The Summer Suns are back!

Bright Side of the Sun will be bringing you coverage from the Vegas Summer League this year. I will be there for the "regular season" Friday-Tuesday and the bossman Dave King will be there for the "playoffs" next Thursday-Sunday. With that in mind, here is a preview of the Summer Suns roster and what to expect from them in Vegas. If you missed the roster announcement, you can find our post here.

The Talent

The expectation for first round picks in their second season starts with looking good in the summer league. You've had your year of experience and now you are going to be playing against mostly rookies and players with a slim chance at a roster spot. Now is the time to be one of the best players on the floor. The ginormous red flag for Kendall Marshall last season was during the summer league (his 2nd season) when he didn't even play in crunch time for the Summer Suns when they were in the playoffs. I'm not saying a second year first round pick not playing well in the summer league is a career ender, it's just a bad sign. Still, I think it's time for Archie Goodwin and Alex Len to dominate.

Archie Goodwin rarely got playing time for the Suns last year and was up and down from the D-League. In his time in the D-League, Goodwin averaged 26 PPG and shot 39% from 3. He was always impressive, but we wanted to see this level of play at the NBA level. As it turns out, we saw glimpses of what could be for the now 19 year old. When Goodwin played at least 19 minutes a game (three games) during the regular season he averaged 20.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.3 APG with a ridiculous 24-33 from the field and an average 3-8 from deep. We saw those flashes, and it was a great moment to see Archie score a career high 29 points in the last game of the season against the Kings. Archie only trailed the Morrii in scoring last summer league with 13.1 PPG, so he should contend with T.J. Warren for the scoring lead in Vegas.

The player we haven't seen flashes from yet oddly enough is Alex Len, which is hard to swallow because of that top 5 pick status that will follow him for the rest of his career. Len only played in 42 games last season which was mainly due to injury. Even in those games that Len played in, we didn't see him have much of an impact. At least from my perspective, you never had those "whoa!" moments from watching Len play that made you say "now that's a top-5 pick in the draft!" Still, the injury is a very good reason for this not to of happened yet, but this is Len's time to prove to himself, the fans, and the organization that he was worthy of the top 5 selection.

The Veterans

The veterans of this team will be Miles Plumlee and Dionte Christmas. At 25 years old, Plumlee might seem a tad old to be in Vegas, but this is only his third season in the NBA. A sort of "open floor" style that the summer league brings will let a lot of Suns players athleticism shine, particularly that of Plumlee. That dude can flat out fly, and it's one of the main attributes that makes him look poised to average double figures on the glass next season. Our own Jacob Padilla has been the conductor of the "why are we running a post up for Miles" train, and despite its random success at time, it's clearly where Plumlee needs to continue to improve. He can use this process to work on his post game as well as his assists, where he was one of only four players to play at least 20 minutes a game and average less than 0.6 assists a game. Plumlee is the only starter for the Suns playing in the summer league and he's the only player that played significant minutes last season. He averaged 10 PPG and 9.5 RPG for the Pacers last summer league and I expect him to average more than that this time around.

For Dionte Christmas, he will continue to show that he can score. Christmas only played in 31 games last year and Suns fans more got to know him for the great chemistry he appeared to have with everyone on the bench and his celebrations. That's not meant to sound like a shot at Christmas, it's just the reality of the situation. There's little to no upside left to his game at 27 years old, but he will come out to Vegas, score, and be a great example for some of the others on the roster.

The Rookies

One of the many great things about summer league is that it allows fans not familiar with college basketball or certain conferences of college basketball to see their rookies play for the first time less than a month after they've been drafted. Enter Tyler Ennis and T.J. Warren, two players with very high national profiles in college. I'm not going to spend time breaking down their game, as we have done a great job here at previewing each player. Here is the link to Dave King showing how Ennis is not like Kendall Marshall and East Bay Ray calling T.J. Warren the steal of the draft. Check those both out to get a feel for their games and their skill set. However, what you want to do with these newly drafted players in the summer league is take a peek at their "weaknesses" heading into the draft and see how they look in Vegas.

In my own opinion, for Ennis I would watch firstly how willing he is to shoot the 3 and if he is willing to, then how consistent that shot looks. The other thing I would watch is to see how he works with his athleticism, as this is one of his main knocks from many scouts. I find the way he operates offensively to compensate for it, but defensively this will be a slight concern. The matchup to watch this for the most will be Tuesday the 15th against the Sixers, who will likely start the very good scorer Pierre Jackson at point (Edit: Unfortunately, Jackson injured his achilles in Orlando. Casper Ware should still present some problems). I'd keep an eye on how Ennis does on him defensively, as well as if he is still going to be super successful at continuously getting into the key like he was in college.

For Warren, the tweener concerns are all over the place. It's his rebounding, his defensive work, and his shooting. Watch all three. We all know that Warren is going to score a lot and that it will impress a lot of people, but watch those areas. If he can start hitting the corner three right out of the summer league (like some suggest) and not struggle defensively, it's time to get really excited.

The Second Rounders

Alex Oriakhi is back for his second summer league with the Suns after being drafted 57th overall by the Suns in 2013 and this time he should see far more playing time. Oriakhi only played 8 minutes a game in Vegas last season and the Suns had other ideas of players they wanted to get a look at instead. During the regular season, Oriakhi returned from playing time in France and Israel to play in the D-League. Oriakhi averaged 8 PPG, 7RPG, and nearly a block per game to earn first team all-rookie honors for the season. Oriakhi is a big man at 6'10 260 lbs who uses that strength and his 7'4 wingspan to be a physical player inside on the glass. He works hard and grew somewhat of an offensive game in his time at UConn and Missouri. The Suns are really lacking a banger inside and Oriakhi could be that guy. He's got a lot on the line in Vegas.

Alec Brown was the second round selection for the Suns this year at 50th overall and is the 4th center on the roster. Much like Oriakhi's situation last year, he might not get as much playing time as others since the Suns know he needs a year or two overseas. Brown's stretch 5 play is certainly unique and will be even more wild to see with three other centers already on the roster.

The New Guys

There are four players left on the roster for the Summer Suns, with two of them having some solid family roots in the NBA. We start with the Suns fascination in the lesser brother, as Seth Curry has picked up a spot on this roster. Curry, Steph's brother, tore it up in the D-League last season, as he made 3rd team all-league and 1st team all-rookie. In that season, Curry averaged 19.6 PPG with 5.8 APG and shot 37% from 3. Curry has had an interesting journey, as he led all freshmen in scoring at Liberty before transferring to Duke. It never really fell into place there except for his senior season and that was not enough for him to be drafted. His shooting will of course be welcomed in Phoenix and I expect him to share some time with Christmas in Vegas.

Taylor Braun's name might sound familiar, and if you were reading up on March Madness coverage last season or watching, that's where he is from. Braun was the star man for North Dakota State, who had one of the big upsets of the tournament against Oklahoma before getting shut down by San Diego State. He struggled with double teams and systems planned to stop him in the tournament, as he was the only primetime offensive weapon the Bison possessed. Braun is fearless in attacking the rim and can really shoot the ball. In his last three seasons at NDSU, Braun shot 45%, 43%, and 41% from deep. I'm a fan of Braun's versatile offensive game and I expect for Suns fans to grow on him. Like Curry, Braun will look to fill it up from deep and try to show off his scoring.

Elias Harris was a member of the Lakers D-League team last year and showed that he can play. Harris averaged 10.2 PPG and 5.6 RPG with his time there which earned him a contract with the Lakers. He had a short-lived career there, as he spent only 1 game in the D-League and 2 games in the NBA before being waved. Harris spent the rest of the basketball season playing in Germany for Brose Baskets, where he averaged 21 MPG with 9.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG. A fun tidbit, Harris backed up former Suns first rounder Casey Jacobsen in his time there. Harris has the bulk to battle inside on the glass and can stretch it out to hit the 3 as well (37% in Germany). That kind of pedigree for production would have me expecting Harris to have some sort of impact for this team in Vegas.

The last player on the list is David Stockton. Stockton, John's son, spent 4 years at Gonzaga and ran the point like you expect John Stockton's son to. He was efficient, usually found the right pass, and only attacked when the defense was allowing it. Among many other things, Stockton's size has his pro dreams in the NBA looking bleak. Watch for his steals, as he averaged at least 1.5 a game for his last two seasons at Gonzaga. Stockton won't have much of an impact on this team, but he will run the offense like the coaches want him to and get some exposure for possibilities overseas like a few others on this roster.

That's it for the preview. I will have daily posts from my time in Vegas. Until then, I will count down the days to Super Bowl 49 (Alex Len vs. Nerlens Noel) and plan out my attempts to stalk Ryan McDonough for offseason info only to lose him in the shadows.

