Nov 10, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Frank Kaminsky (8) celebrates a shot against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Suns sign big man Frank Kaminsky, 2 others to training camp deals
The Phoenix Suns have signed veteran big man Frank Kaminsky, along with forwards Mamadi Diakite and Moses Wood, to training camp deals ,the team announced Thursday.
All three will be competing for a roster spot when camp begins on Oct. 1.
Kaminsky hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2022-23 season, and now is returning to the Suns, where he played from 2019-22.
The 31-year-old averaged 8.2 points on 46.8% shooting and 4.3 rebounds in three seasons with the Suns, playing just nine games in his final season with the team as he dealt with a right knee injury before being waived late in the regular season.
Kaminsky played with the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks in the 2022-23 season, averaging 2.5 points in 36 total games between the two teams. He played in Serbia last season.
Diakite has played in four NBA seasons, appearing in 55 games across five teams after going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft. He was a member of the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks team coached by Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer. Diakite averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 18 NBA G League games with the Westchester Knicks and the Austin Spurs last season.
Wood played for the Atlanta Hawks at NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024 this past July. During his college career, where he played with Washington, the University of Portland, UNLV and Tulane, Wood averaged 10.5 points on 44.1% shooting and 4.8 rebounds in 157 total games.
Phoenix opens the 2024-25 regular season on Oct. 23 at the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Suns have waived forward Tyrese Samuel and guard Jaden Shackelford ahead of training camp, per the NBA’s official transaction log.
Both players had been on Exhibit 10 training camp deals with Phoenix.
Samuel went undrafted out of Florida this summer. The 6’10” All-SEC honoree averaged 13.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game while connecting on 56.4% of his looks from the floor and 56.2% of his free throw attempts.
After going undrafted out of Alabama, the 23-year-old Shackelford has spent the last two seasons in the G League as a member of the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. Last year, he recorded averages of 14.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG on .379/.356/.733 shooting across 50 Showcase Cup and regular season games.
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Both players seem likely to end up with the Suns’ NBAGL squad, the Valley Suns, who acquired Shackelford’s rights in a trade earlier this month. Should Samuel and Shackelford stick with Phoenix’s G League team for at least 60 days, they will each be eligible for a bonus worth as much as $77.5K.
The Suns also confirmed that they have officially signed power forward/center Mamadi Diakite and center Frank Kaminsky, whose deals were previously reported. Phoenix has one opening on its projected 15-man standard roster. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets that Diakite, Kaminsky and previously confirmed training camp signee Moses Wood are all slated to compete for it.
