Phoenix Suns Blog – Page 40 – NBA Blog

Suns will send Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick to Hornets

The Hornets, Suns and Timberwolves have agreed to a multiplayer trade sending 7-foot center Robin Lopez and forward Hakim Warrick from Phoenix to New Orleans, while moving forward Wesley Johnson and a first-round draft pick from Minnesota to Phoenix, a person familiar with the deal said.

The person told The Associated Press about the trade on condition of anonymity Wednesday because it has not been announced pending the completion of some routine logistical matters.

The deal also sends guard Jerome Dyson and retiring center Brad Miller’s $5.1 million contract from New Orleans to Minnesota, allowing the Timberwolves to clear space under the NBA’s salary cap as they pursue free agents. Minnesota also will receive two second-round draft picks from New Orleans, while the Hornets will receive cash.

Minnesota general manager David Kahn declined to confirm the deal when asked about it on a conference call Wednesday, saying only that he is “not allowed to comment on anything that hasn’t been consummated.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Suns will sign forward P.J. Tucker

Over the five years since he last was in the NBA, P.J. Tucker has seen players come into leagues in six other countries with an expectation for success before struggling to find their roles and departing with a myopic view of their failures.

Tucker knows it all too well because that was his 2006-07 experience with Toronto, which included 17 appearances, D-League duty and a March waiver that started his circuitous path back to the NBA.

The time and experiences gave Tucker a greater maturity that led to a return to the NBA with the Suns, who will sign the burly, versatile forward to a two-year contract with partial guarantees on the first year.

To realize his dream of returning to the NBA, Tucker is taking less than half of the salary he would have made overseas to join the Suns at potentially $762,195 for the first season.

— Reported by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic

Suns re-sign guard Shannon Brown

The Phoenix Suns’ search for a shooting guard has apparently come to an end, as they’ve reached contract terms with free agent Shannon Brown, who spent the 2011-12 season with the team.

According to Arizona Sports 620’s own John Gambadoro, the contract is for two years.

Brown, 26, played in 59 of 66 games for the Suns last season, averaging a career-high 11.0 points while grabbing 2.7 rebounds. In 19 games as a starter, Brown averaged 15.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest, while shooting .406 from three-point range.

The Suns were active in their flirtation with free agent shooting guards before re-signing Brown. On July 3, Phoenix inked restricted free agent Eric Gordon to a four- year, $58 million offer sheet that was ultimately matched by the New Orleans Hornets.

— Reported by Arizona Sports

Clippers sign Grant Hill

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed seven-time NBA All-Star forward Grant Hill. According to the Arizona Republic, it’s a two-year, $4 million deal.

An 18-year NBA veteran, Hill brings career averages of 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 34.4 minutes to Los Angeles. In addition, he has played in 997 games (972 starts) and connected on 48.4 percent of his field goals, 31.5 percent from behind the three-point line and 77 percent of his free throws over his career.

Hill spent the last five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, tallying 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 28.1 minutes in 49 games played during the 2011-12 campaign in which he also received five All-NBA Defensive Team votes and received multiple Defensive Player of the Year votes. In 2010-11, Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average 13 or more points at the age of 38 or older.

Prior to his time in Phoenix, Hill spent seven seasons with the Orlando Magic in which he was limited to just 200 games due to injuries to his left ankle.

The third overall selection in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Hill was named Co-Rookie of the Year (Jason Kidd – Dallas Mavericks) after posting averages of 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 38.3 minutes in 70 games played during the 1994-95 season. He was also named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team that season and made history by becoming the first rookie to lead the NBA in All-Star fan balloting, narrowly defeating Shaquille O’Neal. During his time with the Pistons, Hill averaged 20+ points, 6.6+ rebounds, 5.2+ assists and 1.2+ steals in five consecutive seasons.

Hill was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1997 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also won the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award in 2005, 2008 and 2010.

A member of the 1996 United States Olympic Team, Hill helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal. He was also selected to the 2000 Olympic Team but did not play due to injury.

Hill entered the NBA after a prolific four-year collegiate career at Duke University (1991-1994), where he helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992. Hill was named the nation’s top defensive player in 1993 and was named ACC Player of the Year in 1994.

Grant Hill to join Clippers

The Clippers continue to add veteran talent to their roster, as Grant Hill has reportedly agreed to sign with the Clippers. The means of the signing, whether it be the veteran’s minimum, the bi-annual exception or a sign-and-trade have not been finalized.

Hill, who will turn 40 in October, was said to be considering signing with the Lakers or the Knicks before the Clippers emerged as a player over the weekend.

After three healthy seasons in Phoenix, Hill played in 49 games last season for the Suns, averaging 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds a game.

— Reported by Dain Woike of the OC Register

Hornets match Suns offer, re-sign Eric Gordon

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have matched the Phoenix Suns’ offer to restricted free agent Eric Gordon. According to multiple reports, the deal is for four years, $58 million.

