Gambo: Darren Collison not interested in rebuilding situation like Suns, wants to go to contender

According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, who said it on the air on Wednesday, Darren Collison doesn’t sound too interested in joining a situation like the Suns. After playing for the Indiana Pacers the past two seasons, experiencing playoff berths in the process, Collison wants to remain in contention wherever he lands.

Collison was presumed a top target for the Suns in free agency due to his prior connections with head coach Monty Williams and Senior VP of Basketball Operations Jeff Bower. However, that’s no longer the case with Gamabdoro’s latest intel. The 10-year veteran would’ve fit well alongside Devin Booker due to his perimeter shooting prowess (45.9 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s) and plus playmaking ability (4:1 AST/TO) during his tenure with Indiana.

When Collison entered a rebuilding situation last time, it didn’t go well at all in Sacramento. Collison’s well-known effort waned consistently before leaving the Kings after three tumultuous seasons. Not saying Collison would be the next Trevor Ariza for Phoenix, but if he really doesn’t want to go to a similar situation, which Phoenix would be, pursuing him probably isn’t the smartest idea.

Gambadoro also relayed in his Collison report that he’s willing to take a pay cut to join a contender as well. There’s a strong possibility Collison would leave double the money on the table if it’s deciding between a contender and rebuilding situation.

Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds an awful lot like someone who’s willing to take the mid-level exception to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles. After trading Lonzo Ball and letting Rajon Rondo walk, the Lakers need a starting point guard.

So, it’s time to take Collison off the ever-thinning list of point guard options. Will the Suns end up settling for Cory Joseph after drafting a point guard at No. 6 overall Thursday night? With Collison now off the board, that scenario seems even more plausible.

Note: This story will be updated with the actual quotes from Gambadoro talking about Collison once the podcast form of the show is released later.