Suns trade 2nd-round pick for Mike Scott, cash from Hawks
Feb 23, 2017, 1:12 PM | Updated: 5:26 pm
Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Scott (32) goes up to shoot against Boston Celtics guards Marcus Smart (36) and Isaiah Thomas (4) during the third quarter in Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Boston. The Hawks won 104-92 to win the series 4-2. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
The Phoenix Suns moved closer to the salary cap floor at the trade deadline by acquiring forward Mike Scott from the Atlanta Hawks along with cash and the rights to Cenk Akyol, the team announced Thursday.
The Suns included their own 2017 second-round pick in the deal with a top-55 protection.
Scott is on an expiring deal worth $3.3 million. His full year salary now counts toward the Suns’ salary cap but Phoenix only must pay the forward the remaining amount for the rest of the year. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton projects the move should save the Suns about $2.4 million, not counting whatever cash amount Atlanta sends back.
The 6-foot-8, 237-pound Scott is averaging 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 18 appearances.
He had a breakout campaign with Atlanta in 2013-14, playing in 80 games with six starts while averaging 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. The four-year veteran shot 48 percent overall that season.
Last year, he played 75 games and became a 39-percent stretch power forward while averaging 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per outing.
Atlanta found Scott expendable after acquiring Ersan Ilyasova and giving Scott’s playing time to stretch big Mike Muscala this season.
Akyol was the 59th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6 Turkish guard has not appeared in an NBA game.
