Suns Trade Rumors

Turkoglu almost joined Suns in 2004
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November 16
Arizona Republic
 
"Steve Nash and Joe Johnson in the backcourt and Amaré Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Hedo Turkoglu up front. It sounds like an NBA "Where Amazing Happens" commercial cast from four teams, or maybe even an All-Star collection if Turkoglu ever gets his credit. It nearly was the Suns' 2004-05 starting lineup. Things still turned out well in that 62-20 season, with the Suns signing Quentin Richardson instead of Turkoglu, who was an Italian dinner away from securing a future with the Suns and then-General Manager Bryan Colangelo in 2004. Turkoglu and Colangelo now are with the Toronto Raptors. In July 2004, Turkoglu was a 25-year-old free agent who had been a part-time starter in San Antonio. ..."
Suns' Barbosa could return vs. Celtics
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November 6
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns missed Leandro Barbosa's speed in Wednesday night's loss to Orlando, but Barbosa's sore right wrist may be healed enough to allow him to play Friday. Other than testing it out briefly Tuesday and Wednesday, Barbosa has given the wrist four days of rest while sitting out two games. The swelling and pain have been reduced. "If I feel good, I'll go," Barbosa said. "Right now, when I dribble, it feels like something pops in my wrist. The pain is not as bad as it used to be. "I hope I get better. I just want to come back." Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson has Barbosa's wrist in a cushioned wrap during the day and in a protective sleeve while he sleeps. Griffin's debut Suns ..."
Suns left dissatisfied with win; Nash leaves game in 2nd half
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October 21
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns won by 16 and scored 143 points. The Suns scored 51 points on free throws. Channing Frye scored 29 with four 3-pointers. Amaré Stoudemire scored 27. Phoenix outscored Sacramento by 32 when Goran Dragic was on the floor. Scores used to be enough to satisfy scores of Suns. But after Phoenix's 143-127 home preseason victory Tuesday night against the Kings, there was more dissatisfaction heading into the preseason finale Thursday. Phoenix has no problem getting points, but taking care of points of emphasis has been another issue. In the much-emphasized categories of defense and rebounding, the Suns surrendered 50 percent shooting for the game Tuesday and gave up 16 offensive rebounds ..."
Suns hoping for better outdoor game
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October 10
Arizona Republic
 
"When the Suns played Denver at Indian Wells (Calif.) Tennis Garden last year, it was for the experience of al fresco basketball. When they return there Saturday night to play Golden State, some game experience would be nice, too. It was impossible last year to take away much in the way of basketball when the topless arena felt like Wrigley Field. The Suns were as cold as the air, shooting 31 percent and losing 77-72. The teams shot 11 percent on 3-pointers as temperatures dipped to 64 and players calculated 15 mph wind gusts. Bench players huddled with towels on their heads and breath in their cupped hands. Steve Nash likened it to Edmonton, Alberta. "We had guys that refused to go back ..."
Suns may save on Pavlovic buyout
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September 15
Arizona Republic
 
"The wait on the expected release of Sasha Pavlovic turned out to be worth it for the Suns. The Suns and Pavlovic, acquired from Cleveland in June in the Shaquille O'Neal trade, agreed to a buyout that would save $500,000 more than the Suns stood to save by simply waiving the guard. Phoenix made the O'Neal deal for Pavlovic and Ben Wallace with the savings in mind. Wallace stood to make $14 million this season but took a $10 million buyout and signed with Detroit. Pavlovic had only $1.5 million of his $4.95 million salary guaranteed but accepted a $1.25 million buyout, giving the Suns an extra $250,000 savings in salary and another $250,000 saved from the luxury tax it would have cost."
Stoudemire hints at leaving Suns
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August 26
Arizona Republic
 
