2012–13 Phoenix Suns season

2012–13 Phoenix Suns season
Head coach	Alvin Gentry Lindsey Hunter (interim)
General manager	Lance Blanks
Owners	Robert Sarver
Arena	US Airways Center
Results
Record	25–57 (.305)
Place	Division: 5th (Pacific) Conference: 15th (Western)
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	Fox Sports Arizona
Radio	KTAR

The 2012–13 Phoenix Suns season was the organization's 45th season in the National Basketball Association. This season was the first since the 2004–05 season that the Suns were without star point guard and former two-time MVP Steve Nash after Nash was sign-and-traded to the rival Los Angeles Lakers. Another fan favorite, Grant Hill, also left for Los Angeles in this season, but he would sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. By technicality, the player who held the most playing experience for the Suns this season was Jermaine O'Neal.

Key dates

• June 28, 2012: The 2012 NBA draft took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
• July 1, 2012: The NBA free agency has begun.
• July 4, 2012: The Suns do a sign-and-trade with the Los Angeles Lakers to exchange star point guard Steve Nash for two first round Lakers draft picks in 2013 (from the Miami Heat via the L.A. Lakers) and 2018 (due to 2015 having Top–5 protection and both 2016 & 2017 having Top-3 protection), as well as two second round picks in 2013 (from the Denver Nuggets via the L.A. Lakers) and 2014 (which eventually got traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves); Phoenix also signed forward Michael Beasley and re-signed their former back-up point guard Goran Dragić.
• July 11, 2012: Teams can officially sign, trade, and even amnesty players to their liking.
• July 15, 2012: The Suns used their amnesty clause on Josh Childress; Phoenix also officially sign former Houston Rockets players Goran Dragić & Luis Scola.
• July 20, 2012: The Suns officially sign Michael Beasley and re-sign Shannon Brown.
• July 24, 2012: The Suns sign Summer League standout P. J. Tucker.
• July 27, 2012: The Suns agree to a three-way trade with the New Orleans Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Suns would send Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick to the New Orleans Hornets and the Lakers' 2014 second round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they receive the contracts of Brad Miller and Jerome Dyson from the Hornets, as well as Wesley Johnson and a protected future first round draft pick from the Timberwolves.
• August 15, 2012: The Suns officially sign Jermaine O'Neal for one year, as well as waive the contracts of both Jerome Dyson & Brad Miller; Miller would officially retire a few weeks later.
• September 20, 2012: Channing Frye was confirmed to miss all of this season due to an enlargened heart via dilated cardiomyopathy.
• October 31, 2012: The regular season for the Suns begins.
• January 18, 2013: Coach Alvin Gentry ended up resigning from head coaching duties.
• January 20, 2013: Lindsey Hunter is announced as the new interim head coach for the Suns; assistant coach Sean Rooks resigns from his coaching duties.
• January 21, 2013: Assistant head coach and Suns fan favorite Dan Majerle resigns from his assistant head coaching duties; Phoenix Mercury head coach Corey Gaines becomes assistant head coach for the rest of the season.
• January 23, 2013: Defensive assistant head coach Elston Turner resigns from his assistant head coaching duties; former Phoenix Suns scout and Shanghai Sharks head coach Dan Panaggio becomes assistant head coach for the rest of the season.
• February 20, 2013: The Suns trade their own 2013 second round pick to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Marcus Morris, the twin brother of Suns power forward Markieff Morris. Phoenix also waives forward-center Luke Zeller.
• February 21, 2013: The Suns trade Sebastian Telfair to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Hamed Haddadi and a 2014 second round pick (worst selection between the Raptors and the Sacramento Kings).

Offseason

NBA draft

Main article: 2012 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
1	13	Kendall Marshall	Point guard	United States	North Carolina

The Suns will once again only have pick 13 as their only first-round draft pick. The Suns used their only pick to select point guard Kendall Marshall from North Carolina. Marshall was a prolific passer, averaging 8.1 points and 9.8 assists in his last season with the Tar Heels. He also set the ACC & University of North Carolina season assist records, as well as winning the Bob Cousy Award for his performance in his sophomore year. Unfortunately, Marshall would retire from the league after playing for five years in the league. As for their second-round pick, it was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Josh Childress via sign and trade. That selection became Mike Scott, who eventually came to Phoenix himself for a couple of days in 2017

Free agency

Main article: List of 2012–13 NBA season transactions

Veteran players Grant Hill and Steve Nash, as well as the newly signed Shannon Brown, Michael Redd, and Ronnie Price have all become unrestricted free agents as of the end of the 2011–12 NBA season. Center Robin Lopez has become a restricted free agent as of the end of the season as well. In a unique situation, former CBA player Aaron Brooks is still a restricted free agent, but due to his signing with the Guangdong Southern Tigers and the Suns not re-signing Brooks to a new contract during the 2011–12 NBA season, he'll be a restricted free agent with restricted benefits. For example, the Suns can match any offer that they see fit, but they cannot do any sign-and-trades whatsoever with him. However, Phoenix was unlikely to bring back Aaron Brooks to a restricted free agent offer, so they made him unrestricted after trying to get Eric Gordon. In addition, the Suns may also use their amnesty clause to get rid of a player that they see is holding them back. However, they have to use it a week after the July moratorium (July 11); otherwise, the amnesty clause stays with the team until at least next season.

