Category: Phoenix Suns Blog

Suns blog – Phoenix Suns blog, on Suns basketball news, rumors and more

Wizards trade Aaron Holiday to Suns

The Washington Wizards have acquired cash considerations in a trade with the Phoenix Suns for guard Aaron Holiday. The trade also generated a trade exception for the Wizards.

Holiday (6-0, 185), has appeared in 41 games (14 starts) for Washington this season, averaging 6.1 points, 1.9 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game. He holds career averages of 7.4 points, 2.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 223 games (55 starts) over four NBA seasons with Indiana and Washington. Holiday was originally acquired by the Wizards in a five-team trade with Indiana, Los Angeles, Brooklyn and San Antonio on August 6, 2021.

Suns coach Monty Williams will coach Team LeBron in 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams and his staff will coach Team LeBron in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The 71st NBA All-Star Game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States.

Phoenix (40-9, .816) defeated the San Antonio Spurs 115-110 tonight to clinch the best record in the Western Conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 6. As a result, Williams has earned a spot as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time. He will be the Suns’ first NBA All-Star Game head coach since Mike D’Antoni in the 2006-07 season.

Under Williams, the Suns have the best record in the NBA this season and are off to their best start in franchise history through the first 49 games of a season. Phoenix won a franchise-record 18 consecutive games from Oct. 30 – Dec. 2 and has a current 10-game winning streak. Williams was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October/November.

Williams is in his third season as Phoenix’s head coach. Last season, he guided the Suns to a 51-21 record and their first appearance in the NBA Finals since the 1992-93 season. Williams previously served as head coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans for five seasons.

Each head coach in the NBA All-Star Game will lead the team that includes the captain from the same conference. Williams will coach the All-Star team captained by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

The eligible head coach of the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference through games played on Feb. 6 will coach the All-Star team captained by Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is ineligible because he served as a head coach in the NBA All-Star Game last season.

Health update on Suns guard Devin Booker

Here’s the Arizona Republic on Suns guard Devin Booker:

Devin Booker has many reasons to smile right now even though he’ll miss his fifth consecutive game Monday night.

One, his injured left hamstring is improving.

Two, he’s at least back on the court with his teammates for shootarounds.

Three, his team is still rolling without him.

With the NBA’s best record, the Suns (21-4) were 3-1 without Booker going into Monday’s game against the Clippers (15-12) at STAPLES Center as he continues to rehab and train in working his way back from injury.

“Hammy feels good, man,” said Booker, who strained his hamstring in the first half of a Nov. 30 win over the Golden State Warriors. “Just getting back right. Finally back out on the court doing some things. I’ve just been lifting prior to that. Feeling good back out on the court during shootaround. That’s always a plus.”

The Suns are 21-4 this season, which is the best record in the NBA through Sunday’s games.

Their leading scorers so far in 2021-22 are Booker at 23.2 points per game, Deandre Ayton at 16.3 ppg, Chris Paul at 14.4 ppg and Mikal Bridges at 12.2 ppg.

Chris Paul moves up to No. 3 on all-time NBA assists list

Chris Paul continues to make his mark on the NBA historical leaders list. Via ESPN.com:

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul moved into No. 3 on the all-time assists list with his eighth against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

With 1:34 left in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Jae Crowder, Paul notched career assist No. 10,336 to push past Suns legend Steve Nash for sole possession of third place.

Paul finished the night with a season-high 18 assists in the Suns’ 112-100 win to give him 10,346 for his career. He now trails only John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091) on the all-time list.

Deandre Ayton speaks on lack of Suns extension agreement

Here’s the latest on the Phoenix Suns and talented young center Deandre Ayton, via the Arizona Sports:

Deandre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns tipped off their 2021-22 NBA season with a rocky start, a 110-98 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Footprint Center.

The rough stretch on the court mirrors a similar situation between the team and big man after failing to reach a contract extension before the deadline earlier this week.

Following Wednesday night’s contest, Ayton spoke to reporters for the first time since the deadline passed.

“Really one thing about me throughout my whole life I’ve always learned to control what I can control,” Ayton said postgame. “At the same time, obviously I’m disappointed but I’m still trying to get us back to the Finals.

“I still have to represent the team and myself as well. And I’m just a competitor, man. I just like to compete to the best and every time I’m between them lines that’s what you’re gonna see outta me, nothing else.”

