Josh Gray

Suns Sign Josh Gray To Second 10-Day Contract

FEBRUARY 12: The Suns have officially signed Gray to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Gray’s 10-day deal will actually become a 12-day deal, since it must cover at least three games. The Suns play tonight and Wednesday, but their third game won’t come until after the All-Star break, on February 23.

FEBRUARY 11: Rookie point guard Josh Gray will receive a second 10-day contract from the Suns on Monday, according to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic.

Gray signed the first deal on February 2, so it was about to expire. The team made its intentions clear by bringing him on a road trip that will take them to Golden State tomorrow and Utah on Wednesday.

Pressed into service because of injuries to the Phoenix backcourt, Gray has averaged 6.8 points and 3.0 assists in four games, playing 17.5 minutes per night. After going undrafted out of LSU in 2016, he spent the past two seasons with the Suns’ G League affiliate.

Gray’s second 10-day deal will expire after the All-Star break and the team will have to decide whether to release him or sign him for the rest of the season.

Suns Sign Josh Gray To 10-Day Deal

11:34am: The Suns have officially signed Gray to a 10-day contract, confirming the deal in a press release.

11:30am: The Suns are expected to sign G League guard Josh Gray to a 10-day contract at some point today, according to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). A corresponding roster move won’t be necessary, since Phoenix opened up a roster spot by waiving Greg Monroe on Thursday.

[RELATED: Suns buy out Greg Monroe]

Gray, 24, went undrafted out of LSU in 2016 and has played for the Northern Arizona Suns, Phoenix’s G League affiliate, over the last two seasons. After a solid rookie season, Gray has improved his production in 2017/18, averaging 17.9 PPG, 5.9 APG, 4.0 RPG, and 2.3 SPG with a .447/.421/.758 shooting line in 31 games.

Back in October, we heard that Gray had received multiple offers from teams overseas, but decided to return to the G League in the hopes of earning an NBA call-up at some point this season. It appears he’ll get that opportunity with the Suns.

Assuming Gray’s 10-day deal with Phoenix is finalized today, he’ll remain under contract through February 11. After that, the Suns could sign him to one more 10-day deal, then would have to decide whether or not to lock him up for the rest of the season.

And-Ones: Rockets, Salary Cap, Millsap, Gray

While James Harden and Trevor Ariza helped to recruit Chris Paul to Houston back in June, Bobby Brown‘s role in selling Paul on the Rockets shouldn’t be overlooked, as David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders outlines.

“That’s one of my good friends. We played together in New Orleans and we built a bond from then,” Brown said of his new Rockets teammate. “The basketball world is so small, once you build a bond with somebody that’s real cool and has a great personality, it’s almost like a no-brainer.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:

  • The latest salary cap projections from the NBA – which forecast a modest increase to $101MM for 2018/19 – should bode well for teams like the Lakers, who have set themselves up to create major cap room next summer, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. Moore adds that the projections could lead to more trades during this season, as clubs make an effort to clear cap space or avoid the tax.
  • Of all the Eastern All-Stars who changed teams this offseason, Paul Millsap was almost certainly discussed the least. However, he made a very strong impression during his preseason debut with the Nuggets this weekend. Gina Mizell of The Denver Post has the details.
  • Former LSU point guard Josh Gray, who played last season for the Northern Arizona Suns, is expected to return to the G League and seek an NBA call-up in 2017/18. Gray, who has received multiple offers from clubs overseas, has drawn some interest from NBA teams, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando.
  • In a piece for 2 Ways & 10 Days, Chris Reichert makes the case that the NBA should implement the coach’s challenge system that has been used and tested in the G League.

Northwest Notes: Henderson, Jazz, Wolves

Earlier in his career, Gerald Henderson‘s top priority as a free agent might have been to find a team that would give him the opportunity to start. However, with his Trail Blazers contract set to expire, Henderson will prioritize contending teams this offseason, recognizing that being a starter isn’t as important to him as it once was.

“It’s great to start; starting the game is a special thing,” Henderson said, according to Cody Sharrett of Blazers.com. “To be a starter in the NBA is a cool thing, I’ve done it for a long time, but what’s really more important to me is playing significant minutes in times where a team needs you and more of your impact while you’re out on the floor – just being a part of what’s going on. You look at different teams, sometimes the best player comes off the bench, it all depends on what kind of team you have. I’d probably say three or four years ago, [starting] was much more important to me.”

Let’s check in on a few more items from out of the Northwest…

  • The Jazz are hosting six more players for pre-draft workouts today, the team announced (via Twitter). The list of participants: Josh Gray (LSU), Rosco Allen (Stanford), Tanner Plomb (West Point), Trey Lewis (Louisville), Brannen Greene (Kansas), and James Webb III (Boise State).
  • The Timberwolves worked out Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere individually on Tuesday, and also had Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Tim Quarterman (LSU), Wes Washpun (Northern Iowa), Devin Thomas (Wake Forest), and Josh Scott (Colorado) in for a group workout, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter links). Damion Lee (Louisville) had also been scheduled to participate, but pulled out due to an injury.
  • The Trail Blazers are hosting multiple free agent mini-camps and are saying they may end up signing multiple participants from those camps, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Russ Smith and Erick Green were among the free agents in attendance at Portland’s first veteran mini-camp.
  • As Erik Horne of The Oklahoman details, Andre Roberson enjoyed a breakout season in 2015/16, and is becoming a reliable two-way wing just in time for the opening of his contract extension window. If the Thunder don’t sign Roberson to an extension this year, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.