Sonny Weems, Ronnie Price to join Suns as backup guards

The Suns filled out next season's bench backcourt with agreements to bring European star shooting guard Sonny Weems and former Suns point guard Ronnie Price to Phoenix.

Weems received a 29th birthday gift Wednesday by coming to an agreement on a two-year, $5.8 million contract with the Suns, who hold a $2.94 million second-year team option.

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Weems was celebrating his birthday with friends in Mexico on Wednesday when his agent reached a deal with the Suns.

"I envision him doing well because of the way the Suns play," said his agent, Roger Montgomery, who added that the Suns have kept contact with Weems for the past two years. "Sonny is a two-way player. Not many people can play in Europe. Being able to play both ways shows his maturity."

Weems has played the past four years in Europe, starting with one year in Lithuania before developing his long-range shooting and all-around game over three seasons with Euroleague power CSKA Moscow. Weems was an all-Euroleague first-team selection in 2013-14.

San Antonio was also a possible landing spot, where his former CSKA Moscow coach, Ettore Messina, is a Spurs assistant coach.

Last season, Weems averaged 13.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 26.5 minutes per game during Euroleague play and 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 21.7 minutes per game in the Russian league. Over 57 games in both leagues, he was a 40.1 percent 3-point shooter last season, averaging four attempts per game.

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Weems terminated his CSKA Moscow contract that guaranteed him about $6 million over the next two seasons so that he could return to the NBA, where he played with Denver and Toronto over three seasons (2008-10). He was drafted 39th overall out of Arkansas in 2008 but was traded two years later to Denver, where he played only 12 games as a rookie. He was used more in Toronto, making 128 appearances over two seasons but improving to only 27.9 percent 3-point shooting in his last NBA season.

Weems, who is 6 feet 6 with a 6-10 wingspan, will probably be the first guard off the Suns bench unless one of the younger players, Archie Goodwin or Devin Booker, outperforms him. Weems can be a disruptive defender and also act as a secondary ball-handler in pick-and-rolls.

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Price, who will sign a guaranteed $1.5 million veteran minimum contract, is a 10-year veteran who has played for six teams. Last season, he started 20 games for the Los Angeles Lakers and had 43 appearances, averaging 5.1 points, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 22.8 minutes per game.

Price will fill the role of part-time reserve point guard and a mature veteran influence who is a competitive practice player. The Suns intended to keep Eric Bledsoe or Brandon Knight on the floor at all times to run point guard and wanted the third point guard role to be more like what Ish Smith did two seasons ago. Price is best known for his defense but is not a strong shooter, making 34.5 percent of shots overall last season and 28.4 percent of 3-pointers.

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Price played for the 2011-12 Suns, competing with Sebastian Telfair for backup minutes to Steve Nash.

The Suns still have about $4 million of cap space to pursue another free agent, which likely would be a big man.

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