HoopsHype.com Rumors

Chris Mannix: Interesting candidate being floated by rival execs for Suns GM job: Grant Hill. Hill used to be repped by Lon Babby. Robert Sarver a big fan Twitter @ChrisMannixSI

Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Grant Hill 

Marc Stein: Another indication Lindsey Hunter on shaky ground: I'm told Suns tried to hire Mike Brown after Alvin Gentry was fired and AGAIN this month Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Mike Brown, Lindsey Hunter 

Marc Stein: Word is Suns reached out to Brown to see if he'd come to PHX now but sources say Brown passed to focus on Cavs (and other potential gigs). Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Mike Brown 

Ken Berger: Decision on Suns interim coach Lindsey Hunter won't come this week, source says. Search likely to open up once new GM in is in place. Twitter @KBergCBS

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lindsey Hunter 

The Phoenix Suns today announced that Lance Blanks will no longer serve as the club’s general manager. “Lance has been a trusted friend and colleague,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. “I thank him personally and professionally for his hard work on behalf of the Suns. We will continue to prepare for the offseason even as we look for his replacement.” NBA.com

Phoenix Suns, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks 

Marc Stein: Suns announce ouster of GM Lance Blanks. Throws future of coach Lindsey Hunter into immediate doubt given Blanks seen as Hunter's main ally Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lance Blanks, Lindsey Hunter 

Adrian Wojnarowski: For Suns GM job - dysfunctional franchise, cheap owner - an easy name among those who'd get more out of less: Knicks exec Mark Warkentien. Twitter

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Mark Warkentien 

Gortat was brutally honest in his assessment of the team’s issues, and ripped the lack of character displayed by the team’s younger players. “I think we need some changes,” he said. “We need some serious conversations. We need to look in the mirror and each one of us has got to ask if we did everything that was necessary to win, or if we did everything that was necessary to perform at 100 percent. But first of all I’m going to look at myself. I’m going to try to correct myself and hopefully the management and the front office people will do the right thing.” NBCSports.com

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat 

When asked what skill set needed to be improved on the roster, Gortat pointed to issues more mental than physical. “Well, I would say we are missing character,” he said. “We are missing just strong minds on the team. We are just weak, mentally weak, basically. I would say that we just need more talent. We need more talent, we need more athletic, energetic guys, and people that want to compete and fight. That’s it." NBCSports.com

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat 

Brett Pollakoff: Spoke with Shannon Brown, who couldn't have been happier to have this season behind him. Twitter @BrettEP

Phoenix Suns, Shannon Brown 

Brett Pollakoff: Lindsey Hunter leaves his presser saying "Thanks, maybe I'll see you, maybe I won't." Genuinely not worried about his future either way. Twitter @BrettEP

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lindsey Hunter 

Marc Stein: Sense I get in PHX: Interim coach Lindsey Hunter NOT assured of returning but will not learn fate immediately. Suns will take some time Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lindsey Hunter 

The Suns conducted their exit interviews a week ago, and a person familiar with the process told CBSSports.com that interim coach Lindsey Hunter did not fare well in his player evaluations. The Suns went 12-29 under Hunter -- one game worse than the first half of the season under Alvin Gentry -- and there's a feeling among some players that the team regressed. "Players don't want him back," one league source said. President Lon Babby received a two-year extension earlier this month. GM Lance Blanks, who was instrumental in appointing Hunter as interim coach, has one year left on his contract. CBSSports.com

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Lindsey Hunter 

Scola and Dragic were asked whether they would recommend interim head coach Lindsey Hunter returning next season. Both players punted the topic. “That’s a tough question,” Dragic said. “ ... I’m here to play basketball. It’s not my decision to make.” Dragic did say he liked Hunter’s approach to practice. “Alvin (Gentry) was a great coach for the veteran players; he knows when to give them a day off, but for our team we have a young team and we really need to practice hard every day,” Dragic said. “When he (Hunter) took over the team I think we maybe had one or two days off. I think it should be like that.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Lindsey Hunter 

Scola said he thought Hunter did “a great job. Circumstances were bad and he did as good as he could. But I don’t make those decisions. I’m just a player.” Would a third coach in less than a year be unsettling for the team? “I think it would be a sign of things being bad,” Scola said. “But things are bad.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Lindsey Hunter 

For a season and a half, Brown’s eyes widened when his play intensified for Phoenix. The topic of going from starter to bench fixture for two months also widens his eyes. “I did what I needed to do as a starter and handled my business,” Brown said. “For some reason, they want to cut my legs from under me. I know I’m built for it. I did a great job of holding my composure and not letting it get to me to where I did something detrimental to my career. I showed a lot of character by sitting back while I was taken advantage of in a lot of ways. I’ve done everything asked of me in practice and made sure to show these people what time it is. It definitely hurts to sit on the bench, watching us lose night in and night out knowing I can help and being lied to. It’s been a crazy year. I’m just glad I made it through.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Shannon Brown 

“I was told that it would change,” Brown said. “It’s one thing hoping. It’s another thing being told that and it doesn’t happen. I could see if we were winning, but we just won our first game in 11 games. “The part that hurts most is, whenever I step on the court, I give whatever I got even though it might not be the best situation. I give it all until it hurts. It hurts even more when you’re always fighting an uphill mountain-climb battle with no gear, butt-naked out there, clawing and scratching. People come to me and apologize for what’s going on.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Shannon Brown 

Asked who pledged a change or lied, Brown only said, “The people in charge.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Shannon Brown 

Cleveland and Phoenix are deadlocked at 24-56 for the third spot. A third-place lottery team has a 16 percent chance of picking No. 1 and about a 50-50 shot at picking somewhere in the top three. If there is a tie, the Cavs and Suns would essentially split their chances. The team winning a coin flip would get 138 out of 1,000 chances in the lottery and the other team 137 chances. More importantly, the coin flip would also determine the order should neither team be drawn in the lottery. The lottery drawing determines only the top three picks. Others then are slotted by record for picks four through 14. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Draft 

Suns center Jermaine O'Neal, I'm told, is leaning strongly toward playing in 2013-14 in what would be his 19th season. He's as healthy as he has been in years, so score another one for the knee clinic in Germany that Kobe happens to swear by, as well as the Suns' vaunted athletic training staff. The 34-year-old big man will be a free agent in July. ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Jermaine O'Neal