The overarching theme of the Phoenix Suns’ season the last two months is how much they look like they are playing against an opponent at their level when they face teams on the outside of the postseason picture, a.k.a. some of the worst teams in the NBA.

Therefore, that is who they are. With a complete lack of signature wins against other teams and hardly any blowout victories in general, how else are we supposed to interpret that?

Sunday’s iteration was a 127-109 loss to the 18-39 Toronto Raptors who were missing their big-time trade deadline acquisition Brandon Ingram (left ankle sprain) and starting center Jakob Poeltl (right hip pointer).

In the unenviable task of evaluating this team for the rest of the season, Toronto offered a perfect test for the Suns in seeing if they could properly beat a team that has the type of roster that typically makes Phoenix (27-30) beat itself.

The Raptors are loaded with athleticism and length across every position. Jamal Shead is the same size as Tyus Jones but is twice as explosive as him in every department, while it is lottery pick after lottery pick around the perimeter. That type of makeup wreaks havoc against the Suns on the glass, in transition and with forcing turnovers.

Toronto is a very bad offensive and shooting team but also has four guys that can go off for 25-plus any night in R.J. Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick and Immanuel Quickley. Phoenix has a tendency to let inferior opponents get comfortable and on paper that’s too much skill to allow to reach that state.

Since mid-January, the Raptors came into the day 9-8, sitting 24th in offense and eighth in defense. There aren’t really team numbers that pop inside the weeds, so again, just don’t hurt yourself.

But what is perhaps the biggest weakness of this Suns team is how little they set the tone. That has crippled them for three straight contests coming out of the All-Star break, posting 21, 20 and now 26 points in the first quarter. They have no identity, so what are they even trying to establish coming out of the gates anyway? You can win a lot in the NBA by imposing your will. Phoenix loses a lot by doing the opposite.

This game was dictated on the Raptors’ terms. That sentence should speak for itself.

Phoenix had a season-low two assists in the first quarter. That would suggest a terrible offensive quarter but the Suns still got to a mildly low 25 points and shot 46%, a nod to what Toronto was OK with taking away and also Phoenix missing open shots.

A day earlier, the Suns shot 76% in the second quarter to make up for a slow start. They were not able to do that on Sunday, and more importantly, Toronto kept rolling offensively. Phoenix’s abhorrent transition defense maintained that standard, as did its lazy closeouts to blah shooters. The Suns can roll their eyes at a 10-for-18 (55.5%) half of 3s for a poor shooting team but they did absolutely nothing to impede that. Remember this for later!

Toronto’s strategy to tunnel the Suns in certain areas of the floor offensively resulted in allowing just 13 attempts from 3 in the first half, two of which went in. What was far worse was the Suns going -6 in free-throw attempts against the defense with the worst opposing free-throw rate in the NBA, and Phoenix has the third-best for its own offense. If you needed the numbers to tell you who the aggressor was too instead of the tape, there you go.

The Raptors operated like a team that knew it would win in the margins and math enough to come out with a victory. They were rewarded with a 15-point advantage at halftime.

Phoenix made five straight shots in the early third quarter to cut it to 10, a byproduct of Toronto missing shots while generating just as good of opportunities as it did in the first half. That trend continued until a dual-contest at the rim by Nick Richards and Kevin Durant at the rim got Devin Booker a run-out 3 to get within four that finally resulted in the Suns finding some intensity on defense.

But in a consistent theme this year, Phoenix cannot simply decide to increase its effort and see that correct all the other problems. Terrible rebounding and turnovers quickly resulted in the Raptors getting back up 11 later in the quarter.

It was 88-82 Raptors entering the third quarter after a 4:35 close to the quarter that was 7-5 Toronto. Yet another mid-off was in the cards.

Toronto got back ahead by 11 after Quickley found some success hunting Grayson Allen or Jones, an element of Phoenix’s defensive scheme in which it does not fight nearly enough to avoid giving away that switch for free. Suns turnovers kept coming and that let Toronto run against the aforementioned woeful effort to get back.

Phoenix then ripped off a 10-0 run in just over two minutes, one that was affected by Toronto’s insistence for running terrible offense, before Toronto buried five straight 3s in an avalanche to jump up 17 with under two minutes to go. All of that was sparked by Quickley, who was in a zone the Suns rolled out a red carpet toward earlier in the game.