"If 300 colorful letters arrive at the Suns office soon, imploring the Suns to keep Amaré Stoudemire, the impetus came Tuesday at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School. In a lengthy lecture to the school's 300 children about education, Stoudemire mentioned he might be in Phoenix only one more year. State representative Cloves Campbell Jr. then urged the kids to write the Suns about the need to keep Stoudemire, saying: "I don't care if you write in crayon. We're getting those letters to the Suns." After his talk, Stoudemire reflected on his statement about leaving next year - he could choose to become a free agent by opting out of his final contract year. "This might be my farewell ..."
Sources: Nash re-ups with Suns
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July 20
ESPN.com
 
"After receiving an improved offer last week and taking a few more days to deliberate, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash notified the Phoenix Suns over the weekend that he is accepting the Suns' two-year extension offer worth an estimated $22 million, according to team sources. Sources told ESPN.com that Nash is expected to formally announce his decision via his Twitter feed later Monday. The Suns offered Nash a two-year, $20 million extension two weeks ago in addition to the $13.1 million he's owed next season, then bumped it higher in a meeting in Las Vegas last Wednesday attended by Suns owner Robert Sarver, president of basketball operations Steve Kerr and Nash's agent Bill ..."
Latest chatter: Sessions over A.I.?
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July 17
ESPN.com
 
"Here is the latest assemblage of chatter culled from conversations with a variety of knowledgeable sources -- front-office executives, coaches, players and agents -- camped at the NBA's annual summer league here in Vegas. The distinct vibe in the stands at UNLV's Cox Pavilion is that the Clippers -- apart from owner Donald Sterling -- would greatly prefer to add more of a set-up man to a backcourt rotation that already features Baron Davis and emerging star Eric Gordon as opposed to signing Allen Iverson to a one-year deal up to the full $5.9 million midlevel exception. The top choice in that scenario? Extending an offer sheet to restricted free agent Ramon Sessions. Yet as we covered here ..."
Former Pistons center Ben Wallace back to Detroit?
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July 14
Michigan Live
 
"The Detroit Pistons are in need of a big man, a relatively inexpensive one. Ben Wallace, $10 million dollars richer after being bought out by Phoenix, is looking for a new home. While there's no deal imminent, the Pistons are going to explore the possibility of bringing one of the franchise's greatest defenders, back to Detroit. Detroit has about $3.5 million to use towards free agents, but would probably not use all of that to sign Wallace. Boston's Glen Davis remains an option, but the Pistons are reluctant to make him an offer because he's a restricted free agent. And the Celtics have said repeatedly that any reasonable offer Davis receives - and Detroit's offer would fall under that ..."
Hill Following Kidd In Jilting Knicks
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July 11
New York Post
 
"The Knicks have proven one thing this month: Players are good at using them as bargaining pawns. Knicks president Donnie Walsh heads here this morning for an NBA summer league, but he can't be feeling too lucky. Four days after Jason Kidd spurned them, Grant Hill provided the ultimate embarrassment by taking less money to stay in Phoenix. At least the Knicks knew they were longshots with Kidd as they got badly outbid by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. This one hurt. The Knicks upped their offer to Hill for the full one-year, mid-level exception of $5.8M. Instead, his agent Lon Babby said Hill agreed to take Phoenix's two-year, $6.24M offer. Hill will earn $3M the first year and $3.24M the ..."
Sources: Hill to stay with Suns
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July 10
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Grant Hill has decided to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns, and a large part of the decision is based on the belief that Steve Nash is close to reaching an agreement on a contract extension, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Suns will also sign free agent Channing Frye to a two-year deal for $3.8 million, sources said. The second season is at Frye's option. The New York Knicks reportedly offered Hill the choice of a one-year, $5 million deal or a three-year, $10 million contract. Hill also had an offer from the Boston Celtics.Nevertheless, he's believed to be comfortable with the direction of the Suns to re-sign there."
Knicks could look to Andre Miller as Plan B if Grant Hill stays in Phoenix
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July 10
New York Daily News
 
