Category: Phoenix Suns Blog

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Suns and Tyson Chandler agree to buyout; Chandler waived

The Phoenix Suns and Tyson Chandler have reached an agreement to buy out the veteran center’s contract. Chandler has now been officially waived.

According to the Arizona Republic, “Chandler is in the final year of a four-year deal in which he is guaranteed to make $13.6 million.”

“We want to thank Tyson for his contributions to the Suns over the past three-plus seasons,” said Vice President of Basketball Operations James Jones. “With respect for Tyson’s accomplished career, today’s move gives him the chance to pursue a new opportunity while allowing our younger players to continue developing. Tyson is a consummate professional and we wish him all the best.”

“I am grateful for my time in Phoenix and want to thank my teammates, my coaches, the front office and the fans for an amazing experience.” said Chandler. “I wish them the best and I am excited for the next stage in my career.”

More from the Arizona Republic: “ESPN is reporting Chandler plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers with the Suns. The 7-footer is from Compton, Calif.”

Chandler initially signed with the Suns as a free agent on July 9, 2015, and played in four seasons with the club. He averaged 7.2 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 62.8 percent from the field in 166 games during his time in Phoenix. On Jan. 23, 2016, Chandler tied the Suns’ single-game record with 27 rebounds vs. Atlanta, matching Paul Silas’ mark which had stood untouched for over 45 years.

Suns sign Jamal Crawford, waive Davon Reed

The Phoenix Suns today signed guard Jamal Crawford. The team has also waived guard Davon Reed.

The Suns are young, rebuilding team that is focused on the future. In a limited role off the bench, Crawford can help the team’s second unit. He’s also a positive influence, has a good head on his shoulders, and other signed as a player definitely should be able to help coach young teammates progress in the right direction. He just needs to be more cautious about his shot selection, now more than ever.

Crawford, an 18-year NBA veteran, is the only three-time winner of the Sixth Man of the Year Award (2009-10, 2013-14, 2015-16) and also won the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award in 2017-18. Crawford ranks fifth in NBA history with 2,153 career three-pointers, 30th with 1,262 games played and 57th with 18,906 career points; his 10,766 career points in a reserve role are second-most in the NBA over the past 35 years behind only Dell Curry. Crawford is the NBA’s all-time leader with 53 career four-point plays.

For his career, the 38-year-old has averaged 15.0 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 34.9 percent from three-point range in 18 seasons with seven teams: Chicago (2000-2004), New York (2004-2008), Golden State (2008-09), Atlanta (2009-2011), Portland (2011-12), the LA Clippers (2012-2017) and Minnesota (2017-18). A career 86.2 percent shooter from the free throw line (37th-best in NBA history), Crawford led the league by shooting 92.7 percent from the stripe with the Trail Blazers in 2011-12. He owns three career games scoring 50-plus points, including a career-high 52 points with the Knicks against Miami on Jan. 26, 2007, and is one of four players in NBA history to score at least 50 points with three different teams along with Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Bernard King and Moses Malone.

The 6-5, 185-pound guard joins the Suns after playing last season with Minnesota where he helped the Timberwolves reach the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Crawford was Minnesota’s leading scorer off the bench, averaging 10.3 points in 80 appearances during the regular season and 11.8 points in five postseason games.

Crawford has appeared in the postseason eight times for his career, including each of the last six seasons, averaging 14.3 points, 2.2 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 74 playoff games. He has been a member of four teams that have reached the Conference Semifinals.

Originally selected with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by Cleveland, Crawford joined the NBA following one season at the University of Michigan. Born in Seattle, he attended Rainier Beach High School and remains active in giving back to the community in his hometown and beyond.

Reed was selected by the Suns with the 32nd overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft and averaged 3.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 21 games as a rookie last season.

The team’s roster currently stands at 16 players.

Suns waive Shaquille Harrison and Darrell Arthur

Suns waive Shaquille Harrison and Darrell Arthur

The Phoenix Suns have waived guard Shaquille Harrison and forward Darrell Arthur.

Harrison initially signed with the Suns on Feb. 21, 2018, and averaged 6.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 23 games last season, the first of his NBA career.

