General manager Ryan McDonough says Trevor Ariza was the first player the Phoenix Suns targeted in free agency Authentic Lukas Dostal Jersey , speaking with him and his wife via FaceTime from a car one minute after free agency began.

The Suns spent virtually all of their cap space on the 14-year veteran NBA forward, who agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract. On Friday, he was introduced as the newest member of a team that believes it is close to turning the corner after years of losing.

”They are a young team with a lot of talent that don’t know how to win,” Ariza said.

The 6-foot-8 forward will go from Houston, the team with the best record in the NBA last season, to the Suns, who had the worst and haven’t made the playoffs in eight years.

”We need his defensive ability and versatility, his shooting ability,” McDonough said, ”but I think as much as anything, maybe more than anything, we need his leadership and his winning pedigree.”

When the Suns had their first interview with new coach Igor Kokoskov, they asked what free agent out there would fit the team’s needs.

”I swear the first words out of his mouth was Trevor Ariza,” McDonough said.

Ariza Kyle Gibson Minnesota Twins Jersey , who turned 33 last Saturday, played for the Rockets the past four seasons. Before that, there were stops in Washington, New Orleans, Houston (the first time), the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando and the New York Knicks. He averaged 11.7 points per game last season, shooting 37 percent from 3-point range. He’s a career 35 percent 3-point shooter averaging 10.5 points per game.

Ariza has made the playoffs nine times and is looking to show the young Suns, with talents such as Devin Booker, Josh Jackson and this year’s No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, what it takes to succeed.

”In order to be a great team you have to be selfless,” Ariza said. ”You have to be a real live dog to come out there and compete every night. In order to get better, you’ve got to give to your team. If you give to your team, everybody sees it, everybody feels it Tanner Lee Color Rush Jersey , and it makes the next person next to you want to give to you.”

James Jones, the Suns’ vice president for basketball operations, said Ariza ”speaks to exactly what we’re looking for.”

”He’s a guy that every time he steps on the court and laces them up, goes out there to try to win,” Jones said. ”It’s not just game day. It’s practice. It’s the way he approaches the game, the way he approaches the off days, film, just everything.”

Ariza credited the Suns’ approach for his signing.

”Phoenix was the most aggressive team, and the team that showed the most interest,” he said, ”and, as human beings, we all want to feel appreciated and wanted. When a team just shows that much appreciation with what you do, naturally you’re just attracted to something like that. I understand that this is a situation we have to build to win.”

Ariza has played with Kobe Bryant and James Harden, and he’s looking to help Booker on his drive to be among the best.

”I get to see another extremely talented player to grow Korey Toomer Color Rush Jersey ,” Ariza said. ”If he needs anything from me, somebody to talk to about different situations, I’ve been around these types of players. The shoes that he’s walking in, or the places that he’s going to go, I’ve seen. So any kind of advice I can lend him, I’m always available to (do) that.”

He also gets to play with Ayton, the 7-foot-1 phenomenon drafted No. 1 overall.

”I think he’s an amazing player,” Ariza said. ”He’s got unbelievable touch. He can get up and down the court. He seems to be a monster on the court. I’m excited to play alongside of him and try and make him better.”

Notes: As for a new contract with Booker, McDonough said the two sides have had productive talks and will continue to talk through the weekend. Booker is expected to get a maximum five-year, $158 million contract that kicks in next year. … the Suns signed all four of their draft picks – Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo and George King. All were expected in the Suns’ Las Vegas Summer League opener Friday night.

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Newly released police video of the stun gun arrest of Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown show one officer stepping on Brown’s ankle while he was handcuffed on the ground and others discussing the potential backlash of taking down a black professional basketball player.

The body camera and squad car videos, obtained by WISN-TV and posted online Sunday, show the moments after Milwaukee police officers swarmed Brown in January when he didn’t immediately take his hands out of his pockets as ordered. Brown had been standing and talking with a group of officers as he waited for a citation for illegally parking on a disabled spot outside a Walgreens.

Brown wasn’t charged with anything and three officers involved in the arrest were disciplined, with suspensions ranging from two to 15 days. Eight others will undergo remedial training in professional communications. Brown has said he plans to sue the department.

In one of the videos Justin Jones Color Rush Jersey , Brown is on the ground and handcuffed when an officer puts one of his boots on Brown’s ankle, holding it there and at one point pressing down. Brown doesn’t mention being in any discomfort but he questions the officer about why he’s stepping on him.

”C’mon man, you’re stepping on my ankle for what?” Brown said. In response, the officer said he was trying to prevent Brown from kicking anyone.

Other videos obtained by WISN-TV show an officer talking with two others who are seated in a squad car as they explained they were trying to protect themselves during the arrest. They also talk about how they could be perceived as racist for arresting a black Bucks player, with one saying if anything goes wrong, it ”is going to be, `Ooh, the Milwaukee Police Department is all racist, blah, blah, blah.”’

Another video shows an officer in his squad car, calling to let a supervisor know he’ll need to be on overtime before singing, ”Money, money, money http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-malik-jefferson-jersey , money, money.”

In a statement Monday, Chris Ott, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, said his organization was ”outraged” that the officers ”were focused on planning damage control for their excessive use of force, instead of treating Mr. Brown with the dignity and professionalism that everyone – whether a Bucks player or not – deserves from the police.”

Milwaukee police Chief Alfonso Morales has apologized to Brown and on May 23 released body camera footage of the officer who initially contacted the basketball player outside the store.

The incident happened a month before Morales was appointed chief, following the retirement of Edward Flynn. Since becoming chief, Morales has pledged to improve the Police Department’s relationship with minorities and to be more transparent with cases of officer misconduct.

Morales said Monday that raw video footage from all body cameras was released solely to Brown’s attorneys last week. Additional videos will be released to those filing public records requests once statutory requirements have been reached, Morales said in a statement.

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