<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It's time for the Suns and Tim Thomas to catch up with each other. They spent three wonderful months together and then were separated for the past 24 days, but not by choice. Thomas became an unrestricted free agent upon playoff elimination, leaving Phoenix unable to talk to the clutch veteran about re-signing until free-agency contact opens at 9:01 tonight. The Suns expect to make two calls - one to Thomas and one to a mystery veteran combo guard, possibly nine-year pro Bobby Jackson or 13-year pro Lindsey Hunter. In pledging to avoid a luxury tax next season, the Suns are limited to using most or all of the midlevel exception (about $5 million) to sign Thomas and veteran minimum deals for others. A midlevel offer to Thomas might start at $4 million and likely would have to be at least three years because of interest elsewhere. "We'd like to reach out to Tim and make sure he knows that we're definitely interested," said Mike D'Antoni, Suns coach and general manager. "I don't think there's a pressing need to go crazy. Tim is definitely a July 1 call. The rest of it, we'll have to see how the market looks when it plays out." Thomas said he would give Phoenix the first chance and that money was a factor but not the dominant one. He averaged 11 points down the stretch of the Suns' regular season and 15 in the playoffs. The Suns dealt two first-round draft picks Wednesday and the contract of Brian Grant, whose ailing knees are prompting retirement, to save about $9 million, including luxury tax penalties. Free-agent deals can be struck but no contract can be signed until July 12. "Every dollar we can pull away from that (luxury tax threshold) is a dollar that we feel we're dedicating toward making a run at Tim," said David Griffin, Suns vice president of basketball operations. "We're going to do everything we can to secure the players we need in free agency. If it's not Tim, then it's going to be players who help us now." Thomas is willing to take on a reserve role, but there is a greater need for depth on the perimeter. If the Suns re-sign Thomas, they will have him, Kurt Thomas, Shawn Marion, Amar? Stoudemire and Boris Diaw to rotate at the two "big" spots. But on the wings, only James Jones and Leandro Barbosa appear to be backup options after D'Antoni and agent Mark Bartelstein said Eddie House probably will decline his player option today. He may wind up with the Heat, whom he turned down to play for the Suns a year ago. Possible swingman candidates who might consider a veteran minimum deal include Utah's Matt Harpring, Charlotte's Jumaine Jones, Eric Piatkowski and Jiri Welsch, whom Phoenix nearly traded for in 2005. Harpring might be an affordable small forward after two microfracture surgeries. The Suns may not be able to afford Jackson, Speedy Claxton or Rasual Butler. "We need to get the most versatile guy who can help us in the conference finals," D'Antoni said. The possibility of James Jones being dealt this summer for monetary reasons seems far more doubtful now that the Suns did not land the swingman that they desired in Wednesday's draft - namely Thabo Sefolosha, but also Rodney Carney or Ronnie Brewer. It also squelched Marion trade talks, which got hot this month.</div> Source