On July 3, 2012, Eric Gordon agreed to a tentative deal with the Suns for 4 years and $58 million. However, despite Gordon saying that "Phoenix is where my heart is now", since Gordon's a restricted free agent, his offer was matched by the New Orleans Hornets a full three days after signing free agents officially took place. Phoenix has, however, gained both former back-up point guard Goran Dragić and forward Michael Beasley as of July 4, 2012. As for Steve Nash, he was officially traded to the rival Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for first and second round draft picks in the 2013 draft, as well as a first-round pick in the 2015 draft and a second round pick in the 2014 draft on July 4 as well. Grant Hill also went to Los Angeles, but he went to play for the Los Angeles Clippers on July 18, 2012. Ronnie Price would sign with the Portland Trail Blazers on July 18 as well; however, unlike Grant Hill, Ronnie Price would be waived by Portland on February 21, 2013. Aaron Brooks would go to the Sacramento Kings on July 16, 2012, but he would play for them until March 1, 2013. Four days later, Brooks decided to officially sign with his former team, the Houston Rockets, which tended to reverse Phoenix and Houston's trade in 2011 that had Goran Dragić going to Houston and Brooks going to Phoenix. The last player that became a free agent, Michael Redd, ended up retiring in November 2013.

On July 15, 2012, a day after Eric Gordon's contract was matched by the Hornets, the Suns ended up placing a winning bid on former Houston Rockets power forward Luis Scola, as well as used their amnesty clause on Josh Childress, who would eventually sign with the Brooklyn Nets until December 29, 2012. On July 25, 2012, the Suns agreed to re-sign Shannon Brown, as well as sign former Texas University standout P. J. Tucker and produce a three-way trade with the New Orleans Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Two days later, the Suns exchanged Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick to the Hornets and the Lakers' 2014 second round pick to the Timberwolves for Brad Miller's expiring contract and Jerome Dyson's non-guaranteed contract from the Hornets, as well as Wesley Johnson and a lottery protected 2013 first round draft pick that will stay in the first round until 2016 from the Timberwolves, which would then turn into two second round picks in 2016 and 2017. On August 15, 2012, the Suns decided to waive Jerome Dyson and Brad Miller's contracts and sign a one-year deal for Jermaine O'Neal. Former Suns player Leandro Barbosa considered playing for the Suns again, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, before officially signing with the Boston Celtics on October 17, 2012. Luke Zeller and Diante Garrett were initially announced as training camp invitees on October 1. However, due to the heart condition involving Channing Frye, both players ended up making the team. Other players announced as possible candidates that day include Othyus Jeffers, Solomon Jones, and Ike Diogu.

Coaching changes

Before the 2011–12 NBA season officially ended, Bill Cartwright had announced that he will not be returning as an assistant head coach to the Phoenix Suns. In July 2012, Elston Turner had competed for the head coach spot for the Portland Trail Blazers. Ultimately, he was not hired, and he stayed as an assistant coach for at least the start of the season. On August 28, 2012, the Suns hired Lindsey Hunter as an initial assistant head coach for player development. On October 4, 2012, the Suns also added both Sean Rooks and Basketball Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson as assistants for player development as well. Phoenix Mercury head coach Corey Gaines has also gained an assistant head coach role for player development later on in the season as well. The same thing would also be said for Dan Panaggio later on in 2013 as well.

On January 18, 2013, head coach Alvin Gentry was fired from head coaching duties. Gentry's firing came right after the Suns' worst opening stint in 28 years. Two days later, the Suns announced that Lindsey Hunter would surprisingly take on the role of interim head coach for the Suns instead of either Dan Majerle or Elston Turner throughout the remainder of the season. It was also announced that Sean Rooks would resign from his developmental coaching duties. A day later, Suns fan favorite Dan Majerle announced that he would resign from his assistant head coaching duties. Two days later, defensive assistant head coach Elston Turner announced his resignation from his duties as well. Because of their resignations, Phoenix Mercury head coach Corey Gaines gained a more permanent assistant coaching role for at least the rest of the season. In addition, former Suns scout and Shanghai Sharks head coach Dan Panaggio from the Chinese Basketball Association ended up becoming a new assistant head coach.

