Jared Dudley says he misses Phoenix, still talks to Robert Sarver
Jun 14, 2016, 2:28 PM
Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley shouts to a referee after being called with a foul against the Utah Jazz during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 11, 2016, in Salt Lake City. The Jazz won 114-93. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Jared Dudley played five seasons for the Phoenix Suns and was a part of the 2010 team that went to the Western Conference Finals, and there’s a small possibility that he’ll be back.
On the Doug & Wolf show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Tuesday, the 30-year-old free agent, who was traded to the Clippers in 2013 for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler, said he still has an affinity for the Valley.
“I do miss Phoenix, especially during the season,” Dudley said. “Especially at it’s high. When we were at our high point with Nash, going to the Conference Finals — people don’t understand, you’re not guaranteed to go back there. Watching LeBron get to the Finals seven times, that’s not a reality. You can go from the top to the bottom real fast.”
Dudley has nine years of experience in the NBA with five different teams, playing 356 games in Phoenix. He doesn’t have more than 100 games with any other franchise. On Tuesday, he was asked how often he ponders playing in Phoenix.
“I don’t think about it a lot,” he said. “I think about it now, during last summer when I was a free agent and this summer being a free agent. Phoenix is possibly a destination. I still have friends there, I still talk to P.J. Tucker on a regular basis, I still talk to (owner) Robert Sarver.”
With experience as a small forward and shooting guard, Dudley most recently played power forward in Washington. As of now, the Suns’ power forward position has been called a void, and is a position the team is likely to address this offseason.
“In DC, even though we didn’t make the playoffs, playing the power forward position kind of opened up my value,” Dudley said. “Having a really good season, especially shooting the ball this year, is perfect timing for this free agency.”
Last season with the Wizards, Dudley averaged 7.9 points per game, leading the team with a .420 three-point percentage and nabbing 75 steals. For his career, he’s averaged 8.4 points per game and made 40 percent of his three-point attempts.
Whether a return to the Suns is forthcoming or not, Dudley said his days in Phoenix are still meaningful.
“I’ll always be embedded in that franchise where I played most of my career and had most of my success.”
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