Arthur was acquired by the Suns in a trade from Brooklyn on July 20, 2018; the nine-year veteran holds career averages of 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 503 games.

Phoenix Suns fire general manager Ryan McDonough

Phoenix Suns fire general manager Ryan McDonough

The Phoenix Suns have fired general manager Ryan McDonough.

It’s surprising that this happened in preseason. It’s an unusual time for any team to fire their GM. Logically it’s done during a key stretch of the regular season, or perhaps at the end of the season, as offseason for the team begins. To do it right in the middle of preseason is unusual.

In the interim, general manager duties will be handled by Vice President of Basketball Operations James Jones and Assistant General Manager Trevor Bukstein. Jones will manage basketball operations including oversight of coaches, players and staff, while Bukstein will be the primary contact for player transactions.

“After much thought and a long evaluation of our basketball operations, I have decided to relieve Ryan McDonough of his duties as general manager of the Phoenix Suns,” said Suns Managing Partner, Robert Sarver. “Our focus in the short term is to prepare for the upcoming NBA season and to continue pursuing opportunities to strengthen our roster. Over the course of the season, we will explore both internal and external options as we look to restructure our basketball front office leadership. On behalf of the entire organization, I want to thank Ryan for his efforts and contributions during his five-plus years with the Suns. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

Devin Booker undergoes hand surgery

The Suns signed young star scoring guard Devin Booker to a big extension this summer. But he reportedly has something important to take care of before starting the 2018-19 NBA season. Here’s the Arizona Republic reporting:

The Phoenix Suns will likely start training camp without Devin Booker, whose injured hand is inflamed and may require surgery, a source close the Republic reports.

Booker, the Suns’ leading scorer and highest paid player, was bothered by the right-hand injury throughout the closing months of last season, missing the last 12 games.

At the time, Booker and the Suns took criticism, with some suggesting it was a tactic to improve the team’s position in the draft.

Full article

UPDATE: Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker today underwent successful surgery to repair an injury to the fifth metacarpophalangeal joint in his right hand. The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven Shin at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles. Booker’s expected recovery time is approximately six weeks.

Rockets trade Ryan Anderson and De`Anthony Melton to Suns for Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss

The Houston Rockets have traded forward Ryan Anderson and guard De’Anthony Melton to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for forward Marquese Chriss and guard Brandon Knight.

“We are excited to welcome Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton to Phoenix,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “Ryan has established himself as one of the league’s best shooters and we think he’ll be a great fit in our offensive system. De’Anthony is a talented young guard who stood out for us throughout the pre-Draft process and at the NBA Summer League.”

“We’d like to thank Brandon and Marquese for their contributions to the Suns franchise over the past few seasons. We wish them the best of luck as they begin the next chapter of their careers with the Rockets.”

Knight (6-3, 195) was originally the eighth overall pick by Detroit in the 2011 NBA Draft. In six seasons played, he has averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Knight also hit at least 100 3-pointers in five of those six seasons.

Over a three-season span from 2013-14 through 2015-16, Knight was one of 11 players to have averaged at least 18.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.00 steals. James Harden and Chris Paul were two of the other players on that list.

Chriss (6-10, 240) was the eighth overall pick by Sacramento in the 2016 NBA Draft before his rights were acquired by Phoenix. He appeared in all 82 games with 75 starts in 2016-17 and earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.

In two seasons with the Suns, Chriss averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game. He joined Kevin Durant and LeBron James as the only players under the age of 21 by February 1st of their second season to have totaled at least 1,300 points, 700 rebounds, 100 blocks, 100 steals, and 100 3-pointers made within their first two seasons.

Anderson, a 6-10, 240-pound forward, is a 10-year NBA veteran who holds career averages of 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds while making 2.1 three-pointers per game on 38.2 percent shooting from long range. He has played in 622 career games with New Jersey (2008-09), Orlando (2009-2012), New Orleans (2012-2016) and Houston (2016-2018), in addition to 46 career playoff appearances. One of the most productive “stretch fours” in NBA history, Anderson’s 1,315 career three-pointers are the third-most ever by a player 6-10 or taller, trailing only Dirk Nowitzki and Rashard Lewis.