Roster

2012–13 Phoenix Suns roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From F 0 Beasley, Michael 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1989–01–09 Kansas State G 26 Brown, Shannon 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1985–11–29 Michigan State G 1 Dragić, Goran 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1986–05–06 Slovenia F 3 Dudley, Jared 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1985–07–10 Boston College F 8 Frye, Channing  7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1983–05–17 Arizona G 10 Garrett, Diante (DL) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1988–11–03 Iowa State C 4 Gortat, Marcin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1984–02–17 Poland C 98 Haddadi, Hamed 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1985–05–19 Iran G/F 2 Johnson, Wesley 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1987–07–11 Syracuse G 12 Marshall, Kendall 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1991–08–19 North Carolina F 15 Morris, Marcus 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1989–09–02 Kansas F 11 Morris, Markieff 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1989–09–02 Kansas C 20 O'Neal, Jermaine 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1978–10–13 Eau Claire HS (SC) F 14 Scola, Luis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1980–04–30 Argentina F 17 Tucker, P. J. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 224 lb (102 kg) 1985–05–05 Texas

Head coach Alvin Gentry Lindsey Hunter (interim) Assistant coach(es) Igor Kokoškov Ralph Sampson Corey Gaines Noel Gillespie Dan Panaggio Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate Injured

Salaries

Player	2012–13 Salary
Goran Dragić	$7,500,000
Marcin Gortat	$7,258,960
Channing Frye	$6,000,000
Michael Beasley	$5,750,000
Luis Scola	$4,500,000
Wesley Johnson	$4,285,560
Jared Dudley	$4,250,000
Shannon Brown	$3,500,000
Markieff Morris	$2,063,040
Marcus Morris	$1,959,960
Kendall Marshall	$1,919,160
Jermaine O'Neal	$1,352,181
Hamed Haddadi	$1,300,000
P. J. Tucker	$762,195
Diante Garrett	$473,604
TOTAL	$51,655,804

Because the Suns decided to amnesty Josh Childress' contract, he still gets paid the $6,500,000 that he would have been owed had he played for the Suns this season. While he still gets paid money out of being amnestied from the team for two more seasons, his salary does not actually affect the Suns' actual salary cap. In addition, since Brad Miller's contract guaranteed him around $850,000 this season, he was paid that salary despite being waived by the team and retiring in the process. Also, because Luke Zeller was waived from the team after January 10, 2013, came to fruition, his rookie salary of $473,604 ended up being counted by the Suns' salary cap as well since his contract was guaranteed by that point of the season.

Pre-season

Game log

2012 pre-season game log
Pre-season: 4–3 (home: 3–0; road: 1–3) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 October 10 @ Sacramento L 96–102 Wesley Johnson (18) Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris, P. J. Tucker (7) Michael Beasley (5) Power Balance Pavilion 0–1 2 October 12 Portland W 104–93 Markieff Morris (14) Marcin Gortat (8) Goran Dragić (9) US Airways Center 1–1 3 October 17 @ Dallas W 100–94 Jared Dudley (16) Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris (6) Goran Dragić (6) American Airlines Center 2–1 4 October 19 @ Oklahoma City L 97–107 Wesley Johnson (15) Solomon Jones (10) Diante Garrett (5) BOK Center 2–2 5 October 22 Sacramento W 103–88 Jared Dudley (25) Marcin Gortat (12) Goran Dragić (6) US Airways Center 3–2 6 October 23 @ Golden State L 92–107 Marcin Gortat (19) Marcin Gortat (10) Goran Dragić (6) Oracle Arena 3–3 7 October 26 Denver W 88–72 Michael Beasley (29) Michael Beasley (10) Goran Dragić (6) US Airways Center 4–3
2012–13 season schedule

Regular season

Standings

Pacific Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div	GP
y-Los Angeles Clippers	56	26	.683	–	32–9	24–17	11–5	82
x-Golden State Warriors	47	35	.573	9	28–13	19–22	9–7	82
x-Los Angeles Lakers	45	37	.549	11	29–12	16–25	8–8	82
Sacramento Kings	28	54	.341	28	20–21	8–33	7–9	82
Phoenix Suns	25	57	.305	31	17–24	8–33	5–11	82

Western Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	GP
1	c-Oklahoma City Thunder *	60	22	.732	–	82
2	y-San Antonio Spurs *	58	24	.707	2.0	82
3	x-Denver Nuggets *	57	25	.695	3.0	82
4	y-Los Angeles Clippers	56	26	.683	4.0	82
5	x-Memphis Grizzlies	56	26	.683	4.0	82
6	x-Golden State Warriors	47	35	.573	13.0	82
7	x-Los Angeles Lakers	45	37	.549	15.0	82
8	x-Houston Rockets	45	37	.549	15.0	82
9	Utah Jazz	43	39	.524	17.0	82
10	Dallas Mavericks	41	41	.500	19.0	82
11	Portland Trail Blazers	33	49	.402	27.0	82
12	Minnesota Timberwolves	31	51	.378	29.0	82
13	Sacramento Kings	28	54	.341	32.0	82
14	New Orleans Hornets	27	55	.329	33.0	82
15	Phoenix Suns	25	57	.305	35.0	82

