Cole Anthony

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Future, Turner, Kuzma

Arguably the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason was the seemingly uncertain future of Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who reportedly flirted with the idea of leaving Milwaukee, resulting in brief trade talks with New York, which is said to be his preferred destination if he were to ask to be moved.

When asked about that ESPN report, Antetokounmpo expressed confidence in the Bucks’ revamped roster and made it clear he’s not seeking a change of scenery at this point, but stopped short of stating that he’s committed to Milwaukee for the long term.

As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, the Bucks insist they’re on the same page with the two-time MVP, and their bold offseason moves were reflective of their desire to keep Antetokounmpo happy. While people around the league were critical of the decision to waive and stretch Damian Lillard‘s contract in order to sign Myles Turner in free agency, team sources tell Collier the Bucks were concerned about potentially wasting a year of Antetokounmpo’s prime.

The biggest misconception is that this was a panic move,” a team source told ESPN. “It wasn’t. It was a basketball decision. Dame on the other end of it, you’re not sure what that was going to look like. Meanwhile, Myles is a perfect fit. We want to win here.”

Antetokounmpo is technically under contract through 2027/28, but that final season is a player option. The 30-year-old forward will be extension-eligible next summer, Collier notes, and there’s an expectation that he will continue to push management to be as aggressive as possible.

Always got to hold ownership’s feet to the fire,” a source close to Antetokounmpo told ESPN.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

  • The Raptors threw just about every defensive strategy they could think of at Antetokounmpo on Friday, but none worked in slowing him down, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The Greek star finished with 31 points (on 11-of-14 shooting), 20 rebounds, and seven assists, and was a game-high plus-18 in 38 minutes during the six-point win. Antetokounmpo also became the first player in NBA history to record at least 60 points, 30 rebounds and 10 assists in the first two games of the season, Nehm adds. “I mean, like, he’s the best player in the world in my opinion,” said guard Cole Anthony, who contributed 23 points and seven assists. “He’s a beast. And he’s out there and he just affects the game in so many different ways. … He’s a heck of a player, man. It’s really different getting to see him every day in practice and in games than seeing him a couple times a year. I’m like, ‘Yo, this dude’s a beast.’
  • Turner has gotten off to a relatively slow start through two games, averaging 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting just 30% from the floor. But the Bucks have been much better when he’s on the court, he’s contributing in multiple areas (3.5 assists and 2.5 blocks), and he threw down an impressive poster slam (Twitter video link) in Wednesday’s season-opening win against Washington, Nehm writes for The Athletic. “When I played against him, I jumped many times at the pump fake because he’s capable of making that shot,” Antetokounmpo said of Turner. “So, he’s going to pick and choose. Sometimes, he’s going to shoot the three. Sometimes, he’s going to pump fake and get in the paint and make the right pass. And sometimes, he’s going to dunk on somebody’s head. And that’s what he did (Wednesday). Incredible play.”
  • Veteran forward Kyle Kuzma exited Friday’s game in Toronto with a left ankle ankle sprain and did not return, the team announced (Twitter link via Nehm). It’s unclear if Kuzma will miss additional time as a result of the injury.

Bucks Notes: Rollins, Giannis, Anthony, Green, Turner

Bucks guard Ryan Rollins told reporters after Thursday’s practice that he played through a left shoulder injury last season and underwent surgery to address the issue about a week after the team was eliminated from the playoffs, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Although he admitted that his shoulder feels “a little different…range-wise,” Rollins clarified that it feels good and he has “no hesitation” in the shoulder.

“It was a four-month recovery,” he said. “I started back playing maybe the end of July, actually doing stuff on the court. And I would say my first live segment was not this week, but last week. So I’m just getting back into playing condition and all that, but I feel stronger. I feel good. I feel confident.”

Asked on Wednesday about what Rollins’ role would look like this season with Kevin Porter Jr. and Cole Anthony also in the point guard mix, head coach Doc Rivers made it clear that he’s not pigeonholing those players into a specific position and wouldn’t have any qualms about playing two of them at a time.

