Head coach Alvin Gentry called it a tough decision.

“We had to sleep on that one. We really did.”

Gentry, because the contracts of free agents Grant Hill and Sebastian Telfair as well as rookie Markieff Morris had not yet become official by the start of training camp Saturday night, needed another body to give him ten players to allow the Suns to work on offensive and defensive sets.

So Gentry turned to his 46-year-old assistant coach Corey Gaines, not Dan Majerle, his 46-year-old assistant coach.

“We were trying to get a guy who could walk,” joked Gentry.

Enter Gaines, the current Phoenix Mercury head coach now in his second year helping the Suns.

“It was fun,” said Gaines who last played in the NBA with the Knicks during the ’93-’94 season, “especially when you just get out there you know everything comes back to you. It gets the juices running again.”

Gaines’ time on the floor, however, lasted just two practices which was another reason Gentry said they chose Gaines.

“At the end of the day we thought the multi-hour contract we gave to Corey (made him the better fit) and was very beneficial to our franchise.”

Follow @carternacke