Game log

2012–13 game log Total: 25–57 (Home: 17–24; Road: 8–33)
October: 0–1 (home: 0–1; road: 0–0) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 1 October 31 Golden State L 85–87 Goran Dragić (17) Luis Scola (11) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 15,678 0–1
November : 7–9 (home: 5–2; road: 2–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 2 November 2 Detroit W 92–89 Michael Beasley, Marcin Gortat (16) Marcin Gortat (16) Goran Dragić (10) US Airways Center 15,107 1–1 3 November 4 @ Orlando L 94–115 Luis Scola (24) Marcin Gortat (11) Goran Dragić (8) Amway Center 17,022 1–2 4 November 5 @ Miami L 99–124 Shannon Brown (18) Marcin Gortat (13) Goran Dragić (9) American Airlines Arena 19,600 1–3 5 November 7 @ Charlotte W 117–110 Shannon Brown (24) Michael Beasley (15) Goran Dragić (8) Time Warner Cable Arena 13,905 2–3 6 November 9 Cleveland W 107–105 Goran Dragić (26) Marcin Gortat (8) Michael Beasley (5) US Airways Center 15,236 3–3 7 November 10 @ Utah L 81–94 Luis Scola (21) Luis Scola (11) Goran Dragić (6) EnergySolutions Arena 19,100 3–4 8 November 12 Denver W 110–100 Goran Dragić (26) Marcin Gortat (11) Goran Dragić (7) US Airways Center 14,060 4–4 9 November 14 Chicago L 106–112 (OT) Luis Scola (24) Luis Scola (14) Goran Dragić (5) US Airways Center 15,305 4–5 10 November 16 @ L.A. Lakers L 102–114 Goran Dragić (22) Marcin Gortat, Luis Scola (8) Michael Beasley (9) Staples Center 18,997 4–6 11 November 17 Miami L 88–97 Markieff Morris (16) Michael Beasley (8) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 16,840 4–7 12 November 21 Portland W 114–87 Marcin Gortat (22) Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris (7) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 14,263 5–7 13 November 23 New Orleans W 111–108 (OT) Markieff Morris (23) Jermaine O'Neal (11) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 14,020 6–7 14 November 25 @ Philadelphia L 101–104 Michael Beasley (21) Markieff Morris (10) Shannon Brown (7) Wells Fargo Center 14,518 6–8 15 November 27 @ Cleveland W 91–78 Goran Dragić (19) Jermaine O'Neal (6) Goran Dragić (7) Quicken Loans Arena 13,687 7–8 16 November 28 @ Detroit L 77–117 Luis Scola (11) Jermaine O'Neal (7) Wesley Johnson (3) The Palace of Auburn Hills 10,517 7–9 17 November 30 @ Toronto L 97–101 Shannon Brown, Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat (14) Marcin Gortat (6) Michael Beasley (6) Air Canada Centre 18,246 7–10
December : 4–11 (home: 4–4; road: 0–7) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 18 December 2 @ New York L 99–106 Marcin Gortat (18) Marcin Gortat (10) Goran Dragić (5) Madison Square Garden 19,033 7–11 19 December 4 @ Memphis L 98–108 (OT) Goran Dragić (19) Luis Scola (8) Goran Dragić (7) FedExForum 14,481 7–12 20 December 6 Dallas L 94–97 Goran Dragić, Markieff Morris (15) Markieff Morris (17) Goran Dragić (4) US Airways Center 14,481 7–13 21 December 8 @ L.A. Clippers L 99–117 Michael Beasley (21) Luis Scola (10) Michael Beasley, Goran Dragić (5) Staples Center 19,060 7–14 22 December 9 Orlando L 90–98 Shannon Brown (17) Marcin Gortat (6) Sebastian Telfair (8) US Airways Center 13,565 7–15 23 December 12 Memphis W 82–80 Shannon Brown, Jared Dudley (15) Jared Dudley (9) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 13,093 8–15 24 December 14 Utah W 99–84 Jared Dudley (22) Marcin Gortat (14) Goran Dragić, Jared Dudley (5) US Airways Center 14,182 9–15 25 December 17 Sacramento W 101–90 Shannon Brown (22) Marcin Gortat (13) Luis Scola (10) US Airways Center 13,068 10–15 26 December 19 Charlotte W 121–104 Shannon Brown (26) Marcin Gortat (9) Goran Dragić (11) US Airways Center 13,308 11–15 27 December 22 @ Portland L 93–96 Marcin Gortat (18) Marcin Gortat (9) Jared Dudley (10) Rose Garden 19,746 11–16 28 December 23 L.A. Clippers L 77–103 Jared Dudley (19) Marcin Gortat (12) Shannon Brown (6) US Airways Center 14,741 11–17 29 December 26 New York L 97–99 Jared Dudley (36) Marcin Gortat (9) Shannon Brown, Sebastian Telfair (4) US Airways Center 15,153 11–18 30 December 28 @ Indiana L 91–97 Sebastian Telfair (19) Marcin Gortat (10) Sebastian Telfair (6) Bankers Life Fieldhouse 15,288 11–19 31 December 29 @ Minnesota L 107–111 Luis Scola (33) Luis Scola (10) Goran Dragić (12) Target Center 19,356 11–20 32 December 31 @ Oklahoma City L 96–114 Luis Scola (24) Marcin Gortat (10) Goran Dragić (8) Chesapeake Energy Arena 18,203 11–21
January : 5–9 (home: 3–4; road: 2–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 33 January 2 Philadelphia W 95–89 Luis Scola (21) Marcin Gortat (14) Luis Scola (9) US Airways Center 16,034 12–21 34 January 4 Utah L 80–87 Marcin Gortat (18) Marcin Gortat (11) Goran Dragić (6) US Airways Center 14,874 12–22 35 January 6 Memphis L 81–92 P. J. Tucker (17) Marcin Gortat (8) Goran Dragić, Luis Scola (6) US Airways Center 13,197 12–23 36 January 8 @ Milwaukee L 99–108 Goran Dragić (21) Marcin Gortat (14) Jared Dudley (8) Bradley Center 13,014 12–24 37 January 9 @ Boston L 79–87 Luis Scola (16) Marcin Gortat (14) Jared Dudley (5) TD Garden 18,624 12–25 38 January 11 @ Brooklyn L 79–99 Jared Dudley (18) Marcin Gortat, P. J. Tucker (8) Shannon Brown, Jared Dudley (4) Barclays Center 16,272 12–26 39 January 12 @ Chicago W 97–81 Luis Scola (22) Marcin Gortat (10) Goran Dragić (8) United Center 21,874 13–26 40 January 14 Oklahoma City L 90–102 Shannon Brown (21) Marcin Gortat (15) Luis Scola (5) US Airways Center 14,951 13–27 41 January 17 Milwaukee L 94–98 Shannon Brown (20) Luis Scola (8) Goran Dragić, Jared Dudley (4) US Airways Center 15,963 13–28 42 January 23 @ Sacramento W 106–96 Luis Scola (21) Luis Scola (7) Goran Dragić (11) Power Balance Pavilion 12,741 14–28 43 January 24 L.A. Clippers W 93–88 Goran Dragić (24) Luis Scola (9) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 16,017 15–28 44 January 26 @ San Antonio L 99–108 Jared Dudley (23) Marcin Gortat (12) Goran Dragić (10) AT&T Center 18,581 15–29 45 January 27 @ Dallas L 95–110 Goran Dragić (18) Marcin Gortat (8) Goran Dragić (8) American Airlines Center 20,305 15–30 46 January 30 L.A. Lakers W 92–86 Michael Beasley (27) Marcin Gortat (12) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 17,184 16–30
