PHOENIX — The Valley is often regarded as a basketball hotbed, home to many of the sport’s greatest talents, but the city’s beloved Phoenix Suns have never hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The Suns, established in 1968, are the oldest NBA franchise seeking its first title.
A strong emphasis on player development spearheaded the launch of the G League’s Valley Suns, an in-house pathway initiative connected with the NBA Suns that opened their season Friday night on the road against the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The Valley Suns closed the two-game series with a loss to the Warriors on Friday, 135-121, followed by a 133-104 win on Saturday.
For the home opener Monday night, they’ll take on the Stockton Kings.
Valley Suns coach John Little and general manager Brendan Sabean were tabbed to run the operation, serving in their respective roles for the first time at the G League level.
Little, a former disciple of Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer when the two were with the Milwaukee Bucks organization, emphasized the importance of continuity between the NBA Suns and G League Suns.
“We want to be pretty much right in line with (The NBA Suns),” Little said. “We want to play fast, we want to play together, we want to be unselfish and compete at a high level. Those are very important to the Suns’ core values.
“Hands down you got to come in, and that’s what we are going to do.”
The Valley Suns have the luxury of utilizing the Verizon 5G Performance Center, the state-of-the-art practice facility that is equipped with top-notch amenities.
Sabean leads the charge on the front office side after a stint with the Austin Spurs, the San Antonio Spurs’ G League affiliate, as assistant general manager. He is determined to set a precedent of cultivating excellence to bolster the NBA Suns roster.
“A big part of Suns basketball is winning and winning culture,” Sabean said. “Having a coach that has been around that, having players that have been around that and played at the highest level is going to help this thing get off the ground and running pretty smoothly.”
Phoenix Suns two-way Collin Gillespie is poised for major minutes as the floor general for the Valley Suns. The 6-foot-1 guard is reliable in many phases of the game and possesses the intangibles to be a steady contributor in the NBA.
Gillespie exploded onto the G League scene last season as a member of the Grand Rapids Gold while on a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. The native of Philadelphia averaged 21.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. He registered four triple-doubles, including a remarkable 36-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound and three-steal performance on Jan. 24 against the Raptors 905.
Collin Gillespie brings championship experience to the Valley Suns. He won a national title in 2017-18 with Villanova and an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2022-23.
Gillespie is hungry to prove his worth.
“If I’m going to sit and not play for the (NBA) Suns, you get better when you play live minutes (with game reps),” Gillespie said. “I think it’s important to be (with the Valley Suns) to play.
“(The G League) is an opportunity to work on things. I’m not going to be taking 20 shots in an NBA game. You are working on stuff off the dribble, different finishes (and) passes that you can make in certain windows (to) see if you can expand (your game) in any way.”
The NBA Suns see breakthrough potential in 2024 undrafted rookie Jalen Bridges after signing the former West Virginia Mountaineers and Baylor Bears forward to a two-way contract. A capable shooter from beyond the arc — he connected on 41% of his 3-point tries with Baylor in 2023-24 – at 6-foot-8 he’s a menace on the defensive end with quickness to man the perimeter and strength to bang down low.
Bridges started 102 consecutive games at the collegiate level but has realized the NBA is a different beast. The Valley Suns have arrived at the perfect time to allow for a smooth transition to pro ball with a narrow window in year one to crack the NBA Suns rotation.
“It’s an adjustment period,” Bridges said. “It’s the first time in my career since my redshirt year (2019-20) that I’ve had to sit out games. It’s new, but you got to start somewhere. (I) see (the G League) as an opportunity and not a punishment. I’m trying to stay present and control what I can control.”
G League with NBA feel
The Phoenix Suns were the last organization in the NBA awaiting a G League affiliate, and they’ve rolled out the red carpet for their new feeder franchise. The Valley Suns have the luxury of utilizing the Verizon 5G Performance Center, the state-of-the-art practice facility for the Phoenix Suns equipped with spectacular amenities.
Many of the G League Suns raved about the facility at their media day, including guard Olin Carter III.
“Being in this facility makes you feel like you are in the NBA,” said Carter III, who played DI hoops at San Diego. “You walk in every morning and get to scan your finger to get in the door. This is a real NBA-like feel.”
