--The Suns will be without G Jason Richardson for the first two games of the season after he was suspended by the NBA last week. Richardson pleaded guilty this summer to a DUI offense that occurred just nine days after coming to the Suns in a trade with Charlotte. Richardson will forfeit $242,424 of his $13.3 million salary. It's the second suspension for Richardson, who was suspended by the team for one game without pay last February when he followed up the DUI offense with two misdemeanor speeding charges and one count of child endangerment (his child was in the car at the time of the offense). All told, Richardson is out $353,535 in salary. Richardson is penciled in as the starting shooting guard for the Suns this season but Leandro Barbosa will likely get that assignment for the first two games in Richardson's absence.
--The Suns filled the assistant coaching spot vacated by Gentry last spring by elevating college scout and former player John Shumate to the position. Shumate, 57, who has been a scout for the last eight seasons, will concentrate on working with the younger players now that Dan Majerle has a more expanded role under Gentry. Shumate was a head coach at both Grand Canyon and Southern Methodist University and has served as an assistant both in college (his alma mater, Notre Dame) and the pros (Toronto Raptors).
--Second-round pick Taylor Griffin (Blake's brother) is officially a Sun after signing a partially guaranteed contract with the Suns. The 48th pick of the draft isn't expected to figure in the Suns' plans much this year and is likely to see the bulk of his playing time during selected stints in the NBDL in Iowa.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Taylor is an excellent athlete, a hard worker and very much team-oriented. He fits right in with the kind of people we want in our organization, and he has a chance to develop into a very good player." -- Suns GM Steve Kerr, on signing second-round pick (48th overall) Taylor Griffin to a one-year deal.
