PHOENIX SUNS
Suns allow PG Saben Lee’s contract to expire
Phoenix Suns guard Saben Lee, left, drives ahead of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
The Phoenix Suns on Tuesday allowed point guard Saben Lee’s second 10-day contract to expire.
Phoenix would have needed to sign Lee for the rest of the season to retain him, but with the NBA trade deadline set for next Thursday, the team keeps its flexibility open with an extra roster spot unfilled.
That would allow president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones to take on another player in a trade.
Lee could re-join the team if it has a roster spot remaining after the deadline passes, and he certainly played well enough for that to be a possibility.
Lee appeared in 10 games over the course of his two 10-day deals. He averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 assists and shot 46% overall in 17.3 minutes per outing.
He provided ball-handling and defensive peskiness for a team that at his signing was missing starting guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker, plus backups Cam Payne and Landry Shamet.
Lee, who went to Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, played for the Raptors 905 of the G League before joining the Suns, who he’d spent time playing with in the preseason. He also appeared in two games for the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this season.
He appeared in 85 games for the Detroit Pistons over his first two years in the NBA.
