Posted: Feb. 8, 2005
The Phoenix Suns continued to bolster its bench by acquiring veteran forward Walter McCarty and an undisclosed amount of cash from the Boston Celtics today in exchange for the 2005 conditional second-round pick the Suns acquired last month from Golden State in a trade for forward Zarko Cabarkapa.
The versatile 6-10, 230-pound forward, who spent the last seven-and-a half seasons with Boston after playing his rookie season with the New York Knicks in 1996-97, owns career averages of 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 529 games (107 starts). He has a career three-point field goal percentage of .349 and has 421 three-point field goals and 1,208 three-point field goals attempted.
“In Walter McCarty we are adding another versatile and experienced veteran player that has developed a reputation as a great teammate,” said Suns President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “Walter is long and active, and should provide a real spark off the bench.”
In 30 career postseason games (12 starts), McCarty has averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds on .478 shooting from the field. In the 2003 Playoffs, he averaged a career-best 9.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 35.2 minutes and made starts in eight of the Celtics’ 10 playoff games.
Last season McCarty posted averages of 7.9 points (second highest of his career), 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 77 games (23 starts). His best statistical season was in 1997-98, his first season in Boston, when he averaged career highs of 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 82 games.
In 44 games in 2004-05, McCarty was averaging 3.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.6 minutes. McCarty should join the team for Friday’s game vs. Seattle at America West Arena and will wear No. 0 with Phoenix. He was originally selected in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft (19th overall) by the Knicks after winning a national championship at Kentucky.
McCarty, who turned 31 on Feb. 1 and is in his ninth NBA season, is the third NBA veteran over the age of 30 the Suns have acquired since the start of the season. Phoenix, who began the season as the NBA’s youngest team with an average age of 24.3 years, signed 11-year NBA veteran forward Bo Outlaw, 34, on Nov. 8 and traded for 34-year-old swingman Jim Jackson, a 12-year NBA veteran, on Jan. 21.
Phoenix (38-11) will play its seventh road game in the last eight contests tonight when the team faces the Sacramento Kings (32-15) at 8 p.m. at ARCO Arena.