Is Mike James A Possibility For The Phoenix Suns?
Verdict: Invite Him To Camp
Suns fans probably shouldn’t get their hopes up here. The potential of Mike James is exciting to think about, but with Ronnie Price signed on, it’s highly unlikely the Summer Suns stud earns a spot on this roster.
James deserves an invite to an NBA training camp and the opportunity to prove himself. He’s shown he can be a terrific scorer against NBA-level talent and who knows? Maybe he’d be dynamic enough at Suns training camp to convince the front office to eventually give him backup minutes.
But for all his promise and kinetic energy, James will probably be gobbled up by another team before then, as Real GM’s Shams Charania reported this morning. The Suns may have given him the chance to show what he can do, but they only have two roster spots left. At Brandon Knight’s press conference Monday, vice president of basketball operations Lon Babby mentioned Price by name at least twice in reference to how Phoenix has bolstered its locker room with veteran presences, so don’t expect him to be going anywhere anytime soon.
If James were to earn a deal with the Suns in one of those two vacant roster spots, he’d likely be confined to the D-League for most of the 2015-16 season. Would he be willing to make that kind of sacrifice when he could be making more money overseas and actually playing? That remains to be seen.
If that’s not the case, another NBA team with a more readily accessible opening will come calling first. If that doesn’t happen, the financial draw of playing overseas could steal him away too. But if the Suns are as interested in Mike James as they should be, and if James doesn’t mind playing in the D-League until the opportunity for a call-up presents itself, there’s a slim chance he could continue his career with the Phoenix Suns.
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