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Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:14 am
by TheMan44
Don't know where to post this since it's not a trade thread or game thread, so decided to open a new one about Suns holding new free agent workouts today. I'm sure you saw the Tweet Alex Kennedy made and I'm sure you saw the article, but here it is.
Suns, Clippers Hold Free Agent Workouts: The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers have been holding private workouts in an attempt to find a swingman worth adding to their roster, according to sources close to the situation.
This week, the Suns worked out a number of shooting guards and small forwards including Jermaine Taylor, Michael Finley and Al Thornton among others.
Yesterday, the Clippers held a workout of their own that was attended by Taylor, Finley and Bobby Simmons.
Both teams will continue to evaluate players and weigh their options in the coming weeks.
Phoenix already has Jared Dudley, Grant Hill, Shannon Brown, Josh Childress and Michael Redd on their roster. The Suns wanted to take a look at these players just in case they need to make an addition later in the season.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, could use a shooting guard to back-up Randy Foye, especially after losing Chauncey Billups for the season due to a torn left Achilles tendon. With that said, the Clippers have made it clear that they won’t sign anyone until after the All-Star break.
Taylor played 26 games with the Sacramento Kings last season and averaged 7.1 points. When inserted into the starting lineup, the 25-year-old has shown that he can score at will. He nearly signed a deal with the Houston Rockets before the season, but his deal was voided after he failed a physical due to an ankle injury.
Finley, a 15-year NBA veteran, is hoping to make a comeback this season. He was drafted by the Suns in 1995 and went on to have success with the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. The 38-year-old last played with the Boston Celtics during the 2009-10 season.
Thornton spent the second half of last season with the Golden State Warriors. After posting impressive individual numbers with the Los Angeles Clippers, the 28-year-old was traded to the Washington Wizards and bought out.
Simmons is a nine-year veteran, who last played with the San Antonio Spurs. He spent two years with the Clippers early in his career so a return to Los Angeles makes sense.
The Suns and Clippers are currently on opposite ends of the spectrum in the Western Conference. Phoenix is 12-18 and holds the third-worst record in conference while Los Angeles is 19-9 and sits at the third seed.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-saturday- ... ng-options
Sounds like they may do some kind of 2-for-1 trade and would need another swingman to come in. That's my take...
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:31 am
by sunskerr
The only thing I took from that article is that Al Thornton has only been in the league for 5 years, and is already 28 years old O_O
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:04 am
by NashtyNas
For whatttttttt?
I mean... why?
If it was a big, this would be understandable. WHY do we need yet ANOTHER swing?
Childress is rotting on the bench for no reason, your paying him $6mil.
STOP stockpiling wings.
Pickup a solid big man for god's sake. Someone in the Lou mold to come off the bench with FRYE would be great!
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:26 am
by Kerrsed
sd1306 wrote:Pickup a solid big man for god's sake. Someone in the Lou mold to come off the bench with FRYE would be great!
**COUGH COUGH Lopez for Birdman COUGH**
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:15 pm
by GrantHill
Puerto Rican team Brujos de Guayama signed for the season former NBA player Al Thornton. The free agent forward has played last season with Washington and Golden State Warriors scoring 7.4ppg and 3rpg in 71 games.
Too bad. I thought he would be worth a 10-day contract.
Get it done!
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:54 pm
by Wannabe MEP
Kerrsed wrote:sd1306 wrote:Pickup a solid big man for god's sake. Someone in the Lou mold to come off the bench with FRYE would be great!
**COUGH COUGH Lopez for Birdman COUGH**
Holy ****, that would be fantastic.
But why would they do that? Lopez + ... one of our superfluous wings? 2nd rounder?
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:30 pm
by TheMan44
Again, the only reason I see Suns doing another wing signing is if they plan to do a 2-for-1 trade near the deadline.
That's the only way it would make sense.
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:52 pm
by lilfishi22
Al Thorton is out of the league already? That's quick...
Also why on Earth are we working working out Michael Finley? We've already got 2 guys on our team close to pension age.
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:58 pm
by rsavaj
.....Mike Finley?
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:37 am
by TheMan44
Coro
The Suns' Thursday free-agency workout with swingmen Michael Finley, Jermaine Taylor, Al Thornton and Elijah Millsap was more for prep work in case the Suns are in a position of need down the line because of injury, playoff contention or summer considerations.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/ar ... -trip.htmlI could see Suns spin it this way: Grant Hill decides to retire during Summer. Suns want to save money on small forwards for next season. They sign Al Thornton for minimum to come back into NBA, re-sign Redd, make another big-man draft pick at 12, and bring back Nash for really hefty price tag and call it a night. Typical Sarver moves...