The Raptors finished 20-for-35 (57.1%) from deep. Once again, the Suns have no one to blame but themselves. They let the Raptors grow their confidence in the first half and the shooting luck regressed significantly in the third quarter when all they could muster to counter was those five points for nearly five minutes.

Or how about making up for it on the other end? They only attempted 28 and made seven (25%). Clearly, head coach Mike Budenholzer’s offensive principles haven’t stuck. You decide who deserves more of the blame for that (when it was a problem last year too).

Booker had 31 points and eight assists with one turnover in 37 minutes while Bradley Beal was excellent with 12-of-15 shooting for 30 points. Durant was 5-of-15 for 15 points with four rebounds, four assists, three steals, three blocks and two turnovers. Booker reached 37 minutes, Durant clocked in at 40 and Beal sat at 41 after all three played 38 the night prior. That is going to catch up to the Suns very, very soon if they keep this up.

A more understated Suns weakness for the second straight year has been the lack of variety when it comes to how they get Durant the ball. The mid-post isolations are effective and also a turnover machine, so against a team like Toronto that can deny those rather easily or force risky passes, Durant wasn’t going to get as many of those looks. That required him to find shots in other ways, and since Phoenix doesn’t use much half-court motion to get Durant the ball on the move off the catch, you get performances of his like Sunday’s.

If you want to play the blame game here, which is honestly just a shrug for something like this, consider how this is a different coaching staff and offense than last year with the problem still persisting.

For something worth noting, Beal thrived after clearly tweaking something in his left foot during Saturday’s win. Beal called for immediate sub, a signal he was done for the day, only to return shortly later. That left foot is where he sprained his big toe, an injury that sidelined him for four games.

Phoenix ended up -8 in free-throw attempts, a truly mind-boggling result given Toronto’s extreme deficiencies on both sides of that exchange and how the Suns are one of the best at generating them.

The Suns are now just 13-9 when shooting 50% or better after checking in at 50.6% on Sunday, another signal to how much they get burned by being a terrible defensive team that does poorly in the math areas as well.

Toronto had four players score at least 20 points, including 23 in 20 minutes from backup 5 Chris Boucher, the latest pedestrian center to ravage the Suns. Richards and Mason Plumlee did not have good nights after having their best joint effort on Saturday.

Ryan Dunn briefly appeared in the Suns rotation as the outcries from the fanbase for more of him on the floor continued. He played just seven minutes.

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BJ Freeman is no longer with the Arizona State men’s basketball team due to conduct detrimental to the team, a team spokesperson confirmed to Arizona Sports on Sunday.

“It was just unfortunate that it came to this. He’s our leading scorer and a very productive player for us,” coach Bobby Hurley told reporters postgame. “It’s just we’ve had too many instances of either player or coach conduct with BJ, and he was already suspended once.

“It was a really hard decision to make, but it was based on this year, and he’s got another season to play,” Hurley continued. “I’m sure that he’s going to still have a very good market for a place to land next year.”

AZCentral’s Michelle Gardner first reported the dismissal.

Freeman was ejected in back-to-back games against Colorado (Jan. 28) and Arizona (Feb. 1) before later earning a one-game suspension that kept him out of a meeting with Oklahoma State (Feb. 9).

The senior ends his season as ASU’s leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game. He hit his stride when conference play arrived, averaging 15.6 points (39.4% 3-point shooting) and 2.6 assists over 14 games.

Beginning with Kansas State, ASU has five regular-season games remaining without a path to an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.

What events led to BJ Freeman leaving ASU?

Freeman landed at ASU as a transfer from UW-Milwaukee after averaging 25.8 points in his final Horizon League tournament, positioning himself as a potential force on offense for the 2024-25 Sun Devils.

His ASU season started poorly on the court with a 2-for-9 showing against Duke in an exhibition, leading him to come off the bench for his first three games once the regular season had gotten going.

Freeman scored in double digits each of the three games and carved out a central role in the ASU offense, which became even more so when freshman Joson Sanon injured his ankle and missed time.

His first ejection came as a flagrant 2 foul when fighting through a screen against Colorado and as a result hit an offensive player where people don’t like to be hit. He insisted postgame that he was only trying to fight through the screen in a show of effort, saying he knew Hurley would be on him if he didn’t.

The second came after he headbutted Arizona guard Caleb Love at the end of the Wildcats’ victory over ASU. The two teams, which did not shake hands afterward, will meet again on March 4.

