Varem out, White in for Suns

Former Washington State forward Jeff Varem lost his chance to take part in training camp with the Phoenix Suns when he was denied a European traveling visa.

Varem, who holds a passport from Nigeria and has a work visa for the United States, could not get his paperwork approved for a European visa.

The Suns depart for Italy on Friday and begin workouts in Treviso the next day.

Varem's loss is a gain for former Phoenix North High and Cal State Northridge point guard Davin White. He will be the 14th man on the Suns' roster.

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White, 24, played six games last year with the Niagra Daredevils of the American Basketball Association — before the franchise folded. He wound up in the Mexican League, averaging 26.5 points and 8.7 assists a game for Mineros de Cananea. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound White led the Big West Conference in steals as a junior at Northridge and was a second-team all-conference pick as a senior. If he doesn’t stick with the Suns, White will get a good chance to showcase his skills for European scouts who will attend Phoenix’s workouts and three preseason games.

“This is something I’ve been dreaming about for 24 years,” said White, a life-long resident of Phoenix who knows Suns history inside and out. “I grew up rooting for KJ (Kevin Johnson), Rex Chapman and all those guys. Now I get a chance to play with Steve Nash and soak up as much as I can. Who knows what can happen?”

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