He's an absolutely tough defender who can lock down some of the NBA's top offensive players.

This is not something that should affect him long-term.

He's a thug, and I want him out. He's always been a thug. I'll do everything in my power to see that he pays for it.

[The Suns, meanwhile, appeared to be hoisting a white flag over the Arizona desert. With a 12-22 record at the time, they were clearing out big contracts for salary-cap relief and a chance to start over again the following summer.] We are taking a step backward in the immediate run, ... But we're certainly looking forward to the future.

He's a nice young player with a lot of upside. He's versatile. He shoots the 3 well. He's big, long, athletic and he defends well. He's really a solid basketball player who fits well into what we're trying to do.

We have a major piece of our franchise sewn up and it's obviously a great scenario to have taken care of.