Then came the suspension, which was never clarified beyond “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Bradley Beal is back in the Phoenix Suns starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 4, getting the nod at guard over Tyus Jones who moves to the bench on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.

Beal had come off the bench for the past 15 games he has played in — he missed seven over the span. In Thursday’s loss to San Antonio, Beal pitched in 19 points and six assists in just shy of 33 minutes of action.

Jones moves to the bench for the first time this season, and the first time since April 7, 2023, as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. As the Suns starting point guard, Jones is averaging 10.9 points on 44.8% shooting from the field and 5.9 assists to 1.4 turnovers.

The change comes as the Suns find themselves fighting for a play-in spot, currently at 11th in the West. Star guard Devin Booker has taken on more of a point guard role, taking much of the primary ball-handler duties — a role Jones was specifically brought in to do after Phoenix played largely without a point guard in 2023-24.

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said before Saturday’s game that the team is always looking at different ways to rotate their stable of guards.

“We’re always looking at different combinations. Brad has been playing that backup point guard role and Brad and Devin together and even Grayson (Allen),” he said. “We feel like all those guys can handle it. We’re always looking at it, always trying to figure out how we can be our best and appreciate what Devin can do handling it, what Brad can do handling it. What Tyus brings to us. We’re always looking at everything.”

Budenholzer also noted that Jones organizes the team and is “a guy that’s looking to get everybody involved. Has a comfort level with that spot. He’s been good.”

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Jerry Colangelo has a very simple rule for how he envisions professional sports in the Valley: All roads lead to downtown.

It was important for the team and its community benefits to be centralized, according to the figure who served as the Phoenix Suns’ first general manager before being instrumental in bringing two teams to the Valley, the Arizona Diamondbacks and then-Phoenix Coyotes.

It’s also the key reason he’s encouraged by recent developments in state legislature that have funding within reach for Chase Field renovations that would keep the Diamondbacks downtown.

“It’s very, very important (to keep the Diamondbacks downtown),” Colangelo said when he joined Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “Way back when, we could’ve gone to some other locations, but I insisted it was going to be downtown. I believe that’s where the team should play. Why? Because all roads lead to downtown.

“Also, I was really concerned about other businesses and people benefitting from having the team downtown, the restaurants, the bars, the retail. Some owners opted to go in the suburbs and have their own piece of property. Who gained anything from that, other than them? And that was not my mindset, it was more about what’s good for the community, along with where we thought it would be best.”

The Diamondbacks await the Arizona House vote on HB2704, which was approved by the House Commerce Committee last week. It will now go to a vote in the House before moving onto the Arizona Senate and then the desk of Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has told AZCentral.com she backs the legislation.

D-backs president Derrick Hall said earlier this week he was not sure when the vote will occur, hoping it will commence in the next couple weeks. There have been amendments adopted by the Commerce Committee, including penalties for the Diamondbacks if they relocate. They would have to pay the $10 million if they leave the state by Oct. 1, 2035.

“Years take a toll on facilities, they just do. … And here, with the sun, the heat, etc., I think that time table moves faster. So there’s a lot of work to be done on the building. The building, I believe, still belongs downtown for the Diamondbacks,” Colangelo said on the final day of Newsmakers Week. “I’m happy that they’re making some progress. And all I know is what I’ve read and what I’ve heard, nothing on the inside, but I think there are some people who are amenable to making things happen for them, and I think that’s good for everyone.”

Colangelo added he still wishes the Cardinals had built their stadium downtown, as opposed to Glendale, where they are approximately 18 miles away from Chase Field.

What did Colangelo think about the Valley losing Coyotes he helped bring?

“I didn’t like the fact that we lost anything in terms of our community, and it’s unfortunate, the way the whole hockey thing … developed,” Colangelo said.

Similarly to how Colangelo led the charge for Phoenix to get an MLB expansion team, he was the key figure in bringing NHL hockey to the Valley, although this time it came as an already-existing franchise.

“I had interest in hockey before we built the arena, and I had conversation with (then-NHL president John Ziegler) and I said, ‘I need to know what’s the shot for NHL hockey in Phoenix?’ And he said, ‘Not in your lifetime.’” Colangelo retold. “If that’s not a possibility, I want to build the most intimate seating arrangement ever for basketball. Proximity to the court sells. Intimacy sells.