"If Grant Hill elects to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns, the Knicks will consider making an offer to free agent point guard Andre Miller, according to a team source. With free agent dollars drying up and more teams exercising fiscal responsibility, Miller is one high-profile free agent who is falling through the cracks. Miller's loss could be a huge gain for the Knicks, who would significantly upgrade their point-guard position by adding a player who helped transform the Sixers from a lottery team to solid playoff team after he came over from Denver in the Allen Iverson trade. The Knicks could conceivably offer Miller the same deal Jason Kidd rejected; $18million over three years. Another ..."
Knicks' Extra Incentives Could Close Deal for Hill
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July 10
New York Times
 
"The Grant Hill watch is entering its fifth day, with only hints and gut feelings - but no definitive word - about his intentions. Hill is weighing offers from the Knicks, the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics, with entirely different incentives to consider each of them. No one will predict the outcome with any confidence, but there is a growing consensus that Hill is leaning hard toward the Knicks. "It's looking more like he will be a Knick," said a Suns official, who hastened to add that Phoenix was not ready to concede the race. There is cautious optimism at Madison Square Garden. But the Knicks have already been spurned by one veteran star, Jason Kidd, and they know that Hill has a ..."
Stoudemire opens up about future
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July 9
Arizona Republic
 
"The answers can't catch up with the endless questions surrounding Amaré Stoudemire's status with the Phoenix Suns, but Stoudemire gave it a whirl Wednesday. After his second on-court workout since his February eye surgery, Stoudemire talked publicly for the first time since the Suns nearly traded him to Golden State. Stoudemire clarified or reasserted points that he is healthy, wants to stay in Phoenix, does not want to play for Golden State and wants a maximum-level contract extension. Stoudemire is eligible for an extension before the season starts and can opt out of his current contract's final season (2010-11) next summer if his deal is not extended. "Right now, it all depends on what ..."
Knicks Awaiting Hill's Next Move
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July 9
New York Post
 
"Grant Hill last week re-enrolled his kids at their private school in Scottsdale, Ariz. He has told confidants the worst experience he ever had was uprooting his kids when they moved from Orlando to Phoenix. But the 36-year-old small forward may have five million reasons to spend a year taking a bite out of the Big Apple. Money talks, and the Knicks are in the ballgame after their strong, one-year, $5 million offer that likely will top what Phoenix is willing to do. One high-ranking Knicks executive rated the Knicks' chances at "50-50." The Post first reported in Tuesday's editions the Knicks had made Hill a one-year offer for a large portion of their $5.8 million mid-level exception. ..."
Mavs busy; Suns . . . not so much
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July 8
Arizona Republic
 columnist Bob Young
"How would you feel if the Suns were able to do all of this in the past couple of days? Go to New York to meet with their 30-something point guard, convincing him to stay. • Potentially lock up a young, active center who will improve their interior defense and rebounding without needing to have his "touches." • Through a sign-and-trade scenario, target a multi-dimensional veteran who can guard anybody from point guards to centers, further bolster their rebounding and provide a high-octane finisher for that long-in-the-tooth playmaker. Yep, if you're a Suns fan you would probably be pretty doggone happy because you would have a team that is improved defensively, equipped to play their old ..."
Knicks make Hill contract offer
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July 8
Arizona Republic
 