The 2011-12 NBA Most Improved Player Award winner, Anderson is one of just two players to average at least two three-point makes per game in each of the last eight seasons, joined only by Golden State’s Stephen Curry. Last season, the 30-year-old averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds while making 2.0 three-pointers on 38.6 percent three-point shooting in 66 games (50 starts) to help the Rockets to a franchise record 65 wins and a berth in the Western Conference Finals.

Anderson entered the NBA after being selected by New Jersey with the 21st overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The Sacramento native played two seasons collegiately at the University of California, earning First Team All-Pac-10 honors in 2007-08 after leading the conference with 21.1 points per game.

​Melton, a 6-4, 200-pound guard, was selected by the Rockets with the 46th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old tied for the lead at NBA Summer League 2018 with 3.0 steals per game, in addition to averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the only rookie, and one of just three players overall, to average at least 15 points, seven boards and four assists at NBA Summer League 2018. Melton’s best performance came on July 9 against the LA Clippers when he posted 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while making 5-of-10 three-point attempts.

Melton played one season at the University of Southern California before entering the NBA. As a freshman in 2016-17, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocks while leading the Pac-12 and tying a USC freshman record with 69 steals. Melton became the first freshman in all of Division I basketball to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 60 steals and 35 blocks since Dwyane Wade did so for Marquette in 2001-02.

A native of North Hollywood, California, Melton led Crespi High School in Encino, California to back-to-back state titles in 2015 and 2016.

Sixers trade Richaun Holmes to Suns

The Philadelphia 76ers in a trade today received cash considerations from Phoenix in exchange for the player contract of forward-center Richaun Holmes.

In three NBA seasons with the 76ers, Holmes appeared in 156 games (20 starts) and averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game.

Holmes was selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft after three seasons at Bowling Green.

Suns complete trades with Sixers, Nets

The Phoenix Suns today completed two trades, one with the Philadelphia 76ers and one with the Brooklyn Nets.

From Philadelphia, the Suns acquired forward/center Richaun Holmes in exchange for cash considerations.

From Brooklyn, the Suns acquired forward Darrell Arthur in exchange for forward Jared Dudley and a protected 2021 second-round pick.

Holmes has played each of his first three NBA seasons with the 76ers, averaging 7.4 points on 54.7 percent shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 16.9 minutes over 156 career games. This past season, the 6-10, 235-pound post player appeared in 48 games and averaged 6.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in 15.5 minutes, shooting a career-high 56.0 percent from the field. The 24-year-old had his best statistical season in 2016-17 when he averaged career highs of 9.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 20.9 minutes while appearing in 57 games (17 starts).

Originally the 37th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, Holmes holds career averages per 36 minutes of 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks; he and No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns are the only players in the Class of 2015 to be averaging at least 15 points, nine boards and one block per 36 minutes. A native of Lockport, Illinois, Holmes played the final three seasons of his collegiate career at Bowling Green State University, earning MAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-MAC First Team honors in 2015.

Arthur has played nine NBA seasons, the last five with the Denver Nuggets before being dealt to the Nets on July 13. Arthur has appeared in 503 career games with Denver and the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.8 minutes.

Dudley, an 11-year NBA veteran who has played seven seasons overall with the Suns including each of the last two, departs Phoenix ranked seventh in franchise history with 543 three-point makes and fourth in franchise history with a 40.4 percent mark from three-point range. In his seven seasons with the Suns, Dudley holds averages of 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 468 games. Dudley appeared in 48 games this past season, averaging 3.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 14.3 minutes.

Suns trade Jared Dudley to Nets for Darrell Arthur

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forward Jared Dudley and a protected 2021 second round draft pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for forward Darrell Arthur.

Dudley has appeared in 788 career games with Phoenix, Washington, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Clippers and Charlotte, recording averages of 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 23.4 minutes per game.

Arthur was acquired in a trade with the Denver Nuggets on July 13.