Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye were the Suns’ big men whomade a lot of shots and a lot of money with their play.
Louis Amundson made a lot of friends. His popularity in Phoenixover the past two seasons prompted nearly as much local interest inhis free-agency future but he said it still appears that won’t keephim in Phoenix.
“It’s too bad Phoenix didn’t value me enough to keep me around,”Amundson said. “I felt like it was a great situation and I gaveeverything I have. It’s a business and I’m trying to have a thickskin.
“I was always concerned (about the chances). Knowing they signedHakim Warrick and Channing for that much money ($30 million overfive years), that was not a good sign.”
Amundson said Charlotte, Golden State and Toronto have showninterest in signing him. His hopes of landing in Denver, near hisBoulder, Colo., roots, fizzled once the Nuggets signed AlHarrington.
“We’re talking pretty seriously with a lot of teams,” saidAmundson’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, who represents anotherfree-agent big man (Mark Blount) that has the Suns’ interest. “He’sthe best big on the market.”
Amundson, 27, averaged 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocksin 14.8 minutes per game for the Suns last season.
“I really liked it there,” Amundson said. “I don’t likeleaving.”
BABBY STARTS WORK EARLY
Lon Babby begins work at US Airways Center as the Suns’ newpresident of basketball operations next week but he already hasstarted the job.
Much of the past two weeks has been consumed with his new roleand the first task on his list is to hire a general manager. Thatprocess has started anew after Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarvershifted course to have Babby oversee basketball operations, andDell Demps chose the New Orleans’ GM job with more authority overPhoenix’s GM role.
“I’m taking my time to get it right,” Babby said of the GM hire.”It’s an important order of business.
“I’m looking for someone who can complement my skill set, whichmeans a pure basketball evaluator. That can come in different formsbut it’s someone who is going to have the most influential voice ontalent. It’s got to be someone who fits our culture. Everything Ido, I’m going to keep an eye on keeping what’s already there incamaraderie and culture.”
The Suns also plan to add a full-time NBA scout to follow theleague in preparation for free agency or possible trades. Babbysaid that hire will follow the selection of a GM to allow him tohave input.
Suns center Robin Lopez’s withdrawal from USA Basketballtraining camp last week, a week after his addition, was aprecautionary move related to international play insurance and hispreviously injured back but Lopez has been healthy.
Lopez was cleared to perform by Suns doctors and a backspecialist. He has not had any more back pain or leg strengthissues.
He missed seven weeks toward the end of last season after beingdiagnosed with a bulging disk. The 22-year-old also underwentsurgery on a foot fracture during training camp in October.
Lopez was not a favorite to make Team USA’s World Championshiproster, which includes his twin brother, Brook.
The NBA regular-season schedule will be released in earlyAugust. The Suns’ preseason schedule will include two stops inCanadian guard Steve Nash’s homeland to play Toronto, new Sunsforward Hedo Turkoglu’s former team.
One game will be in Toronto and one will be on Oct.6 inVancouver, where the Suns last year played Portland at a sold-outRogers Arena (formerly GM Place). Some of the proceeds from thatgame benefited the Steve Nash Foundation.
Phoenix also played Seattle in Vancouver during the 2007preseason.