"The New York Knicks took one Hill out of Arizona this summer and now have a strong chance of snagging another one. After drafting Arizona's Jordan Hill, New York has emerged as the Suns' biggest competitor for free agent Grant Hill. New York offered Hill the option of a one-year, $5 million contract or a three-year, $10 million deal, according to an NBA source. Hill, 36, might not expect the same offer from the Suns, but the swingman said last week that he wanted to be "fairly compensated" after concluding a two-year, $3.8 million contract for the Suns. Phoenix was prepared to use a portion of its mid-level exception, set Tuesday at $5,854,000 as a whole, to re-sign Hill, who is its ..."
Cavaliers one of several teams considering Channing Frye
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July 7
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Wednesday is the first day free agents can sign with NBA teams. The Cavaliers may not have any deals on that day, but they are getting closer as they continue to narrow their focus. After making a free-agent scouting trip to Los Angeles on Sunday, Cavs GM Danny Ferry came home and hosted free-agent power forward Channing Frye on Monday at the team's practice facility in Independence. Frye is the type of "stretch" forward the Cavs are interested in during the free-agent period as they look to find big men who can hit jumpers when teams collapse on LeBron James and center Shaquille O'Neal. At this point, the Cavs are looking at several power forwards in addition to Frye. One, of course, is ..."
76ers set for Summer League
Comment
July 6
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"While 21 teams will gather in Las Vegas later this week for the NBA summer league, the 76ers are one of the seven squads that will send players to the Orlando Pro Summer League, which begins today at the RDV Sportsplex in Orlando.The 15-game event will run through Friday.The Sixers and the New Jersey Nets have entered a combined team in the competition hosted by the Orlando Magic. The Boston Celtics, the Indiana Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Utah Jazz will also participate.Representing the Sixers are second-year forward Marreese Speights, and a pair of rookie guards in Jrue Holiday of UCLA and Dionte Christmas of Temple.The 6-foot-10 Speights, who showed promise as a rookie, ..."
Griffin eager for chance with Suns
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July 3
Arizona Republic
 
"Taylor Griffin was in the green room of Madison Square Garden's theater on draft night just like the top picks. But when Phoenix drafted him four hours into it, he had left to eat with family, including the top pick, brother Blake, who brought him there. "I never got my draft hat," he said. Griffin got his Suns gear this week, donning practice duds for workouts at US Airways Center. He's getting acclimated to the team he could make - even as a second-round pick with no guarantees. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound Oklahoma forward could be the 13th man on the Suns roster. With the chances of Amaré Stoudemire remaining a Sun increasing, Phoenix would have 10 guaranteed contracts once first-round ..."
Suns have to trade Stoudemire
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July 2
East Valley Tribune
 columnist Scott Bordow
"To know Amaré Stoudemire is to understand that what comes out of his mouth shouldn't be taken seriously. The man is a walking, talking contradiction. Stoudemire is done; so are Suns He all but campaigned for the firing of coach Mike D'Antoni, then, feeling handcuffed by Terry Porter, longed for the offensive freedom D'Antoni gave him. He was ecstatic when the Suns traded for Shaquille O'Neal, saying the move would allow him to play power forward, his natural position. A few months later, he was complaining that there wasn't enough room in the lane for him to operate. And, of course, there are his constant proclamations about wanting to be "the guy" yet never wanting to be held accountable. ..."
Suns pursuing McDyess, other bigs
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July 2
Arizona Republic
 
"Suns General Manager Steve Kerr spent a few hours at Grant Hill's Orlando house Wednesday to begin re-recruiting him, and team personnel put in calls to free-agent big men Antonio McDyess, Channing Frye, Sean May, Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox. Nobody can attest to the interest or the sales pitch better than McDyess or Hill. Beyond using some of the mid-level exception for Hill, the Suns will bank on their system, city, point guard Steve Nash and winning history to lure others with minimum contracts and maybe the biennial exception. Hill is receiving interest from several teams, including Boston, Denver and New York, because he rejuvenated his career in Phoenix. The Denver Post reported he ..."
Suns, 2 words on Amaré: Be careful
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July 1
Arizona Republic
 
"The NBA rumor mill is so out of control that this message came across Twitter on Tuesday: Breaking News! Amar'e Stoudemire to the Lakers!! He might take less money to win a championship. The sender? Amaré Stoudemire. Even the Suns forward is having fun with a big decision that the franchise has been mulling. Do you trade him, gain financial freedom but likely lose fans and games while in an unpopular rebuilding mode? Or do you continue to build around your go-to guy but risk being locked into a no-leverage future? When a team is willing to deal its centerpiece, "it's generally not for talent purposes but for financial reasons or personality conflicts," Orlando Magic Senior Vice President ..."
Kerr to meet with Hill face-to-face
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July 1
Arizona Republic
 
