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Suns owner Robert Sarver told USA TODAY Sports on Monday that Gentry is safe through the end of this season. "(Gentry) is not an issue for us this year," Sarver said by phone. "We're not looking to make a (coaching) change." Asked repeatedly if he was saying Gentry would be the coach at season's end, Sarver said "yes." USA Today

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Robert Sarver, Alvin Gentry 

Were Gentry in trouble, Suns player development coordinator and former NBA point guard Lindsey Hunter is seen by some as an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks in the vein of Orlando's first-year coach, Jacque Vaughn. But the Suns, as Sarver indicated, are focused elsewhere as they consider how to fix their team. USA Today

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Robert Sarver, Alvin Gentry 

Things are going badly for the Phoenix Suns, but not badly enough for the team to consider making a coaching change. A day after the Suns lost their seventh straight game to fall to 7-15, team owner Robert Sarver told ESPN.com that head coach Alvin Gentry's job is safe. "We've got confidence in our coaching staff and we're not considering making changes," Sarver said in a telephone interview on Monday. ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Robert Sarver, Alvin Gentry 

"It's still early in the season," he said. "We're playing worse than our talent, and a lot of that has to do with confidence. It's up to the coaches and players to start playing better and to get that swagger back and turn things around. Things can turn quickly in this league." ESPN.com

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Robert Sarver, Alvin Gentry 

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 

On how hard he had to push Suns’ owner Robert Sarver to get this to happen: Steve Nash: “I definitely pushed him, and it was a difficult thing for him to do, and I won’t forget the gesture. Going to L.A. was not an easy thing. I think I said a week before free agency it would be hard to put on a Lakers jersey, and I meant that. We´ve gone through some playoff battles and they’re a rival and an enemy to some of the Suns fans, but at the end of the day the Suns were moving in a new direction and in some ways I felt like I couldn’t cut off my nose to spite my face. Chance to go to Los Angeles, be as close as possible to the kids, primarily. And then other than that, a chance to win, to live in a new place and all the things that come with that as well. I just felt like I’d given my good, hard shift for the Suns and I think Robert appreciated my eight years. And I definitely had to push because it was a hard thing for him to do, but I’ll always be very thankful that he was willing to make it happen.” Sports Radio Interviews

Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Free Agency, Steve Nash, Robert Sarver 

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 

However, industry sources monitoring the free-agent market have identified Toronto as one of four teams that pose the greatest danger to the Suns in terms of signing Nash away, including the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. It has been widely anticipated that Phoenix would offer him a new two-year deal worth at least $20 million, but it remains to be seen how far Suns owner Robert Sarver will go when the bids start coming in. ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Free Agency, Steve Nash, Robert Sarver 

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 

A couple days after Phoenix acquired Shaquille O’Neal from Miami for Shawn Marion and Jason Richardson, Robert Sarver and I discussed the deal outside the Suns' locker room. "This wasn’t a 2-1 trade, it was 3-1," he informed me with a big smile. "How do you figure that?" I asked. "We not only moved Marion and Richardson, we got rid of their agent as well." New York Post

Phoenix Suns, Trade, Shaquille O'Neal, Jason Richardson, Shawn Marion, Robert Sarver 

The Suns went into the break miserably, losing a chance at momentum with a home defeat to Golden State. Nash said the All-Star break was good timing to put the loss that enraged Coach Alvin Gentry behind them and regroup with two days of practice. “We’ve got to find a way to believe and fight for it and see what happens,” Nash said. “You never know if we got on a five-, six-, seven-, who knows, 10-game winning streak, what it does to your chances. I don’t know if we’re good enough to do that but we’re good enough to win some of these games we’ve lost. And if we do that, you never know when you’ll get a little break or a nice bounce and you put yourself in the playoffs.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, Robert Sarver 

Statistically, the Suns should be on the fringe of the race to be among eight playoff teams. Phoenix ranks eighth in the West in defensive field goal percentage and ninth in offensive field goal percentage. However, only Golden State rebounds worse in the West than Phoenix. “I’m disappointed,” Sarver said. “I think we haven’t performed up to the level of our potential. If we want to be a playoff team, we have to make up ground and definitely hold the fort better (at home). I think we can make up the ground but we’ve got to start winning more at home. “I think we’re potentially a playoff team but we’re going to have to show it.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robert Sarver 