“As a result of what he told me, we were going to always put in an ice plant for the ice show and minor league hockey. So we go and build what we said we would do … and almost immediately we get a call from the NHL they want to play a few exhibition games, they liked it.”

Colangelo described how a connection to new commissioner Gary Bettman through their basketball ties led to then-owner of the Minnesota North Stars franchise asking what Colangelo could do for him while shopping the team to the Phoenix and Dallas markets. Upon hearing Colangelo’s suggestion of being his landlord, the owner took his team to Dallas instead.

Businessmen Steve Gluckstern and Richard Burke bought the Winnipeg Jets with the intention to have the franchise take the North Stars’ vacant place in Minnesota, but they were unable to reach a deal to share Target Center with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. The search turned back to Phoenix, where an agreement was reached with Colangelo.

Frustration arose when concerns were raised about obstructed viewing angles in the arena despite Colangelo saying he made the issues clear in the planning process, prompting the team to leave the downtown arena in 2003 for another in Glendale close to where the Cardinals would break ground on a home in the same year.

He noted the Coyotes had their heaviest fan support when calling downtown home.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray turned in an inconsistent 2024 in his first full season under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

The franchise signal caller put together an impressive 10-game stretch highlighted by 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions, only for the wheels to come off in the backend of the season.

That first-place feeling sitting 6-4 at the bye week? That was quickly eroded behind three straight losses on the way to a sputtering 2-5 finish and 8-9 final record.

For a Cardinals team that hangs its hat on limiting turnovers and generating explosive plays, that’s a big no-no.

Fans (continue to) go back and forth as to whether or not Murray is the answer moving forward. Owner Michael Bidwill, however, remains one-sided on the polarizing signal caller.

“What he is is a dual threat quarterback. When he’s healthy he scares every defensive coordinator and he has a chance to change the game with his feet and with his arm,” Bidwill told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta during Newsmakers Week on Friday. “When you look at it, we’ve got to continue to rely on him and he’s got to play at a high level. He knows that.

“He’s working hard. … He needs to take the next step and we’re excited about our future with Kyler. He’s a great quarterback. I think we need to continue to build around that offense for him.”

Murray certainly deserves some of the blame for his fall off in the latter half of the season.

It wasn’t all on him, though.

While the Cardinals defense improved over the course of the year, the talent deficiencies popped up regularly — as did the inability to consistently rush the passer. Injuries to both sides of the football didn’t help matters, either, especially when depth was tested late in games.

Even with his miscues, Murray still finished seventh in completion percentage (68.8%), ninth in QBR (66.5), 11th in passing yards (3,851).

In general manager Monti Ossenfort’s eyes, progress starts with a collective step forward.

Kyler Murray’s peaks in play make the Cardinals hard to beat. GM Monti Ossenfort knows cutting down on the turnovers in key moments is one thing the quarterback and his teammates can improve.

He joined @Bickley_Marotta this morning for Newsmakers Week. pic.twitter.com/EiXRbrkpmO

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) February 21, 2025

“It’s the same thing with our whole team. We have to finish,” Ossenfort added. “There were those tight games. Was it only Kyler? No, there were other things that the rest of the team could do. Does Kyler have to play better? Absolutely he does.

“When Kyler was (not turning the ball over and generating explosives), he was rolling. … And then when those games get tight and we turn the ball over and Kyler’s involved in some of those, that’s where it’s going to be tough to win and it’s going to be tough to win late in the season when the window of opportunity just shrinks. That’s a hump we have to get over. Kyler has to improve on that. The whole team has to improve on that. We have to raise our level of consistency.”

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Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said Friday that he believes his team’s workplace culture is “excellent” and recent lawsuits against him and the team are simply allegations that he will strongly defend.

One of those lawsuits, a defamation case against the team, its legal representation and a public relations firm filed by former Cardinals vice president of personnel Terry McDonough, was dismissed on Feb. 13.

“It’s a privilege to be in this position and all these positions,” Bidwill told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta. “Just like in the entertainment industry and CEOs or businesses and CEOs or sports teams and owners, there are going to be times where things come up where people make allegations. You got to go through the process — sometimes it’s a more lengthy process. But we’re going to defend this. We strongly deny all these allegations and look forward to the process that we can stand our ground (in) and make sure we defend ourselves strongly, which we will.

