By Brad Steinke
FOX Sports Arizona
If new D-Backs GM Kevin Towers is known as the Gunslinger, maybe it won�t be too long before news Suns GM Lance Blanks earns a similar moniker. One thing is certain, after pulling off a blockbuster deal today with the Magic, Blanks isn�t afraid to pull the trigger.
By now you�ve heard of the swap that sent Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark to Orlando for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a first-round pick in this year�s draft as well as $3 million in cash.
I have to say I love the move -- never being a fan of the decision to land Hedo in the first place. He never seemed to fit in, and I sensed a very real lack of passion at this stage of his career. Blanks will earn high praise for ridding the Suns of Turkoglu�s $34 million dollar albatross of a contract.
I had a rare chance to catch up with Blanks this past Wednesday for our upcoming edition of Planet Orange Primetime. I say rare because Blanks is known as a man who dislikes the spotlight -- preferring instead to turn the focus to the players on the court. It seemed an odd contradiction as a video crew from ESPN�s "Outside the Lines" was following Lance�s every move.
During our chat, I had the sense something was up with the Suns/Blanks. He was constantly checking his cell phone, texting feverishly and seeming a bit distracted. Now it all makes sense -- he was full on in swashbuckling trade mode. I have no doubt he was in the middle of making this mega-move take place.
As the interview unfolded, as you�ll see during P.O.P.�s debut on Wednesday, Blanks is a very engaging personality. It took a while, but after dealing with some Q & A about his transition to the Suns and his impressive background with the Spurs and Cavs, Blanks lit up when we started talking about his post-NBA days in European basketball. His team in Hungary won a championship, and back in the day he certainly had some hops: witness this link to youtube.
Professionally Blanks is a great deal more reserved and calculated than during his playing days, but you get the feeling the passion for the game is still very much alive and kicking.
Twenty-five games into the season and Blanks fired off his first salvo as GM.
Steve Kerr said you could call him an idiot if the Shaq trade didn�t pan out -- I would never do that, as I have way too much respect for Steve and the positive things he did for the Suns before he was essentially shown the door by a cost-conscious owner, but that deal was a disaster.
Now, perhaps Blanks will make his mark (at least initially) for clearing the Suns logjam at swingman. Carter still has some quality games in him, but with a contract next year for $18 million, you get the feeling the Suns will opt out of that kind of cash. More intriguing is the addition of Gortat and Pietrus. Gortat will be a solid backup for Robin Lopez, and Pietrus can knock down 3s and is a more-than-reliable defender. Channing Frye can now move to the power forward spot, where he won�t be so overwhelmed on defense and can get his offense back on track.
And here�s the kicker: It wouldn�t be a shock to see the Suns pull off another move in the not-too-distant future. Is the Arizona sports world ready for yet another gunslinger? Stay tuned, and tune in Wednesday night for the premiere of our latest Planet Orange Primetime on FOX Sports Arizona.
