The upcoming season is an evaluation campaign for the Phoenix Suns in every respect. They will introduce a new offense designed by former Sun Jeff Hornacek, a new defense spearheaded by Mike Longabardi and at least six new rotation players acquired via the draft and trades by new general manager Ryan McDonough. With the recent trade of Caron Butler – who never played a game for the team – the Suns have only one player in his 30s: Channing Frye, who
Caron Butler could not have been a happy camper when he learned that he and Eric Bledsoe were traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Phoenix Suns back in early July. At the age of 33, the forward was likely less than interested in playing for a rebuilding team. Perhaps Butler had a word with the Suns organization about being moved to a better situation, because that’s precisely what they’ve been trying to do, according to Gery Woelfel of Racine
In a seemingly minor trade, two former first-round picks from Syracuse were swapped for one another Thursday. Boston sent 2012 first-rounder Fab Melo to Memphis for the non-guaranteed contract of Donte Greene. This trade has relatively minor implications, but an impact nonetheless that will be laid out. It would be a surprise if Greene plays a single minute for the Celtics. The former Sacramento King didn’t play last season after breaking his ankle last summer. This was after a 2011-2012 season
It’s official: The NBA will be back. The 2013-14 season will be in full swing in just 84 days—that’s a little more than two-and-a-half months. [SH Blog: NBA Releases Schedule] The league released the new schedule Tuesday evening and the season opens with three games on October 29th, two of which are marquee match-ups. [Read more…]
As August and September roll around, the basketball world does NOT calm down. There are FIBA Tournaments set to be held in Slovenia and Caracas, among other places, as teams try to earn berths to the World Cup in Spain next summer. I have gone on rifts before, but sometimes rifts are worth repeating. FIBA basketball is better than NBA basketball for the following reasons: [Read more…]
The rumors of a Luis Scola trade between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers became official on Saturday, when the forward was dealt for Miles Plumlee, Gerald Green, and a 2014 first-round draft pick (lottery-protected). For the Pacers, it’s an immediate win. They now have an established veteran in Scola – who has the ability to shoot from the mid-range to compliment his post game – coming off the bench to spell David West. Losing a draft pick always hurts, but adding a veteran
The Eastern Conference is about to get a whole lot more competitive at the top once a reported trade of Luis Scola to the Pacers comes to fruition. Yahoo Sports reported earlier that the Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns are in the late stages of negotiations of a deal that would send the 33-year-old veteran forward to the Pacers in exchange for Gerald Green and possibly a draft pick or picks. UPDATE: The deal is for Green, Miles Plumlee, and a lottery-protected
After more than 13 years on the job, it has been confirmed that executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson will be stepping down from his post. [Read more…]