Suns Schedule

Phoenix vs. Golden State- Saturday, July 12, 5PM PST

Milwaukee vs. Phoenix- Sunday, July 13, 7PM PST

Philadelphia vs. Phoenix- Tuesday, July 15, 5PM PST

After that, the playoffs start. Each team is guaranteed at least two playoff games.

The Power Forward position is one that the Kings new management have reportedly been trying to upgrade ever since taking over the team last summer.  Their first signing in fact was at the Power Forward by signing Carl Landry to a 4 year, $26 million contract.  They also acquired Quincy Acy, Derrick Williams and Reggie Evans in trades throughout the year to go along with incumbent forward Jason Thompson.

The problem of course is that none of these players are ideal fits next to DeMarcus Cousins.  Landry, when healthy, is a poor rebounder but a good and efficient scorer.  Thompson is good at many things but does not excel at any one thing.  Williams isn't sure whether he's a Small Forward or a Power Forward and isn't really good at either.  Evans is a rebounding machine and little else.  Acy brings energy and effort but little else.

So it's not surprising that the Kings want to free up some of this logjam and perhaps get a better fit in the process as Jason Jones reported a couple days ago:

Kings are still looking to free up their logjam at power forward through a trade. Team has a lot of PFs but they don't address Kings' needs

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 5, 2014

Kings are still looking for a defender/shot blocker to help the interior defense while freeing up the $20-plus million tied up in PFs now.

— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 5, 2014

There was also a tidbit in Ailene Voisin's piece on Isaiah Thomas that touched on a few potential targets the Kings might have had in mind:

Attention now turns to power forward and the amount of money tied up in Jason Thompson, Carl Landry, Reggie Evans and Derrick Williams. According to league sources, the Kings have been shopping several frontcourt players. In recent weeks, they have been linked to the Pistons' Josh Smith (three years, $13 million) and declined interest in Milwaukee's troubled, if talented Larry Sanders.

Other players thought to offer some intrigue include Charlotte Bobcats free agent Josh McRoberts, the Mavericks' Brandan Wright (one year left at $5 million), and Nick Collison, the Oklahoma City veteran who has one year left at $2.2 million and might be available if the Thunder lands Pau Gasol.

(McRoberts is now off the table, having gone to the Miami Heat for their Mid-Level Exception)

The Kings of course, used their own mid-level on Darren Collison, and as such can only really offer up to the Bi-Annual Exception (2 years, $2.077 million) to any Free Agent big man, barring a sign and trade.  Any player the Kings sign for that amount is not likely to be a big upgrade to what they currently have.

As such, any upgrades at the position will have to come via trade, and therein lies the problem.  Sacramento's current Power Forwards aren't exactly great assets themselves.  The Kings have a lot of money and years tied up into both Jason Thompson and Carl Landry, making both difficult to trade without being attached to another asset.  Williams is probably Sacramento's most attractive asset at the position, more for his expiring contract than his potential.  Getting Williams last year cost the Kings Luc Mbah a Moute, who they had acquired for two second round picks.  Williams' value has only increased due to his contract status, and not by much: in today's CBA, expiring contracts are not nearly as valuable as they were before when contracts could stretch for as much as 7 years.

One potential scenario for the Kings to upgrade could involve a sign-and-trade with Isaiah Thomas, but this is not a particularly promising scenario for a few reasons.  For starters, the Kings can't choose which team Thomas wants to sign with.  They also don't really have all that much leverage if the other team doesn't really want to trade one of their players (for instance if the Pistons didn't want to trade Josh Smith) or take back a guy like Jason Thompson.

The more likely scenario would be a trade in which the team combines two players to get a better player on a worse contract, like Larry Sanders (who Voisin says the Kings aren't interested in, although that might have been at a certain price) or an Ersan Ilyasova.  There's also the possibility of using Ben McLemore or Ray McCallum as sweeteners in any potential trade, although the upgrade would likely have to be significant for the Kings to part ways with some of their young and cheap assets.

This will not be an easy problem for Pete D'Alessandro and Kings management to solve, so I wouldn't be surprised if most if not all of our current Power Forward corps are still here come October.

Amidst the scramble for the free agency scoop last Monday, it was quietly reported that Will Barton has been working on his point guard skills this summer as Mo Williams' status with the Blazers remains in limbo. Can Barton handle primary ball-handling duties off the bench next season?

Since NBA teams were allowed to start negotiating with free agents last Monday night, plenty of news and rumors have come down the pipe in Rip City. The Blazers got the first crack at unrestricted free agent center Spencer Hawes Tuesday morning (he's since agreed to terms with the Clippers), a sign-and-trade for Pistons big man Greg Monroehas been discussed and 32-year-old journeyman center Chris Kaman reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with Portland last Thursday.

Several hours before the free agency frenzy began on July 1, Blazers.com beat reporter Casey Holdahlposted a story about Portland guard Will Barton that largely flew under-the-radar. In the article, the third-year wing out of Memphis discussed his offseason workout plans and the underrated ability of the Blazers' current stable of back-ups, among other musings typical of a young player in the offseason looking to break into a playing rotation.

Interestingly, though, Barton revealed that he and Portland's coaching staff have been kicking around the idea of him playing point guard off the bench for over a year. With last season's back-up point and sixth man Mo Williams opting out of his final year with the Blazers and exploring free agency this summer, the experiment to see if Barton can handle primary ball-handling duties off the bench has apparently been kicked into high-gear. He discussed the topic with Holdahl:

"We've been thinking about it since last summer," said Barton of playing the point. "Mo (Williams) might be coming back, Mo might not be coming back, but it was something I was thinking about either way."

Barton continued:

"...So I wanted to sharpen my skills at point guard. I feel like I have a mindset for it and a skill set for it, so now it's just like, let's put it into action and see how he look doing it. I feel like, so far, I've been looking real good doing it."

Playing Barton as an occasional back-up point guard is an idea that certainly has merit. If the reported details of Kaman's negotiated contract with the Blazers are assumed to be true, Portland's mid-level exception for this offseason has been used on the 11-year center out of Central Michigan.

That leaves the Bi-Annual exception -- valued at just over $2 million per year -- for Blazers GM Neil Olshey to fill the gaping hole that would be left on Portland's bench should Williams walk in free agency. Even though both sides would like to work out a deal, there is interest from other teams in Williams' services, and he's seeking a three-year contract -- which would go through his fifteenth season when he'll turn 35. It's no surprise, then, that Olshey would hesitate to commit long-term money to a point guard who will likely be on the decline for the duration of his next contract.

That said, the market for free agent backup point guards in the Blazers' price-range appears shallow. Ramon Sessions, Kirk Hinrich and DJ Augustin will all likely garner more than what Olshey can offer. Darren Collison reportedly agreed to a three-year, full mid-level exception deal with the Kings. 31-year-old Devin Harris, who has struggled to stay healthy and play effectively for the last several seasons, picked up a reported three-year, $9 million contract with the Mavericks and Jordan Farmar took the Bi-annual exception from the Clippers.

The list of realistic point guard signings for Portland is underwhelming, contains players with clear downsides and has names like Luke Ridnour, Steve Blake, Aaron Brooks, Beno Udrih and Brian Roberts. In today's free agent market, most of these point guards could probably get what the Blazers would be willing to offer elsewhere.

Even if Olshey does ink a reserve point guard in the coming weeks, why shouldn't Barton -- affectionately referred to as "the People's Champ" or "the Thrill" by many Blazers fans -- get the opportunity to audition for the role of Damian Lillard's backup in the backcourt? According to NBA.com, Barton had the team's third-highest usage rate at 21.6 percent and an assist percentage of 19.9 last year, good for fifth on the roster. His turnover rate was a respectable 15.3 percent, about half of Williams'.

Though occasionally erratic or unpredictable with the ball in his first two seasons, Barton's energy can't be questioned, and there's no reason to think he can't harness his ball-handling skills into short, productive stints off the bench while Lillard rests or plays off the ball. He's obviously comfortable with the ball in his hands, doesn't turn it over often and is a willing passer, telling Holdahl:

"I'm not a guard that just thinks about scoring, and that's what helps my offense, because I'm out there just trying to make the right play," said Barton. "If it's getting to the basket, I'll do it. If it's finding my teammates, I'll do it. I'm the type of guy that prides myself on my teammates enjoying playing with me. That's getting up and down, running, finding them, hitting guys like [Allen Crabbe] for threes when he's open, finding CJ [McCollum] early and letting him push, finding T. Rob for a dunk or Meyers [Leonard] for a dunk, Joel [Freeland] for a pick and pop. I want my guys to say ‘I like when the ball is in Will's hands because I know he's going to make a play for us.'"