“Often times you see the reality is much different than what’s alleged. And allegations are simply that: just allegations. We look forward to moving forward. It just comes with the territory here, and I understand that. There are going to be critics out there, etcetera, and we’re just going to be focused on building a great organization, great team.”

What is the most recent lawsuit that the Cardinals and Michael Bidwill face?

Bidwill’s former personal assistant, Brittany Neuheisel, filed a lawsuit accusing the owner of verbally abusing her during her tenure that began in 2019 and ended last month.

The lawsuit filed Feb. 6 in the Superior Court of Maricopa County claims constructive discharge, wrongful discharge, discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The 54-year-old former assistant claims that she was “continuously tormented for failing to disavow members of her own family and for refusing to participate in illegal conduct.”

In another example, the suit claims that Bidwill demanded Neuheisel “provide false information” on federal and international disclosure forms relating to the owner’s travel on a private airplane. It also says that when Neuheisel would raise concerns about Bidwill’s requests, the owner would ridicule her Catholic faith.

Cardinals believe they have improved the workplace culture

Bidwill on Friday said the Cardinals have spent the last few years focusing on improving their workplace culture. That came with leadership changes in both the football operations and business wings of the franchise.

“I think there’s a perception outside the building that a few people want to carry on,” Bidwill said. “We’ve gone through a lot of changes the last couple of years and brought in new leadership. I’m excited about the leadership team we have both on the football and the business side.”

They hired chief people office Shaun Mayo in 2021 to oversee human resources and Jeremy Walls in 2023 as chief operating officer. Bidwill credited those two with helping improve the culture on the business side.

Walls’ hiring followed the departure of former COO Ron Minegar, who went on the record to ESPN about poor workplace culture in light of the initial McDonough complaint. It accused the Cardinals and Bidwill of misconduct, discrimination and harassment.

The Cardinals’ response to that complaint led to McDonough’s defamation lawsuit that was dismissed this month, although an NFL arbitrator ordered the Cardinals to pay McDonough almost $3 million in damages.

Of course, the Cardinals have also seen turnover on the football side of things as well. General manager Monti Ossenfort was hired before the 2023 season and has steadily built a core culture through the draft and development of his young players.

The Cardinals improved from four wins to eight in Ossenfort’s and head coach Jonathan Gannon’s tenure.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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SCOTTSDALE — Starting on Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks will play a baseball game almost daily until at least the end of September.

Their Cactus League slate begins at 1:10 p.m. MST against the Colorado Rockies, and fans will receive their first in-game looks at coveted free agent signee Corbin Burnes.

Burnes — a four-time All-Star who signed a six-year, $210 million deal — will pitch one inning after requesting to throw in the first frame of spring training as he has done in the past. Behind him, expect to see a youthful group as most major leaguers continue to work behind the scenes.

“You’re gonna see a lot of minor leaguers because everybody’s just not caught up yet,” manager Torey Lovullo said on Thursday. “I think four games in you’ll start to see a lot of our guys, but we have three pitchers throwing tomorrow. I don’t know the other two.

“(Jose) Castillo will start the following day, but it’s Corbin backed up by two other guys and then a bunch of minor leaguers.”

As for the batting order, Lovullo said five to six regulars will take the field on Friday with the caveat that there is no set starting lineup at this point.

“It’s hard to say who you categorize as a starter, but you’ll see several play and then I gotta stagger it,” Lovullo said. “And several will play the next day.”

The D-backs have paired position groups in past spring training games, and an example Lovullo brought up is second baseman Ketel Marte and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo will take the field together more times than not.

When can fans arrive at Salt River Fields for Diamondbacks-Rockies?

Fan access to Diamondbacks workouts on the backfields takes place each day from 9 a.m. to noon MST. The gates to the stadium open 90 minutes prior to games.

How the Diamondbacks evaluate spring training

The Diamondbacks are not going to judge their roster or position competitions based on spring training results. It is a small sample size and players are trying to build up for the regular season while staying healthy.

There are elements to games that Lovullo explained are useful when evaluating the team, though.

“Shapes of pitches, mound presence, the ability to step back and execute after a crisis situation,” Lovullo said. “What do you look like after you make an error, have a bad at-bat, what’s your body language like? Those are the things that I’m really honing in on, and then specifically the breaks and movements of players.

