Phoenix Suns Blog – Page 25 – NBA Blog

Steve Nash announces retirement

Steve Nash announces retirement

Steve Nash has announced his retirement from basketball. Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting:

After a 19-year NBA career in which he twice won MVP honors, tallied the third-most assists in league history and assured his place in the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest point guards ever to play the game, Steve Nash formally announced he is walking away from the game Saturday in a letter published on The Players’ Tribune website.

“The greatest gift has been to be completely immersed in my passion and striving for something I loved so much — visualizing a ladder, climbing up to my heroes,” Nash wrote. “The obsession became my best friend. I talked to her, cherished her, fought with her and got knocked on my ass by her.

“And that is what I’m most thankful for in my career. In my entire life, in some ways. Obviously, I value my kids and my family more than the game, but in some ways having this friend — this ever-present pursuit — has made me who I am, taught me and tested me, and given me a mission that feels irreplaceable. I am so thankful. I’ve learned so many invaluable lessons about myself and about life. And of course I still have so much to learn. Another incredible gift.”

Nash, who didn’t play this season with the Los Angeles Lakers because of injuries, finishes his career with 10,335 assists, third-most in NBA history behind John Stockton and Jason Kidd.

Suns sign Earl Barron for remainder of season

The Phoenix Suns have signed center Earl Barron for the remainder of the season.

Barron signed his first 10-day contract with the club on Feb. 21, and his second 10-day on March 3. The 33-year-old center has appeared in eight games (one start) with Phoenix this season, averaging 1.1 points and 0.8 rebounds in 5.7 minutes.

The 7-0 Barron averaged a double-double in 27 games with the Bakersfield Jam this season, posting 20.3 points and 10.9 rebounds for the Suns’ NBA Development League affiliate. Barron played with the Suns during the 2014-15 preseason and averaged 3.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 13.7 minutes in six appearances, including a 10-point, 13-rebound performance in 24 minutes at Houston on Oct. 13.

Barron, who saw action in 12 games with the Suns in 2010-11, is an eighth-season NBA veteran from the University of Memphis who has also played with New York, Miami, Milwaukee, Portland, Golden State and Washington.

Suns sign Seth Curry to 10-day contract

Suns sign Seth Curry to 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed guard Seth Curry to a 10-day contract.

Curry, a 6-1, 180-pound point guard, has averaged 23.5 points on shooting splits of 48.0 percent from the field, 48.2 percent from three-point range and 91.9 percent from the free throw line, in addition to 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 37.0 minutes in 36 games with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League this season. Among D-League leaders, Curry ranks second in scoring average, first in three-point percentage and second in free throw percentage.

Curry played in all five games with the Suns at 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 10.2 points in 21.0 minutes, including a 26-point performance against Milwaukee on July 13. Curry played with the Orlando Magic during the 2014-15 preseason before joining Erie.

The younger brother of Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry and son of former Charlotte Hornets great Dell Curry, Seth Curry has played in two career NBA games with both coming during the 2013-14 season. Curry played in one game each with the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers, making his debut with the Grizzlies at Detroit on Jan. 5, 2014, and scoring his first NBA points on a three-pointer against Houston with the Cavaliers on March 22, 2014.

An All-ACC selection at Duke University in 2012-13, Curry is the 46th GATORADE Call-Up from the D-League to the NBA this season.

The Suns host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (Phoenix time). The game will be televised on FOX Sports Arizona and carried on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

The Suns’ roster now stands at 15.

Suns sign Earl Barron to second 10-day contract

Suns sign Earl Barron to second 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed center Earl Barron to a second 10-day contract.

Barron signed his first 10-day contract with the club on Feb. 21. The 33-year-old center has appeared in five games with Phoenix this season, averaging 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds in 5.5 minutes.

Markieff Morris wants more home team support from Suns fans

Markieff Morris wants more home team support from Suns fans

Here’s the Arizona Republic reporting on the Phoenix Suns, who got wrecked by the San Antonio Spurs Saturday. But after the game, Suns forward Markieff Morris spoke up about what he feels is a regular problem that goes beyond one mere game. He wants Suns fans in Phoenix to be loud and proud about supporting their squad:

Markieff Morris wants more home support from Suns fans

After the Suns set a 47-year-old franchise low by scoring 24 points in a half and matching their worst margin of defeat this season, Morris used the postgame forum Saturday to complain about Suns fans at home games.

Morris has not been alone in recent murmuring about the lack of fervor from home crowds, but he was the first to be so publicly critical of it on the strangest of nights to do so.

“I don’t think we have a home-court advantage,” Markieff said. “It does not feel like a home-court advantage at all. Some games are going to be bad. You can’t win every game. That comes along with sports. Nobody wins games. We need the support. We need, as a team, to know that our fans are going to be behind us and I don’t feel like this year they’re behind us enough.

“I feel like we do have those genuine Suns fans but, for the most part, I feel like we had more San Antonio than Phoenix fans tonight.”

New Phoenix Suns alternate home uniform, called PHXRising

Today the Phoenix Suns revealed a new look with a historic twist, one that celebrates an iconic Suns uniform of the past. The new uniform, deemed PHXRising, was revealed this morning.

The PHXRising uniform will serve as the Suns’ second alternate and be worn by the team for the first time tomorrow night (February 26) when it faces the Oklahoma City Thunder at US Airways Center. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m.

The PHXRising collection with its gray, black and orange palette symbolizes the ash, smoke and embers of the mythological bird for which Phoenix is named.

Suns sign Earl Barron to 10-day contract

Suns sign Earl Barron to 10-day contract

The Phoenix Suns have signed center Earl Barron to a 10-day contract.