“I don’t look at them as point guards,” Rivers said (Twitter link via Nehm). “I think they all can play all the positions. I mean, we played Ryan and Cole together today. So, it doesn’t matter, they’re guards. Our offense is…not a point guard orientated offense.”

Rivers mentioned earlier in the week that he anticipates Porter will be a starter this fall.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

  • Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remained in Greece this week dealing with a case of COVID-19, is set to join the Bucks as their training camp shifts from Milwaukee to Miami, writes Ben Steele of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He’ll be flying in either tonight or in the morning,” Rivers said on Thursday ahead of the team’s flight to Florida. The Bucks’ preseason schedule will tip off on Monday with a matchup vs. the Heat in Miami, so the club will be in town for a few days before that game.
  • Anthony was held out of the contact portion of Thursday’s practice as a precautionary measure due to an unspecified health issue, tweets Nehm. Rivers didn’t provide any details on what was wrong with the veteran guard.
  • One of just a handful of Bucks players who didn’t sign a new contract this offseason, A.J. Green is unfazed by not having a contract extension in place yet, as Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. “It’s gonna happen exactly how it should,” said Green, who is on an expiring deal. “If I worry about it, what’s that gonna do for me? I’m not in control of it. I can only do what I can now. So, I just gotta trust that whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen regardless. It’s out of my hands.”
  • After saying on media day that he’s happy to be “in a city now that wants to celebrate me,” new Bucks center Myles Turner sought to clarify that the remark wasn’t intended as a shot at Indianapolis or Pacers fans. “This quote has NOTHING to do with Indy fans and EVERYTHING to do with my free agency experience,” Turner tweeted.

Eastern Notes: C. White, Porzingis, Knicks, Anthony, Magic

Despite modest projections from experts and outside observers, Coby White believes the Bulls have a chance to be “really good” in 2025/26, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Besides being positive about his team’s outlook, the 25-year-old guard has set a personal goal as he enters his seventh NBA season.

“I want to win and I want to become that All-Star-caliber player,” White said. “That’s the next step for me in my personal game. I’ve had two really good seasons, averaging 20 (points per game) or whatever. The next part is for us to take that leap as a team, and that’s to win and get out of this little play-in (tournament) stage that we are in, take my game to the next level and become an All-Star.”

White is entering the final year of his current contract and will make $12.9MM in 2025/26. Because starting salaries in veteran contract extensions are limited to a percentage of the player’s previous salary (or the average league-wide salary), White has let the Bulls know he doesn’t plan on signing a new deal before reaching free agency in 2026, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Cowley believes it would be in both teams’ best interest for the Bulls and Rockets to work out a trade involving White in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s ACL tear — Cowley suggests a package of Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason. However, White told Spears that he remains very open to the idea of continuing his career in Chicago, even if he doesn’t sign a new contract until he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

“I love being in Chicago. I love the front office. I love my teammates. I love the staff,” White said. “I built a great relationship with coach Billy Donovan. And for me, if it is meant to be (to) stay a Chicago Bull, then I can’t ask for nothing else.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said on Friday that the team feels good about where Kristaps Porzingis‘ health stands after he was plagued by post-viral syndrome during the final months of the 2024/25 season. “We’re super confident in Kristaps’ health, and him playing a healthy season,” Saleh said (Twitter link via Malik Brown of ClutchPoints). “We wouldn’t have made the trade if we didn’t think that. There was no hesitation there from us. We felt comfortable doing that at the time. We feel great about it now, and we’re excited for him to play a bunch of games this season.”
  • James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a closer look at Mike Brown‘s plan to better maximize Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on offense, which includes using Brunson off the ball more often and moving Towns around to different areas of the floor.
  • New Bucks guard Cole Anthony said this week that he’s “super excited” to be in Milwaukee and that the change of scenery feels like a “breath of fresh air” after his playing time declined in Orlando in recent years, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays. “Obviously, I loved my time (with the Magic), but this feels like, for me, a stepping stone in my career,” Anthony said. “I just want to come in and help the team win in whichever way I can. I think they’re going to ask me to do what I can do, which is score, pass the ball, guard, whatever, but I’m just really happy to be a part of this team, specifically because it’s been great being here these past couple weeks and being with these guys. The energy is high. There’s a real professional vibe around everybody, and everybody has a chip on their shoulder.”
  • Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) runs through four key questions facing the Magic ahead of the 2025/26 season, including when Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner will be ready to play, what the bench rotation will look like, and who will fill the club’s open two-way contract slot.