“Just find out where these guys are with their confidence level when they’re on defense, and then their ability to not miss pitches offensively. It’s not the result that I’m watching.”

ABS enters playing field

Diamondbacks veterans will receive their first experience playing in a game with the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system on Friday.

The league is testing ABS in spring training this year after a trial run in Triple-A. ABS will not be implemented in the major leagues this year, but data and feedback from spring training will help decision-makers determine the next steps.

Not every ballpark will have ABS. The five Cactus League parks that will are Salt River Fields, Surprise Stadium, Goodyear Ballpark, Camelback Ranch and Peoria Sports Complex. The D-backs will play a league-leading 29 games with ABS.

Teams get two challenges each game, which they retain if correct. It is very quick, as the pitcher, batter or catcher has to challenge a strike or ball call within a couple seconds. The video board will display the pitch location and the game will continue on as so:

Major League Baseball is going to test its ABS (automated ball-strike) challenge system during spring training games.

Here’s what it will look like: pic.twitter.com/Y8ZHix2mK3

— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) February 19, 2025

What’s been happening at Diamondbacks spring training before Cactus League begins?

Lovullo praised his club’s intensity and focus during the first days of spring training, as much of the roster arrived in camp well before the official report dates.

The D-backs ended last season on awkward terms, watching the Mets and Braves clinch playoff spots by splitting a doubleheader after the regular season ended for 28 teams. That experience stuck in Lovullo’s mind and that of the players who received an extreme example of “every game counts.”

“I think the players have been fantastic with their focus,” Lovullo said. “Spring training is a little bit loose, but when you need to be in and engaged, they’re all in. I watched the cuts and relays today, and it’s as good as I’ve ever seen a group execute cuts and relays on day one, it was electric. Guys were in the right place and doing exactly the things that they know are important to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“The intensity has been great, and I think this group is coming together very nicely.”

The Diamondbacks have had an eventful start to spring training:

– They gave a four-year extension to Perdomo, whose leadership and steady play made him a core member of the ballclub.

– The club also brought in veteran relievers Kendall Graveman and Shelby Miller (minor league deal) to deepen the bullpen.

– Pitcher Drey Jameson faced live hitters for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

– Left-hander Jordan Montgomery responded to owner Ken Kendrick’s criticism by saying, “I’ve got two older brothers, so it’s not gonna hurt my feelings.” He also arrived in camp 20-25 pounds lighter looking to be more smooth to the plate.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks announced their spring training broadcast schedule on Thursday, including six free telecasts on DBACKS.TV.

Cactus League play for the Diamondbacks begins Friday at 1:10 p.m. MST against Colorado at Salt River Fields, and the first television broadcast is Saturday against the Rockies, also at 1:10 p.m.

Additionally, Diamondbacks baseball will air on eight webcasts, including Friday’s opener, plus 11 English radio broadcasts and two Spanish radio broadcasts.

Arizona will play 34 games ahead of Opening Day on March 27 against the Chicago Cubs.

During the regular season, Major League Baseball will distribute Diamondbacks broadcasts just like last season on DBACKS.TV. The Diamondbacks have also negotiated with local networks to offer a free, over-the-air package to fans this season, but they have not yet announced an agreement.

Diamondbacks TV broadcast schedule for spring training

Saturday, February 22 // @ Rockies // 1:10 p.m. // Rockies broadcast

Saturday, March 1 // vs. Rockies // 1:10 p.m. // Steve Berthiaume and Bob Brenly

Thursday, March 6 // vs. Mariners // 6:10 p.m. // Steve Berthiaume and Josh Collmenter

Wednesday, March 12 // @ Athletics // 1:05 p.m. // Athletics broadcast

Thursday, March 13 // @ Mariners // 6:40 p.m. // Mariners broadcast

Monday, March 24 // vs. Guardians // 6:40 p.m. // Steve Berthiaume and Bob Brenly

Diamondbacks webcasts for spring training

Friday, February 21 // vs. Rockies // 1:10 p.m. // Mike Ferrin and Josh Collmenter

Wednesday, February 26 // vs. Brewers // 1:10 p.m. // Mike Ferrin and Josh Collmenter

Friday, February 28 // vs. Royals // 1:10 p.m. // Chris Garagiola and Josh Collmenter