Phoenix is the only team that will not have a home game this season against Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York or Orlando. "I was disappointed for our fans," Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver said. "When the preliminary schedule came out, I asked the league to reconsider and they didn't. You've got to factor in all the arenas and timelines, and they weren't able to move dates around." Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Robert Sarver, Schedule 

Miami's Mickey Arison and the Lakers Jerry Buss are pushing for a deal while Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert and the Suns Robert Sarver's are among the hard line owners unhappy with the offer the players recently rejected. "Mickey has a higher guru in Pat Riley to handle the business," says Shaq, who retired in June. "He makes unorthodox moves but his moves pay off. Sarver…his moves don't pay off. "We need to create a system where the owners are protected from themselves. They're trying to blame us for bad management. Both sides bring up great issues but it will be a shame if we lose a season." New York Daily News

Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Shaquille O'Neal, Pat Riley, Dan Gilbert, Jerry Buss, Micky Arison, Robert Sarver 

But fans aren’t the only ones upset with these owners. Players and agents are just as frustrated, and one agent tells HOOPSWORLD that they’ll remember their actions long after the lockout comes to an end. “I don’t want any of my clients playing for Michael Jordan, Paul Allen, Robert Sarver, Dan Gilbert or Peter Holt,” said one agent. “We won’t sign with them, unless they’re willing to really overpay. That’s going to be the only way these hardline owners are going to land any free agents after the way they’ve handled these negotiations.” HoopsWorld

Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Free Agency, Michael Jordan, Paul Allen, CBA, Dan Gilbert, Lockout, Robert Sarver, Agents, Peter Holt 

Among the most intractable owners, according to sources -- Paul Allen, Dan Gilbert, Robert Sarver, Michael Heisley, Ted Leonsis, Mikhail Prokhorov (yes, him), and now we learn, Michael Jordan -- only Heisley has faced any kind of public backlash. The Grizzlies owner, who admitted last week he doesn't even know what's going on in the negotiations, has been the only one to face a potential challenge in the form of a possible lawsuit by the city of Memphis to recoup losses sustained by a prolonged lockout. CBSSports.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Michael Jordan, Paul Allen, Dan Gilbert, Mikhail Prokhorov, Michael Heisley, Lockout, Robert Sarver, Ted Leonsis 

Ken Berger: Also, who couldn't love the irony that of the five sign-and-trades by tax-payers during previous CBA, two were done by Sarver and Heisley? Twitter

Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, CBA, Michael Heisley, Lockout, Robert Sarver, NBPA 

Robert Sarver of Phoenix and Dan Gilbert of Cleveland didn’t sign the letter in ’06, but they are now two of the biggest advocates for change in both revenue sharing and reducing player compensation. The Maloof family that owns the Kings was coming off six consecutive winning seasons and was used to selling every seat when the letter was authored. Now, they are in dire financial straits and are certainly looking for reform. In addition to the Bobcats and Hornets changing hands, the Wizards, Warriors, 76ers, Pistons and Hawks have also been sold in the past two years to groups who are expecting a new CBA to be more favorable to owners than the previous one. The Nets were also sold last season, but new owner Mikhail Prokhorov is not believed to be among those clamoring for change. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, CBA, Dan Gilbert, Mikhail Prokhorov, David Stern, Lockout, Robert Sarver, Owners 

Alex Kennedy: "Paul Allen, Peter Holt, Wyc Grousbeck, Robert Sarver and Dan Gilbert are all hardliners. They are stopping the progress," said NBPA source. Twitter

Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Paul Allen, CBA, Dan Gilbert, Wyc Grousbeck, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, Robert Sarver, NBPA, Peter Holt 

Nevertheless, Garnett had every right to interject himself into the process. This is a stars league, and the NBA will need those stars to sell it again. To end this lockout with the best players in the league feeling left out of the discussion, left silent, everyone’s asking for trouble, because it will not be Donald Sterling and Robert Sarver and James Dolan bringing the NBA back in the public eye. It will be the best players. Whenever this ends, they had to be a part of the fight, the debate and, ultimately, the resolution. “We can’t have completely poisoned waters here when this is over,” one front-office executive said. “Stern gets that, but I’m not sure all of our owners do. We have to have these guys on board, or where are we as a league?” Yahoo! Sports

Boston Celtics, CBA, James Dolan, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, Robert Sarver, NBPA, Kevin Garnett, Donald Sterling, Owners