Phoenix Suns release guard Dionte Christmas
By Sam Richmond
The Phoenix Suns have released guard Dionte Christmas, the team announced on Thursday.
OFFICIAL: The Phoenix Suns have waived guard Dionte Christmas, the team announced today.
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 24, 2014
He appeared in 31 games with Phoenix in 2013-14, averaging 2.3 points (35.5 percent shooting from the floor and 29.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc) and 1.2 rebounds per game. With all the guards currently on the Suns roster with one more possibly on the same way sometime soon (Eric Bledsoe), Christmas’ services are no longer needed.
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Still, it’s obviously a tough break for Christmas, who made it clear that he wanted to remain with the Suns while playing summer league ball earlier this month.
From arizonasports.com:
“Every team in this league right now has a scorer. I just want to be a glue guy,” Christmas said. “I just want to get in, hit open shots and just play ‘D’ and just be someone like a P.J. Tucker.”
(…)
“Hopefully, I’ll hear something soon,” he said. “I’m out here just giving the Suns everything I’ve got. They gave me a chance, a chance that I’d never think in a million years I would have. I’m just blessed to be here. Having the relationship I have with Ryan (McDonough) and coach (Jeff Hornacek) and the front office is just a blessing for me. I’m just going to try to give these guys everything I’ve got.”
The Suns gave Christmas his first NBA contract this past season. The guard went undrafted out of Temple in 2009 and played international basketball until Phoenix signed him in 2013.