Cole Anthony Excited To Play For Bucks After ‘Bittersweet’ Departure From Orlando

Cole Anthony admits he’s having difficulty adjusting to the fact that he’s a former member of the Magic.

“I’ve literally said this to several people … I still feel like I’m on the Magic a little bit,” Anthony told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

Anthony spoke to Beede during a community appearance in Orlando. Anthony was dealt to the Grizzlies along with fellow guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and four future first-round picks in June in exchange for Desmond Bane.

His stay in Memphis was brief. He reached a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies, giving up $2MM of his $13.1MM expiring contract. He then signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the Bucks after clearing waivers.

“I remember that whole week, it was just crazy,” Anthony said. “I’ve been here five years, haven’t played for another team, was drafted here, so it’s something for me that definitely is bittersweet and I’m going to miss it.”

Anthony appeared in 32o regular season contests during his five seasons with Orlando. Last season, he appeared in 67 games (22 starts) and averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 18.4 minutes per night.

He’ll now compete for backcourt minutes in Milwaukee.

“I look at it as a great opportunity to enter another team where they have a playoff pedigree and a championship pedigree,” Anthony said. “They’ve won a ‘chip there. I just want to get in there, contribute and do whatever I can for the team. I want to be a part of winning.”

Bucks GM Discusses Portis, Trent, Green, Anthony, More

We relayed several comments Bucks general manager Jon Horst made earlier this week an extensive interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, including the decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard in order to sign center Myles Turner to a four-year, $109MM deal.

The second portion of Nehm’s interview with Horst is less focused on macro-level decision-making and more centered around the smaller — but perhaps no less important — moves Milwaukee has made this offseason, including re-signing Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins and Taurean Prince. Horst also discussed extension talks with sharpshooter A.J. Green and adding Cole Anthony in free agency, among other topics.

Here are a few highlights from Nehm’s conversation with Horst, which is worth checking out in full for those who subscribe to The Athletic:

On being “nervous as hell” about the possibility of losing Portis in free agency and the impact the veteran forward/center has had on the Bucks:

“I did not want to go through a season, a practice, a day without Bobby Portis as part of the team that I’m a part of. I think Bobby is so much the ethos of who we are. He is the underdog. He fights. He grinds. There’s no one that cares more, in my opinion, about the Milwaukee Bucks than Bobby. He loves the Milwaukee Bucks. He feels like it’s a family, it’s a city and a fan base that’s embraced him. It’s an organization that’s embraced him. And he continues to give back to our organization and take less on the margins and do different things here and there.

“I felt like it was a tough negotiation with his agent, Mark Bartelstein, who I love in this business as much as anybody, and I thought we got to the right place. But it was a tough negotiation. Bobby chose us. Bobby wasn’t short on options, but he wanted to be here. He wants to win, and he wants to with this group of guys. He loves playing with Giannis (Antetokounmpo). He loves the things that we’ve done in free agency. He was high on the guys that we brought back. He and I talked a lot about the roster and just his thoughts on different guys. And I’m just really excited he’s with us.”