The 7-0 center has averaged a double-double in 27 games with the Bakersfield Jam this season, posting 20.3 points and 10.9 rebounds for the Suns’ NBA Development League affiliate. Barron played with the Suns during the 2014-15 preseason and averaged 3.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 13.7 minutes in six appearances, including a 10-point, 13-rebound performance in 24 minutes at Houston on Oct. 13.

Barron, who played with the Suns in 2010-11, is a seven-year NBA veteran from the University of Memphis who last saw regular season action with the New York Knicks during the 2012-13 season. In 124 career games with Miami, New York, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Portland, Golden State and Washington, Barron has averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds. Barron previously signed with the Suns on Nov. 16, 2010, and averaged 3.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12 games (six starts) with the club.

Suns trade Isaiah Thomas to Celtics

Suns trade Isaiah Thomas to Celtics

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have acquired guard Isaiah Thomas from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for guard Marcus Thornton and a 2016 first-round draft pick, previously acquired from Cleveland.

Thomas, a 5’9″ guard, has appeared in 46 contests for the Suns this season and is averaging 15.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steal in 25.7 minutes per game. He recorded a season-high 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the field, three rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes on January 21 against Portland. During the 2013-14 season, Thomas averaged a career-high 20.3 points to go along with 6.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.29 steals in 72 games with Sacramento. He was one of six players in the NBA last season to average at least 20 points and six assists, joining LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Stephen Curry. Thomas was originally selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 60th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and is averaging 15.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steal in 28.5 minutes per game on his career.

“Isaiah is a dynamic offensive player whose scoring and playmaking abilities add to an already well-rounded backcourt with Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations. “We are excited to welcome Isaiah to the Celtics family.”

The Boston Celtics have also acquired forwards Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for forward Tayshaun Prince. As part of this transaction, the Celtics created a $7.7 million trade exception.

Jerebko, a 6’10” forward, has appeared in 46 contests for the Pistons this season and is averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 15.3 minutes per game. He tallied a season-high 13 points, including shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, and two rebounds in 13 minutes on December 17, 2014 against the Mavericks. Currently in his fifth season, Jerebko is averaging 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.9 minute per game. Jerebko was born in Kinna, Sweden and was selected with the 39th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Pistons.

Datome, a 6’8” forward, has appeared in three contests for the Pistons this season and is averaging 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game over that span. Datome is averaging 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.9 minutes per game over his two-year NBA career. Prior to joining Detroit for the 2013-14 season, Datome played professionally in Italy from 2003-13 and in his last season Acea Virtus Roma in 2012-13 he was named the Italian League Most Valuable Player, where he averaged 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 45 games.

Three-team trade sends Brandon Knight to Suns, Michael Carter-Williams to Bucks

The Phoenix Suns today completed a deal to acquire guard Brandon Knight from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade also involving the Philadelphia 76ers. The Suns also acquired guard Kendall Marshall, who will be waived. As part of the deal, the Suns send guard Tyler Ennis and center Miles Plumlee to the Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers’ protected 2015 first-round pick to the 76ers; the Bucks also receive guard Michael Carter-Williams from Philadelphia.

The 23-year-old Knight is a fourth-year pro who joins the Suns in the midst of a career year, averaging 17.8 points, a career-high 5.4 assists, career-high 4.3 rebounds and career-high 1.6 steals, while shooting career-highs of 43.5 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three-point range as he has started all 52 games with the Bucks in 2014-15. Knight departs Milwaukee as the leader in scoring and assists for a team that entered the All-Star break seven games over .500 and with 30 first-half victories after winning 15 total games in 2013-14.

Originally the eighth overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by Detroit, Knight played the first two seasons of his career with the Pistons before being acquired by the Bucks along with Khris Middleton and Slava Kravtsov in exchange for Brandon Jennings on July 31, 2013. An All-Rookie First-Team selection in 2011-12, Knight holds career averages of 15.3 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.00 steals in 265 games (256 starts) with the Bucks and Pistons.

An athletic 6-3 guard who boasts a nearly 6-7 wingspan, Knight was a collegiate standout in one season at the University of Kentucky in 2010-11. Knight earned All-SEC Second-Team honors after setting Kentucky freshman records in scoring and three-point field goals made. Knight was named the NCAA East Region Most Outstanding Player after helping the Wildcats reach the Final Four for the first time since 1998, ending the longest Final Four drought in the prestigious program’s history.

Philadelphia receives the Lakers’ protected 2015 first-round pick from the Suns in the deal. Phoenix initially acquired the draft pick from the Lakers as part of the sign-and-trade that sent Steve Nash to Los Angeles on July 11, 2012.

Report: Goran Dragic seeks trade from Suns

Report: Goran Dragic seeks trade from Suns

Here’s the Arizona Republic reporting on the Suns and guard Goran Dragic, who may be going their separate ways in the next day or two, or this summer:

The Dragon’s fire has turned toward the Suns organization.

Goran Dragic, the closest thing to a face of the franchise for the Suns, wants to be traded by Thursday’s 1 p.m. deadline, according to multiple league sources after the parties met Tuesday.

Dragic has lost trust in the Suns organization because they have brought in two other point guards, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas, and reduced his playmaking role since he returned to Phoenix during free agency in 2012 to be Steve Nash’s heir apparent.

The Suns, who traded Dragic in 2011, traded for Bledsoe in 2013 when he was one of the most-sought trade commodities and created a dual-playmaker backcourt. Dragic thrived when Bledsoe missed half of the season and they ultimately found chemistry for a 48-win season.