Suns expected to sign backup guard as early as Thursday
BY JERRY BROWN
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)
MESA, Ariz. - The Phoenix Suns will address their most pressing offseason need as early as Thursday when they sign backup point guard Marcus Banks to a five-year contract and complete what should be a deeper, well-rounded backcourt rotation.
League sources say Banks has cooled on the idea of going to Houston, a team that also had its full $5.2 million exception available, clearing the path for him to sign a five-year deal in excess of $20 million with the Suns. A strong on-the-ball defender and good open-court player who loves to run, the 6-foot-2 Banks isn't as big as what Phoenix was originally shopping for. But, Banks' quickness, tenacity on defense and ability to "get under" bigger guards like Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse and Shaun Livingston of the Clippers will give the Suns a weapon they lacked against two playoff opponents last season - someone who can pester such players and affect their offensive games.
With Steve Nash and Raja Bell as the starters and Leandro Barbosa and Banks off the bench, the Suns will be able to mix-and-match all four and make a big cut into the career-high 35.4 minutes Nash logged last season. Banks started 28 of 40 games after coming to Minnesota last January from Boston - where he fell out of favor with management - and played 30 minutes a night for the T-Wolves.
The signing of Banks leaves the Suns with the rest of their mid-level exception and a $3.6 million trade exception, which must be used by Aug. 21, as they go shopping for a backup big man to go with Banks and shooter Eric Piatkowski and complete their work for the summer. Sources indicate Suns managing partner Robert Sarver has given his blessing for GM Mike D'Antoni to exceed the $65.4 million tax threshold if needed to big in one more rotation player to complete the puzzle.
Big men such as Cleveland's Drew Gooden remain restricted free agents - Gooden's contract talks have hit a wall - while sign-and-trade deals similar to the one Phoenix waved at Philadelphia in an attempt to acquire John Salmons last week are still a possibility.
The addition of Banks all but eliminates the possibility of Eddie House returning to the Suns. House, who wants more playing time than last season and would now be likely to receive less, still has teams like Miami and Denver interested in his services. The final player on the Suns roster will be a minimum salary player who is not considered part of the rotation.
Banks is known as an intense player - even in some cases, volatile - who has little tolerance for players who take plays off or fail to keep pace. But dust-ups with former teammates don't seem to concern the Suns, who see him as a good addition to what has been a harmonious locker room.
I guess the Suns will be looking for a big with their $3.6m trade exception.
Last edited by ExpatSunsFan : 07-19-2006 at 04:31 AM.
Reason: signing now official
Banks shot 36% from three in Minnesota. If he could do the same in Phoenix (where he won't be expected to shoot it unless he's wide open), that's good enough to help space the floor.
I like Marcus but this isn't a good signing. They're spending the MLE without addressing a need, which is some frontcourt help. Marcus can fit the uptempo style but is he an upgrade over Barbosa? Useless move.
The Suns need a guy behind Barbosa even worse than they need frontcourt help. Barbosa got hurt in December last year, and the Suns played Steve Nash 40mpg for a solid month.
Then, when Raja Bell got injured in the playoffs, the team pretty much collapsed. And I guarantee you the Suns would rather play Raja at SF than play James Jones at SG.
In fact, I think you'll see the Suns use a lot of three-guard lineups next season, if this signing goes through.
I like Marcus but this isn't a good signing. They're spending the MLE without addressing a need, which is some frontcourt help. Marcus can fit the uptempo style but is he an upgrade over Barbosa? Useless move.
Barbosa will play 2-guard.
Kurt Thomas, Amare, Marion, and Diaw will handle the 4-5.
Small forward is a bit thin but I suspect Marion, Diaw, and Jones will play enough minutes to cover it.
Great signing though, fits in with the tempo of play and will let Steve Nash rest. First time he's had a real backup point guard since he got here. A back-up point guard for Steve Nash is a real need, the realest of needs.
They did address a need actually, and that was to have a point to spell Nash if this is true. Barbosa is a need at SG where they were starting to look really thin behind Raja. They spent too much on Banks, but with Marion, Amare, Diaw, and Thomas, the front line isn't hurting. They can still sign some big to the league minimum is needed.
I got it second-hand from local radio, so no link, but the Suns have supposedly come to an agreement with Marcus Banks. The terms are supposedly 5 years, $21 million.
Next year, Banks would replace Eddie House, and I think it's safe to call that an upgrade. After that, Banks would probably be the Suns' third guard.
If this happens, the Suns have finally begun their offseason. Now, all they need to do is re-sign Diaw and find a shooting forward.
now they can let Barbosa concentrate on what he does best, score.
He is good for 15-18 off the bench (13.1 this past season), which is always nice.
The Suns already singed Eric Piatkowski for a SF backup. Nothing spectacular of course, but he'll get tons of open looks from downtown where he's a 40% career shooter from.
I think they are fine at depth with PF/C (Amare, K. Thomas, Marion, Diaw, Burke). One more wouldn't hurt though, how about Melvin Ely (he's mobile, big frame and can finish and block shots, what else do you need?)
The Suns need a guy behind Barbosa even worse than they need frontcourt help. Barbosa got hurt in December last year, and the Suns played Steve Nash 40mpg for a solid month.
Then, when Raja Bell got injured in the playoffs, the team pretty much collapsed. And I guarantee you the Suns would rather play Raja at SF than play James Jones at SG.
In fact, I think you'll see the Suns use a lot of three-guard lineups next season, if this signing goes through.
Kurt Thomas is old and missed a lot of time with injury. STAT is coming off of microfracture knee surgery, which may have permanently altered his game. The lack of any reliable true bigs was a major factor, possibly the biggest factor, in Dallas beating them. They need help up front. A lot better to have Barbosa put in time at point and go elsewhere for SG minutes than it is to let everyone over seven feet tall feel like Shaq. The easiest position to fill in the NBA is shooting guard, you can almost always find an older sg that can still play and will take whatever the team can give them because they've made tons and now just want to win. Like when they got Jim Jackson a few years ago. Qulity bigs, on the other hand...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rab
They did address a need actually, and that was to have a point to spell Nash if this is true. Barbosa is a need at SG where they were starting to look really thin behind Raja. They spent too much on Banks, but with Marion, Amare, Diaw, and Thomas, the front line isn't hurting. They can still sign some big to the league minimum is needed.
Who's the league minimum going to get them? Shawn Kemp? Diaw and Matrix are undersized, a fact that te playoffs are going to consistently exploit. STAT and Thomas both are injury question marks. Plus, Thomas is old. They need to switch it up.
Suns sign Marcus Banks