Monday, March 3 // vs. Cubs // 1:10 p.m. // Mike Ferrin and Josh Collmenter

Wednesday, March 5 // vs. Giants // 1:10 p.m. // Mike Ferrin and Josh Collmenter

Tuesday, March 11 // vs. Royals // 1:10 p.m. // Mike Ferrin and Tom Candiotti

Wednesday, March 19 // vs. Rockies // 1:10 p.m. // Chris Garagiola and Josh Collmenter

Thursday, March 20 // vs. Athletics // 1:10 p.m. // Chris Garagiola and Josh Collmenter

Diamondbacks radio broadcast schedule at spring training

Saturday, February 22 // @ Rockies // 1:10 p.m. // ESPN 620 AM // Chris Garagiola and Tom Candiotti

Sunday, February 23 // @ Mariners // 1:10 p.m. // ESPN 620 AM // Chris Garagiola and Tom Candiotti

Saturday, March 1 // vs. Rockies // 1:10 p.m. // 98.7 // Chris Garagiola and Tom Candiotti

Sunday, March 2 // @ Rangers // 1:05 p.m. // 98.7 // Chris Garagiola and Tom Candiotti

Saturday, March 8 // @ Reds // 1:05 p.m. // 98.7 // Mike Ferrin and Tom Candiotti

Sunday, March 9 // vs. Rangers // 1:10 p.m. // ESPN 620 AM // Mike Ferrin and Tom Candiotti

Saturday, March 15 // vs. White Sox // 1:10 p.m. // 98.7 // Mike Ferrin and Tom Candiotti

Sunday, March 16 // @ Padres // 1:10 p.m. // ESPN 620 AM // Mike Ferrin and Tom Candiotti

Saturday, March 22 // @ Giants // 1:05 p.m. // 98.7 // Chris Garagiola and Josh Collmenter

Sunday, March 23 // vs. Padres // 1:10 p.m. // 98.7 // Chris Garagiola and Josh Collmenter

Monday, March 24 // vs. Guardians // 6:40 p.m. // ESPN 620 AM // Chris Garagiola and Tom Candiotti

Diamondbacks Spanish radio broadcast schedule at spring training

Monday, March 24 // vs. Guardians // 6:40 p.m. // Latino Mix 100.3 // Oscar Soria and Rodrigo Lopez

Tuesday, March 25 // vs. Guardians // 12:40 p.m. // Latino Mix 100.3 // Oscar Soria and Rodrigo Lopez

You can find the full schedule and more details at pic.twitter.com/Fl4FKWzxWD

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) February 20, 2025

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Kevin Durant, not Bradley Beal, became the Phoenix Suns player who was the most talked about in the final hours before the NBA trade deadline two weeks ago.

The Suns’ apparent curiosity about moving him to the Golden State Warriors in a complex deal that didn’t get past the finish line became quite public. ESPN’s reporters detailed what looked possible and what didn’t happen to leave Phoenix without a blockbuster deal involving Durant leaving or Jimmy Butler incoming.

Durant, in his honest way this past week, told ESPN that the rumors didn’t start at his end. He didn’t ask for a trade.

Phoenix president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta that the Suns didn’t feel the need to smooth things over with their star player after he wasn’t moved.

“No, I mean I think that’s the story everyone wants to talk about,” Jones said Thursday. “Kevin is unique in the sense that he tells you exactly how he feels and he understands this game, top to bottom. … No smoothing over (was needed) because he wants to do what we want to do, which is win.

“He’s been great. I think it’s a testament to his ability to put the game above anything else. We’re aware the narratives will continue to bubble up. And like I said, when you’re not winning, it gets noisy. The only way to counter that is to win games and stack wins and if we do that, I think we’ll have the outcome that we set out to achieve at the beginning of the season.”

To Jones’ point, Durant told ESPN’s Malika Andrews over the NBA All-Star break that he understands why that noise around the Suns built.

Phoenix (26-28) sits in the 11th spot in the Western Conference before ramping back up with a game Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. It still is just 1.5 games out of the play-in spot. But considering the expectations for the NBA leader in salary spending this season, just being in that play-in mix is far from satisfying for fans and admittedly short of the bar set by the front office.

Along with the reports of a potential Durant trade, a benching of Bradley Beal and the quick erosion of a role for former starting center Jusuf Nurkic that ended with a trade to Charlotte signified the urgency by Phoenix’s front office to fix things.

“But obviously when you pay so much for a team and we’re not playing up to our expectation, somebody has to go,” Durant told Andrews.