February : 4–9 (home: 1–4; road: 3–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 47 February 1 Dallas L 99–109 Shannon Brown (20) Goran Dragić, Luis Scola, P. J. Tucker (8) Goran Dragić (9) US Airways Center 16,304 16–31 48 February 2 @ Golden State W 113–93 Michael Beasley (24) Luis Scola (14) Goran Dragić (7) Oracle Arena 19,596 16–32 49 February 5 @ Memphis W 96–90 Marcin Gortat (20) Marcin Gortat, Luis Scola, P. J. Tucker (7) Goran Dragić, Kendall Marshall (4) FedExForum 14,933 17–32 50 February 6 @ New Orleans L 84–93 Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat (14) Marcin Gortat (7) Goran Dragić (6) New Orleans Arena 12,148 17–33 51 February 8 @ Oklahoma City L 96–127 Michael Beasley (25) Michael Beasley (7) Goran Dragić (6) Chesapeake Energy Arena 18,203 17–34 52 February 10 Oklahoma City L 69–97 Markieff Morris (12) Michael Beasley, Jermaine O'Neal (8) Goran Dragić (4) US Airways Center 16,773 17–35 53 February 12 @ L.A. Lakers L 85–91 Michael Beasley (18) Jermaine O'Neal (13) Goran Dragić (6) Staples Center 18,997 17–36 All-Star Break 54 February 19 @ Portland W 102–98 Luis Scola (18) Jermaine O'Neal (13) Goran Dragić (18) Rose Garden 20,499 18–36 55 February 20 @ Golden State L 98–108 Goran Dragić (20) Jermaine O'Neal (12) Goran Dragić (10) Oracle Arena 19,596 18–37 56 February 22 Boston L 88–113 Goran Dragić (19) Marcin Gortat (6) Goran Dragić (10) US Airways Center 18,422 18–38 57 February 24 San Antonio L 87–97 Marcin Gortat (21) Marcin Gortat (12) Goran Dragić (11) US Airways Center 14,923 18–39 58 February 26 Minnesota W 84–83 (OT) Wesley Johnson, Markieff Morris, Marcin Gortat, (14) Jermaine O'Neal (13) Goran Dragić (7) US Airways Center 14,973 19–39 59 February 27 @ San Antonio W 105–101 (OT) Jermaine O'Neal (22) Marcin Gortat (15) Goran Dragić (13) AT&T Center 17,573 20–39
March : 3–12 (home: 3–7; road: 0–5) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 60 March 1 Atlanta W 92–87 Goran Dragić (19) Luis Scola (8) Goran Dragić (6) US Airways Center 15,269 21–39 61 March 6 Toronto L 71–98 Marcus Morris (12) Luis Scola (8) Goran Dragić (6) US Airways Center 13,173 21–40 62 March 8 @ Sacramento L 112–121 Michael Beasley (24) Luis Scola (9) Goran Dragić (16) Power Balance Pavilion 13,501 21–41 63 March 9 Houston W 107–105 Jared Dudley (22) Hamed Haddadi (11) Jared Dudley (7) US Airways Center 16,734 22–41 64 March 11 Denver L 93–108 Wesley Johnson (18) Luis Scola (13) Goran Dragić (7) US Airways Center 15,597 22–42 65 March 13 @ Houston L 81–111 Wesley Johnson (15) Markieff Morris, Michael Beasley, Goran Dragić (5) Kendall Marshall (6) Toyota Center 18,132 22–43 66 March 15 @ Atlanta L 94–107 Goran Dragić (21) Markieff Morris (11) Goran Dragić (8) Philips Arena 14,282 22–44 67 March 16 @ Washington L 105–127 Michael Beasley (21) Markieff Morris, P. J. Tucker (9) Goran Dragić (11) Verizon Center 16,882 22–45 68 March 18 L.A. Lakers W 99–76 Luis Scola, Wesley Johnson (14) Luis Scola, Wesley Johnson (9) Goran Dragić (10) US Airways Center 17,102 23–45 69 March 20 Washington L 79–88 Wesley Johnson (18) P. J. Tucker (10) Goran Dragić (11) US Airways Center 14,819 23–46 70 March 22 Minnesota L 86–117 Luis Scola (17) Luis Scola (12) Goran Dragić (10) US Airways Center 16,155 23–47 71 March 24 Brooklyn L 100–102 Goran Dragić (31) Markieff Morris (15) Goran Dragić (12) US Airways Center 23–48 72 March 27 @ Utah L 88–103 Wesley Johnson (22) Luis Scola (7) Kendall Marshall (13) EnergySolutions Arena 16,949 23–49 73 March 28 Sacramento L 103–117 Luis Scola (25) Michael Beasley (8) Kendall Marshall (10) US Airways Center 15,086 23–50 74 March 30 Indiana L 104–112 Goran Dragić (21) Michael Beasley (6) Goran Dragić (9) US Airways Center 17,090 23–51
April : 2–6 (home: 1–2; road: 1–4) Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location Attendance Record 75 April 3 @ L.A. Clippers L 101–126 Wesley Johnson (20) Luis Scola (11) Goran Dragić (4) Staples Center 19,137 23–52 76 April 5 Golden State L 107–111 Goran Dragić (32) Jermaine O'Neal (9) P. J. Tucker (6) US Airways Center 18,422 23–53 77 April 7 New Orleans L 92–95 Markieff Morris (18) Luis Scola (10) Goran Dragić (8) US Airways Center 16,780 23–54 78 April 9 @ Houston L 98–101 Luis Scola (28) Markieff Morris (9) Goran Dragić (8) Toyota Center 16,673 23–55 79 April 10 @ Dallas W 102–91 Goran Dragić (21) Luis Scola (15) Goran Dragić (13) American Airlines Center 19,725 24–55 80 April 13 @ Minnesota L 93–105 Markieff Morris (20) Markieff Morris (9) Goran Dragić (14) Target Center 16,701 24–56 81 April 15 Houston W 119–112 Luis Scola (26) Luis Scola (15) Goran Dragić (14) US Airways Center 17,135 25–56 82 April 17 @ Denver L 98–118 Luis Scola (17) Luis Scola (11) Kendall Marshall (14) Pepsi Center 17,539 25–57
2012–13 season schedule

