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Participants at the Valley Suns\u2019 inaugural tryouts give their all inside the Tempe Sun Devil Fitness Complex for a chance to earn a roster spot. (Photo by Spencer Barnes<\/a>\/Cronkite News)<\/p>\n Valley Suns coach John Little emphasizes the team\u2019s commitment to development and competition. (Photo by Spencer Barnes<\/a>\/Cronkite News)<\/p>\n TEMPE \u2013 Hundreds of players from varying basketball backgrounds gathered Saturday at the Tempe Sun Devil Fitness Complex, hoping to become part of a new era of Phoenix basketball. <\/p>\n The Valley officially adopted a new hoops darling \u2013 the G League Valley Suns \u2013 in February and open tryouts commenced with Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones among those in attendance.<\/p>\n \u201cPhoenix at its core is a basketball town,\u201d said Brendan Sabean, the new team\u2019s general manager. \u201cSo to add another entity, and team in general, to the Valley will bring a cool environment for people to come watch games and watch some good hoops.\u201d<\/p>\n Suns owner Mat Ishbia planned to bring a G League team back to the Valley when he bought the team in February 2023. The Suns, then owned by Robert Sarver, sold the Northern Arizona Suns to the Detroit Pistons in 2021 to become the only NBA team without a G League affiliate.<\/p>\n Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones, left, watches closely as local talent competes for a roster spot during the Valley Suns\u2019 tryouts. (Photo by Spencer Barnes<\/a>\/Cronkite News)<\/p>\n \u201cAdding a G League team creates another area for us to compete to be the best,\u201d Ishbia said in February, when the acquisition of the team was announced. \u201cJust like the Suns and Mercury, our G League team will serve as a community asset and make a positive impact on and off the court.\u201d<\/p>\n The Valley Suns didn\u2019t take long to make a tangible impact on the community. Notable local players and Suns fans alike had the opportunity to try out for the team. Skill, background and notoriety varied across the 114 participants. <\/p>\n Among the participants was Holland Woods, who played collegiately for Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University. Having even the slightest opportunity to make the team means a lot to the Phoenix native.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m from Arizona, so it would be a dream come true to play for this organization,\u201d Woods said after the tryouts. \u201cTo be given the opportunity to come here and show what I could do, that\u2019s all I could ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n The addition of the Valley Suns is not only beneficial to the community but to a Suns organization that hasn\u2019t had a G League affiliate in three years. Having a traditional G League team is integral to the development of an NBA team\u2019s rookie and two-way players. <\/p>\n Valley Suns coach John Little believes that translating G League development into NBA production is paramount.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst and foremost, we want to compete,\u201d Little said. \u201cIf (our players) learn how to compete, then that development is going to come with it. The biggest role of the G League is how we develop our guys and how it translates to the next level.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom terminology to the things we\u2019ll do on the floor, we\u2019re going to try and be seamless with our integration from the Suns to the Valley Suns.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1V3A6977.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
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