"There are plenty of ways to contact Grant Hill. He has a landline, a cellphone and video calling. But as he did June 18 with Steve Nash, Suns General Manager Steve Kerr is choosing to have a face-to-face talk at Hill's Orlando home on Wednesday. If words do not suffice, Hill will have the feel of a handshake and the look on Kerr's face to know he is the Suns' free-agency priority. "Grant is our biggest priority and that's why I'll be in Orlando," Kerr said. "He's an important part of our team and we'll make sure he knows that." With free-agency contact starting Tuesday night with some calls, the Suns plan to reach out to five or six free agents. They are targeting veteran big men, ..."
Suns have to trade Stoudemire
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June 30
East Valley Tribune
 columnist Scott Bordow
"To know Amar'e Stoudemire is to understand that what comes out of his mouth shouldn't be taken seriously. The man is a walking, talking contradiction. He all but campaigned for the firing of Mike D'Antoni, then, feeling handcuffed by Terry Porter, longed for the offensive freedom D'Antoni gave him. He was ecstatic when the Suns traded for Shaquille O'Neal, saying the move would allow him to play power forward, his natural position. A few months later, he was complaining that there wasn't enough room in the lane for him to operate. And, of course, there are his constant proclamations about wanting to be "the guy" yet never wanting to be held accountable. Remember this quote from last ..."
Stoudemire waiting for decision
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June 29
Arizona Republic
 
"Amaré Stoudemire's camp has not heard from any other NBA team about the possibility of acquiring him or any interest in securing his future with a contract extension. Stoudemire's agent, Charles Grantham, said he would like to hear a commitment from one team in particular - the Suns. "Either he's in or out," Grantham said Sunday while in Phoenix. "You're going to have to really make a commitment to him that he's part of your program going forward and that you're going to work around him. Those decisions seemingly are still up in the air. They are going to have to be made at some point. You'll have to talk about either committing to him or trading him. "Those discussions haven't happened ..."
In blockbuster deal, Shaquille O'Neal shipped to Cleveland Cavaliers
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June 26
Palm Beach Post
 
"Call him The Big Pirogi. Label the season "The King and I." Shaquille O'Neal is now in Cleveland, where he'll combine with superstar forward LeBron "King" James to give the town formerly known as "The Mistake by the Lake" the most high-profile 1-2 punch in the NBA. Cleveland General Manager Danny Ferry hopes the LeBron-Shaq pairing wins the city its first championship in any sport since 1964. "Our goals are aligned with what our players want, including LeBron, and that's to win a championship and win it next year," Ferry said of Thursday's trade that sent O'Neal to the Cleveland from Phoenix in exchange for a package that included center Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic. "I was elated ..."
Picking Curry may help Warriors deal with Suns
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June 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"It's hard to know just how invested Warriors fans should be in first-round choice Stephen Curry. After all, he may not be here all that long. Then again, he, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson and Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire may form the nucleus of a dramatically different Warriors team. Not necessarily better, mind you - the franchise history demands low expectations and dismal forecasts - but different. The Stoudemire trade has been rumored for awhile now, with changing components that swirl around Andris Biedrins, but also include some combination of the draft choice, Marco Belinelli, Kelenna Azubuike and Brandan Wright. That rumor has only grown in intensity since the Curry selection. ..."
Curry pick part of likely Amare deal
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June 25
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns likely landed their man in Thursday night's draft before their pick ever came up. Golden State's selection of Davidson point guard Stephen Curry at No. 7 was likely made for the Suns as part of an Amaré Stoudemire trade that can't be completed until Wednesday. That is because Phoenix would be acquiring Warriors center Andris Biedrins, a base-year compensation player, as part of a Stoudemire deal that would include more Warriors players, possibly power forward Brandan Wright and/or shooting guard Marco Belinelli. The Suns were hoping they could land Curry or Arizona power forward Jordan Hill with the Warriors' seventh pick but had their choice after Minnesota took neither with its ..."
T-Mac, no; Chandler, maybe
Comment
June 25
Arizona Republic
 