Status update on Suns guard Devin Booker

Here’s the Arizona Republic with the latest on Suns shooting guard Devin Booker:

Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said Devin Booker had “a lot more pop to his step” Tuesday, but still isn’t ready to play the two-time All-Star after sitting him for Monday’s preseason opener at Sacramento.

“I think Book is still a few days away from us even talking about him playing,” Williams said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think he needs more practice time. We weren’t able to do any 5-on-5. We’d love to have him in that environment before we put him on the floor. So we haven’t even talked about that as a staff yet.”

Suns sign Chandler Hutchison

The Phoenix Suns have signed small forward Chandler Hutchison.

The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Hutchison has appeared in 97 career NBA games (25 starts) with Chicago and Washington through his first three seasons, also appearing in two playoff games with the Wizards this past season. The 25-year-old holds career regular season averages of 5.7 points on 44.1% shooting and 3.8 rebounds in 18.2 minutes.

Originally the 22nd overall pick by the Bulls in the 2018 NBA Draft, Hutchison entered the league following a standout four-year career at Boise State University. As a senior in 2017-18, media tabbed him the Mountain West Player of the Year as he averaged 20.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals for the Broncos.

Brooklyn Nets trade Landry Shamet to Phoenix Suns

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired guard Jevon Carter and the draft rights to center Day’Ron Sharpe, the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for guard Landry Shamet.

Carter (6’1”, 200) has appeared in 157 games (six starts) across three seasons with Phoenix (2019-21) and Memphis (2018-19), recording averages of 4.5 points on 38.6 percent shooting from the field, 38.1 percent from 3-point range and 80.3 percent from the free-throw line, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 14.3 minutes per game. The 25-year-old saw action in 60 games (one start) with the Suns in the 2020-21 campaign, averaging 4.1 points on 42.2 percent shooting from the field and 37.1 percent from distance, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 11.9 minutes per contest. Carter also played in the first seven playoff games of his career, helping Phoenix advance to the NBA Finals. The Maywood, Ill., native was originally selected with the 32nd overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Grizzlies after a four-year career at West Virginia. Carter enjoyed a decorated collegiate run, earning Big 12 All-Defensive team honors four times, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors twice, second-team All-American honors as a senior and finished his career as West Virginia’s all-time leader in steals.

Sharpe (6’11”, 265) spent one year at the University of North Carolina, appearing in 29 games (four starts), while averaging 9.5 points on 51.9 percent shooting from the field, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.1 minutes per game en route to ACC All-Freshman team honors. The ACC’s leading offensive rebounder (3.4 per game) and the nation’s leader in offensive rebound percentage (18.3 percent), Sharpe finished second in voting for both ACC Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. He registered six double-doubles, scored in double figures 12 times and grabbed double digit rebounds in eight games. The 19-year-old native of Greenville, N.C., tied for the team lead in blocked shots (26), ranked second on the Tar Heels in rebounds per game and finished third in steals (23). Sharpe is currently competing for Brooklyn’s NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas.

Shamet was acquired by the Nets from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team trade on Nov. 19, 2020. In his lone season in Brooklyn, Shamet saw action in 61 games (12 starts), registering averages of 9.3 points on 40.8 percent shooting from the field, 38.7 percent shooting from 3-point range and 84.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 23.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in all 12 of Brooklyn’s 2021 playoff games, averaging 4.2 points in 17.2 minutes per contest. Shamet has played in 193 games (69 starts) across three seasons with Brooklyn, the Clippers (2019-20) and Philadelphia (2018-19), notching averages of 9.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.1 minutes per game.

Devin Booker wins 2020-21 Season-long NBA Cares Community Assist Award

The NBA today announced Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker as the winner of the 2020-21 Season-long NBA Cares Community Assist Award.

Booker, who is currently playing in the NBA Finals, was selected by fans during a 12-day public voting period as well as by an NBA executive panel for his exceptional community outreach in the greater Phoenix area over the past several months.

Per the league: “This season, Booker furthered his commitment to the Phoenix community, donating $500,000 to five Arizona community groups for their respective efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families through his Devin Booker Starting Five Initiative, which has committed a total of $2.5 million over the course of five years – $500,000 annually – to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona. Known as the second Starting Five class, Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries and Elevate Phoenix each received a $100,000 grant from Booker to help address critical funding needs following the pandemic and support their respective efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families. The first class — Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers and Ability 360— received their $100,000 grants in late 2019.”