked Jones 15th overall on our list of top 50 free agents entering the offseason, but it quickly became clear that there wouldn’t be an opportunity for him to be the starting point guard on a contending team while earning a salary in the neighborhood of the $14MM he made last year in D.C.

Jones’ statement to Wojnarowski, which mentions that he expects to start in Phoenix, suggests that he’ll at least meet two of those three criteria. While he’s accepting a major pay cut, he’s in position to play a significant role on a team that has championship aspirations.

[RELATED: Tyus Jones Expected To Start At Point Guard For Suns]

The Suns’ three stars – Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal – are all relatively ball-dominant, but none of them are true point guards, so the team entered the offseason seeking a veteran who could organize the offense. Prior to signing Jones, Phoenix – which could only offer minimum-salary contracts while operating above the second tax apron – also added point guard Monte Morris on a one-year deal.

Jones will earn $3,003,427 on his minimum-salary contract, while the Suns will carry a cap hit of $2,087,519. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who confirmed earlier today that the Suns were eyeing Jones, tweets that the 28-year-old chose Phoenix over the Hawks and Grizzlies.

The expectation is that, after trading David Roddy for E.J. Liddell, the Suns will waive Liddell in order to create room on the projected 15-man roster for Jones. As Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (via Twitter), Phoenix is saving about $727K in the Roddy/Liddell swap and would remove another $1.41MM from its cap if Liddell is waived using the stretch provision.

Those two moves would essentially cancel out the impact of Jones’ deal on the Suns’ 2024/25 cap, providing crucial savings for a team whose salary is so far over the luxury tax line.

Kevin Durant Discusses Olympic Return, Opener Performance

Suns and Team USA forward Kevin Durant made his return to the U.S. Olympic team after missing the exhibition slate of games with a calf injury. He impressed right away, scoring 23 points while making eight of his nine shot attempts in under 17 minutes of play on Sunday, as detailed by Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr planned on easing Durant in the rotation, but the star forward forced Kerr’s hand with his strong play. He scored five three-pointers in the first half and didn’t miss a shot until the fourth quarter. The Americans defeated Serbia 110-84.

Durant opened up about his return, including how he felt after his outstanding game.

I was tired, I’m not gonna lie to you,” Durant said after the game. “My lungs were getting used to that, the intensity of the game, but it felt good to make some shots. I think everybody played their role pretty well tonight. My role was to come and provide spacing and shot making for the team and glad I was able to knock them down.

Below are more highlights from Durant’s comments to reporters, as gathered by The Athletic’s Sam Amick and BasketNews.

On coming off the bench in the Olympic opener:

I’ve [come off the bench] a couple of times in the NBA — three times. That’s enough for me to just kind of lean on those times. You know, that’s what I thought about as I was coming in, just staying ready mentally, staying focused on what the game plan is. And when I come in, don’t make the game about myself. Try to add to the team. And tonight I was able to [do that].

I told Coach [Kerr], whatever he needs from me, I’m willing to do anything and adapt to anything. So it’s always been fun trying to figure out new roles and just adapt to whatever the game tells you to do.

On having LeBron James back on the Olympic Team:

I’m so grateful to have him back. We missed him in the last two Olympics. He puts fear in the other team. I think that goes a long way, the psyche of the game, so he’s running downhill, making the right plays on the offense and defensive end. He’s just insane, and I’m glad he’s on our team.

On whether today’s win is the best game Team USA has played this summer:

I just think all of those games and those practices leading up until today prepared us. Coach has been doing a great job of keeping us on our toes and letting us know how important each day is, so we try to come together pretty quickly I think the beauty of tonight is we played a lot of random basketball on the offensive side.

Defensively, we were talking to one another throughout the whole game, so that communication and that random basketball made us tough to stop. So we continue to build on this and see where we can go.

On playing in front of fans and how it compares to the Tokyo Olympics that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“[It was] incredible. 27,000 [fans]. I looked around, and I saw so many different NBA jerseys in the stands. I just love when the game of basketball can bring people from all over the world, different walks of life together like this. [Tokyo] seems like so long ago. The era of the world seems like it was just 20 years ago, and also to see so many people in here supporting the game of basketball.”