Posted: Jan. 19, 2005

The Phoenix Suns signed guard William "Smush" Parker to a 10-day contract today and placed guard Leandro Barbosa on the injured list with a left ankle sprain. Parker joined the team at this morning's shootaround and will be in uniform for tonight's game at 7 p.m. vs. the Memphis Grizzlies at America West Arena.

Parker owns career averages of 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 77 career games over two seasons with Cleveland (2002-03) and Detroit (2004-05). The 6-4, 180-pound guard played in 11 games with the Pistons earlier this season, averaging 3.0 points, 1.0 assists and 0.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes. In his only start of the season, he scored a season-high 14 points to go along with his season-high six assists and four rebounds vs. Charlotte on November 21. Parker was released by the Pistons on January 4 after originally signing with the club on October 1.

The 23-year-old playmaker, who is the first Suns player to sign a 10-day contract since Elliot Perry in 2000-01, spent his rookie NBA season with the Cavaliers, averaging 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 16.7 minutes in 66 games (18 starts). Parker declared early for the 2002 NBA Draft after two collegiate seasons at Fordham, but was not selected before signing with Cleveland on September 25, 2002. In 2003-04, Parker played in the FIBA Europe League with Aris Thessaloniki (Greece) and averaged 18.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 35.3 minutes in 10 games.

Barbosa, who injured his left ankle in practice yesterday, is averaging 5.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists in 14.9 minutes in 30 games in 2004-05. The second-year guard had started the previous two games in place of an injured Steve Nash and posted averages of 11.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 33.0 minutes over that span.