HoopsHype.com Rumors

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. As for Brooks, the Suns already have Sebastian Telfair returning and could be doing one or two of the following things at that position – re-signing Steve Nash, drafting Marshall or signing a free agent point guard like well-traveled Raymond Felton or former Suns favorite Goran Dragic. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Draft, Steve Nash, Raymond Felton, Lon Babby, Goran Dragic, Robin Lopez, Aaron Brooks, Kendall Marshall 

Paul Coro: What brought Nash, Hill, Marion, Kerr, Babby & Sarver together last night? #Suns strength coach Mike Elliott's wedding. Congrats "Cowboy." Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Steve Kerr, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Grant Hill, Mike Elliott 

However, Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby is not one of those people. "I'm proud of the stance that we've taken and I'm proud of the stance that Steve has taken, and I think together we've been good partners in this," Babby told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf. "I hope the community feels that way." Babby was pleased that there has been no "circus" around the Nash rumors and, without naming names, was likely alluding to the Dwight Howard situation in Orlando, where the player is practically holding the team hostage. Arizona's Sports Page

Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Lon Babby 

Lon Babby was on the Doug and Wolf Show Wednesday afternoon and of course, the primary topic of discussion was the NBA Trade Deadline. In case you've been living under a rock, the deadline is Thursday, March 15 at 3pm ET. Nothing has changed on the Steve Nash trade front and it seems like the rest of the league has got that message. As for other deals, here's what Babby said: "We're working the phones constantly just to make sure that we've left no stone un-turned. But if you asked me for a prediction, I'd say there's nothing even remotely close to doing right now so it would have to be something that kind of fell out of the sky in the final 12 or 24 hours." And in summation he surmised, "I would anticipate that we would not do anything." Bright Side of the Sun

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Steve Nash, Lon Babby 

The Suns bought out Pietrus' contract, paying him about $4.2 million of his $5.3 million salary. Once he clears waivers, Pietrus can pick from a group of other interested teams, led by Boston, to make up the difference. "Both Mickael and us realized it'd be beneficial for both parties to party ways," Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said. "There's an expression that, 'All's well that ends well.' In this case, all's well that ends." Arizona Republic

Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Mickael Pietrus, Lon Babby 

Nash keeps repeating that he wants to stay with the Suns this season for better or worse. Beyond that, Nash is ineligible for a contract extension until July but was assured that the team wants him to remain in its long-term future. "I've met with him and he knows he's welcome to stay here as long as he wants," said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby, comparing it with how Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson remained in Detroit and Los Angeles, respectively. "The opportunity is available to him." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Lon Babby 

Suns President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Welts came to work Friday to tell team employees, many of whom he has worked alongside for nine years, that he is leaving them. Already mired in a league lockout, Suns employees did not need this news about their beloved boss but they helped to ease Welts' anxiousness about the move. As Welts revealed plans to leave by Sept. 15, he was joined in Managing Partner Robert Sarver's office by Sarver, Vice Chairman Sam Garvin, President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby - and good cheer. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Rick Welts 

He wanted to shoot down any notion that he was being pushed out the door by the Suns, praising the support he has received from team owner Robert Sarver. "I think amicable is probably an understatement," Welts said of his leaving the franchise. He said both he and Sarver were concerned that some might have a misperception that, because of the timing, the Suns wanted him to leave. "Nothing could be further from the truth," Welts said. "From the time I made my announcement in May, the Suns, and Robert in particular, have been unbelievably supportive." He said that he and Sarver had just spoke again by telephone to thank each other. ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Rick Welts 

Sarver said in a news release that the business side of the organization will report to general counsel Jason Rowley as the team searches for a new president. Sarver thanked Welts for "his tireless work on behalf of the Suns." Lon Babby remains the Suns' president of basketball operations. ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Rick Welts 

The Suns are promoting General Counsel Jason Rowley to executive vice president to assume Welts' duties on an interim basis. A national search of candidates, including Rowley, will be conducted to fill the spot. Rowley joined the Suns in 2008 and represented Sarver's purchase of the Suns in 2004. "He's got a breadth of knowledge of business," Babby said of Rowley. "He's a problem solver and that's a big asset for someone in that position." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Rick Welts, Jason Rowley 

Babby and other team officials have examined the history of teams that, like the Suns, stalled at the conference-finals level and then had to decide whether to keep their core players together or tear up the roster. What they discovered: Teams that embarked on a massive rebuilding project took an average of 10 years to get back to the conference finals. "And there's a lot of pain that goes into it," Babby said. "You're putting yourself in the hands of ping pong balls." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby 

