Lopez nearly ready to return, none too soon

Wednesday could be crucial for another reason. That would be the near-certain return to action of Robin Lopez, the same guy the Suns were expecting to do a lot of their designated defensive scowling and rebounding in the first place.

The 7-foot Lopez, who was eliminated as a basket-trolling option thanks to a knee injury sustained during the 3-point blitzkrieg against the Lakers on Nov. 14 in Los Angeles, reportedly was quite frisky during Sunday's practice. Suns coach Alvin Gentry said Lopez – who will be evaluated after the next two workouts – could even be in the starting lineup when his team takes on Kevin "The World's Best Rebounder" Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night at U.S. Airways Center.

Anyway, with no guarantee the Suns can even reach the postseason, trading their first-round pick also would be a risky move. Childress, part of Phoenix's wing-player glut, is a serious candidate for reduced minutes in Gentry's rotation and might have fetched a decent trade offer had the Suns not coughed up roughly $32 million (over five years, including a player option) to sign him last summer.

Please note that any trade rumor with Hedo Turkoglu involved should be dismissed. With four years and about $44 million left on Turkoglu's current contract, it seems far-fetched to believe there would be two teams crazy enough to trade for him in the same year.