In the past the Phoenix Suns have been adamant that the value of Amare Stoudemire to the franchise is integral, and would only be in jeopardy if his eyes or his knees began acting up again. For the record, those issues don’t seem to be giving him any troubles. Amare has played in all 43 games for the Suns this season, averaging 34.7 minutes and putting up 21.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

However, with contract extensions and the penny pinching Suns most likely headed towards disaster, Phoenix is suddenly entertaining the idea of trading Stoudemire.

It’s a good time to talk about it with the Bulls coming into town tonight. The Bulls are thought to be a team that would target Amare, but who knows if they would part with defensive rebounding guru Joakim Noah along with other pieces to get him. Because it will at least take that.

The Amare era in Phoenix should be over with, it’s been a failed attempt for the most part, and while the team looks to save some money, there is no better time to trade him than right now. Why wait for another Knee injury and watch his value decrease and then put him on the block?

Last game: Jan 20, Phoenix Suns 118 – New Jersey Nets 94
Next game: vs. Chicago Bulls, Jan 22 10:30pm ET

Key Additions: Earl Clark, Taylor Griffin, Channing Frye

Key Subtractions: Shaquille O’Neal, Matt Barnes

Projected Starting Lineup: Steve Nash/ Jason Richardson/ Grant Hill/ Amare Stoudemire/ Channing Frye

Key Reserves: Leandro Barbosa, Jared Dudley, Louis Amundson, Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic

-Bennice

It’s been a busy off-season for Steve Kerr and the Phoenix Suns. After striking a deal to trade Shaquille O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sasha Pavolvic and Ben Wallace, it appeared evident that the Suns wanted to shake things up. By moving O’Neal, it was made official that Kerr and the Suns made a mistake by acquiring him and just wanted to get rid of him. Ben Wallace has already stated that he was thinking about retiring and the Suns took him on anyway and just recently completed a buyout of his contract. Many expect the Suns to waive Sasha Pavolvic since only a small portion of his contract is guaranteed. While that trade stole most of the headlines thus far this off-season, it wasn’t all the Suns have did.

They agreed to terms with Grant Hill to bring him back and also with Channing Frye. Frye is a solid addition to the team and could make contributions if given a chance. The Suns also are expected to begin extension talks with Steve Nash sometime this week. While Amare Stoudemire’s name hasn’t been popping up in rumors as far as trades go, he’s been mentioned as far as him having routine surgeries on his eye. Perhaps the Suns are expecting big things from Amare in the 2009-10 season, because his name was taken off of the trading block after being on it every since the deadline during the 2008-09 season.

The thought of it sounds strange, but could Nash be shipped out of Phoenix in the off-season? After failing to make the playoffs for the first time in a long time, the Suns have said that they will entertain trade offers. Not only could Nash find himself on the trading block, Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal will be shopped around. It’s not too big of a stretch to believe that if even one of the before-mentioned players are traded, depending on what is offered, the Suns could potentially enter a rebuilding stage. Those three players are without a doubt the Suns best players and when teams begin shipping out their cornerstone guys, one has to think that they want to rebuild.

The Suns will enter the draft with the 14^th overall pick and if Nash really is potentially on his way out, we could see the Suns select a point guard with their pick. Johnny Flynn or even Ty Lawson could be a solid pick at that point for the Suns. Both are point guards that love to get up and down the floor and more importantly, both are defensive minded and team-first oriented. Just the kind of point guard they are looking for. Even if Nash is to stay, one of those would make a nice addition.

Transactions

• Selected Robin Lopez 15th overall.

• Selected Malik Hairston 48th overall and traded his rights along with a future second round draft pick and cash considerations to San Antonio for the rights to Goran Dragic (45th overall).

Robin Lopez may not be a “home run pick” attempt like Golden State is going for with Anthony Randolph, but this is a solid pick. That’s what the Suns need – solidity and a new identity. They are taking a step in the right direction by adding Lopez, who puts his focus on hustle, defense, rebounding, and altering shots. He is exactly what Shaq and Stoudemire need backing them up off the bench, and they’ve now got their consummate 7-foot role player.