On the strong playoff showings of Trent and Green:

“… I think Gary Trent had his two best games of the season, maybe, in our two most important games of the season. In two closeout opportunities, the guy played unbelievable. And A.J. Green was unbelievable also, and I think that says a lot about them. And don’t forget, these guys are 25, 26 years old, so they’re just entering their prime. And so I think the best is in front of those guys. I’m happy about them. They’re not just shooters. They’re tough, physical guys that can grind and defend, make a play off the bounce and those guys are going to be a lot better this year than they were last year.”

On extension talks with Green:

“First and foremost, the day that he became officially eligible to have extension conversations, he was the first call I made. I called him. We didn’t dive deep into negotiations, but I just told him how much we love him, believe in him, and want him here long term. And I did the same thing with his agent, Matt Bollero, who I love and respect in this business.

“And so we’ve already made the contact. A.J. wants to be here, A.J. wants to figure something out. Obviously, we’ve got to figure a deal out and we have the whole season to do it. I hope it doesn’t take that long. I think they hope it doesn’t take that long either, but as the dust starts to settle on a pretty busy offseason, that’ll be the most important thing for us to figure out with A.J. And I know he feels the same about trying to figure it out with us.”

On what Anthony can bring to Milwaukee:

“He’s electric with the ball, a very capable shooter. I think he can be one of the guys that you’ve seen year in and year out come into our system and get a higher dose of better shot quality because of playing with Giannis and playing in our system and improve as a shooter. I think he could have a huge shooting year, which would be massive for him and us.

“And he’s just got an edge to him. I hope he takes this as an affectionate thing, and this is true, when I saw the idea of Cole Anthony, him being free and our chance to get him, I think he’s like a guard version of Bobby Portis. I think he can bring so much swag and energy to our team.”

Eastern Notes: Sexton, Holland, Anthony, Embiid, Bassey

In a wide-ranging interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required), Hornets head coach Charles Lee spoke about the offseason additions to the roster, why he’s comfortable with the team’s frontcourt options, and how he expects LaMelo Ball to take another step forward as a leader next season, among other topics.

Discussing newly acquired veteran guard Collin Sexton, Lee suggested that the 26-year-old’s “fearlessness” and “competitiveness” are traits that stand out and joked that he’ll be expecting different treatment from Sexton during games now that they’re on the same side.

“From afar, he was very competitive. At times he would stare me down during games as the opposing coach or scout coach, and he’s always looking for some fuel to get him going,” Lee said. “So, when he first got here, I made sure to remind them of that, ‘Like, don’t be looking at me crazy like that anymore or your minutes are going to suffer now.’ But it’s great. I’m so glad to have him on our side.

“… I already appreciate so much of what he’s kind of giving to our group,” Lee continued. “Seeing him do group workouts with Melo, them having conversations, I just think is really important for our group to continue to grow. And he’s going to be a big part of that with his work ethic and then also with his competitiveness.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • While Ron Holland has been impressive all around for the Pistons during Summer League play, with averages of 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game in three outings, his three-point shooting has perhaps been the most encouraging part of his performance, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). It’s a small sample, but Holland has knocked down 7-of-15 threes (46.7%) after making just 23.8% as a rookie. “I feel like me and Freddie V have been in the gym, for sure,” Holland said on Sunday, referring to Pistons assistant coach and shooting guru Fred Vinson. “There’s no secret behind that.” Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) also weighs in on Holland’s strong Summer League play, suggesting that the Pistons should be very encouraged by what he has shown.
  • Cole Anthony‘s new one-year contract with the Bucks is worth the veteran’s minimum, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Anthony will earn $2,667,947 on the deal, while Milwaukee carries a cap hit of $2,296,274.
  • In a fascinating, in-depth feature, Dotun Akintoye of ESPN gets some candid comments out of Sixers star Joel Embiid, who discussed the media narratives that have followed him around, his altercation with local columnist Marcus Hayes, and his (successful) quest to find out who leaked details about a team meeting last fall, among many other topics.
  • Big man Charles Bassey has left the Celtics‘ Summer League team, as Souichi Terada of MassLive.com relays. Bassey’s deal with Boston only covered three games in Las Vegas, as he had other summer commitments. The former San Antonio center – who doesn’t yet have a contract in place for 2025/26 – performed well in Vegas, averaging a double-double (15.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG) and shooting 70.4% from the field.

