2012–13 Phoenix Suns season

Key dates

NBA Draft

The Suns will once again only have pick 13 as their only first-round draft pick. The Suns used their only pick to select point guard Kendall Marshall from North Carolina. Marshall was a prolific passer, averaging 8.1 points and 9.8 assists in his last season with the Tar Heels. He also set the ACC & North Carolina University season assist records, as well as winning the Bob Cousy Award for his performance in his sophomore year. Their second-round pick was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Josh Childress via sign and trade.

Free agency

Veteran players Grant Hill and Steve Nash, as well as the newly signed Shannon Brown, Michael Redd, and Ronnie Price have all become unrestricted free agents as of the end of the 2011–12 NBA season. Center Robin Lopez has become a restricted free agent as of the end of the season as well. In a unique situation, former CBA player Aaron Brooks is still a restricted free agent, but due to him signing with the Guangdong Southern Tigers and the Suns not re-signing Brooks to a new contract during the 2011–12 NBA season, he'll be a restricted free agent with restricted benefits. For example, the Suns can match any offer that they see fit, but they cannot do any sign-and-trades whatsoever with him. However, Phoenix was unlikely to bring back Aaron Brooks to an restricted free agent offer, so they made him unrestricted after trying to get Eric Gordon. In addition, the Suns may also use their amnesty clause to get rid of a player that they see is holding them back. However, they have to use it a week after the July moratorium (July 11); otherwise, the amnesty clause stays with the team until at least next season.

On July 3, 2012, Eric Gordon agreed to a tentative deal with the Suns for 4 years and $58 million. However, despite Gordon saying that "Phoenix is where my heart is now", since Gordon's a restricted free agent, his offer was matched by the New Orleans Hornets a full three days after signing free agents officially took place. Phoenix has, however, gained both former back-up point guard Goran Dragić and forward Michael Beasley as of July 4, 2012. As for Steve Nash, he was officially traded to the rival Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for first and second round draft picks in the 2013 draft, as well as a first round pick in the 2015 draft and a second round pick in the 2014 draft on July 4 as well. Grant Hill also went to Los Angeles, but he went to play for the Los Angeles Clippers on July 18, 2012. Ronnie Price would sign with the Portland Trail Blazers on July 18 as well; however, unlike Grant Hill, Ronnie Price would be waived by Portland on February 21, 2013. Aaron Brooks would go to the Sacramento Kings on July 16, 2012, but he would play for them until March 1, 2013. Four days later, Brooks decided to officially sign with his former team, the Houston Rockets, which tended to reverse Phoenix and Houston's trade in 2011 that had Goran Dragić going to Houston and Brooks going to Phoenix. The last player that became a free agent, Michael Redd, ended up retiring on November 2013.

On July 15, 2012, a day after Eric Gordon's contract was matched by the Hornets, the Suns ended up placing a winning bid on former Houston Rockets power forward Luis Scola, as well as used their amnesty clause on Josh Childress, who would eventually sign with the Brooklyn Nets until December 29, 2012. On July 25, 2012, the Suns agreed to re-sign Shannon Brown, as well as sign former Texas University standout P.J. Tucker and produce a three-way trade with the New Orleans Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Two days later, the Suns exchanged Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick to the Hornets and the Lakers' 2014 second round pick to the Timberwolves for Brad Miller's expiring contract and Jerome Dyson's non-guaranteed contract from the Hornets, as well as Wesley Johnson and a lottery protected 2013 first round draft pick that will stay in the first round until 2016 from the Timberwolves, which would then turn into two second round picks in 2016 and 2017. On August 15, 2012, the Suns decided to waive Jerome Dyson and Brad Miller's contracts and sign a one-year deal for Jermaine O'Neal. Former Suns player Leandro Barbosa considered playing for the Suns again, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, before officially signing with the Boston Celtics on October 17, 2012. Luke Zeller and Diante Garrett were initially announced as training camp invitees on October 1. However, due to the heart condition involving Channing Frye, both players ended up making the team. Other players announced as possible candidates that day include Othyus Jeffers, Solomon Jones, and Ike Diogu.

Coaching changes

Before the 2011–12 NBA season officially ended, Bill Cartwright had announced that he will not be returning as an assistant head coach to the Phoenix Suns. On July 2012, Elston Turner had competed for the head coach spot for the Portland Trail Blazers. Ultimately, he was not hired, and he stayed as an assistant coach for at least the start of the season. On August 28, 2012, the Suns hired Lindsey Hunter as an initial assistant head coach for player development. On October 4, 2012, the Suns also added both Sean Rooks and Basketball Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson as assistants for player development as well. Phoenix Mercury head coach Corey Gaines has also gained an assistant head coach role for player development later on in the season as well. The same thing would also be said for Dan Panaggio later on in 2013 as well.

On January 18, 2013, head coach Alvin Gentry was fired from head coaching duties. Gentry's firing came right after the Suns' worst opening stint in 28 years. Two days later, the Suns had announced that Lindsey Hunter will surprisingly take on the role of interim head coach for the Suns instead of either Dan Majerle or Elston Turner throughout the remainder of the season. It was also announced that Sean Rooks would resign from his developmental coaching duties. A day later, Suns fan favorite Dan Majerle announced that he would resign from his assistant head coaching duties as well. Two more days later, defensive assistant head coach Elston Turner announced his resignation from his duties as well. Because of their resignations, Phoenix Mercury head coach Corey Gaines has now gained a more permanent assistant coaching role for at least the rest of the season. In addition, former Suns scout and Shanghai Sharks head coach Dan Panaggio from the Chinese Basketball Association ended up becoming a new assistant head coach.