"A direct Suns source has shot down the report that the Suns are talking about trading Amare Stoudemire for Tracy McGrady in a package including other players. Such a discussion has never taken place, according to the Suns this morning. There's the same full-fledged denial out of Houston. As for speculation about Ben Wallace being moved on to New Orleans for Tyson Chandler, it's a possibility. Chandler has long been of interest as an ideal basketball fit for the Suns that would make them a really good team immediately. Chandler also has a big in-house fan in Suns assistant coach Bill Cartwright, who was Chandler's first head coach in Chicago. Chandler would be the ideal center in a Suns ..."
Suns and Warriors in talks about Amare, #7 pick in draft
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June 25
Yahoo! Sports
 
"League executives say the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors have discussed a possible trade that is centered around sending Amare Stoudemire to the Warriors for a package that would include Andris Biedrins and the No. 7 pick in the draft."
Amare Stoudemire-Tracy McGrady swap being discussed?
Comment
June 25
New York Post
 
"According to the same source that disclosed Terry Porter was about to be fired as Suns coach, the Rockets are leaning toward swapping Tracy McGrady's expiring $22M contract, Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks for Leandro Barbosa and Stoudemire, who owns an escape clause after next season and is demanding an extension this summer to waive it."
Cavs reportedly reach deal for Shaquille O'Neal
Comment
June 25
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Shaquille O'Neal is going to be a Cavalier. According to multiple team executives, the Cavs have agreed in principle to a trade with the Phoenix Suns to bring the four-time champion and future Hall of Famer to Cleveland. The team is hoping he is the biggest missing piece alongside LeBron James in a quest to win their first NBA Championship. The Cavs will send the Suns veterans Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic in a deal plus the 46th overall pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. It is a trade that has mostly financial incentives for the Suns as they stand to save around $9 million in salary and luxury taxes while the Cavs take on the final year of O'Neal's contract at $20 million. The Suns could ..."
Cavs closer to getting Shaq?
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June 24
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Phoenix center Shaquille O'Neal is creeping closer to joining the championship chase with LeBron James, league sources said on Wednesday. The Shaq-to-Cleveland trade talks have gained momentum and Cavaliers officials are nearing the conclusion they should make the move for O'Neal, sources said. Now, they have to find the package that'll work with Phoenix. One league executive says there's an "inevitability" to the talks and that, "It's going to get done." Nevertheless, there are still hurdles. Besides taking Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, Phoenix wants Cleveland to surrender cash and future draft picks. Both teams have tried to find a third team to get involved, but with no luck yet. ..."
Trade chatter: Buzz on Shaq, Cavs
Comment
June 24
ESPN.com
 columnist Marc Stein
"Three reasons we've experienced a hush -- temporary hush, that is -- of Shaquille O'Neal-to-Cleveland talk: 1. The Suns and Cavs, sources say, were trying hard last week to recruit a third team to help facilitate the deal, presumably to help furnish Phoenix with more than just the financial relief that would come with the acquisitions of Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic. No willing third team offering up a serviceable big man whom Phoenix likes has been located. Yet. 2. The Cavs recognize that Big Ben's potential willingness to be bought out of his $14 million ending salary and the expiration of Pavlovic's $4.9 million salary (with only $1.5 million guaranteed) add up to two decent trade ..."
Draft and Trade Buzz
Comment
June 24
Yahoo! Sports
 
"As the Minnesota Timberwolves prepare to make a push for Memphis' pick at No. 2, it's become clear that they won't package the fifth and sixth picks to get there. The Wolves have made it clear to teams that are trying to pry their 18th pick that it isn't available. They want to use that in combination with one of the two higher picks to make a deal with Memphis. … The Utah Jazz are enamored with University of Pittsburgh tough guy Sam Young at No. 20, who is a perfect fit for head coach Jerry Sloan. … Golden State has long been enamored with Brandon Jennings at No. 7, but league sources say the Warriors are considering Wake Forest forward James Johnson there as well. Few teams would have ..."
Suns could pick from large PG pool
Comment
June 24
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns intend to extend Steve Nash's run in Phoenix beyond his upcoming final contract year. They maneuvered in last year's draft and spent buyout and first-round money to land point guard Goran Dragic. So what stocks Thursday's NBA draft the most? Point guards, naturally. But with Nash's unsure future, Dragic struggling for most of his rookie year and point guard being a tough spot to fill, the Suns will consider drafting a third point guard. Suns General Manager Steve Kerr likes internal competition. A first-round pick and Dragic would each have two guaranteed contract years to go at it. Nine or 10 point guards could be taken in Thursday's first round but the Suns might not tab one ..."
Wing might be best fit for Suns
Comment
June 24
Arizona Republic
 
