Suns H/S Updates: Monty back, Shamet out, Justin Jackson in, Terry, Hutchison out

Just a quick update on Phoenix Suns moves today, as they swapped out one hardship signing for another, added Landry Shamet to the protocols, and announced that head coach Monty Williams has been cleared to return to the team.

Last week, four Suns players and their head coach caught COVID and were placed into ‘health and safety protocols’, putting them in isolation at home for at least six days. To be cleared to return to the team, each person must either hit a certain testing threshold that indicates non-transmissability of the virus OR test negative on at least two consecutive tests that are 24+ hours apart.

The first to clear that bar has been head coach Monty Williams. He will join the team in New Orleans and be back on the sidelines tonight for the Suns-Pelicans game, returning Associate Head Coach Kevin Young to a bench role. Under Young as the head coach, the Suns went 2-2 in Monty Williams’ absence.

Welcome back Monty!

In other news, the Suns announced that they swapped out a pair of hardship signings by bringing in 5-year veteran small forward Justin Jackson and releasing big man Emanuel Terry, who appeared in one game for the Suns last week but did not play on Sunday after Bismack Biyombo was signed.

And today, as of 10:30 am, they added Landry Shamet to the H/S list.

The Suns latest is:

• OUT with H/S: center Deandre Ayton, center JaVale McGee, swing forward Jae Crowder, small forward Abdel Nader and guard Landry Shamet
• IN with 10-day hardship deals: center Bismack Biyombo, small forward Justin Jackson, big man Paris Bass, guard P.J. Walker

UPDATE

So many transactions today!

Now the Suns have released Chandler Hutchison from his two-way contract within hours of signing Justin Jackson to a 10-day hardship contract. The Suns cannot offer the two-way to Jackson instead, if he plays well over the next week. But they can offer the open two-way to another player who got a hardship deal either here or somewhere else.

You knew Hutchison just didn’t fit when all these replacement players got minutes over him.