“We are pleased to announce that we have matched the offer sheet for Eric Gordon. Eric is a phenomenal player that we are thrilled to have in our organization”, said Hornets General Manager Dell Demps. “We thank Tom and Gayle Benson for making this possible with their commitment to the team, our fans and the New Orleans Community.”

“There is always a business element to the NBA when dealing with contracts but I never lost my appreciation for the New Orleans fans,” said Gordon. “I look forward to giving my very best on the court this season to make our team successful.”

Last year in his first season with the Hornets, Gordon averaged a team-leading 20.6 points in addition to 3.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in nine games (all starts) while shooting 45.0% from the field. The Hornets were 6-3 when Gordon played this season and he led the team in scoring in all but one of those contests.

InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner says: Gordon really hoped to start a new life on the Suns, and was hoping the Hornets would not match the offer, but I think he’s better off in New Orleans. Austin Rivers, Anthony Davis, Gordon, and Ryan Anderson are a nice start, and with a few more pieces they may have a nice squad in a season or two.

Phoenix Suns sign Eric Gordon to offer sheet

The Phoenix Suns have signed restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon to an offer sheet, the club announced today. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the New Orleans Hornets have three days to match the Suns’ offer and retain his rights.

According to multiple reports, the Hornets are expected to match the offer and keep Gordon.

“We are excited that Eric Gordon wants to be a Phoenix Sun, and are gratified by his choice to play here,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby.

The 6-3, 215-pound Gordon is a four-year NBA veteran who has established himself as one of the league’s premier scorers. Just 24 years old, Gordon owns career NBA averages of 18.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 205 games (190 starts). An All-NBA Rookie Team selection in 2009, Gordon increased his scoring average in each of his first three seasons before playing just nine games in an injury-plagued, lockout-shortened campaign in 2011-12. The centerpiece of the Hornets’ trade of Chris Paul, Gordon averaged 20.6 points in nine games for New Orleans last season.

A career 45.0 percent shooter from the floor, including 37.0 percent from three-point range, Gordon is an efficient scorer whose 18.2-point career average has come on 13.5 field goal attempts per game. In Gordon’s only appearance in Phoenix last season, the Indiana product scored 20 points against the Suns and hit the game-winning 20-foot jump shot with 4.2 seconds remaining in the season opener at US Airways Center on Dec. 26.

Suns sign-and-trade Steve Nash to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired two-time MVP Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for first round draft picks in 2013 and 2015 as well as second round draft picks in 2013 and 2014, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

According to multiple reports, Nash landed a three-year contract worth around $27 million.

Nash, who earned NBA Most Valuable Player honors in back-to-back seasons with the Suns (2005 and 2006), is an eight-time NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA Team selection (First Team 2005-07, Second Team 2008, Third Team 2002-03). The second best free throw shooter in NBA history (.9035) behind Mark Price (.9039) and eighth most accurate three-point shooter of all-time (.428), the 6’3” guard currently ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time assists list (9,916).

Last season, Nash averaged 12.5 points on .532 shooting from the field while handing out 10.7 assists in 31.6 minutes. Leading all guards in double-doubles (28), Nash also ranked among league leaders in assists (2nd), field goal percentage (10th), 3-point field goal percentage (31st) and free-throw percentage (4th).

The recipient of the 2007 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, Nash is the only player in NBA history to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line in four different seasons after doing so in 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 (only Nash and Larry Bird have done so at least twice).

Originally selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round (15th overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft two picks after the Charlotte Hornets’ selection of new teammate Kobe Bryant, Nash, a 16-year NBA veteran, has career averages of 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 31.4 minutes.

Grant Hill interested in Heat, Thunder, Lakers

Free agent forward Grant Hill is still considering at least two other teams–the two teams in last month’s Finals, Miami and Oklahoma City–as well as the Lakers as he decides where he’s going to play next season, according to a source with knowledge of the 39-year-old forward’s thinking.

Reports Tuesday indicated that Hill has decided either to play for the Lakers or retire. But the source strongly indicated that Hill has not limited himself to Los Angeles as he makes up his mind. The Lakers emerged as a strong favorite for Hill after they agreed to terms with the Suns last week on a sign-and-trade deal that will send Steve Nash to the Lakers after the end of the July Moratorium on the 11th for four Draft picks and $3 million. But Hill is looking at the Heat and Thunder as well.

— Reported by the NBA.com Hangtime blog

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Eric Gordon hopes to say goodbye to New Orleans

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon said if the team matches the four-year, $58 million offer sheet he signed this week with the Phoenix Suns, he’ll play in the Crescent City but he won’t be happy about it.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since issuing a statement through his agent that his “heart” was in Phoenix.

“If (the Hornets) were interested, there wouldn’t have been no tour, there wouldn’t have been nothing,” Gordon said. “There’s been no negotiations. I was right there in Indiana. I haven’t received no calls, to me personally, they’ve contacted myagent.

“As for now, I don’t know what’s going on. (If the Hornets match) as of right now, I’d be disappointed.”

Is there anything the Hornets could do to change his mind?

“I don’t think there is,” Gordon said.

— Reported by Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune