Phoenix Suns Blog – Page 26 – NBA Blog

Celtics may want guard Isaiah Thomas

Celtics may want guard Isaiah Thomas

As Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline approaches, here’s CSNNE reporting on the Celtics and Suns:

When the Boston Celtics pulled off a pair of blockbuster deals to land Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2007, both were available for reasons that the Celtics had no control over but were in position to take advantage of.

A similar situation might be brewing with the Phoenix Suns, who are likely to unload one of two point guards — Goran Dragic or Isaiah Thomas — by Thursday’s trade deadline.

If Suns management decides to unload Thomas, the Celtics will be among the teams to look closely at swinging a deal for the 5-foot-9 guard, a league source told CSNNE.com on Tuesday.

Celtics trade Brandan Wright to Suns

Celtics trade Brandan Wright to Suns

The Phoenix Suns have acquired forward Brandan Wright from the Boston Celtics in exchange for a protected 2015 first round draft pick via Minnesota.

The Suns have also waived forward Tony Mitchell. Mitchell was acquired by Phoenix in a trade with the Detroit Pistons on December 24 last month.

Phoenix dealt to Boston its right to Minnesota’s protected 2015 first round pick. The pick is top-12 protected in 2015 and 2016, and if the first round pick has not been conveyed by 2016, Minnesota will instead convey its second round picks in 2016 and 2017.

“I have known Brandan since he entered the NBA in 2007,” said President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. “He is a person of the highest character who will fit perfectly into our burgeoning Suns culture. We look forward to welcoming him to Phoenix.”

“We are excited to add Brandan to our roster,” said General Manager Ryan McDonough. “His length, athleticism and finishing ability make him a great fit for our style of play. He is one of the most efficient scorers in the league and his shot blocking ability will help anchor our defense.”

The 6-10, 210-pound Wright is averaging 7.5 points on 72.4 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 35 games with the Celtics and Dallas Mavericks in this his seventh NBA season. In 58 games with Dallas last season, Wright averaged career-highs of 9.1 points, 67.7 percent shooting (224-of-331), 4.2 rebounds and 18.6 minutes. Wright’s 67.7 percent mark from the field in 2013-14 was the highest mark in the NBA among players with at least 100 field goal attempts for the season.

The eighth overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina, Wright holds career averages of 7.1 points on 60.9 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 15.8 minutes in 320 games with Golden State, New Jersey, Dallas and Boston. Wright played in eight games with the Celtics after being acquired in a trade with Dallas on December 18 last month.

With Wright (3.82 blocks per 48 minutes in 2014-15) and center Alex Len (3.77 blocks per 48 minutes), the Suns now have two of the league’s top five in blocks per 48 minutes this season among players who qualify for the blocks per game leaderboard.

The Suns’ roster remains at 15 players.

Suns trade Anthony Tolliver to Pistons for Tony Mitchell

The Phoenix Suns have traded forward Anthony Tolliver to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for forward Tony Mitchell.

Mitchell, who was drafted 37th overall by the Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft out of the University of North Texas, has averaged 8.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in six games with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA Development League this season. The 6-9, 235-pound forward appeared in 21 games with Detroit last season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.2 rebounds.

Tolliver, 29, has played in 24 games for the Suns this season averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 38.7% from three-point range. The six-year NBA veteran owns career averages of 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 331 games (53 starts) with San Antonio (2008-09), Portland (2009), Golden State (2010), Minnesota (2010-12), Atlanta (2012-13), Charlotte (2013-14) and Phoenix (2014). The Springfield, MO product has scored in double-figures 79 times during his career, including 10 games with 20-plus points and two games with 30-plus points. He’s also recorded 20 career games with double-digit rebounds and tallied 16 career double-doubles. A former All-Missouri Valley Conference first team member from Creighton, where he played collegiately, Tolliver has accumulated 10 games of NBA playoff experience with Atlanta (six games in 2012-13) and Charlotte (four games in 2013-14) where he averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He’s recorded NBA career highs of 34 points (4/7/10 at Minnesota), 21 rebounds (3/27/10 vs. Dallas) and four blocks (3/27/11 vs. Boston).