"From Joe Johnson to Tim Thomas to James Jones to Shawn Marion, the Suns gradually have lost some of the length and defense that compensated for a fast, offense-oriented system's shortcomings. Length, defense and more will be available Thursday. The Suns' 14th pick in the NBA draft will come with choices at wing that other positions won't offer. Barring a tumble from a touted point guard, the Suns' "best player available" approach could mean choosing among a wide range of swingmen. The group has a combo forward who would be a Suns power forward (Louisville's Earl Clark), shooting guards (Duke's Gerald Henderson and North Carolina's Wayne Ellington), a tall shooter (Gonzaga's Austin Daye) ..."
Wizards Rebuffing Inquiries for Butler
Comment
June 23
Washington Post
 
"The Washington Wizards hold the fifth pick in Thursday's NBA draft and President Ernie Grunfeld has spoken openly about his willingness to move the selection, opening the door for numerous inquiries and trade discussions in the past few weeks. About half of the teams in the league have spoken with the Wizards, according to a league source, and most of those discussions have revolved around the draft choice. Some teams, though, have also asked about the availability of the Wizards' top players, with most focusing on Caron Butler. Multiple sources have confirmed that the Wizards engaged in conversations with the Phoenix Suns about acquiring all-star forward Amare Stoudemire last month, but ..."
Trading Shaq should work for Suns
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June 19
Arizona Republic
 
"Forget the dark side and the petty jealousies. Shaquille O'Neal is a funny guy. He's the only person worth observing on Twitter, mostly because he thinks it's a stupid concept, too. Like his June 12 post about passing gas. "If others can smell you, u gotta be able to smell yourself Pfffffffffffff I farted Aggggh Can u smell dat Lol." More than 1.3 million people currently follow O'Neal's staccato riffs of personality. And you wonder how this country became stuck in the kiddie pool ... Shaq covers a lot of ground. One year ago, he was blasting Kobe Bryant in a rap song, and the lyrics were so crude that Sheriff Joe Arpaio took away O'Neal's coveted deputy badge. Now, Bryant is an NBA ..."
Jefferson staying put with Wolves
Comment
June 18
Boston Globe
 
"An NBA source said today that Minnesota forward-center Al Jefferson is not being traded to the Suns with the sixth overall pick for Suns All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire. An NBA executive told The Globe on Wednesday that both teams were discussing the trade. But another source said today that the Suns made the trade offer to the Wolves recently and were turned down. The source added that the Wolves new general manager David Kahn has even called Jefferson, an ex-Celtic, to tell him the trade would not happen. As for Stoudemire, the cost-cutting Suns definitely seem interesting in moving him and his hefty salary."
Jefferson on move again?
Comment
June 18
Boston Globe
 
"An NBA executive told the Boston Globe today that the Minnesota Timberwolves is working a deal with the Phoenix Suns that would send former Celtics forward Al Jefferson and their sixth pick in next week's NBA Draft for All-Star Amare Stoudemire. The Suns, which have dangled Stoudemire for some time, fiound a suitor in Minnesota that is in transition. The team announced today that coach Kevin McHale has ended his 15-year association with the team. New basketball of operations David Kahn is looking to take the franchise into another direction."
Kerr to meet with Nash in New York
Comment
June 18
Arizona Republic
 