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Michael Beasley	75	20	20.7	.405	.313	.746	3.8	1.5	0.4	0.5	10.1
Shannon Brown	59	22	23.8	.420	.277	.784	2.5	1.8	1.0	0.3	10.5
Goran Dragić	77	77	33.5	.443	.319	.748	3.1	7.4	1.6	0.3	14.7
Jared Dudley	79	50	27.5	.468	.391	.796	3.1	2.6	0.9	0.1	10.9
Diante Garrett	19	0	7.9	.327	.200	.500	0.8	1.6	0.5	0.0	2.1
Marcin Gortat	61	61	30.8	.521	.000	.652	8.5	1.2	0.7	1.6	11.1
Hamed Haddadi*	17	0	13.8	.459	.	.520	5.1	0.5	0.3	1.2	4.1
Wesley Johnson	50	21	19.0	.407	.323	.771	2.5	0.7	0.4	0.4	8.0
Kendall Marshall	48	3	14.6	.371	.315	.571	0.9	3.0	0.5	0.1	3.0
Marcus Morris*	23	6	16.0	.405	.308	.405	2.5	0.7	0.8	0.2	5.7
Markieff Morris	82	32	22.4	.407	.336	.732	4.8	1.3	0.9	0.8	8.2
Jermaine O'Neal	55	4	18.7	.482	.	.835	5.3	0.8	0.3	1.4	8.3
Luis Scola	82	67	26.6	.473	.188	.787	6.6	2.2	0.8	0.4	12.8
Sebastian Telfair*	46	2	17.3	.381	.381	.772	1.5	2.5	0.6	0.2	6.0
P. J. Tucker	79	45	24.2	.473	.314	.744	4.4	1.4	0.8	0.2	6.4
Luke Zeller	16	0	3.6	.346	.200	.	0.6	0.2	0.0	0.0	1.2

* – Stats with the Suns.