Grade: B

Jerry Brown of The East Valley Tribune reports:

After a long and extensive search, the Phoenix Suns have finally settled on Detroit Pistons assistant Terry Porter as the 13th head coach in team history.

Porter, who spent 17 years in the NBA as a player and two as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, accepted the job from his friend and former teammate, Suns general manager Steve Kerr on Saturday morning. Terms of a three-year contract for approximately $7 million have been agreed upon and Porter is expected to be formerly introduced as the replacement for Mike D’Antoni at a press conference on Tuesday.

“Terry and I have had a great personal relationship for a long time but he’s going to be our coach because he’s the best candidate,” Kerr said Saturday. “His experience as a head coach in the league is one part, his reputation as a player and a person is one part, and his great combination of confidence and humility is another.

“I couldn’t be happier with where we are today.”

There was no immediate word on who might join Porter on his staff, but it is a safe bet that it will be a combination of Kerr and Porter-inspired hires.

Porter, 45, spent two seasons (2003-05) as the head coach in Milwaukee, where the Bucks were one of the top offensive teams in the Eastern Conference during a surprise 41-41 first season, leading the team to the playoffs.

But he also adds the experience of two seasons as an assistant under Flip Saunders with one of the league’s best defensive teams in Detroit.

ESPN reports:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Terry Porter is expected to be interviewed for a second time by the Phoenix Suns later this week.

Porter joined Detroit Pistons coaches and players at their practice facility on Saturday, the day after the Boston Celtics eliminated them in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Suns have been searching for a head coach since Mike D’Antoni resigned to lead the New York Knicks. Candidates include Porter, Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner and former NBA player and TV analyst Mark Jackson.

Porter was Flip Saunders’ lead assistant in Detroit the past two seasons. He led the Milwaukee Bucks’ from 2003-05, helping them win 41 games and earn a spot in the 2004 playoffs. His coaching career started as a Sacramento Kings assistant in 2002.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr was one of Porter’s teammates during his 17-year career with Portland, Minnesota, Miami and San Antonio.

Porter holds a 71-93 (.433) overall record as a head coach with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2003-2005, and was a first-round exit in his lonesome postseason appearance.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

The names under consideration to replace Mike D’Antoni will be familiar because they will be people with NBA experience (coaching or playing) who fit Phoenix’s uptempo style.

But the crop of candidates also will surprise people, according to Kerr.

“I don’t think anybody has a clue,” he said. “I have my list.”

He first has to discover who is interested and available. Some are unaffiliated, but most of the candidates he is considering are under contracts. That includes some who are with playoff teams, which also could delay the process.

“There are definitely some assistant coaches out there who are still in the playoffs that are interesting,” Kerr said.

He is not naming names, so identifying assistants on his list is pure conjecture. The assistants generating the most buzz are Boston’s Tom Thibodeau and Detroit’s Michael Curry, but both are defensive-minded coaches, and Kerr is not looking for a drastic change in the Suns’ style.

There are three former Suns players who are assistants on Western Conference playoff teams – the Lakers’ Kurt Rambis, Utah’s Tyrone Corbin and New Orleans’ Kenny Gattison.

Former Suns players and coaches Paul Silas, Paul Westphal, Vinny Del Negro, Eddie Johnson and Lionel Hollins also have surfaced in speculation.

“I don’t want to do a 180 and all of a sudden try to turn us into something we’re not,” Kerr said. “I still want us to maintain our identity as an uptempo team. I’d like to expand that and be more balanced and add some defensive emphasis, but not at the expense of who we are.

“I want someone who’s good with the media and communicates well with players and fans. Someone with a strong presence.”

This is the exact approach Kerr needs to take. Trying to completely re-organize Phoenix’s style would put extra unnecessary pressure on the team and put them completely out of whack. They need to do exactly what Kerr eluded to in the quotes above: work on balancing their system and put more of a defensive emphasis on their attack. It’ll be interesting to what coach/players they bring in, because this group doesn’t have much time left before their opportunity to win falls apart. Time is ticking.