"Suns General Manager Steve Kerr will be in New York Thursday to secure a piece of the Suns' future. Early draft preparation? No. A meeting at the NBA's offices? No. He's in New York to meet with Steve Nash, who lives there in the summer. Kerr will meet with the point guard and his agent, Bill Duffy, Thursday to discuss a contract extension and the the franchise's plan with the draft a week away, free agency two weeks away and numerous trade possibilities. "It's more about letting each other know how we feel," Kerr said. "I can give him some ideas (of a plan), but there's no telling what can happen.""
Suns won't trade Shaq just to save cash
Comment
June 15
ESPN.com
 
"While the Shaquille O'Neal-to-Cleveland Cavaliers trade talk created lots of buzz over the weekend, there is an obstacle standing in the way of a future Shaq-LeBron pairing: The Phoenix Suns are not going to give O'Neal away merely to save money. The Suns, who could save roughly $10 million by sending O'Neal to Cleveland for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, also want to gain basketball value in any trade involving O'Neal, according to league sources with knowledge of the team's thinking. With Wallace considering retirement and Pavlovic averaging fewer than six points over his six-year career, Cleveland would likely have to strengthen its offer to get O'Neal. The Suns reportedly had interest ..."
Shaq joining LeBron is worth Witnessing
Comment
June 15
Washington Times
 columnist Tom Knott
"Shaquille O'Neal would be the splashy addition that lifts LeBron James and the Cavaliers to an NBA championship. O'Neal would be the piece that bolsters the Cavaliers around the basket and eases the defensive attention on James. He would be to the Cavaliers what Kevin Garnett was to the Celtics last season. The inability of the Cavaliers and Suns to broker this deal before the trading deadline in February stalled both franchises. Now the two are talking anew after the Cavaliers had no counter to Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference finals, and the celebrated trio of O'Neal, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire failed to lead the Suns into the playoffs. O'Neal never was a good fit with the ..."
Big Shaq-tus, big rumors
Comment
June 15
Arizona Republic
 columnist Bob Young
"A regular reader e-mailed The Heat Index on June 2 to point out that Cleveland's Ben Wallace reportedly was considering retirement and open to the idea of a buyout of his contract. "If Wallace is serious about retiring with or without a buyout, the Suns should pursue that deal hard now," our guy wrote. "Buy Wallace out for 50 percent of his $14 million dollar salary and buy out (Sasha) Pavlovic . . . and save $10 million." OK, so technically it's $9.9 million. Our reader, who we'll call "Larry," was on to something, huh? Larry suggested that if the Suns clear some space with the move, they could pursue Marcin Gortat, the Orlando Magic's active, rugged, rebound-eating backup center, who ..."
Cavaliers consider trade for Suns center Shaquille O'Neal
Comment
June 15
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Another rumor about the Cavaliers popped up on the national scene on Sunday, but this time there was some fire to the smoke. The Arizona Republic reported the Cavs and Phoenix Suns have restarted talks about a trade that would potentially bring future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland. A league source con firmed Sunday that Cavs General Man ager Danny Ferry and Suns GM Steve Kerr have been in touch and discussed O'Neal since the Cavs' season ended two weeks ago. However, the talks are believed to just be a part of the preliminary dis cussions the Cavs are having with many teams leading up to the draft. The Cavs have been in talks with nu merous teams in the past 10 days ..."
In Bryant's Shining Hour, a Shaq Attack of Trade Talk
Comment
June 15
New York Times
 
"Even as Kobe Bryant's moment arrived, Shaquille O'Neal somehow appropriated a slice of the spotlight. Shaq to Cleveland? Shaq and LeBron James as the new dynamic duo? The headlines and television scroll bars were atwitter (as was Twitter) with the possibility on Sunday. For a few hours, the story trumped the N.B.A. finals and Bryant's quest for his first championship without O'Neal. The Los Angeles Lakers, with a 3-1 lead over the Orlando Magic, had their first chance to clinch the title Sunday night. Rumors of an O'Neal trade to Cleveland have lingered since February, when the Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns seriously discussed parameters of a deal. The story got new life when The Arizona ..."