HoopsHype.com Rumors

On whether Gentry ever indicated wanting to stay: “Take it for what it is. It was a mutual decision. I’m not going to go through the entire conversation. That is private among me, Robert and Alvin but it was a good cordial, amicable conversation with everyone coming out of it with good faith and trying to do the right thing for the organization.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lon Babby, Alvin Gentry 

Paul Coro: Babby said the #Suns brass will talk to internal candidates before naming an interim coach in the next 48 hours. Twitter @paulcoro

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lon Babby 

Paul Coro: Babby: "We know we are in transition. It's not as if we had unreal expectations." But brass expected the #Suns to contend for the playoffs. Twitter @paulcoro

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lon Babby 

Paul Coro: Babby said that management never dictated who Gentry would play. He said there was no "disconnect." Twitter @paulcoro

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lon Babby 

John Gambadoro: Owner Robert Sarver and President of Basketball operations Lon Babby met with Gentry this morning Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Alvin Gentry 

The Suns went for the gold in trying to negotiate a deal to acquire James Harden from Oklahoma City, but Houston landed the gold medalist Saturday. The Suns have assets of salary-cap space, draft picks (10 in the next three years) and players on good contracts but no offering struck Oklahoma City’s fancy, and the Thunder sought more than Phoenix was willing to give. “We were engaged in discussions on numerous occasions,” Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said. “We most recently met in person when we played them (in Tulsa, Okla., on Oct. 19). At the end of the day, there wasn’t a deal that was workable for both sides.” Arizona Republic

Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Trade, James Harden, Lon Babby 

When the Suns faced Oklahoma City on Friday night in Tulsa, Okla., and Thunder guard James Harden was sitting out the game because of a groin strain, the BOK Center’s largest crowd ever (beating George Strait’s record) broke out a “We want James!” chant. There is no truth that Suns executives in attendance — Lon Babby, Lance Blanks and John Treloar — started the chant. But there is no question the Suns want Harden, a former Arizona State star who will be on a track to become a restricted free agent in July if he does not agree to a contract extension by Oct.31. Arizona Republic

Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, James Harden, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks 

If he is a restricted free agent, you could assume that Phoenix and other teams would offer Harden a maximum-level, four-year contract. The bigger question is whether Harden will be allowed to get to that point and whether signing Harden to an offer sheet would be as fruitless as it was for the Suns with Eric Gordon. Harden could accept slightly less than a maximum deal with his preference in Oklahoma City, whose small-market finances would like him to sacrifice money to lessen the more punitive new luxury tax’s impending burden. The Thunder’s maximum-level contracts for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and a four-year, $48million deal for Serge Ibaka make a Harden decision taxing. But with multiple teams sure to come with a maximum offer for Harden, it is hard to see him agreeing to less, especially after how his agent, Rob Pelinka, handled Gordon’s situation. Arizona Republic

Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, James Harden, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, Rob Pelinka 

Suns president Lon Babby wasn't thrilled about trading Nash to the Lakers, calling it a "basketball decision" that was better than losing Nash for nothing. Phoenix will now have significant salary-cap space next summer, giving them the ability to sign one or two major free agents. "My first reaction was I can't do that," Babby said. "As time went on, [Suns owner] Robert Sarver was really good and said, 'We have to make a basketball decision that's best for our franchise.' " Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Trade, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver 

Paul Coro: Suns prez Lon Babby said the front office "will not do anything dramatic at this point" with the roster due to Frye being out. Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Channing Frye, Lon Babby 

Paul Coro: Suns prez Lon Babby said the front office "will not do anything dramatic at this point" with the roster due to Frye being out. Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby 

The only way the Lakers could get Nash is by doing a sign-and-trade deal, and after this coming season, teams like L.A. that pay luxury tax will be prohibited from doing sign-and-trade deals. It was now or never. "The Lakers wanted him, and we didn't want him to go there, so we said, 'Let's see what we can get for him,' Babby said. In the end, it was Sarver's call. His first major deal as owner of the Suns, completed about 24 hours after his purchase of the team from Jerry Colangelo became official, was signing Nash away from Dallas. But he gave the green light for the trade. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Owners 

"The Suns and the Lakers have competed in the same division and conference for a long time," Sarver said. "But I think we're at different stages right now in terms of the two teams. At the end of the day, this just gave us the best option for assets, too, and from a basketball standpoint, if you kind of take the emotion out, it was the best thing for the Suns, for the franchise. I think we've shown in the last couple of years that drafting is one of our strengths, so it kind of played into our strengths. It's one of the things we definitely have to use to move our franchise forward, especially with the new rules with the new CBA." NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Lon Babby 

"People ask me whether it was a financial decision," Babby said. "I would say the answer was no. Because we had to get younger. We had to get more athletic. That great era had pretty much run its course, and if Steve was going to stay we would have to have a high-end backup or a borderline starter, because he was going to be 39, then 40." NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Lon Babby 

The transaction flurry that has defined the Suns this month has not included a contract extension for head coach Alvin Gentry. And that's not a surprise. We were escorted to the acceptance porch of this reality during Lon Babby's preamble-to-summer press conference back in June. "My view is if a person has a three-year contract, you assess it at the end of three years," the Suns' president of basketball operations said when asked about Gentry's status with the final year of his deal approaching. "That's how I'm going to be judged. I've talked to Alvin, and he's perfectly fine with that, and you know, there are a lot of very successful coaches in the league right now coaching in the final year of their contract. "This notion that you always have to be one year ahead, I don't think it's in his best interest, I don't think it's in our best interest ... but it has absolutely nothing to do with an assessment of his coaching ability or his performance. He understands that. He's our coach." Fox Sports Arizona

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lon Babby, Alvin Gentry 

Paul Coro: #Suns prez Lon Babby on Lopez: "Robin loved it in Phoenix but he made it clear he was really looking for an opportunity to be a starter." Twitter

New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robin Lopez 

"After visiting the Suns, the impression the organization made on me was incredible," Gordon said in a prepared statement. "Mr. Sarver, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, the front office staff and Coach Gentry run a first-class organization, and I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Lon Babby, Eric Gordon, Lance Blanks 

The Suns are prepared to use the available space elsewhere with President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby, General Manager Lance Blanks and Coach Alvin Gentry meeting unrestricted free agent Michael Beasley today in Los Angeles and restricted free agent Eric Gordon in Phoenix on Tuesday. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Michael Beasley, Lon Babby, Eric Gordon, Lance Blanks, Alvin Gentry 

Ken Berger: Suns president Lon Babby confirms team will meet with Eric Gordon, Raymond Felton and Goran Dragic in L.A. this week. (Via @PhoenixSuns) Twitter

Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Raymond Felton, Lon Babby, Goran Dragic, Eric Gordon 

The Suns are getting some interest in Lopez but Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said the team intends to retain Lopez because of his youth and the team’s need for rim protectors. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robin Lopez