“You probably should check in with those guys in the front office throughout the rest of the season and see how they feel about the team,” he added. “I know that I’m going to try and keep bringing my best every single day and I let the higher-ups focus on what’s next.”

That is the tunnel vision mindset of Durant that Jones believes didn’t require a sitdown to keep their relationship strong.

And moving forward with Durant still a Sun, Jones said the trade deadline passing has a way of firming up a collective mindset for even a team in Phoenix’s position.

“Too often we forget these guys are human and these guys, they’re people,” Jones told Bickley & Marotta. “They hear, they consume. They know when the team isn’t performing the way we’re wanting to, we’re all interested in getting better. My job is always to look at things but it’s also a testament to the talent of this group. Teams, they’re interested in our players. … They try to be opportunistic.

“We always try to make sure we aren’t being blind to the facts when a team isn’t performing, something’s gotta improve, something’s gotta change. We make a bunch of different tweaks. But at the end of the day, once you get to the All-Star break and guys know where they’re finishing their season, it’s a lot easier to lock in and focus and rally around that one mission, which is get as many wins as you can and take this season as far as you can.”

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Kevin Durant went back to the Bay Area last weekend. He’s now going back to school.

A nostalgic time for Phoenix’s All-Star forward continues Thursday, when Durant and the Suns play San Antonio in Austin, Texas — a home game for the Spurs and a homecoming for Durant, since the game brings him back to where he played his one college season with the Longhorns.

“It does mean a lot to me,” Durant said. “I’m excited that we get to go back to play a regular-season game there. Austin is a place where I kind of started this journey, and to have so many friends and family that are still there from, what, 16, 17 years ago is pretty sweet. So, I appreciate the NBA for setting this up. This is a unique time.”

Durant’s lone season in Austin was 2006-07, and he was college basketball’s best player that year. He averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, finishing the season ranked fourth nationally in both of those categories on his way to being selected as player of the year by The Associated Press and a number of other outlets.

Kevin Durant only spent one season at Texas, but his memories of Austin are special.

Especially the weekends spent on 6th Street.

Game recognize Game 🫡#SunsUp | @12SportsAZ | @KDTrey5 pic.twitter.com/J89w3LCL9W

— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) February 20, 2025

He declared for the draft after that season, went No. 2 overall to Seattle in 2007 and the accolades keep piling up. Durant is the only men’s player in USA Basketball history to win four Olympic gold medals, he won two championships with Golden State — returning to the Bay this past weekend after being selected as an All-Star for the 15th time — and just became the eighth player in NBA history to eclipse the 30,000-point mark.

“I think it’s an awesome opportunity for himself — and for the city of Austin to come out and support one of our great players who is still in the prime of his career right now,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said. “He’s scored over 30,000 points, he’s one of the all-time scorers at the next level, one of the all-time scorers at the collegiate level. But to have an opportunity come back where you played collegiately, to play a professional game against one of the best organizations in all of professional sports in the Spurs, you can’t ask for a better scenario.”

This is the third consecutive season where the Spurs have played two home games in Austin, about 75 miles northeast of San Antonio. The Spurs see Austin as part of a mega-region that they’ve been cultivating for years, even stretching into Mexico — and this year’s home games help break up the annual rodeo road trip. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo typically sends the Spurs on the road for much of February, so this year’s games in Austin break up that window.

The Spurs also play in Austin on Friday against Detroit. The Suns got to Austin on Tuesday and one of Durant’s first stops was the Longhorns’ practice.

“I’m going to try to roam around the city a little bit,” Durant said this past weekend when asked if he had plans to check out some of his favorite places in Austin. “I don’t have a set schedule, but I’ve got some stuff I want to see.”

Austin is very much a Spurs town; the team’s G League affiliate plays there and plenty of fans at the Moody Center on Thursday and Friday will surely be wearing Victor Wembanyama jerseys. But there’s going to be a slew of Texas jerseys and Durant garb visible in the crowd on Thursday, for good reason.

“To have him come back here and be here this week and be around our guys and see our guys, I mean, you can’t ask for anything better than that,” Terry said. “A lot of our guys’ favorite player is Kevin Durant. Why they chose to come to Texas was Kevin Durant. He’s had an incredible impact not only on our basketball program but also on our athletic program as a whole. He’s an incredible ambassador for Texas athletics.”