Barton will likely have his first in-game opportunity to man the point next Saturday when the Blazers kick off their 2014 Las Vegas Summer League schedule against the Knicks. Former Michigan State player Keith Appling, along with Bobby Brown and Jonathan Gibson -- who played in China and Iran last year, respectively -- appear to be the true point guards on the Blazers' Summer League roster, and look like long-shots to be with the team past training camp this fall. Barton (and sophomore guard CJ McCollum) should get a chance to show in the coming weeks that Portland's best backup point guard option for next season might already be on the team.

The idea of Barton playing the point does create questions about how the defense would function with him running the show, but Williams wouldn't exactly leave huge shoes to fill in that department. Plus, none of the realistic and available free agent point guards Olshey could still sign this summer would be a huge upgrade on the defensive end. At a lanky 6-foot-6 with an almost 6-foot-10 wingspan, Barton has the length to bother opposing backcourt players. Either way, he'd likely only be playing 5-10 minutes a night at the point -- sharing those minutes with either McCollum or an incoming free agent -- and would be playing against mostly reserves, a much less daunting task than facing starters. Also consider the mismatches that would be created when the Blazers have the ball; Barton would have little trouble getting a shot off over a much smaller, backup point guard.

Of course, he'd have to develop a passable pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop game and work on his outside shot -- Barton hit just 30.3 percent of his three-pointers last season -- but the work ethic is clearly there, he's familiar with all his fellow backups besides Kaman, and he has already shown an ability to get into the lane and finish. Add in his relatively high usage rate, lack of turnovers and a willingness to pass, and Barton looks like he has the potential to be a solid option at point guard off the bench for Portland coach Terry Stotts next season.

-- Chris Lucia | bedgecast@gmail.com | Twitter

The Pacers had a breakout performer salvage a Summer League game. Willie Reed led a massive comeback and made a seemingly pointless Summer League roster more interesting. So does Reed have any hope of making the roster, and where is he from?

Willie Reed showed out in game two at the Orlando Summer League. The Pacers were headed for another embarrassing loss in Orlando, but Reed suddenly discovered that Boston couldn’t defend him.

He scored on an unnecessary post move as a roll man.

I’m used to seeing Pacer post players fall down after all that spinning.

More pivoting! But under the basket.

Alley oop on the break.

And alley oop in the half court.

He even got involved defensively by swatting shots.

At the end of the game Reed had 18 points on 8 of 12 shooting, six rebounds, four blocks and three assists. The only negative was his 2 of 6 free throw shooting. The biggest positive was his ability to score in different ways. He got to the rim by running the floor, by getting open as a roll man and by making post moves near the basket. All he was missing was monster tip slam.

Reed went undrafted in the 2011 draft after playing two seasons at Saint Louis University. In his last year at Saint Louis, he averaged 12.4 points on 58.7 percent shooting; he only shot 47.7 percent from the free throw line.

Reed was suspended from Saint Louis in what would have been the fall semester of his junior year. He was investigated in a sexual assault case along with other members of the Saint Louis basketball team. Ultimately, the case was declared inactive, and no charges were filed against Reed or his teammates. He then declared for the draft after missing the entire 2010-11 season.

In September of 2012 – more than 14 months after going undrafted in 2011 – the Sacramento Kings signed him for the preseason. He was released after the preseason and played in the D-League. He went to Summer League with the Grizzlies last year, then again spent the regular season in the D-League.

In 97 career games in the D-League, Reed has averaged 14.7 points on 57.5 percent shooting. And he’s shot over 57 percent from the free throw line too. He’s averaged 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks and has played 30.2 minutes per game. He’s played with the Springfield Armor for 92 of 97 games.

So Willie Reed is 6-foot-9. The box score from the Summer League lists him as a center, but if he were to find himself on the Indiana roster, he would be a power forward. But that’s a problem for Reed, as Indiana has stockpiled power forwards. Incumbent starter David West is nearly untouchable in the trade market. That leaves Luis Scola, Chris Copeland, Damjan Rudez and Lavoy Allen battling for the backup power forward minutes.

Copeland could be moving to a wing spot, but Shayne Whittington could also be battling for power forward minutes instead of center minutes. The front court is crowded; it is not an ideal situation for any big man looking to get a break onto an NBA roster. But with trade rumors swirling, Indiana could end up needing another big man on the roster.

But all those different ways that he scored is something no current Pacer has shown. West and Hibbert aren’t running the floor for easy alley oops. Scola, Copeland and Rudez aren’t going to be making successful post moves on the block.

Reed can, but ultimately, it was a single summer league.

The Rise Guys are back on the radio in Sacramento beginning July 28. Whitey Gleason joins us to chat about it.

It was announced on ESPN 1320 Tuesday that Whitey Gleason and Mark Kreidler (The Rise Guys) will be back on the radio in Sacramento beginning July 28.

The Rise Guys left Sacramento's KHTK 1140 in 2011 to join 95.7 FM in the Bay area. In March, their show was canceled as Ric Bucher and Chris Townsend took over.

Now, they will be back on the air in Sacramento weekdays from 2-6 p.m. Gleason has been in radio in Northern California for more than 30 years and Kreidler was a columnist for The Sacramento Bee and ESPN. The Rise Guys show started in rock radio in the early 90s and moved to sports in 1999.

Gleason was kind enough to join to me to discuss the return of the Rise Guys.

Your show had a lot of success over the years in Sacramento. In 2011, when you guys made the move to the Bay Area it was probably a big opportunity, but what were your thoughts about leaving Sacramento at the time?

What was really difficult about it was that we had put down a lot of roots and we had raised our two kids in Sacramento and we loved our house that we were smart enough to keep. The hard part was that we pulled up those roots - they were much deeper than we even realized, and so that was a little painful to be honest with you. So this is a great opportunity. Already, it's been great to reconnect with a lot of people. But yeah, it was not easy. I'm from Vallejo and when I started my career in San Francisco ... went to Sacramento. I was expecting someday I would probably go back to the Bay Area. I had gotten to the point where I figured, ‘OK, I guess it's not going to happen.' That opportunity came out of the blue, so it was something that I didn't feel I could pass up and it didn't work out the way we hoped, but there still were a lot of positives that came out that and I know that we did a good show. So it's going to be good to be back in Sacramento.

The Rise Guys show was on here when there was the whole threat that the Kings were maybe going to move to Anaheim and you guys had the "We'll Mow Your Lawn if the Kings Stay" billboard. How closely did you follow all of the Seattle relocation drama that played out over the last couple of years?

We followed it extremely closely and it was just funny to be in a different market and see how quick people are to underestimate Sacramento. I'll be honest, I didn't think that they were going hang on to the team just because it seemed like the Seattle thing made so much sense, but it was interesting to see people say, ‘This is over, Sacramento has no chance.' I think people don't understand the fact that you've got the state Capitol there so you've got a lot of really sharp legal minds there and you've got incredible desire of the fan base to keep the team, and I think a lot of people underestimated that.

After doing radio for a few years in the Bay Area, is there anything you missed about doing radio in Sacramento?

I actually missed the weather [laughs]. I missed that there is something very special about the fans' relationship with the Kings that's very unique. It is interesting, you have a little bit of that same type of thing in Oakland with some real die-hard A's fans. So it was interesting being at the A's flagship and seeing some similarities there - kind of an underdog, tough-mindedness from the fans. It was interesting to see some similarities there between A's fans and Sacramento Kings fans. But I've missed people most of all, the people in Sacramento.

Tell us a little bit about the show. How close is it going to be to what The Rise Guys show was like before?

We're going to have a lot of fun, which we always had and that's part of what we do. We take sports very seriously so you've got to be credible, you've got to be able to make sure people know you know what you are talking about and then have fun on top of that. I think John Madden said, ‘You've got to be good before you're funny because otherwise you're just ridiculous.' So moving to afternoons, obviously, there are some differences there, but I think we're going to be bringing some elements to the afternoon drive that people may think of as morning elements, and I think that's going to bring more fun to the mix and more energy, and that's what I'm looking forward to.

And because you guys are on in the afternoons, there has been some debate about the show's name, ‘Rise Guys.' I imagine that we could probably get a nice Sactown Royalty thread going on new name suggestions.

[Laughs] I think the people who hired us like the cachet of that name [Rise Guys] so I don't think that the people who are hiring us are necessarily open to suggestions, but I would love to hear them. I know my wife thought that if the Rise Guys are an afternoon drive, then they should be the Rides Guys because you get to ride home with them.

Of course, in the 2-6 p.m. time slot you will be competing with Grant Napear on 1140.

