Who needs Tyronn Lue? Who really needs Corey Maggette? Why waste your time with valuable free agents, when you can have ...

Matt Barnes!

Yes, that's right, the Suns have signed unrestricted free agent Matt Barnes, who you may remember from such hits as "that 2006-2007 season where he was good for about thirteen seconds" and ... um ... yeah. Barnes is long, reasonably athletic, and a great glue guy. He also was hardly used by the Warriors at all last season, despite their desperate need for a deeper rotation and his status as a team captain.

Still, this kind of conservative approach may be what's needed for the Suns, given that some of their bigger moves (so to speak) have not worked out well. This signing speaks of defense and a willingness to bring in guys that want to work. You have to be concerned with how quickly he fell from team captain to expendable, but for the league minimum, this is a value pick up, and a good one at that.

The Suns have spent most of the off-season trying to find a backup point guard to spell Steve Nash. But so far, every one of their targets have signed elsewhere. The latest player to fall off the Suns' radar is Tyronn Lue, who agreed to a two-year deal with the Bucks for around $3.9M.

The problem for the Suns has been that all they have to offer somebody is a veteran's minimum contract, which isn't enough to lure anyone of any significant skill. So who's left that might actually take those low dollars for a chance to play in Phoenix? Two names that have come up are Jason Williams of the Heat, and (at the moment, former) Clipper Shaun Livingston.

Williams would be an acceptable pickup I think, and Livingston is still on the road back from that famously horrific knee injury (that I refuse to link to anymore, it was so brutal). The Clippers renounced Livingston's rights, so he's now an unrestricted free agent. He'd be a great signing at the right price, but probably wouldn't be able to contribute until the second half of the season.

Short of the Suns signing one of those guys, they're looking at second year player D.J. Strawberry running the point, or getting a little exotic and using Boris Diaw. But Steve Kerr is all about making things interesting (or tearing the team apart, depending on your perspective) so I wouldn't be surprised to see Phoenix make a trade to fill this need before the start of next season.

So, I was totally kidding about Tyronn Lue understand his worth and probably signing with the Heat. Gotcha!

The next day, Lue skipped town, leaving Miami without undergoing the physical for the Heat. He's now reported to be in talks with the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics. Which is kind of an upgrade, and sticks more with the "ring-chaser" reputation he's been building.

According to the Arizona Republic, Lue thinks Phoenix is his landing spot, saying "I think we're going to get it done in Phoenix." Lue's been courted by friend Shaquille O'Neal, but is also getting significant interest from the Boston Celtics and good friend Kevin Garnett.

Lue's obviously hunting for the best situation that can bring him a championship at age 31. Apparently he sees that as Phoenix. Glad someone still does.

If Tyronn Lue worked at your office, he would be the guy who attends all the 401(k) meetings, files all his life insurance documents in a prompt manner, and takes advantage of all those little programs that your work offers but that you don't get involved in because you've got indoor soccer practice or whatever. Because the one thing you have to say for the guy is he's at least realistic about his situation, and looking to maximize what he has.

After signing with the Mavericks last season in pursuit of a championship, Lue is in Miami tonight. He's there for Zo's Summer Groove. He told the Sun-Sentinels' Ira Winderman, though, that he's scheduled for a 5:30AM physical with the Heat. While the Heat say nothing is imminent, it would make a lot of sense. The Heat need a veteran point guard so that Dwyane Wade doesn't have to, and while Mario Chalmers' performance in Summer League play was impressive, you still want a veteran guy to limit turnovers.

Not only is Lue going to a team that could use him, but he's also apparently willing to sign for the lower-level exception. All told, this is pretty reasonable. It's kind of strange, with Phoenix and Boston both with interest in him, and both of those teams having much more of a chance at a championship. But Lue apparently sees a chance to play immediately, and there's something to be said for that. What, I'm not exactly sure. But something.

Dwyane Wade has seen his career evolve to a constant state of duplicity. There are always mirror images of status as a superstar. For example, he's simultaneously a fearless aggressor who has an uncanny ability to get to the rim, and attacks with such determination he's almost impossible to stop, even if you foul him. On the other, he winds up spending more time on his back than that chick I dated in college whose nickname I later found out was "Easy McGee." On one hand, he's a spectacular combo guard who's best when he's creating something off the dribble, using his quickness and athleticism to create separation. On the other, he can be a turnover machine when he's in charge of getting the ball up the floor. Last season was a microcosm of those problems, as he missed a substantial time due to a variety of injuries, but still didn't shut it down until late in the season (Pat Riley, I'm raising an eyebrow at you), and his turnovers were at an all-time high.

It looks like Wade has turned a corner of sorts, though. In a recent report by Ira Winderman of the Miami Sun-Sentinel, Wade indicated that he would welcome help at the point position.

"Do I want to set up the offense every time? No, I don't want to do that," he said, as his basketball camp wound down at Florida International University. "I would love to get somebody else in that can handle the ball, as well, at times, and make plays."

So what exactly does this mean, given the scarcity of the free agent market?

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

The Mavericks were caught trying to keep up with the Suns' and Lakers' roster changes in the West, but their trade for Jason Kidd seemed to be a step in the wrong direction. Thanks to that trade, the Mavs don't have a first round pick this year, so any help will have to come via some more trades (gulp.)