The Suns’ roster now stands at 15 players

Goran Dragic still adjusting to new Suns role

Here’s Arizona Sports reporting on Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic, who with an adjusted role isn’t doing quite as big things on the basketball court as he did in 2013-14:

Goran Dragic still adjusting to new Suns additions

Dragic’s numbers have dropped from his All-NBA Third Team performance last season, when he averaged 20.3 points on 50.5 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three-point range.

One of the main reasons for this decrease is Dragic’s new role on the team. With the arrival of Isaiah Thomas, Dragic has spent most of his time at the shooting guard position, while Thomas and Eric Bledsoe split the point guard duties. Dragic said it’s been a difficult transition for him.

“It’s really hard,” Dragic told Burns and Gambo Wednesday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “It’s hard to explain, but for people working in jobs, let’s say they’re working marketing and then they move them to a different position.”

Suns assign Tyler Ennis, T.J. Warren to D-League

The Phoenix Suns today assigned Tyler Ennis and T.J. Warren to the Bakersfield Jam, the team’s NBA Development League affiliate.

The assignments are the seventh and eighth of the 2014-15 season and the first for both Ennis and Warren.

Suns exercise contract options on Archie Goodwin, Alex Len, Miles Plumlee

Phoenix Suns exercise contract options on Archie Goodwin, Alex Len, Miles Plumlee

The Phoenix Suns have exercised their 2015-16 options on guard Archie Goodwin, center Alex Len and center Miles Plumlee.

According to the Arizona Republic, the contract values for the 2015-16 season are: Alex Len ($3.81M), Miles Plumlee ($2.11M) and Archie Goodwin ($1.16M).

As a rookie with the Suns last season, Goodwin averaged 3.7 points and 10.2 minutes in 52 games. The 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Goodwin scored a career-high 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting in the Suns’ 2013-14 season finale at Sacramento.

Len was selected by the Suns with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and, among NBA rookies to play at least 300 minutes, ranked fifth in rebounds per 48 minutes and sixth in blocks per 48 minutes last season. The native of Ukraine averaged 2.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 8.6 minutes in 42 appearances, including three starts.

Plumlee enjoyed a breakthrough season in his first with the Suns and second in the NBA in 2013-14, averaging team-highs of 7.8 rebounds and 1.13 blocks in addition to 8.1 points in 80 games (79 starts). Acquired by the Suns in a trade from Indiana prior to last season, Plumlee had a team-high 23 double-digit rebounding games and tied for the team-lead with 11 double-doubles.

Suns waive Earl Barron

Suns waive Earl Barron

The Phoenix Suns have waived center Earl Barron.

A seven-year NBA veteran and considered fairly solid as backup who provides bench depth, Barron signed with the Suns on Sept. 26. In six preseason appearances, Barron averaged 3.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes.

The Suns’ roster now stands at 15 players.

Suns forward T.J. Warren suffers thumb injury

Phoenix Suns forward T.J. Warren has sustained a small crack in a bone in his left thumb. He will be treated with a splint and rest. There is no timetable for his return.

Warren, a rookie from North Carolina State, was selected by the Suns with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He has averaged 5.0 points and 12.2 minutes in five preseason appearances.

Alex Len suffers fracture in finger

$Alex Len suffers fracture in finger$

Phoenix Suns center Alex Len is sidelined with a fracture of the right hand fifth finger (pinky). He will be re-evaluated next Wednesday, October 15.

The Suns begin preseason play tomorrow, Oct. 8, against Flamengo of the Brazilian national league at US Airways Center. The game will tip at 7 p.m. and will be televised by FOX Sports Arizona and carried on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Phoenix Suns offensive plan: More running

Here’s Arizona Sports reporting on the Phoenix Suns offensive plans, which involve running, and more running.

Push the pace.

It is the one phrase that has been spoken the most thus far here at Phoenix Suns training camp.

“We want to play even faster than we did last year,” forward P.J. Tucker said.

Last year, the Suns ranked eighth in the NBA in pace of play, a statistic used to measure the number of possessions per 48 minutes.

“We want to pick that up. We want to be one, two or three,” head coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Really try to get the ball out of bounds and go with it. Put pressure on the other teams. We have a deep team so we feel we can do that. And that’s us pushing these guys to get in that type of shape you need to be to do that.”