I think it's nice that fans in Sacramento will have choices in the afternoons and I don't think they've had that since Ted Green at KSAC back in the 90s, if I'm not mistaken. So choices are good and competition is good, but we've got plenty to keep ourselves busy without worrying about what someone else is doing.

Is there anything else you would like to say to fans in Sacramento who may be interested in listening to the show?

The response we've gotten and the welcome home already on Twitter has been very gratifying, so I think I can speak for Mark [Kreidler] when I say we appreciate that very, very much and we're looking forward to getting going on July 28.

GOD SIXERS FREE AGENCY IS THE BEST

As LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh make their decisions and have their decisions made for them, one name towers above them all: Julyan Stone. And the Sixers are on the all-important short list for teams that are negotiating with him.

Julyan Stone has cleared NBA free agent waivers, discussing possible deal with 76ers, Kings and Bucks now, league source tells RealGM.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 9, 2014

Sixers free agency is the best. It's like playing pogs at the World Series of Poker. Hinkie sees your three-team trade and raises you One Possibly Interested In Julyan Stone. Julyan is reportedly also waiting for LeBron before he makes his decision.

Don't get me wrong, I'm me, I love Julyan Stone -- the juxtaposition is just too perfect. Part of me hopes the Sixers never become good, they're just perennially scrappy hustlers loading up on assets and stonewalling the media. It will never get any better than this.

Suppose you might want to know what Stone does. Well, he's a long (6'6, 6'10 wingspan) guard out of my favorite UTEP team -- he played with our dear friend Arnett Moultrie before he transferred to Mississippi State. Can run the point, can attack the rim, can defend. Can't really shoot, but like, that's not even a consideration anymore. He's dabbled on the Nugs and Raps and in the D-League-- now age *gasp* 25. Also, he wore #77 with Toronto like he's a Nose Tackle out of Marshall.

Won't say no to them taking a look at another long athletic point guard, so long as Casper Ware still plays 48 minutes per game. I love the Sixers.

While we're at it, Derek Bodner's trying to hoodwink the universe into letting Houston hold onto Chandler Parsons after signing Chris Bosh so the Sixers could end up with Terrence Jones along with Jeremy Lin and a first. Whatever it takes, Derek. Lay wreaths at the feet of Jake Pavorsky for breaking the Sixers/Rockets If-Then Statement trade -- pride of Voorhees right there.

And in other free agency news:

[UNCERTAIN CHAOS] [SCATTERED SLEEP SCHEDULES] [HOLDING IN PEE WHILE REFRESHING TWITTER]

This is your free agency thread. Hijack Julyan Stone rumors at your own risk.

Johnson is back in Toronto on a two-year deal after a failed first stint.

James Johnson has agreed to a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star confirmed the agreement and reports the deal is worth $5 million over the two seasons, meaning the Raptors used part of their mid-level exception to acquire Johnson.

This will be Johnson's second stint in Toronto. The former first-round pick was acquired by the Raptors in a trade with the Chicago Bulls during the 2010-11 season, and he remained in Toronto through the next season before getting dealt to the Sacramento Kings in the summer of 2012.

Johnson joined the Memphis Grizzlies last year, where he had some success off the bench. The 27-year-old averaged 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 46.4 percent from the field in 52 games. He also blocked over a shot per game despite playing just 18.4 minutes per game, and he posted a stellar PER of 18.50.

The Raptors have been busy this offseason, re-signing Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez. The addition of Johnson will add more depth on the wing, and Toronto is hoping this second go-round will be better than the first.

The Suns apparently want to have the deepest PG rotation in the league.

Another team has seemingly jumped into the mix for the services of Sacramento's Isaiah Thomas and it's a bit surprising as it's a team with a ton of backcourt depth already: The Phoenix Suns.

Reports first surfaced today from Eli Friedman on Twitter, who said the Suns were hosting Thomas today. Adrian Wojnarowski then confirmed the news a few hours later:

Restricted free agent guard Isaiah Thomas visiting Suns today, sources tell Yahoo. Suns looking to build on deep backcourt.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 10, 2014

The Suns of course, already have Goran Dragic and are very likely to match any offer for their own Restricted Free Agent, Eric Bledsoe.  They also just drafted another Point Guard in Tyler Ennis.  It's a little perplexing that the Suns would be going after Thomas with Dragic and Bledsoe already on board, but I guess you could split the PG/SG minutes between the three of them to have two phenomenal guards on the court at all times.  Dragic also has a Player Option he is almost certainly going to opt out of after next season, so signing Thomas now could be insurance in case Dragic leaves.

Phoenix has plenty of cap room to sign both Bledsoe and Thomas.  They also have a ton of assets, which is good news for those hopeful that the Kings can get something in a Sign & Trade.  The Suns had 3 first rounders in this draft alone in Ennis, T.J. Warren, and Bogdan Bogdanovic.  They also have guys like the Morris twins, Gerald Green, Alex Len and Miles Plumlee.

**UPDATE 5:15 PM**

Looks like the Suns will continue meeting with IT tomorrow but no offer sheet YET.

Suns will continue their meeting with RFA Isaiah Thomas tomorrow. Have not yet committed to an offer sheet. No impact on Bledsoe's situation

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 11, 2014

**UPDATE 9:40 PM**

Isaiah's fiance tweeted out some pictures of the Suns rolling out the figurative red carpet for IT

Wow! Great visit so far! Feels weird to be so wanted! Lol pic.twitter.com/tJxYwadca3

— Kayla Wallace (@KaylaJasmin) July 11, 2014

Wow! Great visit so far! Feels weird to be so wanted! Lol pic.twitter.com/zQDyEVJFOK

— Kayla Wallace (@KaylaJasmin) July 11, 2014

Bryant West joins the show as we try to make sense of Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collison, and much more.

The Sactown Royalty Show is back!  This week I'm joined once again by Bryant West.  We've got a lot to talk about this week as the Darren Collison signing happened the day after last week's show.  We dove into Collison, Isaiah Thomas, and the rest of free agency around the NBA.

We'll also spent some time discussing the draft and Nik Stauskas.  Bryant is our resident draft guru, so we needed to get his take on both Stauskas and the the Kings' draft process.

We also discussed the Kings' roster for Las Vegas Summer League, and what we'll be watching for.

We bounced around quite a bit, but it was a lot of fun.  Definitely check it out.

Like the show? Subscribe to us on iTunes or on Stitcher! Leave us ratings, leave comments, let us know how we're doing. Ratings and comments on iTunes really help us out with promoting the show. And of course, continue the discussion in the comments below.

And a big thanks to Audible.com for supporting us. To get your free 30-day trial and a free audiobook, sign up here. Using that particular link gets you the special offer, and let's them know you heard about them through our show.

As always, thanks for listening.

While the Suns are loaded at point guard, they appear to want to add to the treasure trove with yet another one, Sacramento's Isaiah Thomas.

The Phoenix Suns are hosting free agent PG Isaiah Thomas for a second day in a row today, trying to entice him to sign with the Suns before getting offers from teams who will guarantee him a starting spot but maybe for a losing team.

Thomas, at 5'9" the smallest player in the league at the moment, is a restricted free agent whose asking price is likely around $8 million per year. Backup PG Greivis Vasquez just signed for $6 million per year this week to back up Kyle Lowry in Toronto. Vasquez couldn't beat out Thomas in Sacramento before moving to Toronto in the Rudy Gay trade.

Thomas reportedly wants a starting position, while in Phoenix he would clearly be committing to coming off the bench as a sixth man spark plug.

But the dalliance with yet another point guard while still holding the rights to Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Tyler Ennis has Suns fans a little on edge.

Danger sign - Defense?

The Phoenix Suns franchise has never been known as a defensive juggernaut. My hope was that the new GM, who'd made a name for himself by advocating for defensive wizards Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo, would bring a defensive fire to the team.

After an encouraging first offseason of acquiring a defensive coach and a handful of young players who can play hard at both ends of the court - Archie Goodwin, Alex Len, Miles Plumlee, Eric Bledsoe - the Suns appear to have jumped back in the other direction in 2014.

Players who have - publicly, anyway - visited the Suns during free agency are Spencer Hawes and now Isaiah Thomas. Neither has the right to hang their their jersey on the defensive coat rack. In the draft, the Suns passed on the likes of two-way player Gary Harris for offensive-minded F T.J. Warren and PG Tyler Ennis.

Yet, we need to remember that the Suns were still just 8th in offense (points per possession) and to make the playoffs they will need more offensive production up and down the line and in more versatile ways.

Danger sign - All the point guards?

This is beginning to get a little comical. GM Ryan McDonough made his rep in Boston for identifying undervalued talent. He talked the team into trading into the first round for Rajon Rondo, and then was the biggest proponent for drafting Avery Bradley. Both were defense-oriented point guards in college who were undervalued because they couldn't shoot straight.