Picks: #51.

Needs: Size and athleticism, at either the center or the power forward spot. Quickness to spell Jason Kidd at the point.

Best case scenario: Rick Carlisle installs a new offense that will take advantage of Kidd's play-making skills, and the talents of Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard are showcased as well.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Mavericks at Hornets, Game 2 tonight.

1. Is CP3 Solvable?: The Mavericks thought they had it figured out going into Game 1. "Oh, okay, we'll trap him and take away his primary options." The word you're looking for there, Mavs, is "Errrrrr!" Thanks for playing! Chris Paul decided to dribble away from the trap and shoot, lighting up the Mavs. Unlike Steve Nash, making Paul the scorer is not a viable defensive option. It's back to the drawing board for the Mavs, though coach Avery Johnson says they "have some things" they're "working" on.

2. Fallout From "TapGate": Am I the only person that doesn't care about the lovetap David West gave Dirk Nowitzki and the fact that Nowitzki responded? If Nowitzki responds, it escalates, he possibly gets tossed, and possibly suspended, and we all know how that can work out. If you don't, just go ask Phoenix. The best revenge would be Dirk going off for 40 tonight and getting a win in the Easy. But if David West comes out and asserts himself again, it's going to reflect very poorly on the Mavs' leading man.

The recruitment of Sam Cassell to Boston was seen as equal parts championship hopes and Kevin Garnett's friendship. When Phoenix tried to sign point guard Tyronn Lue last week, they had Lue's good friend Shaquille O'Neal in good position to make the pitch. And the Suns, eternal contenders... well, they didn't land him.

Lue signed with Dallas, and according to the Mavericks' official blog (via Hoopshype), Shaq is pissed.

"Shaq called like 12 times one day, he was like, 'You've got to come out. I need ya, I need ya.' 'Man, I can't do it,'" said Lue, replaying the conversation today. ...

"I took a lot of stuff from Shaq," Lue said with a smile. "He's pretty mad at me. He called me all kind of names."

Lue has a lot of friends in high places (including Garnett, oddly enough). But no matter who's in your Five, you probably shouldn't make the Big Fella too mad. Spurning him for Dirk Nowitzki? Possibly a crime worthy of excommunication.

The more interesting revelation here: Even his friends think Shaq is done! Lue isn't going to get any more minutes behind Jason Kidd and Jason Terry than he would behind Steve Nash. He probably fits the Phoenix attack better, and as a pending free agent, the Suns up-tempo system would be more likely to lead to increased box score stats than Dallas's slow-down affair. Despite all this and repeated 'come to papa' beckons from one of our best friends (who happens to be a top-10 all-time player)... it's not enough? That cloud Phoenix has been floating on, it has dissipated.

Sekou Smith just happened to mention a conversation he had with the little fella, and I don't believe it's "official" yet, despite the wording in his column today, but Tyronn Lue has apparently agreed to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, following the Sacramento Kings waiving him last week.

Had a post-game phone conversation with Tyronn Lue and he says it's official, he's signing with the Dallas Mavericks. Lue was waived Friday by Sacramento and had his choice of teams (Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Charlotte, etc.) in need of a veteran backup point guard to help them through the end of the season and the playoffs. He fielded calls from good friends in Phoenix (Shaq, Grant Hill, etc.) but said he opted for the opportunity in Dallas because of the role he'll play backing up a future Hall of Famer in Jason Kidd.

A good choice, Tyronn. Aside from the fact that there's nothing funnier than thinking about Shaq and Lue kicking it at some club, Phoenix appears to be struggling a bit right now. Dallas, meanwhile, is being questioned following a 4-3 start to the Kidd era, but to me, that Dallas game yesterday was, despite Ason front-clanging a free throw to tie it, as close to a moral victory as you can get. They hit the Lakers in their prime, with Mamba set on "honoring" Wilt Chamberlin's 100 point game and they took them to overtime. Kidd and his teammates haven't even fully congealed either, as proved by the pass --> Nowitzki shot at the end of overtime. Lue will probably be pretty crucial in keeping Kidd fresh as the playoffs approach without Dallas having to punt any games; he also provides a pestering defensive presence, which is always nice.

I've never been all that impressed with Tyronn Lue but what do I know: the waif-ish 6-foot-nothing point guard has hung around the league for 10 years, which isn't half bad. He's bounced between six teams in that span, and after getting bought out by the Kings later today, he'll likely add a seventh team to his resume. He came to Sacramento in the Mike Bibby trade but will get his walking papers without having appeared in a single game.

So where will he end up? Who knows, but it's clear that he's hoping it'll be with a playoff team considering he negotiated the buyout so that he could be waived in time for the March 1 deadline for being eligible for the playoffs. Given his relationship with Kevin Garnett (it was he and Chauncey Billups who convinced KG to accept the trade to Boston in the first place) the Celtics would have been a potential option had that whole Sam Cassell thing fallen though.

Once upon a time I figured the Warriors would be in the market for a veteran point, but they seem to like C.J. Watson, albeit not as much as when he first signed. But certainly somebody will give him a shot: he does a good job protecting the ball and can hit the occasional long ball. The Suns, perhaps?

(via SR)