Awards and records

Milestones

• During this season, Jermaine O'Neal would surpass Hall of Famer centers Moses Malone, Artis Gilmore, and Elvin Hayes on the list of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders, recording 72 blocks throughout the season.

Team milestones

• On January 12, 2013, the Phoenix Suns became the fourth fastest NBA team (tenth team overall) to win 2,000 games with a 97–81 road victory against the Chicago Bulls. The other three fastest 2,000 win teams were the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, and the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers.

Injuries/personal missed games

• September 20, 2012: Channing Frye was confirmed to miss the entirety of this season due to an enlargened heart via dilated cardiomyopathy. He would return to playing for the Suns the following season.
• November 5, 2012: Jermaine O'Neal would miss six games due to the death of his aunt. He would return to play against the L.A. Lakers on November 16.
• November 29, 2012: Kendall Marshall was assigned to the Suns' NBA D-League team: the Bakersfield Jam for nine games. He returned to the roster on December 22, 2012, against the Portland Trail Blazers.
• January 10, 2013: Diante Garrett was assigned to the Suns' NBA D-League team: the Bakersfield Jam for seven games. He returned to the roster on January 28, 2013.
• January 23, 2013: Jermaine O'Neal was confirmed to miss seven games due to having an irregular heartbeat. He ended up returning on February 5, 2013, against the Memphis Grizzlies.
• March 5, 2013: Jermaine O'Neal would miss four games due to his daughter Asjia having surgery to repair a leaky heart valve. He ended up returning on March 13, 2013, against the Houston Rockets.
• March 6, 2013: Marcin Gortat would be out for the Suns for the rest of the season by having a Lisfranc sprain occur in his right foot during a home game against the Toronto Raptors.
• April 6, 2013: Diante Garrett was once again assigned to the Bakersfield Jam. He returned to the Suns a day later.
• April 11, 2013: Diante Garrett was once more assigned to the Bakersfield Jam.

Transactions

Trades

July 4, 2012	To Phoenix Suns 2013 first-round pick (from Miami via L.A. Lakers) 2018 first-round pick 2013 second round pick (from Denver via L.A. Lakers) 2014 second round pick Cash Considerations	To Los Angeles Lakers // Steve Nash
July 27, 2012	Three–team trade
	To New Orleans Hornets Robin Lopez (from Phoenix) Hakim Warrick (from Phoenix) Cash Considerations (from Phoenix)	To Minnesota Timberwolves 2013 second round pick (from Brooklyn via Minnesota & New Orleans) 2014 second round pick (from L.A. Lakers via Phoenix) 2016 second round pick (from New Orleans)
	To Phoenix Suns Jerome Dyson (from New Orleans) Brad Miller (from New Orleans) Wesley Johnson (from Minnesota) 2016 second round pick (from Minnesota)/ 2017 second round pick (from Minnesota)
February 20, 2013	To Phoenix Suns Marcus Morris	To Houston Rockets 2013 second round pick
February 21, 2013	To Phoenix Suns Hamed Haddadi 2014 second round pick (from Toronto)	To Toronto Raptors Sebastian Telfair

^ I: The Los Angeles Lakers originally planned for their 2015 first-round pick to be conveyed to Phoenix. Due to the Lakers' poor season records in the following seasons, the selection failed to be conveyed until 2018 when the Lakers did not have any protections on that year's pick.
^ II: The Minnesota Timberwolves' second round pick the Suns were to get was originally projected to be their own second round pick at the time of the trade. However, due to stipulations between New Orleans and a future trade involving the Timberwolves, the pick that was sent to Phoenix was New Orleans' second round pick in 2016 instead of Minnesota's 2016 second round pick.
^ III: The Minnesota Timberwolves had initially planned to send their own first-round pick (top-13 protected from 2013–14; top-12 protected from 2015–16) to the Suns before they traded it away to the Boston Celtics on January 9, 2015, for Brandan Wright. However, because Minnesota could not convey a first round selection for the Celtics due to their selections in those years being protected by 2016 due to them being eliminated from playoff contention in late March 2016, the Timberwolves would convey their 2016 and 2017 second round draft picks to Boston instead.
^ IV: The Toronto Raptors sent the least favorable of their own 2014 second round pick (top-36 protected) and the Sacramento Kings' 2014 second round pick (top-55 protected) that season.