In recent years, he was part of a Boston front office that coveted two-way guard Eric Bledsoe, to the extent that the Celtics considered a trade of Garnett and/or Pierce to the Clippers on their downslide with Bledsoe being a centerpiece in return along with DeAndre Jordan.

When McDonough took over the Suns, he drafted an undervalued two-way PG in Archie Goodwin, who profiled just like Rondo and Bradley, and then actually acquired Bledsoe.

When Bledsoe was acquired, national and local media and fans assumed a Dragic trade was on the horizon. It wasn't. The Suns wanted to play Dragic and Bledsoe together, and proceeded to go 23-11 in 44 games with those two in the starting lineup. Unfortunately, the season is 82 games long. Injuries kept the Suns out of the playoffs.

More point guards!

Since the season ended, the Suns have been inundated with point guard questions. First, rumors surfaced that the Suns were looking into sign-and-trade opportunities with Bledsoe. Then, the Suns were linked to Sacramento Kings PG Isaiah Thomas. Then, the Suns eschewed a two-way shooting guard (Harris) for a rising PG Tyler Ennis.

And now, the Suns appear intent on signing Isaiah Thomas after all, with no stated intent to move Bledsoe or Dragic or Ennis.

Genius?

Let's pull a (not so) random stat out of last season.

• Suns record with Dragic and Bledsoe both healthy and starting: 23-11
• Suns record with one of them out of the lineup due to injury: 25-23
• Suns number of wins short of playoffs: 2

While we all love what Ish Smith, Archie Goodwin and Leandro Barbosa brought to the team last year, the Suns struggled to stay above .500 when Dragic and Bledsoe weren't completely healthy. Dragic and Bledsoe were the only real ball handling threats in the lineup, so when one went out the team struggled to succeed.

If you want to see the Suns make the playoffs next year, it makes sense to sign a proven backup PG who will likely play starters minutes over the course of the season. Tyler Ennis will eventually be very good, but is he a starters-minutes backup PG for a playoff team in 2014-15?

Really, when you consider that Dragic and Bledsoe are the equivalent of one PG and one SG, it becomes more obvious that the Suns need a quality backup PG.

Enter Isaiah Thomas.

The money

*click on the picture to make it bigger so you can read it

I think most of us agree that if Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic are worth $10+ million/year in today's market, then Isaiah Thomas is worth at least $8 million per year. Thomas produces nearly identical offensive stats, but loses a bit of ground due to his paucity of defensive chops.

So, yes, Isaiah Thomas is nearly as good as Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, and yes he is worth $8 million per year or more.

And yes, the Suns can use the help.

The salary cap

The Suns can easily afford to supplement their second unit with a proven player. With the departure of Channing Frye, the Suns have $27 million to spend even with Tucker and Bledsoe's cap holds. Tucker agreed to a new deal yesterday, and even that would hardly dent the cap space.

The Suns need another proven guard, and they need a quality power forward. Plenty of money exists to fill those holes. It would be in the Suns best financial interest to front-load a contract, but the CBA only allows a 15% bump in the first year as a bonus.

It doesn't appear that Sacramento wants to match any offer over the new Collison deal ($5.3 million - the MLE) so the Suns likely don't need to do anything fancy to get the guy.

The impact on the future

This doesn't mean there's no room for Bledsoe and Dragic on the team, at least in 2014-15. When Dragic, Bledsoe and Thomas are making a combined $35-40 million in 2015-16, that's another story. But this year, it's completely doable and preferable to have all three to make the playoffs.

And no, this doesn't mean the Suns can't groom Tyler Ennis, or that there's no room for Archie Goodwin. Ennis and Goodwin are both still 19 years old till next month. They will get their turn when someone gets hurt, just as Smith and Barbosa did last year. There will be chances.

And no, we don't need to worry about the summer of 2015 yet. There's 12 months between now and the summer of 2015, by which time an unknown number of things can happen to the Suns that will shape their next move.

In a microscope, the Suns can really use a proven sparkplug off the bench that can easily slip into the starting lineup without the Suns losing anything.

Steve Perrin of Clips Nation joins us to chat about new Kings point guard Darren Collison.

Darren Collison is expected to sign his new contract with the Sacramento Kings soon. The team has reportedly offered the 26-year-old point guard a three-year, $16 million deal.

Collison will join the Kings in Las Vegas on Saturday where they are participating in Summer League, according to News 10's Sean Cunningham.

Steve Perrin, who is the manager of our sister site Clips Nation, joined me to talk about Collison's time with the Los Angeles Clippers and the type of player he is.

How did you see this offseason playing out for Collison? Were you sad to see him go?

Collison's Clippers contract always seemed like a 'reputation rehab' assignment where he signed below his market value in an attempt to increase his stock -- and that's exactly how it played out. We knew he'd opt out, and we knew the Clippers would not be willing to spend as much as another team for his services. Without holding his Bird rights, the Clippers would be forced to pay him all or part of the mid-level exception to compete price-wise, and they just had higher priorities for the mid-level exception than a backup point guard. Prior to the start of free agency, I thought there was a very slim chance that Collison might take bi-annual exception type money for a chance to stay in LA and earn his early Bird rights with the team -- but when those first deals starting coming down for the likes of Shaun Livingston, Avery Bradley and Jodie Meeks, it was obvious that DC was going to take a much bigger payday somewhere else. We're sad to see him go for certain, but it was inevitable. And I'm hopeful that his former college roommate Jordan Farmar will be a pretty good fit in that backup point guard role.

The Kings have reportedly given Collison the keys to the starting position. We know he filled in for Chris Paul for a stretch last season and played well. Do you think he can be a legitimate starter in the league moving forward though?

This is the real question with DC. The bottom line is that Sacto will be his third shot as an NBA starter. I thought he was a great pickup for the Pacers, where he eventually was made expendable by George Hill. But when he lost his starting job to friggin' Mike James in Dallas, you really had to wonder. Rick Carlisle is a tough guy to work for, but he's also a great coach and a winner -- and he picked a 37-year-old who'd essentially been out of the league for three years over DC. Yikes. Collison is a scoring point ... and not a great distributor. Can he run a team over the course of 82 games? Carlisle didn't think so. He's got plenty of talent -- there's little question that he's among the 30 most talented players with a point guard skill set and a point guard body, so that sounds like a starting NBA point guard. My gut is that he's a 'legitimate' starter in that he's top 30, but he might be better off the bench as a change of pace guy. We'll see if he improves as a floor leader. A year under Doc Rivers and another year with Paul couldn't have hurt.

The Kings want more ball movement and defense out of the point guard position. How does Collison stack up in those areas? Do you think he will continue to get better or is he close to his ceiling?

If the priorities were defense and ball movement, this may not be Pete D'Alessandro's magnum opus. Collison attacks the rim well, he can get his own shot, he's got decent range -- but ball movement and distribution are not exactly his strongest suits. He has averaged 6.1 assists per 36 on his career, and that was down to 5.2 with the Clippers (where admittedly, he played quite a bit of shooting guard and was asked to score on the second unit). Those are comparable assists/per 36 numbers to little Isaiah. Defensively, he can be an effective ball hawk, and he manages not to let his size be too much of a problem (he shut down James Harden in the fourth quarter of a game in March) but he's not great in rotation and gets caught cheating a bit too often. Still, he's a pretty good on-ball defender. I think physically, he's pretty close to his ceiling, but team defense is definitely something that continues to improve with experience, so he can get better there.

There is a lot of controversy in Sacramento over this move because of the implications it will have on Isaiah Thomas. The whole thing is largely related to money, but from an outsiders' perspective how do you see Collison's fit with the Kings?

Isaiah Thomas tortured the league to the tune of 20/6 last season, but I watched him hang 29 on the Clippers in a remarkable performance -- when he was still coming off the bench. I think I still have some residual doubt -- and others may as well -- as to whether his 2013-14 season is sustainable; it's just hard to believe that a guy that size, the last pick in the draft, who wasn't exactly a massive star in the Pac-12, can continue to do what he did.

Without really crunching the Kings' cap numbers, I certainly get it. We'll have to wait and see what another team is going to pay Isaiah, but when you see the contracts being thrown at Avery Bradley and Gordon Hayward, you have to assume it's going to be a lot of money. In that context, I think Collison makes a ton of sense. My gut tells me that tying up $25 million-plus in a long-term commitment to a core of Cousins and Thomas would have doomed the Kings for a while. I just ask myself if that's a $25-million duo. Collison, as a solid piece at a somewhat reasonable price (at least it's seeming reasonable in comparison in the current market) is a better choice. I guess I was supposed to try to ignore the money aspect, but you just can't.

