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Phoenix Suns Announce 2015 NBA Summer League Roster

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin (20) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin (20) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Phoenix Suns have announced their official 12-man roster for the 2015 NBA Summer League taking place in Las Vegas from Jul. 10-20. Highlighted by first round draft pick Devin Booker and youngsters Alex Len, Archie Goodwin and T.J. Warren, the Summer Suns also have quite a few unfamiliar faces.

The Suns will tipoff their Summer League action on Jul. 11 against the Washington Wizards. They’ll play the Houston Rockets on Jul. 12, followed by the Utah Jazz on Jul. 14. After that the Suns are guaranteed at least two more games in a tournament-style competition to determine the 2015 NBA Summer League champions.

The team will be coached by assistant coach/player development coordinator Nate Bjorkgren. Here’s a look at the complete 12-man roster:

As you can see, there are quite a few unfamiliar names on the list. Here’s a quick breakdown of each player on the roster:

  • Devin Booker – With the 13th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Suns took this 6’6″ sharpshooter out of Kentucky. Pegged by many as the purest shooter in his draft class, Booker will get his opportunity to show he’s ready for NBA minutes as someone who can spread the floor with his three-point shot and attack the defense when it closes out too fast on him. This will be Phoenix’s first extended look at their rookie, which is always the most exciting part of Summer League.
  • Alec Brown – In the 2014 NBA Draft, Phoenix selected this 7’1″ big out of Green Bay with the 50th overall pick. Brown played for the Summer Suns last year, but injured his left shoulder in the team’s final game and was ruled out for 3-4 months following surgery. He wound up playing for the Bakersfield Jam, where he averaged 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game. He only shot 34.1 percent from three-point range, but Brown is capable of spreading the floor with a respectable long range shot.
  • Justin Carter – Undrafted out of Creighton in 2010, this 6’4″ wing has been playing overseas in Slovakia and Turkey, most recently for Galatasaray Liv Hospital in Turkey. In his last season there, the 28-year-old averaged 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
  • Archie Goodwin – One of the most familiar faces on the Summer Suns, the upcoming 2015-16 season represents Goodwin’s best chance to crack the rotation. Though he’s still only 20 years old and there’s no rush to get him out on the court, Goodwin was impatient with his minutes last year and fans are eager to see his growth in extended minutes. The addition of another shooting guard in Devin Booker means it’s time to impress once again in Summer League.
  • Luke Harangody – You might remember Luke Harangody from his stellar collegiate career at Notre Dame, earning the 2008 Big East Player of the Year Award before being taken by the Boston Celtics at No. 52 in the 2010 NBA Draft. Harangody wasn’t able to stick in the NBA, though he did have a 17-point, 11-rebound, two-block performance in 2011. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers about a month after that game and eventually waived in November 2012. Harangody was most recently seen playing for Valencia in Spain, where he averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on 53.5 percent shooting (48.6 percent from three-point range).
  • Justin Harper – Harper will join the Suns in Las Vegas after he finishes playing with the Detroit Pistons’ Summer League team in Orlando. A 6’10” power forward out of Richmond, Harper was originally drafted by the Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to the Orlando Magic. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he signed with SIG Strasbourg in France. He’s since bounced around from the Magic to the D-League to Israel to Italy. Harper fits the stretch-4 role that the Suns seem to be high on with their current roster.
  • Josh Harrellson – At 6’10”, Harrellson is yet another stretch-big who was originally drafted in 2011. He spent one season with the New York Knicks, part of one with the Miami Heat and part of another with the Detroit Pistons, shooting 34.7 percent from three-point range. He shot a career high 38.7 percent from downtown in 2013-14 before a knee injury took him out.
  • Mike James – A native of Mesa, AZ, this former Eastern Arizona College player could earn a training camp invite for a team in need of a backup point guard. Though James is more of a scoring point guard, he averaged 12.9 points per game for Vitoria in Spain in his most recent season, shooting 51 percent from the field and 38 percent from deep.
  • Alex Len – Quite the recognizable face for the Summer Suns, Alex Len is hoping to have a little better luck this year after injuring his pinkie finger in Phoenix’s first Summer League game last year. Len emerged as Phoenix’s starting center this past season, averaging 6.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in the starting rotation. Now it’s time to see if he can stay on the court and spread the floor as a stretch-5.
  • Mickey McConnell – Another undrafted player in the 2011 NBA Draft class, McConnell has spent the last few years playing in Italy, the D-League and most recently, Germany. McConnell could be another candidate for a training camp invite as a backup point guard who averaged 16.4 points and 6.1 assists per game in his final collegiate season with the St. Mary’s Gaels.
  • Jerel McNeal – If you were still paying attention to the Suns down the (brutal) stretch of the 2014-15 season, you’ll remember McNeal as the Bakersfield Jam call-up who joined the team in April and is on a non-guaranteed contract for the upcoming season. Though his time in Phoenix was limited to nine points, 36 minutes and six games, McNeal averaged 19.2 points, 4.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game in 26 appearances with the Jam, earning the D-League Impact Player of the Year Award.
  • T.J. Warren – Warren was a revelation as a rookie at last year’s Summer League, averaging 17.8 points per game — an average that would’ve been higher if not for one game where he only played seven minutes. Warren looked like the smartest offensive player on the court at times last season, and the Suns are looking forward to seeing what he’s able to do in his second season in the league…especially now that the depth chart at the small forward position no longer includes Marcus Morris and Danny Granger.

Next: Phoenix Suns: Life After LaMarcus Aldridge

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