West Notes: Suns, John Wall, Kevin Durant, Rockets, Blazers

Suns

The Suns are on the lookout for another ball-handler, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Both Knicks point guard Derrick Rose and veteran free agent John Wall have been mentioned as possibilities. Rose, of course, would need to agree to a buyout in free agency. He told reporters he has had no such conversations.

Wall is available after being traded from the Clippers to the Rockets at the deadline, then promptly waived by Houston.

“Phoenix, they’re still looking for another ball handler,” Haynes said on the This League Uncut podcast with Marc Stein of The Stein Line. “And so if the Derrick Rose situation doesn’t play out, which looks like it, most likely won’t, then they have to look at you know, other guys out there. And you look at the buyout market, the only other prominent guard that has ball handling skills and obligations is John Wall, and we’re not hearing much on him as of right now.”

• Star forward Kevin Durant is expected to make his Suns debut in Wednesday’s road game vs. the Hornets, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “He’s itching to get out there,” coach Monty Williams said, via Rankin.

Rockets

• Team owner Tilman Fertitta is among those involved in the bidding for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, per Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. Fertitta is part of a group that also includes 76ers owner Joel Harris and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
• In case you missed it, the regional sports network that broadcasts Rockets games is shutting down. We have that full post here.
• Several opposing league executives have told Hoops Wire they believe Stephen Silas will be the next coach fired, presumably at the end of the season. “He’s in a no-win situation there,” one rival exec said.

Trail Blazers

Coach Chauncey Billups said star guard Damian Lillard‘s 71-point performance Sunday vs. the Rockets was truly a thing of basketball beauty.

“I just thought it was a piece of art because he kept them off balance,” Billups said, via Aaron Fentress of the Oregonian. “When they got overaggressive, he made them foul him. When they weren’t aggressive enough and they were scared of how quick he is to get to a basket, he got to the step-back. When they blitzed and trapped him, he hit the guy in the pocket and just kind of took it easy. It really, really was a masterful performance. It was a piece of art.”

Lillard shared similar feelings.

“It has a different meaning to everybody,” he said, via Fentress. “If a hundred people were to watch this game, they might have a hundred different feelings and reactions to it. And I think that speaks a lot into all of those things. Everything that goes into it. The work. The low moments. The high moments. What’s happening with a team. A player having a moment. All of those things. It can mean so many different things to so many different people. And I think art is similar to that.”