How is Collison in terms of a locker room guy? DeMarcus Cousins is obviously a strong personality and isn't shy about calling his teammates out. How do you think Collison will take those moments?

He was certainly popular in the Clippers locker room, which was extraordinarily close. Of course, Chris Paul was the locker room leader, and he's earned a bit of deference as compared to Boogie. Doc Rivers wasn't afraid to chew on Collison, but he also gave him a ton of responsibility. Collison responded well to both. But chemistry is a tricky thing -- I think Collison can be a positive influence in the Sacto locker room, but you probably know better than I that the mix remains volatile.

What areas of Collison's game need improving and what areas can you always rely on him for?

We've touched on a lot of these already -- he's not the best distributor, not the best decision-maker, not the best team defender. Of course, when you're talking about the Clippers, he's being compared to literally the best distributor, best decision-maker, etc. So it's a high bar. He's at his best when he's aggressive, breaking down his defender, getting to the rim, and he's very good at all of that. He can push the tempo and get out in transition with the best of them. It's worth noting that while the I suggested earlier that he might be best off the bench as a change of pace guard, he did start 35 games for the Clippers last season at both guard spots, and his numbers were better across the board as a starter. So I think (and indeed hope) that he's going to do a good job for the Kings.

Lastly, do you guys want one of our 47 power forwards?

Kind of, yeah. In fact, we miss Reggie Evans around here. You have Acy and his beard now -- you don't even need Reggie.

The NBA's summer league is where players will fight for their futures, and teams will decide which of these players can flesh out their rosters the best. The Spurs begin their summer league campaign tonight against the Sacramento Kings.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Sacramento Kings

Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
July 11, 2014, 9:00 PM Spurs Time
TV: NBATV

It's that time of the year, everybody. The Finals are over and prospects have joined their teams. Outside of free agency, there's been a lull in NBA action. Until now.

Welcome to the NBA Las Vegas Summer League: Where everything is made up, and the points don't matter!

This year's Spurs summer league squad is filled with familiar faces we've seen in Vegas before. Deshaun Thomas, Durand Scott, Marcus Denmon, and Ryan Richards are back; all of them trying to impress enough to get out of Europe, and into an NBA organization. Thomas was the leading scorer on the team last year, and is the most notable returnee. His ability to fill it is well-noted, but his lack of versatility and slight build have kept him from finding a role in the league. After spending the year overseas, it'll be interesting to see if he's added anything to his game, or built up his weight.

As for new faces, we have to start with Kyle Anderson, the Spurs' first round draft pick this year. This will be his first taste of NBA-ish ball, and his first shot at running an NBA offense. The Spurs have said that Anderson will see time at the 1, 2, and 3 in Vegas, so we'll get an early indication of how well he fits into each role. Another newcomer to keep an eye on is Bryce Cotton, who recently signed a contract with San Antonio. The deal is non-guaranteed in the first year, making summer league and training camp a glorified try-out for the undrafted rookie combo guard out of Providence. He will be a focal point of the offense, running pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll to get used to the system, and show off his great quickness and finishing ability at the rim. The rest of the newcomers include guys like Vander Blue and Melvin Eim, who wereboth stars at their colleges and looking to impress NBA scouts. There is also Viktor Gaddefors, the forward from Sweeden, who is worth paying attention to if only because his name makes him sound like a vampire.

It should be noted that Austin Daye and Jeff Ayres are both on the Spurs' summer league roster. However, because they are older veterans, already on contract, I don't think they'll see the court that much. More than anything, this will serve as more scheduled time to work with Coach Ime Udoka, and become more familiar with the extensive amout of information that is the Spurs' systems.

As for the Kings, they have one of the more fun Vegas summer league rosters. The excitement begins with Nik Stauskas, their first round pick, and a guard that can obtain mass amounts of buckets in little time. They also have the uber-athletic quartet of Ray McCallum, Ben McLemore, Jared Cunningham, and Derrick Williams, who are all sure to terrorize the rim in transition. The Kings roster also includes MarShon Brooks, who will attempt to thrive as a summer league gunner; and the 7-5 mountain of a man, Sim Bhullar. No doubt, this team has a cast of characters that will be fun to watch, even as an opponent.

Of course, as noted before, points don't matter much now. Results of games don't matter now. Summer league is a process-oriented event, used for evaluating how guys fit into different roles. Don't concentrate on the box scores. Concentrating on the box scores id how you fall into the trap of buying into Josh Selby in 2012. Concentrating on box scores means you miss how well Hollis Thompson played for the Spurs last year. Instead, pay attention to how Cotton and Anderson look leading the offense. What is their job on defense? Is DeShaun Thomas doing anything other than shooting wide-open jumpers? Has Ryan Richards learned any discernible skill?

And now, your Las Vegas Summer League experience starts. There will be some good. There will be more bad. It is a 10-day sprint, where the winner is irrelevant. It is madness. It is bad basketball. It is fans only cheering when it's time for the t-shirt toss. It is summer league.

Isaiah Thomas is headed out to the desert in a sign-and-trade deal.

The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns are finalizing a sign-and-trade deal that will land restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas a four-year, $27 million contract with the Suns, reports Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. The Suns front-loaded the contract, earning Thomas $7.2 million in the first year and decreasing from there, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger.

Thomas joins a Suns backcourt that is crowded with both Goran Dragic and restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe able to run the position, but he could provide an off-the-bench scoring presence when either guard is on the bench. Bledsoe is still an available free agent, though the Suns will have the option of matching any offer sheet.

Thomas, the final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, didn't take long to turn into the Sacramento Kings' starting point guard. This past season, he started 54 of 72 games played and averaged career bests of 20.3 points and 6.3 assists per game on 45 percent shooting from the floor.

At 5'11 in shoes, Thomas has done everything possible to show his size won't hinder him as a starting point guard. He's been an improving three-point shooter but certainly relies upon and change-of-direction and bursts of speed to score or create for others.

The Spurs started off the mini-tournament in the desert with a nice win over Nik Stauskas and the Kings.

Kyle Anderson and Bryce Cotton got their first chance with the "Spurs" on Friday night. Anderson finished with six points, four rebounds, and six assists while Cotton scored 12 points on just four shots. Austin Daye led the way for the Spurs with 14, but it took him 18 shots to get his 14 and he was ice-cold from deep where he shot just 1-for-8. Daye did grab a team-high nine boards, three on the offensive side. The Spurs as a team had great success on the offensive glass, besting the Kings in that category 14-3.

The Kings also turned the ball over eight more times that the Spurs, 18-10, which is how an eight point halftime lead turns into a 16-point loss. The Kings were up 43-35 at intermission, but a 30-point outburst from the Spurs in the ten-minute third combined with some focused defense that held the Kings to just 11 turned the game around. The gap hovered around ten for most of the fourth and the Spurs are 1-0 in this Summer League. Does the winner of the tourney get a certificate or something? What are these guys playing for?

What say you Pounders? Did you like what you saw from the Spurs' youngsters?

Summer league is underway, and with it, some of the raw, rusty basketball that has become synonymous with it.

Summer League is here! You know what that means! Turnovers, spacing issues, and inconsistent play! While that is worrisome come the NBA season, it is part of the tradition that is Summer League. The Kings started out the game well but in the second half the Spurs started looking like their NBA Finals counterparts, and the Kings looked like ... the Kings. That is not to say there was nothing to take from the game though. I saw many things that intrigued me.

The two stars of this game for the Kings were a slimmed down Quincy Acy, and Nik Stauskas aka "Not Jimmer". Acy has definitely been working on his physique as well as his game. He dropped a nice 14-7-1 and displayed that energy we have grown to love the whole time.  His handles, jumper, and overall game just looked much smoother than it did when we last saw him. I have said it before and I will say it again: I believe, barring changes, that Acy will be our starting 4, and we will not be ashamed to say so. He even showed off some new found range and dropped two early 3-pointers.

Nik Stauskas also impressed. He dropped a nice 14 points and 3 assists, but also added a couple blocks and steals to the mix. He hit a couple of shots, as expected, but where he really grabbed my attention was his ability to create something from nothing. This will be be his ticket to the NBA. If he can play with the tenacity and intelligence that he displayed for the most part tonight, we are going to have some fun with this kid. He also showed some passable defensive prowess, which was a surprise to me given what we heard going in.

Outside of those two there were some good standouts. Ray McCallum struggled early, but ended the game well. Derrick Williams had some good plays, and grabbed a few boards. Nothing spectacular, but nothing to complain about either. Marshon Brooks had a nice play and grabbed a few boards in a little more than 10 minutes of action. The only one to really struggle was Ben McLemore. With 8 turnovers, and 2-8 shooting, he struggled in a major way. This is not going to make me panic, though, as it is just one game in July. He still has 4 months to work on his game. Turnovers are to be expected in summer league, as you are throwing a group of guys together in a strange situation. Even the guys who were on the Kings last year didn't play in these lineups too often.

