Age: 26

Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Birthday: June 9, 1985

Height: 6-0

Weight: 175

Position: PG

Experience: 7 years

Draft: 2004, 13th overall by Portland

College: None

2011-12 Salary: $1,500,000

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2011-12 Season Outlook: Telfair signed with the Suns expecting to rejuvenate his career by becoming Steve Nash’s latest backup and protege, yet by preseason’s end he found himself looking up at Ronnie Price on the point guard depth chart. But Telfair has been through enough demotions during his pro career that the latest one is unlikely to faze him.

Besides, he understands the Suns will likely need both backup point guards at some point this season, whether it be because of a Nash injury, just to limit Two Time’s minutes or to provide a change of pace at the backup point guard spot. Whereas Price is a stalwart defender, Telfair is more adept at running at the offense and — theoretically at least — scoring the basketball.

Telfair believes the Suns’ open-court system suits his skills perfectly, if only he can get on the floor that is. Although he’s only 26, Telfair is starting to run out of chances in this league, and it’s not encouraging that he couldn’t even beat out the offensively challenged Price. The guess here is Telfair spends one largely forgettable season in Phoenix before the basketball vagabond moves on to the next stop. – Michael Schwartz

Biography:  Sebastian Telfair’s basketball career has been one of big leaps and hard landings. Telfair was a standout at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. His senior season was chronicled in Jonathan Hock’s documentary Through the Fire. Telfair was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004.

In two seasons with Portland, he was in and out of the starting lineup, but never truly lived up to the expectations of a lottery pick. Portland failed to make the playoffs in either year, and Telfair was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2006. Following another season in which he failed to make an impression, he was packaged with four other players and two first-round picks and sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the trade that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston.

The following season was the best of Telfair’s career. He started 51 games and averaged 9.3 points to go along with nearly six assists per game. After the season, the Timberwolves signed him to a three-year deal. The 2008-09 campaign went much like his first year in Minnesota, but the team struggled mightily, and he was traded once again in June of 2009, to the Los Angeles Clippers. Telfair started only one game for the Clippers before he was dealt to the Cleveland Cavaliers as a part of the midseason trade that brought Antawn Jamison to Cleveland. Telfair appeared in only four games for the Cavs and was traded back to Minnesota in the offseason.

Last year, he appeared in 37 games for the Timberwolves, averaging 7.3 points and 3 assists per game. He signed a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 9, 2011, worth $1.5 million with a partial guarantee for 2012-13.

Links to ValleyoftheSuns coverage of Telfair:

Suns want Phoenix to become Sebastian Telfair’s home

Breaking down Phoenix Suns point guard Sebastian Telfair