Gort/Draftee
Frye/Morris
Thornton/Chill
Duds/Redd
Nash/Price
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:44 am
by Kerrsed
TheMan44 wrote:Coro
The Suns' Thursday free-agency workout with swingmen Michael Finley, Jermaine Taylor, Al Thornton and Elijah Millsap was more for prep work in case the Suns are in a position of need down the line because of injury, playoff contention or summer considerations.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/ar ... -trip.htmlI could see Suns spin it this way: Grant Hill decides to retire during Summer. Suns want to save money on small forwards for next season. They sign Al Thornton for minimum to come back into NBA, re-sign Redd, make another big-man draft pick at 12, and bring back Nash for really hefty price tag and call it a night. Typical Sarver moves...
Gort/Draftee
Frye/Morris
Thornton/Chill
Duds/Redd
Nash/Price
Al Thornton has signed with the Puerto Rican team Brujos de Guayama.
Thornton recently worked out for the Clippers and Suns, but obviously couldn't convince them to sign him. He's averaged 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in his NBA career
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:17 pm
by TheMan44
Kerrsed wrote:Al Thornton has signed with the Puerto Rican team Brujos de Guayama.
Thornton recently worked out for the Clippers and Suns, but obviously couldn't convince them to sign him. He's averaged 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in his NBA career
I already know Thornton signed for the season internationally.
If you read my post and Coro's post which said this workout is for possible summer considerations, I said they prob working him out to bring him in NEXT season.
Thornton's international deal is for one season.
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:48 pm
by TASTIC
Holy god have thing's gotten so bad we're considering adding FINLEY?!
They should have gotten Sean Williams before DAL got him, and another youngster like Thornton who still has potential to become a serviceable/above average player
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:07 am
by JohnVancouver
TASTIC wrote:Holy god have thing's gotten so bad we're considering adding FINLEY?!
They should have gotten Sean Williams before DAL got him, and another youngster like Thornton who still has potential to become a serviceable/above average player
actually what we should have done is not become Suns fans ......
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:15 am
by schnakenpopanz
isnt there any good point guard without a contract?
what about iverson or arenas
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:52 am
by Frank Lee
JohnVancouver wrote:TASTIC wrote:Holy god have thing's gotten so bad we're considering adding FINLEY?!
They should have gotten Sean Williams before DAL got him, and another youngster like Thornton who still has potential to become a serviceable/above average player
actually what we should have done is not become Suns fans ......
So it has begun.....
Regret... a tough mood to shake... slippery slope... be careful.
Besides, you guys are mountaining a mole hill with this. So starved for any glimmer of hope. So we look at a few guys that would be willing to sign on. These are not important pieces we are seeking. They are fill in the gaps for the remainder of the yr dudes. Possible warm bodies in case of trade and or injury.
Sure we check out Finley, as we have had a past relationship with him. He is a Vet.... respecting veterans is part of BabbyLons plan. We do have a great training staff here that the players consider an asset. Would you b*tch if Ray Allen decided to give us a look next yr because of the way the staff takes care of the elders? Redd came here primarily for that. Hill and Nash will likely stay for it. It is honey for old flies.
And there is no harm in signing Finley.... like it would hurt to take away minutes from Brown ?
You guys have become perpetually chaffed this yr. Powder up fellas. We are about half way through.... and we just stomped the fLAkes
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:30 pm
by JohnVancouver
Ahhh Frank - it's a solider's right to complain.
But who would have though only a couple years ago that I would be looking forward to Utah and Minny games and not enjoying Suns' ones?
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:46 pm
by bwgood77
I think we should sign Arenas after the all star break. He certainly couldn't make our second unit worse, and if he were to come close to having regained form (he has lost 20 lbs recently and gotten the same treatment on the knees in Germany that Kobe got and he sounds mentally better) he would/could be a nice rotation player for next year when we hopefully let Telfair, Brown and Price go.
If he isn't any good, we obviously don't have to keep him.
My opinion on this changed after reading the long SI interview with him yesterday, and would like to see him get another chance, and I think if he was surrounded by guys like Nash, Hill and Dudley, that he would have the right mental approach.
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:51 pm
by RunDogGun
Arenas isn't a bad idea, at least he is allowed to carry his guns around town.
Re: Suns Holding Free Agent Workouts
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:13 am
by lilfishi22
Now I'm not saying there's more Lin's in the FA pool but we really should be looking at *young* talent who would play their heart out to get a shot on an NBA roster. Guys like Arenas has shown he can play in the past (now...?) but what's the point? If he doesn't work out with us, he's another wasted roster spot that could be filled with a young prospect. If he works out, we'll top out at 9th spot and he'll leave us for more $$$ in FA at the end of the season. The guy is 30 with injury issues and he's a chucker. What we need isn't a Brooks, Arenas or Finley. We need a pass-first PG to get our bench moving offensively. Right now we got Telfair, Brown, Childress, Lopez and Warrick, and none of those guys can great any sort of offense, whether for himself or for the team. The bench offense is Telfair holding the ball for 16 seconds and hoping an offensive opportunity appears before his eyes.