All in all, despite the loss, there were many positives to take out of this game. Summer league is a developmental tool, and as such, there were a lot of positives, as well as some negatives to take out of the game. Hopefully they can take what they needed to on this game and use it as motivation for the next one.

SIDE NOTES:

DeMarcus Cousins was sitting with Vivek Ranadive courtside watching his current and future teammates. It is great to see him so involved with the team in July.

Despite this being a Kings/Spurs game, they were often talking about the Cavs, showing a graphic on the side, and scrolling the news at the bottom. Apparently this LeBron James guy is going to be something special.

I am beginning to think that you could put the entire StR writing staff on a team with the Spurs staff and jerseys and we would look like the 1992 Dream Team. I don't know what those guys do, but I want some.

A closer look at Kyle Anderson's first Summer League game is taken, as well as some notes on Jeff Ayers and Austin Daye from the win against Sacramento.

The Spurs got the win in their first game of the Las Vegas Summer League over the Sacramento Kings, 85-69. If the words "Summer League" didn't already give away the level of basketball clumsiness that would take place in Sin City over the next couple weeks, watching only a few minutes of game will quickly remind you.

But that's not why we are interested in these contests. We follow these games to see guys compete for the last few spots on the roster, which as we saw this past season, equates to some serious playing time for the Spurs. I mostly kept an eye on the rookie and the two dudes who had a roster spot at the end of the regular season to see how they would kick off their summer play. Here's what one LVSL game showed me in these three players:

Kyle Anderson showed some poise

I try to guard my heart when watching rookies play their first Summer League game because so much can be blown out of proportion when it comes to their performance. Each newbie is trying to prove to their franchise that they didn't blow a draft pick on them. That's why I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw from Kyle Anderson on Friday night.

The rookie out of UCLA, wearing No. 1, looked to play within himself for the majority of the game. Sure, he took a couple quick contested shots coming off of screens early in the possession that could have been kicked out, but it wasn't egregious. What impressed me was how Anderson mostly played the role of the facilitator. The whole team seemed to look for him when they got in trouble, almost understanding that he could get them out of a jam. There was a level of respect that the players already had for him that speaks to how well his skill set fits the San Antonio franchise.

Anderson's point total wasn't outstanding, putting up 6 points on 3-of-7 shooting, but his 6 assists is evidence that this guy has a chance to make his mark on the Spurs roster this season. His court vision is clearly on point, as is his quick decision making which can be the difference between a threaded needle-like pass and a steal. He had a couple of his passes deflected and stolen, but they were the type of mistakes you want to see a player like him make in the Summer League.

Jeff Ayres understands his role

There were moments from last season where I just couldn't believe how much Jeff Ayres had matured. He seemed to figure out his own strength and realized what it took to be an effective big man in the NBA. In Friday's Summer League game, Ayers carried some of the maturity onto the court as if he knew he had the most legitimate league experience out of everyone wearing silver and black that night. His decisions at the low block were great, as were his finishes at the rim. J.R.W. made sure to point out that his hands still looked like they were make of bricks and couldn't handle some of the passes thrown to him, which is very (and sadly) true. But there's something to be said about the confidence a player carries with them on the court, and it's nice to see that Jeff Ayeres is jumping at the chance to play like the most experienced player on the roster.

Austin Daye missed a bunch of shots

Since the trade that sent Nando De Colo to Toronto, I've been waiting to see Austin Daye show the amount of talent that seemed prevalent in his highlight tapes, but nothing has come forward. In the first game of the Summer League, this trend continued. Daye shot 5-of-18 from the field (1-8 3PT) and looked even more ice cold than the image his stat line projects. He pulled down 9 boards, but we know that won't be an asset the Spurs will be looking to him for. It's odd for a player to lead the team in scoring and rebounding while still looking the most disappointing, but I think Austin Daye managed to accomplish that on Friday night.

Isaiah Thomas has always been overlooked. Now in Phoenix, he will be center stage as an electric player off the bench for likely a playoff team.

Today, once the Suns complete the trade call with the Kings and the league, Isaiah Thomas will be a Phoenix Sun. He comes to the Suns expecting to be the third guard, behind starters Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe.

Check out the fact that he's already in a Phoenix road uni in his twitter profile. His facebook page also has Phoenix Suns all over it already. Give the man some love, Suns fans!

Three deep

All three Suns guards have similar profiles:

• Bledsoe: 17.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 3.3 turnovers in 32.9 minutes
• Dragic: 20.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.8 turnovers in 35.1 minutes
• Thomas: 20.3 points, 6.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.0 turnovers in 34.7 minutes

Dragic and Bledsoe are bigger and can defend better (Bledsoe to the extreme on this end), but Thomas is the more accomplished true scorer. And he doesn't lack for confidence.

"If I was 6-foot, I would be signing for $90 million contract, just like [Kyrie Irving]," Thomas told Slam Online last week. "I'm 5-foot-9 and that's why I was the 60th pick. That's why the Kings keep bringing new guys in. That's the reason why. And I understand and you can't put it past that. If I was 6-foot, I would be a max player. I think a lot of people feel that way, too."

True enough, compare Thomas' numbers to Kyrie Irving, whose team didn't win any more games in his first three seasons than Thomas' Kings.

• Irving: 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.7 turnovers in 35.2 minutes per game

Truly, Irving is a more talented player than Isaiah Thomas, not just bigger. But is he twice as talented? That's where the opportunity becomes exciting.

Phoenix Suns GM Ryan McDonough always talks about identifying undervalued players for acquisition. He's not about overpaying for talent. Yesterday, the Suns agreed to pay Thomas just under $7 million per year for the next four guaranteed years (no options).

"We welcome Isaiah Thomas," said President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby in the official press release today. "His addition to our backcourt makes it one of the deepest and most dynamic in the league. We have enjoyed getting to know him during his visit to Phoenix this week. He will quickly become a fan-favorite."

"Isaiah is one of the most dynamic scorers and playmakers in the NBA," said General Manager Ryan McDonough in the official press release today. "I have always admired his competitive spirit and his love for the game. He will be a great fit for our up-tempo attack and he will help solidify what we believe is the best backcourt in the league."

If Thomas is that good, why would he want to join the Suns just to be a backup?

"I just want to be wanted. I don't know if they really want me like other teams do. Like I said, since day one I just want to be wanted.

"I'm going to just continue working hard, continue to be me, and hopefully a real good team wants me on their team and I can go there."

--Thomas to Slam Online

Always overlooked

As an undersized player, Isaiah Thomas was always overlooked.

He was not recruited heavily to college, but then succeeded in becoming one of the nation's best scoring playmakers at Washington. Yet after proving himself all four years in college, he was barely drafted to the NBA - taken with the very last pick of the 2011 draft.

In the NBA, he was immediately placed behind the 10th overall pick Jimmer Fredette on the rookie depth chart. But the diminutive Thomas ended up playing the 5th most minutes on the team as a rookie, starting 37 of 65 games in a strike-shortened season. He was 4th in scoring (11.8), 2nd in assists (4.1) and 1st in 3P% (37.9%). He even had a 3:1 assist/turnover ratio, making him an efficient option running the point.

The next year, Thomas was the starting point guard for 62 of his 79 games. He was flanked by erstwhile ball handlers ball hoggers John Salmons and Tyreke Evans, but led the team in assists (4.1) and was 3rd in points (13.9).

As a reward for his good play, the Kings benched Thomas. They traded Evans that offseason for point guard Grievis Vasquez who had just finished a breakout second season with the Hornets (13.9 points, 9.0 assists per game).

"It hurt," Thomas said to Slam Online last week of the Vasquez acquisition. "But at the same time that's been my story my whole life. People have doubted me, people always bring guys in who they think are going to outplay me or outwork me and that's just not the case. I'm going to just continue working hard, continue to be me, and hopefully a real good team wants me on their team and I can go there."

But Thomas beat out Vasquez for the starting position, and Vasquez was eventually traded to Toronto in the Rudy Gay deal.

"Thomas is much better than Greivis Vasquez and earned the starting spot fair and square," SactownRoyalty.com editor Aykis shared via email to me last night. "Vasquez wasn't terrible, but the Kings offense proved to be much more efficient with Thomas on the floor than Vasquez and so did the defense. There were only two players last season that made the Kings better offensively and defensively according to Basketball-Reference's On-Off stats and they were DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas."