Bucks Sign Cole Anthony

The Bucks have officially signed free agent guard Cole Anthony, the team announced today in a press release. The move had been expected since Anthony reached a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies, who waived him over the weekend.

Anthony, 25, spent the first five years of his NBA career in Orlando, appearing in a total of 320 regular season games (125 starts) with the Magic. He saw his role cut back in 2024/25, however, setting new career lows in points (9.4) and minutes (18.4) per game, among other categories.

Prior to last season, Anthony had career averages of 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 26.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .418/.343/.851.

The Magic sent Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Memphis last month in a trade for Desmond Bane, but the former UNC guard wasn’t in the Grizzlies plans after they agreed to sign Ty Jerome in free agency. Memphis’ buyout of Anthony – who gave up $2MM of his $13.1MM expiring contract – helped the club create the cap room necessary to renegotiate Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s contract.

In Milwaukee, Anthony should have a path to rotation minutes in a backcourt that no longer features star point guard Damian Lillard. Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins figure to be Anthony’s top competition for playing time at the point this fall.

While Anthony’s agreement with the Bucks was reported to be a one-year deal, it’s unclear if he signed for the minimum or if he’ll get the remainder of the team’s room exception — Milwaukee still had about $3.65MM left on that exception after using a portion of it to re-sign Porter.

Contract Details: Anthony, JJJ, Holmgren, J. Williams, Gafford

Cole Anthony, whose previous cap hit had been $13.1MM, gave up exactly $2MM as part of his buyout agreement with the Grizzlies, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Memphis subsequently used the stretch provision to spread the $11.1MM still owed to Anthony across three seasons, resulting in annual cap hits of $3.7MM through 2027/28.

The move reduced Anthony’s 2025/26 cap charge by $9.4MM, generating the cap room necessary to renegotiate Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s ’25/26 salary from roughly $23.4MM up to $35MM, as Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron tweets. That allowed the Grizzlies to give Jackson a $49MM salary (ie. a 40% raise) in the first year of his new extension, which increases to $50.5MM in 2027/28 and $52MM in ’28/29, with a $53.5MM player option for ’29/30.

Jackson is now owed exactly $240MM over the next five seasons, having received approximately $216.6MM in new money in his agreement with Memphis.

Here are a few more details on contracts from around the NBA:

  • Chet Holmgren‘s new five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension with the Thunder doesn’t include Rose Rule language, but Jalen Williams‘ five-year max extension does, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks at Sports Business Classroom. According to Marks, Williams’ deal will start at 30% of the 2026/27 salary cap if he wins MVP, is named Defensive Player of the Year, or makes the All-NBA first team next season. If he makes the All-NBA second team, it would start at 27% of the cap, while a spot on the All-NBA third team would result in a starting salary at 26%. No All-NBA berth, MVP, or DPOY for Williams would result in a salary worth 25% of next year’s cap, matching Holmgren’s deal.
  • As expected, the terms of Daniel Gafford‘s new three-year veteran extension with the Mavericks are the maximum the team could have given the big man while maintaining his trade eligibility, tweets Marc Stein. Gafford got a 20% raise for 2026/27 to $17,263,584, with 5% annual raises for the next two seasons. The new three-year contract is worth a total of $54.38MM, on top of the $14.39MM he’ll make in 2025/26.
  • Rockets forward Jeff Green, Spurs guard Jordan McLaughlin, and Bucks wing Gary Trent Jr. have joined the list of players who waived their right to veto a trade in 2025/26 when they re-signed with their respective teams, Hoops Rumors has learned. A player who signs a new one-year deal (or two-year deal with a second-year option) with his previous team typically gets trade veto rights for that season, but those can be forfeited as part of the contract agreement.