Free agents

Additions

Player	Signed	Former Team
Luis Scola	Signed 3-year deal worth $13.5 Million as an amnestied player	Houston Rockets
Goran Dragić	Signed 4-year deal worth $34 Million	Houston Rockets
Michael Beasley	Signed 3-year deal worth $18 Million	Minnesota Timberwolves
Shannon Brown	Signed 2-year deal worth $7 Million	Phoenix Suns
P. J. Tucker	Signed 2-year deal worth $1.5 Million	Brose Baskets Bamberg / Spartak St. Petersburg
Jermaine O'Neal	Signed 1-year deal worth $1.35 Million	Boston Celtics
Luke Zeller	Signed 1-year deal worth $473,604	Austin Toros
Diante Garrett	Signed 1-year deal worth $473,604	Jeunesse Sportive des Fontenelles de Nanterre

^ a: P. J. originally signed a contract to play for Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia. However, due to his performance in the Phoenix Suns' Summer League team, P. J. had earned the right to opt out of his contract with Spartak St. Petersburg and sign with the Suns. The last team P.J. officially played for, however, was with the Brose Baskets Bamberg in Germany. P. J. was also using his birth name of Anthony Tucker at that time as well.
^ b: Both Diante and Luke had initial rookie scale minimum deals due to being undrafted and spending their first seasons with the NBA. However, their deals weren't officially guaranteed until they continued to stay with the team on January 10, 2013. After the January 10 deadline, while both Garrett and Zeller ended up getting their money guaranteed, Zeller would end up being waived after the Suns traded for Marcus Morris, while Garrett was the only player to have stayed with the team at the end of the season.

Subtractions

Player	Reason Left	New Team
Steve Nash	Sign-and-traded as an unrestricted free agent	Los Angeles Lakers
Josh Childress	Amnestied	Brooklyn Nets
Aaron Brooks	Free Agent	Sacramento Kings / Houston Rockets
Grant Hill	Free Agent	Los Angeles Clippers
Ronnie Price	Free Agent	Portland Trail Blazers
Robin Lopez	Sign-and-traded as a restricted free agent	New Orleans Hornets
Hakim Warrick	Traded	New Orleans Hornets / Charlotte Bobcats / Orlando Magic
Jerome Dyson	Waived	Hapoel Holon
Brad Miller	Waived	— (Retired)
Michael Redd	Free Agent / Waived	— (Retired)
Luke Zeller	Waived	Austin Toros
Sebastian Telfair	Traded	Toronto Raptors

^ c: Because Josh Childress was amnestied from the Suns, he still got paid the remainder of his contract with the Suns (3 Years, $21 Million), but his salary away from the team did not affect the team's overall salary cap during that time period.
^ d: Childress would get waived by the Brooklyn Nets on December 29, 2012, and would not play for the rest of the season.
^ e: Aaron Brooks originally left the Suns due to the 2011 NBA lockout in concerns of playing for the 2011–12 NBA season. He signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association. However, due to the CBA's newest policy during the lockout, he could not return to the Suns once the lockout ended. After his season with Guangdong officially ended, the Suns decided not to re-sign him for a new contract that year. He was initially given a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent with restricted benefits, but he was eventually rescinded of his restricted rights and became an unrestricted free agent.
^ f: Brooks originally signed with the Sacramento Kings after the Suns decided to not use his restricted free agent rights that they initially had. Brooks continued to play for the Kings until March 1, 2013, which would be when the Kings decided to waive his contract. Four days later, Brooks decided to return to his original team, the Houston Rockets, for the rest of the season. As a result, the 2011 trade of having Goran Dragić being sent to the Houston Rockets and Aaron Brooks being sent to the Suns more or less ended up being reversed around two years later.
^ g: Ronnie Price would be waived by the Portland Trail Blazers on February 21, 2013.
^ h: Hakim Warrick was first traded to the New Orleans Hornets along with Robin Lopez. However, later on in the month of November, the Hornets decided to trade Warrick to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Matt Carroll, who would never play a single game for the Hornets. In contrast, Warrick only played one game for the Hornets before the trade happened. However, Warrick would be traded once again before the trade deadline; this time, he was sent to the Orlando Magic in exchange for power forward Josh McRoberts. Warrick would then be waived from the Orlando Magic two days after the trade deadline; he would never play a single game for the Magic.
^ i: Even though Brad Miller announced that after last season he would retire from playing basketball, he still had obligations in his contract that allowed him to come over with the Suns. Once the Suns decided to let him go (alongside Jerome Dyson), Miller would officially announce his retirement from playing basketball. In addition, even though Michael Redd was considered a free agent after his season with the Suns was over with, he never did find a new team for him to sign up with. As a result, Redd would announce his retirement from the NBA on November 6, 2013, well over a year after being an unrestricted free agent.
^ j: Luke Zeller first tried out for the Georgia national basketball team during the 2013 EuroBasket Tournament's tryouts at the end of the 2012–13 season before signing with the D-League's Austin Toros (which was also the last team Zeller played for before signing up with the Suns) nearly an entire year after being waived by the Suns on December 27, 2013.

See also

• 2012–13 NBA season