PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns, who have lost one shooting
guard this summer and are close to losing another, signed free
agent Raja Bell to a five-year contract worth just under $24
million on Wednesday.
The Suns insisted they never pursued Bell to hedge against the
loss of Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson.
"People speculated that signing Raja was an insurance policy,"
team president Bryan Colangelo told a news conference. "That is
not the case. We signed Raja Bell because we thought we were
greatly improving our team, the makeup of the organization."
Bell, who has started just 80 of his 299 career games, is likely
to be a regular this season.
The former Utah Jazz co-captain is a renowned defensive player
whose scoring averages have increased dramatically with playing
time. Last season, he set career highs in scoring (12.3), rebounds
(3.2), assists (1.5), field-goal percentage (.454) and minutes
(28.4).
The Suns traded Richardson and Nate Robinson to New York for
forward-center Kurt Thomas and guard Dijon Thompson on June 28 to
get some inside toughness. At the time, it was assumed they would
be able to re-sign Johnson, who developed into a dangerous 3-point
shooter last season and averaged a team-high 39.5 minutes.
But Johnson began airing complaints about the Suns and avoiding
their attempts to negotiate. Phoenix could have kept the restricted
free agent by matching Atlanta's five-year, $69.6 million offer,
but eventually tired of his attitude and worked out a
sign-and-trade deal with the Hawks.
"From the get-go, our entire intention was to sign Joe
Johnson," Suns managing partner Robert Sarver said. "As I read
some of the reports and listen to some of the commentary about how
we kind of duped our fans or tricked our fans or whatever, it's
just totally false. We went out of our way to do everything we
could to sign Joe Johnson."
The deal is on hold, possibly until this weekend, while Atlanta
works out what Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo called "their
internal problems and issues."
The Suns lose 2 inches -- Bell is 6-foot-5 -- and five points a
game in a direct comparison of the guards, but believe fans will
take to Bell.
Bell earned a reputation as a defender with assignments against
the likes of Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant and Manu Ginobili.
Ginobili, who has the same agent as Bell, Herb Rudoy, complained
to Rudoy when he learned that his defensive nemesis was going to a
team that San Antonio met in the Western Conference finals.
"It was funny," Bell said. "You know, Manu's a competitor,
and I do a good job, I'd like to say, on him, but he's a tough
guard for me. So it's just a respect level. It's cool to hear
somebody thinks you're that way, especially being the All-Star that
he is, so it was flattering."
Bell likes the idea of playing in a backcourt with All-Star
point guard Steve Nash, a former Dallas teammate, and said the
Suns' relentlessly up-tempo style is his kind of game.
"That was a major reason why I wanted to come to Phoenix,"
Bell said. "I'm so excited about the style of basketball that's
played here and the atmosphere and commitment to winning. It was
really a no-brainer when I heard there was interest -- this was the
first team on my list."
Bell, 28, took a circuitous route to the NBA. Undrafted in 1999
after using up his college eligibility with two seasons at Florida
International, he played in Spain and for Sioux Falls of the
International Basketball League and Yakima of the CBA before
catching on with Philadelphia in April 2001.
After a full season with the 76ers, Bell played for Dallas in
2002-03 and then Utah.