SactownRoyalty reacts to Thomas signing

Kings fans bemoan the loss of Thomas

Vasquez played well in Toronto as they bull dozed to 3rd in the East. He just signed a new contract with Toronto for $13 million for 2 years ($6.5 million per year) to back up starter Kyle Lowry ($12 million per year). Toronto's other starting guard, DeMar DeRozan, makes more than $11 million per year. So, Toronto's top three guards will make about $30 million between them.

Thomas finished the season with an eye-popping line of 20.3 points, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game, despite only starting 54 of 72 games. In those 54 starts, Thomas averaged 21.1 points and 6.8 assists.

In 18 games as a reserve, while Vasquez started, Thomas threw up 17.8 points and 4.9 assists per game in only 27.7 minutes. Damn. That's production right there, folks. Meet your new 6th man.

"Isaiah Thomas is one of the best scorers in the league," Aykis said. "That is not stretching the truth. In just his first three years in the league, Thomas has proven that he can score on anyone and everyone. His size is not a disadvantage here. He gets to the bucket easily and finishes very well. He's got some of the best hesitation moves and is an excellent stop and pop shooter from mid-range to the three point line. He has the ability to take over games; In one game against the Thunder in which the Kings were being blown out, he scored 21 points in the fourth quarter alone, singlehandedly bringing the Kings back."

Not wanted

So, why would Sacramento want to get rid of Thomas?

Of course, Thomas has his flaws. On offense, he can take bad shots and on defense he just doesn't have the size to compete against the bigger opposing guards.

"As for weaknesses, Thomas is sometimes too aggressive," Aykis said. "He jacks up shots that most players wouldn't dare to take (the catch being that he also makes more of those shots than most players would) and he tends to overdribble. His distribution skills are not bad, especially for a score-first point guard, but they also aren't elite. Passing will always be Plan B for him.

"Defensively, Thomas isn't great, but it's not for lack of effort. At times he can be a pest, but his lack of size makes him especially bad when helping or trying to chase spot-up shooters."

Despite adding a renowned defensive coach in Mike Malone, the Kings were still just 23rd in defensive efficiency last season. This was a stop up from being 30th and 29th in the prior two seasons, but still pretty bad.

But Thomas is a great asset, and that goes way beyond the basketball court. His fans will miss him greatly.

"Honestly, this is what is perplexing Kings fans the most," Aykis said. "Thomas was a fan favorite, both for his on-court ability and his off-court persona. It's possible that the new management is trying to make this their team and clean house, but to cut ties with one of the only good assets they had makes little sense to me.

"The truth of the matter is that it came down to vision and money; The Kings did not see Isaiah Thomas as a starting point guard and as such didn't want to pay him starting point guard money. In their eyes they could get a quality guy in Darren Collison for less money to replace much of the value they lost in Thomas. That remains to be seen but all the evidence suggests that Thomas is a much better player than Collison."

The Price

And as far as the price, the Suns are paying - $27 million over 4 years, with reportedly declining salaries in future years as the Suns inch closer and closer to that luxury tax line - Aykis has some input on that as well.

"I think it's a perfect price for Thomas," Aykis said. "Should his production remain similar, he's fantastic value to contract and a great overall asset for the Suns."

What to expect from Thomas

"Thomas's best role is that of a scorer," Aykis said. "That's why so many consider him to be a 6th man type. He is good enough to be a starter in my opinion, but the Suns already have two amazing guards in Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe (assuming they bring back Bledsoe). If you need points, putting in Isaiah Thomas will help you out. If you need energy, Isaiah Thomas will help you out."

Thomas is super-personable, and offers great energy with a chip on his shoulder. He will always give you great effort and scoring.

Let me repeat that earlier stat of Thomas coming off the bench last season. 17.8 points and 4.9 assists in 27.7 minutes per game as a reserve.

But is he easy to root for? Let's ask Aykis.

"I just want to say that Phoenix Suns fans are getting one of the easiest guys in the NBA to root for. Thomas is a guy that works his butt off, never gives up, never says never, and will never quit. We will miss him in Sacramento and I think it's very possible that the Kings will regret their decision to not bring him back."

Not only is this a huge value deal for the Suns, it signals that the Suns are not taking next year lightly. The Suns want to win and win big, and one way to do that is to have an elite scoring guard off the bench.

The Clippers have Jamal Crawford. The Thunder used to have James Harden.

And now the Suns have Isaiah Thomas.

Check out this free agent scouting video from Draft Express. Mike Schmitz kills it with these things. If you're not convinced about Isaiah Thomas yet, watch this to see his strengths and weaknesses, replete with video evidence of it all.

The biggest thing the Kings got by signing-and-trading Isaiah Thomas to the Suns was a $7.2 million Traded Player Exception.  There's a lot of confusion about how this exception works and how the Kings can use it.

Here are the important things to note:

• The Kings have exactly one year in which to use the exception or it expires.
• The exception allows the Kings to make trades without sending any salary back, a useful tool for teams without cap space like the Kings.
• The Kings can only use the exception to acquire a player or player(s) worth $7.3 million (the value of the exception plus $100,000).  So for example, they could use it to trade for one $7.3 million player, or they could use it to trade for a $5 million player and let the rest expire, or they could use it to trade for one $3 million player and then later acquire a $4.3 million player.
• You can't combine the trade exception with another player.  So if you were the Kings and wanted Taj Gibson and his $8,000,000 salary, you couldn't make a trade like "McCallum and the Exception for Gibson" like a normal trade.
• You can't combine the trade exception with another trade exception to create one large trade exception.  The Kings already have a couple of small trade exceptions from the Rudy Gay and Marcus Thornton trades that are worth about $620,000 and $2.4 million respectively.  The Kings can't combine those exceptions with this new one.

The tricky thing about using this exception is that the Kings are so close to the luxury tax and hard cap already.  They haven't officially signed Darren Collison yet, but once they do they will be at $76,360,041 in total salary with the luxury tax at $76,829,000 and the hard cap (which Sacramento can't go over for any reason) at $80,829,000.  Keep in mind that should the Kings go over the tax, they still have until the end of the season to get under (so effectively the trade deadline).

ESPN reports the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns have agreed on a sign-and-trade deal for PG Thomas, who joins a crowded backcourt.

Former Washington Husky point guard Isaiah Thomas has a new NBA home in the Arizona desert. ESPN reports that the dynamic guard has been traded to the Phoenix Suns. The sign-and-trade deal is for 4 years, $28 million and nets the Kings the rights to Suns 2013 second pick Alex Oriakhi as well as a $7 million trade exception.

At first blush, this is a curious acquisition by the Suns, who were already loaded at point guard, with Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, Ish Smith, Tyler Ennis, and Archie Goodwin all on the roster. Adding Thomas to that mix seems almost guaranteed to push out Smith and seems to indicate that Bledsoe, a restricted free agent, may also be on the move.

The Suns heavily courted Thomas during free agency, hosting him for two days recently. It is doubtful that Thomas will start for them at first, but considering that Thomas has finished each of his three NBA seasons as his team's starting point guard, it is reasonable to expect he may make his case as a starter eventually. It will be interesting to see how Suns coach Jeff Hornacek manages minutes at guard this season.

In their second game of summer league action, the Spurs fell to the Cavs.

There wasn't much of a carry-over of momentum from the Spurs' first summer league win versus the Kings. The stars of that game, Kyle Anderson and Bryce Cotton, were both off from the field, going 1-7 and 1-6 respectively. Efficent shooting was a rare commodity for the Spurs, as they shot 33.8% from the field. Austin Daye, who struggled in the first game against the Kings, couldn't pick his play back up today, finishing at 3-11 and getting outplayed in every aspect by the Cavaliers' Anthony Bennett. The Spurs did have a couple bright spots offensively, however, as DeShaun Thomas finished with 21 points on 16 shots and kept the Spurs within reach down the stretch. JaMychael Green also had a good day as well, with 12 points on 6-11 shooting, scoring 10 in the first half to keep the Spurs afloat.

For the Cavaliers, the story of today's game was Anthony Bennett and Will Cherry. Bennett had 13 points on 5-8 shooting, and also snatched 14 boards. Bennett looked comfortable within the flow of the offense, moving things along smoothly; making crisp, smart decisions. Cherry, a diminutive guard from the University of Montana, took the game over in the 4th quarter, scoring 14 of his 21 points in the quarter, and dishing out a few dimes down the stretch to seal the victory. Andrew Wiggins didn't shoot well from the field, only going 3-11, but totaled 13 points due to his ability to get to the foul line. He played well defensively, forcing Kyle Anderson into difficult shots, and recovering to make a couple great plays with his quickness. Jack Cooley also had 15 points on 6-9 shooting.

The Spurs' next game will be tomorrow at 5:30 PM versus the New Orleans Pelicans.