Cole Anthony Agrees To Buyout With Grizzlies, Plans To Join Bucks

July 13: The buyout is official, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).


July 12: Cole Anthony has reached a buyout agreement with the Grizzlies, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN, who adds that Anthony plans to sign with the Bucks once he clears waivers.

Anthony, who was acquired from Orlando in last month’s Desmond Bane trade, has an expiring $12.9MM contract. Charania doesn’t say how much money Anthony is giving up in the buyout, but it’s expected to be similar to whatever salary he gets in Milwaukee, likely a veteran’s minimum contract for one year.

When the move becomes official, Memphis will be able to use cap room to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s contract, per Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Once that happens, the Grizzlies can officially re-sign forward Santi Aldama and finalize their reported deal with free agent guard Ty Jerome.

Selected with the 15th pick in the 2020 draft, Anthony spent his first five NBA seasons with the Magic. He had been a consistent double-digit scorer throughout his career, but his playing time decreased last season and his scoring average dropped to 9.4 PPG.

The addition of Anthony will give Milwaukee 14 standard contracts. That includes Andre Jackson, whose deal won’t become fully guaranteed until opening night.

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Jerome, Finney-Smith, Turner, Russell, T. Jones, Paul

The Grizzlies appear to be the leaders in the race to sign free agent guard Ty Jerome, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Jerome is coming off a breakout season, but his salary demands are too high for a Cleveland team on the brink of the second apron, so he’s considered a “lock” to leave in free agency. Stein previously mentioned Charlotte and Utah as other teams to watch for Jerome, but Memphis might be separating itself from the pack.

The main question, according to the authors, is how much the Grizzlies are willing to pay Jerome, who is believed to be seeking a deal starting around the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to Jerome. Memphis has been operating recently with the goal of creating enough financial flexibility to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. while matching any offers for restricted free agent forward Santi Aldama, so any offer for Jerome couldn’t get in the way of those goals.

League sources tell Stein and Fischer that the Grizzlies tried to find a taker for Cole Anthony over the weekend. Sending out Anthony’s $13.1MM contract could enable Memphis to acquire Jerome via sign-and-trade.

There’s more inside information from Stein and Fischer:

  • As reported on Sunday, the Rockets appear to be the top threat to sign Dorian Finney-Smith away from the Lakers. Houston has the $14.1MM MLE available, but the authors hear that its offer may cover four years at a little less than the full amount. L.A. is still hoping to re-sign the 32-year-old forward, who was a part-time starter after being acquired from Brooklyn in December. Finney-Smith turned down a $15.4MM player option on Sunday, and Stein and Fischer report surprise throughout the league that his announcement wasn’t accompanied by a new deal with the Lakers.
  • There’s “no tangible expectation” that Myles Turner will leave the Pacers in free agency, according to Stein and Fischer. There was some speculation that Indiana might reconsider a new deal with its starting center in the wake of Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles injury, but coach Rick Carlisle seemed to squash that when he said on a radio interview last week that re-signing Turner remains the team’s “No. 1 priority.”
  • The Mavericks are expected to use their $5.7MM taxpayer MLE to sign Nets guard D’Angelo Russell to a two-year deal, Stein and Fischer add. Even with that addition, which would be the team’s 15th standard contract, they state that Dallas still hopes to open a roster spot to re-sign Dante Exum. The authors expect the Mavs to search for a team willing to take on Olivier-Maxence Prosper‘s $3MM contract for next season. The 2023 first-round pick has a $5.3MM team option for 2026/27, so it’s potentially a one-year commitment.
  • The Magic‘s decision on Sunday to decline an $11MM option on Moritz Wagner and a $2.1MM option on Caleb Houstan could create an opportunity to sign free agent point guard Tyus Jones. If Jones leaves Phoenix, Stein and Fischer speculate it could lead to Chris Paul returning to the Suns, as they first reported on Sunday.