Salaries

Because the Suns decided to amnesty Josh Childress' contract, he still gets paid the $6,500,000 that he would have been owed had he played for the Suns this season. While he still gets paid money out of being amnestied from the team for two more seasons, his salary does not actually affect the Suns' actual salary cap. In addition, since Brad Miller's contract guaranteed him around $850,000 this season, he was paid that salary despite being waived by the team and retiring in the process. Also, because Luke Zeller was waived from the team after January 10, 2013 came to fruition, his rookie salary of $473,604 ended up being counted by the Suns' salary cap as well since his contract was guaranteed by that point of the season.

Season

* – Stats with the Suns.

Team Milestones

Injuries/Personal Missed Games

Trades

^ I: The Minnesota Timberwolves had initially planned to send their own first round pick (top-13 protect from 2013–2014; top-12 protected from 2015–2016) to the Suns before they traded it away to the Boston Celtics on January 9, 2015 for Brandan Wright. However, because Minnesota couldn't convey a first round selection for the Celtics due to their selections in those years being protected (including a #1 draft pick of their own) by 2016 due to them being eliminated from playoff contention in late March 2016, the Timberwolves would convey their 2016 & 2017 second round draft picks to Boston instead.
^ II: The Toronto Raptors would send the least favorable of their own 2014 second round pick (top-36 protected) and the Sacramento Kings' 2014 second round pick (top-55 protected). If both picks fall outside of their protection level, then Toronto's obligation for a second round pick in that year is extinguished and the pick then goes to the New York Knicks instead due to an earlier trade that not only involved the Raptors and the Knicks, but also the Boston Celtics.

Additions

^ a: P.J. originally signed a contract to play for Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia. However, due to his performance in the Phoenix Suns' Summer League team, P.J. had earned the right to opt out of his contract with Spartak St. Petersburg and sign with the Suns. The last team P.J. officially played for, however, was with the Brose Baskets Bamberg in Germany. P.J. was also using his birth name of Anthony Tucker at that time as well.
^ b: Both Diante and Luke had initial rookie scale minimum deals due to being undrafted and spending their first seasons with the NBA. However, their deals weren't officially guaranteed until they continued to stay with the team on January 10, 2013. After the January 10 deadline, while both Garrett and Zeller ended up getting their money guaranteed, Zeller would end up being waived after the Suns traded for Marcus Morris, while Garrett was the only player to have stayed with the team at the end of the season.

Subtractions

^ c: Because Josh Childress was amnestied from the Suns, he still got paid the remainder of his contract with the Suns (3 Years, $21 Million), but his salary away from the team did not affect the team's overall salary cap during that time period.
^ d: Childress would get waived by the Brooklyn Nets on December 29, 2012, and would not play for the rest of the season.
^ e: Aaron Brooks originally left the Suns due to the 2011 NBA lockout in concerns of playing for the 2011–12 NBA season. He signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association. However, due to the CBA's newest policy during the lockout, he could not return to the Suns once the lockout ended. After his season with Guangdong officially ended, the Suns decided not to re-sign him for a new contract that year. He was initially given a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent with restricted benefits, but he was eventually rescinded of his restricted rights and became an unrestricted free agent.
^ f: Brooks originally signed with the Sacramento Kings after the Suns decided to not use his restricted free agent rights that they initially had. Brooks continued to play for the Kings until March 1, 2013, which would be when the Kings decided to waive his contract. Four days later, Brooks decided to return to his original team, the Houston Rockets, for the rest of the season. As a result, the 2011 trade of having Goran Dragić being sent to the Houston Rockets and Aaron Brooks being sent to the Suns more or less ended up being reversed around two years later.
^ g: Ronnie Price would be waived by the Portland Trail Blazers on February 21, 2013.
^ h: Hakim Warrick was first traded to the New Orleans Hornets along with Robin Lopez. However, later on in the month of November, the Hornets decided to trade Warrick to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Matt Carroll, who would never play a single game for the Hornets. In contrast, Warrick only played one game for the Hornets before the trade happened. However, Warrick would be traded once again before the trade deadline; this time, he was sent to the Orlando Magic in exchange for power forward Josh McRoberts. Warrick would then be waived from the Orlando Magic two days after the trade deadline; he would never play a single game for the Magic.
^ i: Even though Brad Miller announced that after last season he would retire from playing basketball, he still had obligations in his contract that allowed him to come over with the Suns. Once the Suns decided to let him go (alongside Jerome Dyson), Miller would officially announce his retirement from playing basketball. In addition, even though Michael Redd was considered a free agent after his season with the Suns was over with, he never did find a new team for him to sign up with. As a result, Redd would announce his retirement from the NBA on November 6, 2013, well over a year after being an unrestricted free agent.
^ j: Luke Zeller first tried out for the Georgia national basketball team during the 2013 EuroBasket Tournament's tryouts at the end of the 2012–13 season before signing with the D-League's Austin Toros (which was also the last team Zeller played for before signing up with the Suns) nearly an entire year after being waived by the Suns on December 27, 2013.