Phoenix Suns expect Isaiah Canaan to be ready for training camp next season

Suns backup point guard Isaiah Canaan had surgery Thursday afternoon on his fractured left ankle, and General Manager Ryan McDonough said Canaan should be fully healthy for training camp next season.

McDonough said he was with Canaan on Thursday morning before Canaan went into surgery at Gateway Surgery Center in Phoenix. McDonough said doctors expected the surgery to last up to two hours and that Canaan might be able to go home Thursday evening.

The Suns sent out a release late Thursday afternoon that said the surgery was successful and that while no timetable has been set for Canaan's return he's expected to make a full recovery.

Canaan fractured the ankle during Wednesday’s 102-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

As Canaan was going up for a layup in the closing seconds of the first quarter, he collided with Dallas’ Wesley Matthews and landed awkwardly on his left ankle, causing it to dislocate.

The injury was so gruesome that point guard Devin Booker pulled his warm-up shirt over his head so he couldn’t see Canaan’s ankle.

With Canaan down on the court, team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom Carter rotated Canaan’s ankle and foot to put the joint back in place, and Canaan was then stretchered off the floor.

McDonough, who accompanied Canaan back to the locker room, said he was struck by Canaan's composure throughout the ordeal.

"He's a tough guy," McDonough said. "I was really impressed while it was going on (Wednesday) night. ... I think everybody else was on edge and nervous. He was just very matter of fact. I think he was in a little bit of shock.

"He was just asking everybody what the prognosis was, what it looked like and what the timeline for recovery was. He seemed less affected by it than anybody else.

"Even before it was adjusted back into place, he was just trying to gain his breath. He didn't scream. He didn't cry. It was almost like a blank look. Whereas 15,000-plus in the arena, all the rest of us were trying to avert our eyes and trying not to throw up."

Canaan averaged 9.1 points and 4.0 assists per game in 19 games for Phoenix after being signed in mid-December. He’s making $1.06 million this season and will be a free agent heading into the 2018-19 season.

The Suns on Friday will sign Josh Gray from the Northern Arizona Suns, the team’s G-League affiliate, to a 10-day contract. The 6-foot-1 Gray, who played at LSU alongside Ben Simmons, is averaging 17.7 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from 3-point range.

McDonough said he was hesitant to wait until the Feb. 8 trading deadline because he wanted to fortify the position before then. Devin Booker has been bothered by a rib contusion, and backup Tyler Ulis developed back spasms Wednesday and said he was still sore after the Suns' brief practice Thursday.

Monroe waived

The Suns waived Greg Monroe on Thursday, in part to help him land with a team before the Feb. 8 trading deadline. If Monroe, as expected, clears waivers on Saturday he can sign with any team.

Phoenix had tried to work out a trade involving Monroe for months after they acquired him in early November as part of the Eric Bledsoe deal but couldn’t find any takers. Teams weren’t willing to take on Monroe’s $17.8 million salary, and the Suns didn’t want to take long-term salary in return unless it was for a young, established player.

When it became apparent over the past few days that both the New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics would be among the teams interested in Monroe if he was waived, the Suns decided to make the move as a way to reward the veteran center, who never complained despite playing in only 20 of 36 games with Phoenix.

Monroe’s camp was concerned that if he was waived after Feb. 8 deadline, teams might already have filled their need for an interior scorer.

“He was a true pro through everything,” interim coach Jay Triano said. “He knew the situation he was coming into that Alex (Len) and Tyson (Chandler) were part of what we were doing here and why the trade was made. He came to practice every day, he provided a little bit of relief for Alex and Tyson so Tyson didn’t have to play in back-to-back games and never said anything about it.

“We, as an organization wanted to wait until it was the right time to do something for him. Had we waived him (earlier) he could have been out of basketball. But he was able to practice, stay in shape, play a little bit, stay relevant in the game and as a result something opened up for him and we wish him the best.”

Booker in 3-point contest

Devin Booker was officially announced as a participant in the 3-point contest during All-Star weekend on Feb. 17. Booker will compete against last year's winner in Eric Gordon of Houston Washington’s Bradley Beal, Miami’s Wayne Ellington, Oklahoma City’s Paul George, the Clippers' Tobias Harris, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and Golden State’s Klay Thompson.

Friday's game

Jazz at Suns

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena.

TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR 98.7 FM.

Update: The Suns snapped a five-game losing streak with the win over Dallas on Wednesday. Tyler Ulis has been bothered by back spasms but he’s expected to play. Alex Len (right ankle soreness) is listed as questionable. If Len can’t play, Dragan Bender will serve as the backup center to Tyson Chandler. Phoenix beat Utah 97-88 on Oct. 25. The Jazz, who haven’t played since beating Golden State by 30 points on Tuesday, are led by rookie guard Donovan Mitchell, averaging a team-high 19.3 points per game. Inside, Rudy Gobert (12.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.4 blocks) will make it difficult for Phoenix to get clean looks around the basket.

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