No Contract Extension for Suns’ Gentry?

The transaction flurry that has defined the Suns this month has not included a contract extension for head coach Alvin Gentry.

And that’s not a surprise. We were escorted to the acceptance porch of this reality during Lon Babby’s preamble-to-summer press conference back in June.

“My view is if a person has a three-year contract, you assess it at the end of three years,” the Suns’ president of basketball operations said when asked about Gentry’s status with the final year of his deal approaching.

“That’s how I’m going to be judged. I’ve talked to Alvin, and he’s perfectly fine with that, and you know, there are a lot of very successful coaches in the league right now coaching in the final year of their contract.

Possible Lin Backup Not on ‘Bandwagon’

Scott Machado, the former Iona point guard, is a committed Knicks fan. But he stopped short of saying he was an admirer of Linsanity last season when Jeremy Lin was electrifying the league with his come-from-nowhere play.

“I wasn’t on his bandwagon,” Machado said. “I was a Knicks fan and we were winning with him, so I was just happy.”

Machado went undrafted last month but caught on with the Houston Rockets summer league team. Now, armed with an invite to the Rockets training camp, Machado has a chance to make the team and possibly back up Lin at point guard.

“I feel like Jeremy Lin is a good player – nothing against his game – but I want to show my talent and be able to play there as well,” Machado said.

Olshey: Lillard a ‘Franchise point guard’

Damian Lillard is an NBA paradox, a relative unknown on the national stage during a 4-year college career who will enter his first fall training camp with the greatest of expectations.

“We found our franchise point guard,” Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey said of Lillard, a 21-year-old from Weber State, shortly after selecting him with the No. 6 pick in June’s NBA Draft.

Lillard’s leap from “Have you ever heard of…?” to potentially being the face of a rebuilding franchise lacks a clear recent precedent. A survey of the league’s current franchise point guards bears little similarity to Lillard’s background. Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving came out of the blue blood ACC. Deron Williams played in an NCAA title game while at Illinois. Derrick Rose played for John Calipari (enough said). The enigmatic Rajon Rondo went to Kentucky and Russell Westbrook, often cited an off-the-radar recruit, wound up attending a little program known as UCLA.

Grizzlies Re-Sign Hamed Haddadi

The Grizzlies wanted to add more size to their frontcourt, and did so Saturday with a familiar face.

They finalized a two-year contract with Hamed Haddadi, re-signing the 7-2 backup center in a move that was expected and will likely conclude the team’s offseason dealings.

Haddadi will earn between $1 million and $1.3 million for the 2012-13 season — his fifth with the Grizzlies. The second year of his contract is partially guaranteed.

“We’ve invested four years in Hamed. We have continuity with him,” Griz general manager Chris Wallace said.

Bucks Considers Guard Jodie Meeks?

The Bucks explored the possibility of signing unrestricted free agent guard Jodie Meeks.

The Bucks selected Meeks in the second round of the 2009 draft before trading him that season to Philadelphia, where he has been a part-time starter since.

Meeks, who averaged 8.4 points last season, has drawn interest from several teams with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers apparently at the forefront.

Are Big Men Being Overpaid in the NBA?

When Omer Asik is getting $25 million, you know the NBA is desperate for big men.

Nothing against Asik, a serviceable center who left the Bulls in free agency to sign a four-year contract with the Rockets. Then again, we’re talking about a guy who sports career averages of 2.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

But Asik is a true 7-footer, a hustling post player with an upside. And in today’s market, that really seems to count for a lot.

Nor is Asik the lone big man to have hit the jackpot this summer. Roy Hibbert (Pacers), Chris Kaman (Mavericks), JaVale McGee (Nuggets), and Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries (Nets) all received large and lengthy contracts. Even old standbys such as Kevin Garnett (Celtics) and Tim Duncan (Spurs) pocketed some serious cash – despite the fact each is viewed as a little past his prime. Or at least, no longer a legitimate reason to watch pro basketball in prime time.

James Harden: I’m Open to Joining Suns

A flicker of hope for Valley basketball fans:

Former Arizona State star James Harden would consider signing with the Suns if his contract expires after next season.

“Yeah,” he said. “Of course. I love it there. My mom lives there still. So that’s definitely my second home as far as my comfort level and going to school there. But obviously, I’m with the Thunder right now and what we have is special.”

This off-season, the team has a window of opportunity to extend Harden and Serge Ibaka, but league salary-cap restrictions and harsh luxury-tax penalties will make it difficult to sign both. At the least, it would require great sacrifice from the players involved.

If no deal is reached, Harden would become a restricted free agent after next season. A team such as the Suns could then make it hard on Oklahoma City by signing him to a lucrative offer sheet.

“That’s out of my hands,” Harden said. “That’s not my decision. That’s the front office. I’ll let them decide that.”