Valley Suns guard Cassius Stanley echoed sentiments of gratitude for the first-class benefits it provides G League guys.
“I’ve been on two NBA rosters,” Stanley said. “(The 5G Performance Center) definitely competes with those (facilities). G League-wise, it’s not even a comparison. That helps a lot not having to worry about little things but being able to focus on playing basketball and developing as players. Helping guys get better as a whole.”
Putting talent on display
After spending a season in Israel, Stanley, 25, is back stateside with a vengeance. He has handled adversity with grace through the ebbs and flows of his basketball journey.
The former ACC All-Freshman selection at Duke is seeking stability in his climb back to the NBA.
“Three-and-a-half months ago, I had surgery on my shin,” Stanley said. “I was hobbling around Duke’s campus rehabbing (and) not even walking. It brings an extra level of hunger seeing how quickly (basketball) can be taken away.
“I know how good I am, and I believe how good I am. Now it’s about being consistent with that.”
The G League Suns play their 24-game home slate at Mullett Arena in Tempe on the campus of Arizona State. The 5,000-seat venue opened in 2022 and is primarily home to Sun Devil men’s and women’s hockey.
Sabean talked about the quality of talent across the league that will draw large crowds at the arena.
“One of the coolest parts about the G League is every game you are seeing former lottery picks, former draft picks (and) former All-Americans,” Sabean said. “There are going to be players whether on our team or on other teams that you recognize.”
A long-standing rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA Suns is bound to trickle down to both affiliates. The South Bay Lakers and Valley Suns face off in the regular season four times, including back-to-back matchups at Mullet Arena on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13.
Bronny James, son of Lakers megastar Lebron James, is expected to spend most of the season with South Bay, meaning fans in the Valley will be circling those dates in December on their calendar to catch a glimpse of a player strongly tied to NBA royalty.
The G League Suns have a player of their own linked to legendary roots. David Stockton, son of Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, is 12th all-time in scoring and fourth all-time in assists in the history of the G League (previously called the D-League until the 2017-2018 season). The point guard, 33, played for the now defunct G League Ignite, a team that was composed of primarily young teenagers focusing on preparation for the NBA Draft.
“It was a learning experience for me (being teammates) with kids that young,” Stockton said. “(I was) trying to get the best out of them every day. It meant that I had to show up extremely focused and try to show them the best I can how to be a professional.”
The younger Stockton and Sabean go way back. They both went to Gonzaga together, with Sabean serving as a graduate assistant under esteemed coach Mark Few.
Stockton came to the Valley to win, which is in alignment with Sabean and Little’s goals in the franchise’s inaugural season.
Repping the home team
Phoenix’s own TyTy Washington and Paul Watson will be living out childhood dreams in representing the Valley across their chest. Washington starred at Laveen’s Cesar Chavez High School before taking his stock to soaring heights at powerhouse AZ Compass Prep. Watson won a state championship at Paradise Valley High before four years at Fresno State.
“It’s still setting in for me,” Watson said of playing at home. “Coming into practice and then getting in the car and going home, like actually home, it feels a little weird. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Being able to be around my family and have that support system has been huge for me. I think day-by-day, it’ll settle in more and continue to be that much more special to me.”
Washington, who inked a two-way deal with the NBA Suns in August, is excited to feel the love on the floor from the city that raised him.
“It’s going to be fun,” Washington said. “My family is going to be there and my friends, as well. The whole city is going to be behind me and the team.
Born and raised in Phoenix, TyTy Washington is representing the community on the Valley Suns, which opened their season Friday night.
“As soon as I get into the arena and once I look into the crowd and see my family, it’s going to give me memories of being back in high school.”
Little and Sabean have laid the groundwork for a team with sights on nurturing growth, winning and filling the Mullett Arena seats.
For Little, it’s go time.
“It’s a really exciting time to be with the Suns (organization) right now,” Little said. “I’ve had the opportunity to be in the G League for a long time. It’s a great development tool not only for the players but for our staff as a whole. I’m excited for that day one, and even more excited to be able to open up (Mullett Arena).”