Here is what Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said after the season about the team's planning: "We're going to find the solutions but we've got a lot of work to do. The challenge right now for us is, and I don't think this gets enough play in the analysis, we've got to prepare ourselves for whatever the new rules are going to be. A collective bargaining agreement is not just about the relationship between the players and the teams. It's also about dictating what mechanisms are available to you for building a successful team. Until we know what those are, we're trying to prepare ourselves for every conceivable scenario. But until we know what the rules are, you don't know what weapons you have to get better and what the model is for how you should get better. That's a big challenge. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby 

"How we go about getting what we need is going to be dictated largely by what the rules (of a new collective bargaining agreement) are. I think we have a pretty good sense of what the areas of need are. What means will we have to be able to do that? Will it be free agency? Will it be trades? Will it be the draft? Will it be a combination? That's going to be a challenge. We don't have those answers and we might not have them for a few months. "We come to work every day and try to prepare for every possible scenario and do a very honest evaluation of our team and all those who work here to see who we can do better and what their priorities are in terms of getting better. Trying to engage in a whole lot of scheming about what the various possibilities are. That's part of why we were brought here." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby 

To that end, though, Babby will recuse himself from contract negotiations with Hill this summer, leaving the Suns' discussions with Hill -- and with Babby's former partner at Williams and Connolly, Jim Tanner -- in the hands of Phoenix's assistant general manager, Lance Blanks. "I'm going to let Lance do it, because I just can't do it," Babby said. NBA.com

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, Grant Hill 

Steve Luhm: Working on a story for next week: Phoenix prez of basketball operations Lon Babby just told me the Suns are not trading Steve Nash. Twitter

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Steve Nash, Lon Babby 

Yet, there's at least one guy closely connected to what's happening in the desert who believes -- firm as team president Lon Babby was in stating that Suns management isn't at all excited by the prospect of blowing things up and trying to rebuild with youth -- the Suns do intend to explore how much they can get for Nash in the offseason. Whenever the NBA has another offseason after labor negotiations. "Steve is a Phoenix Sun and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say he's the face of that franchise," Bill Duffy, Nash's longtime agent, told ESPN.com this week. "But logic dictates that it would be prudent for the Suns to start looking at their long-term future in the summer, so we would expect that they may entertain moving him during the summer. We are ready for that and we anticipate a very respectful process if they decide to look at starting over with a younger core." ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Steve Nash, Lon Babby, Bill Duffy 

After Friday's Suns loss to Oklahoma City, Suns executives Lon Babby and Lance Blanks called Zabian Dowdell into the film room to talk. Dowdell had been eager for this moment, because Saturday was going to be the final day of his second 10-day contract, the point that a team has to sign the player for the rest of the season or let him go. Dowdell said it felt like "deja vu," having been called in to talk to them after a preseason game Oct. 19 and getting waived. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, Zabian Dowdell 

Nash still swears he has no intention of making that request, as forecasted back in December right after Phoenix shook up its roster. Asking to be dealt is not in the works as a birthday present to himself and not something Nash is plotting to spring on the Suns before the Feb. 24 trading deadline. Nash insisted again this week, as he lunched on five-bean soup and the healthiest of chopped salads at one of his go-to temples for food purity, that he won't be lobbying Suns owner Robert Sarver and new team president Lon Babby to send him to a contender. "Maybe I'm old school," Nash said, "but I signed a contract to play here and I want to honor it. I feel like I owe it to my teammates and the city and everybody to keep battling until they tell me it's time to go." ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Steve Nash, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver 

The Suns found a way to have a common center at practice on Thursday. Players and coaches gathered at midcourt and sat in a circle with Managing Partner Robert Sarver and President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. Each took a turn sharing what he and the next man could do better to help this 20-24 Suns team. "Keep plugging away and keep trying to get better, compete a little bit harder," coach Alvin Gentry said of the messages. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Robert Sarver, Alvin Gentry 

Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby opened his weekly KTAR-AM (620) segment this morning with an apology to Suns fans. "I apologize on behalf of our team for that game last night," Babby told KTAR's "Doug & Wolf." Babby, as he often does, had traveled with the team to Tuesday's 132-98 humiliation at Denver. "It's one thing to lose," Babby told KTAR." "it's another thing not to compete. And that's the part of this that I'm having a hard time fathoming and will not accept and our franchise will not accept it and our ownership will not accept it and our community should not accept it. "There's no way that anybody can tell me from a talent standpoint that should happen. There's a chemistry issue, I suppose. We've got to dig ourselves out of this by competing." Arizona Republic

Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby