Suns prefer Tyrus?

Mike McGraw’s sources tell him the Suns may be eyeing Tyrus Thomas as the piece they would like back for Amare Stoudemire. Apparently the Suns prefer Thomas over Miami’s Michael Beasley the number two pick in the June draft.

In a somewhat surprising development Monday, several sources indicated the Phoenix Suns do not have much interest in Miami’s Michael Beasley and would prefer Tyrus Thomas in a trade for all-star power forward Amare Stoudemire.

The chatter on Monday, though, suggested the Suns aren’t convinced Beasley would fit into their offensive system and they don’t want to take back Marion, even for less than half a season. Marion has a $17 million expiring contract and was sent to Miami for Shaquille O’Neal a year ago.

In the meantime, Suns GM Steve Kerr sees the same thing the Bulls did the past two weeks: The light bulb is starting to go on for Thomas and he may still be a long way from reaching his ceiling. Thomas just completed the best six-game stretch of his pro career, averaging 15.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2 blocks.

It appears the Suns are open to a package of Thomas, Thabo Sefolosha, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and undetermined draft picks for Stoudemire. One question now is whether better offers will come at the Suns in the days leading up to the Feb. 19 trade deadline.

The Bulls aren’t necessarily afraid of losing Stoudemire for nothing as a free agent in 2010. All they have to do is fork out the cash and they’ll be able to make the best offer. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement is designed to favor players staying put.

The concern is whether the Bulls could build a championship-caliber team if Stoudemire’s salary ends up rising beyond $20 million, which is a realistic possibility. Maybe he would cut the Bulls a break and sign a cheaper extension to help ensure a winning situation, maybe not.

Could a lineup of Stoudemire, Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and either Ben Gordon or Kirk Hinrich pose a realistic threat to LeBron James or the Celtics? That’s a question the Bulls will ponder during the next week or so.

The Bulls would also ask to see Stoudemire’s medical records before agreeing to a trade. The 6-foot-10 power forward had microfracture knee surgery in 2005. So far, it hasn’t been a problem, but who knows what the future holds for such an injury?

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