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Grant cites new teammates for picking Suns
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2005 12:00 AM
Steve Nash had Brian Grant at hello.
Ready to recruit Grant on a call, Nash became the first to learn the veteran post player would sign with Phoenix.
"I liked the fact he picked up the phone to call," Grant said while house hunting Tuesday in the Valley. "It let me know he wanted me to be here. I said, 'I'm coming to Phoenix,' and he said, 'You are?' "
Grant, waived by the Lakers under a tax-saving amnesty rule, said he picked Phoenix over Chicago. He respected the Bulls staff and thought their style resembled how Miami played when he was there.
Despite richer offers, Grant will sign Thursday with the Suns for a $1.67 million exception and a second-year player option.
"I'm a big Steve Nash fan, have been since he's been in the league," Grant said. "I wanted to play with Amaré (Stoudemire) and Jimmy (Jackson, a Miami teammate). It was the fit and the opportunity to be alongside Kurt Thomas and Amaré. They made a great run, especially during the regular season. It definitely helped to have a great chance of getting out of the West and making a championship run."
Grant talked with Suns coach Mike D'Antoni but a call from assistant Marc Iavaroni, a Heat assistant during Grant's first two years in Miami, was as important.
"He's someone I have a lot of trust in," Grant said. "He said he's thought about me coming here the past two years. Now that the opportunity came up, he brought my name up a lot."
Grant, 6 feet 9 and 254 pounds, expects to play mostly center. It is a position he has manned often despite his size, much like Thomas.
"My role would definitely be to defend, go after some rebounds and take some pressure off Amaré," Grant said.
Grant, 33, will have to do it through pain after several surgeries on knees that are plagued by chronic tendinitis. The knees and a neck injury held him to eight starts and 16.5 minutes per game last year. He will undergo a physical before he signs.
"My health is great," he said. "I had a great summer, and I'm looking forward to running even more with a high-paced team and a point guard who can do anything."
Phoenix has another amnesty target in Michael Finley, who is expected to make visits before picking a team. Finley has only a two-day span because he was waived later. His other suitors include Miami, San Antonio and Detroit. ESPN reported Dallas owner Mark Cuban may have offered to shorten the payment plan of Finley's deferred salary (about $30 million) if he signed with a team in the East.
Phoenix's Joe Johnson trade with Atlanta is expected to close Friday with a possible wrinkle.
The trade exception Phoenix will get may be worth $6 million instead of $4.9 million. The Suns are likely to use the $1,875,000 trade exception from the Jake Voskuhl deal with Charlotte to offset incoming guard Boris Diaw's $1.2 million salary.
Phoenix could use the larger exception to acquire a player with a salary of up to $6.1 million.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0817suns0817.html
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2005 12:00 AM
Steve Nash had Brian Grant at hello.
Ready to recruit Grant on a call, Nash became the first to learn the veteran post player would sign with Phoenix.
"I liked the fact he picked up the phone to call," Grant said while house hunting Tuesday in the Valley. "It let me know he wanted me to be here. I said, 'I'm coming to Phoenix,' and he said, 'You are?' "
Grant, waived by the Lakers under a tax-saving amnesty rule, said he picked Phoenix over Chicago. He respected the Bulls staff and thought their style resembled how Miami played when he was there.
Despite richer offers, Grant will sign Thursday with the Suns for a $1.67 million exception and a second-year player option.
"I'm a big Steve Nash fan, have been since he's been in the league," Grant said. "I wanted to play with Amaré (Stoudemire) and Jimmy (Jackson, a Miami teammate). It was the fit and the opportunity to be alongside Kurt Thomas and Amaré. They made a great run, especially during the regular season. It definitely helped to have a great chance of getting out of the West and making a championship run."
Grant talked with Suns coach Mike D'Antoni but a call from assistant Marc Iavaroni, a Heat assistant during Grant's first two years in Miami, was as important.
"He's someone I have a lot of trust in," Grant said. "He said he's thought about me coming here the past two years. Now that the opportunity came up, he brought my name up a lot."
Grant, 6 feet 9 and 254 pounds, expects to play mostly center. It is a position he has manned often despite his size, much like Thomas.
"My role would definitely be to defend, go after some rebounds and take some pressure off Amaré," Grant said.
Grant, 33, will have to do it through pain after several surgeries on knees that are plagued by chronic tendinitis. The knees and a neck injury held him to eight starts and 16.5 minutes per game last year. He will undergo a physical before he signs.
"My health is great," he said. "I had a great summer, and I'm looking forward to running even more with a high-paced team and a point guard who can do anything."
Phoenix has another amnesty target in Michael Finley, who is expected to make visits before picking a team. Finley has only a two-day span because he was waived later. His other suitors include Miami, San Antonio and Detroit. ESPN reported Dallas owner Mark Cuban may have offered to shorten the payment plan of Finley's deferred salary (about $30 million) if he signed with a team in the East.
Phoenix's Joe Johnson trade with Atlanta is expected to close Friday with a possible wrinkle.
The trade exception Phoenix will get may be worth $6 million instead of $4.9 million. The Suns are likely to use the $1,875,000 trade exception from the Jake Voskuhl deal with Charlotte to offset incoming guard Boris Diaw's $1.2 million salary.
Phoenix could use the larger exception to acquire a player with a salary of up to $6.1 million.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0817suns0817.html
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