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PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns will have salary cap "flexibility" in the off-season but wont be out spending money just to spend it. Lon Babby, president of basketball operations, said in a luncheon with Phoenix area reporters Wednesday that theres "a distinct possibility" that the team might hold off with any major spending another year if the right situation doesnt come up this summer. "We worked hard to put ourselves in this position, to have this kind of flexibility, to have a range of opportunities," Babby said, "but I am absolutely determined that we are going to be disciplined in how we approach this because we cannot get ourselves right back in the same spot that we were in by doing bad contracts, not assessing value properly, not making the right choices in terms of personnel." Babby also said that both the organization and Steve Nash are open to the possibility of the star point guards return for a ninth straight season with Phoenix, although that will depend on a number of factors involving Nashs and the teams desires. Nash is a free agent and says he will explore what options he has around the NBA. "What I would say about it at this very early stage is that every indication weve gotten from Steve is not only is our spirit willing to make this happen but his spirit is willing as well," Babby said. "That doesnt mean its going to happen. We respect his right to look around. We will work hard with him to find common ground and well see where that goes." It is not as simple, he said, as Nash saying he wants to come back. There are other issues, such as the amount of a contract and its length. "Weve got to go down a road with him and see if we can find a common path, a path that makes sense for him and then makes sense for us," Babby said. "Everybody here wants Steve Nash to retire as a Phoenix Sun and were going to work very hard to work with him to see if that can happen, but its got to be good not only for him but its got to be good for us, and he understands that." Babby is aware of criticism that the Suns erred by not trading Nash this season, thereby getting some value for him rather than see him walk away as a free agent. The Suns executive, a former sports agent for the likes of Tim Duncan and Grant Hill, said that by not trading him, the team got the benefit of another season at which Nash played at a high level. Left unsaid was the fact that there was no way the Suns would get anything close to high value in such a deal. Besides, Babby said, "if he doesnt come back, were going to have $10 million more of cap space." Babby completed his second season as head of basketball operations following the departure of Steve Kerr after the teams surprise run to the Western Conference finals. Phoenix has missed the playoffs the past two seasons and three of the last four. In other personnel matters, Babby said the 39-year-old Hills return largely would depend on health issues. He said he couldnt imagine Hill re-signing with anyone but Phoenix. He also said he would be inclined to match any offer to restricted free agent centre Robin Lopez. Babby said the teams biggest need is for a "dynamic scorer," preferably one in the post. Thats not an easy find in any year and this is not considered a great season for free agents. Babby said that rather than sign a free agent, the Suns could use some cap money for "one-sided trades." He also said the team needs to do better in the draft. Only two players on the roster, Lopez and rookie Markieff Morris, were drafted by Phoenix, discounting Nash, who was selected by the Suns but traded to Dallas before returning to the desert as a free agent. Babby said that his experience as an agent has shown him how teams that feel desperate to do something will sign free agents to contracts far too high than would seem logical. "As the pressure builds to do something, you get teams to make some very bad decisions, and were not going to do that," Babby said. "Im not going to sell false hope. Were going to move forward and were going to build this thing brick by brick." Cheap Jerseys From China . Stults, elevated from the bullpen to the starting rotation, combined with four relievers on a five-hitter Monday night, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 2-0 victory over the slumping Chicago Cubs. Cheap Jerseys . Lotus struggled tremendously in its debut season, and was down to only one team after the Indianapolis 500. 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Wholesale NFL Jerseys .J. -- Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson is out of Sundays game against the New York Jets with an injured right knee Jackson, who went on injured reserve last November with a broken right leg, went down with 11:07 left in the first half Sunday when he ran for 7 yards and was hit hard by LaRon Landry. MILWAUKEE -- Mike Fiers knows how damaging the loss might be for the surging Milwaukee Brewers. "The playoffs are right around the corner, and we need to win as many games as possible," the Brewers pitcher said. "Sure, theres a little bit of pressure there, but there is no excuse for me throwing the ball all over the place. I need to get back to pitching and start in the first inning." Lucas Duda homered and doubled, Jonathon Niese pitched six strong innings and the New York Mets snapped a six-game losing streak, beating the surging Brewers 7-3 on Friday night. The loss dropped Milwaukee back to .500 at 72-72 -- four games behind St. Louis for the second National League wild-card spot. Fiers (9-8) gave up six hits and four runs in five innings for Milwaukee, which had won 18 of 23 coming in. "One game is not going to change it," Fiers said. "We had a really good stretch of wins here. We can still win the series. Its one game. If we can come back and win these next two games, it would be nice. It doesnt really matter where were at. We need to win." Niese (11-9), who had lost three straight starts, settled down after giving up two second-inning runs, allowing six hits, three walks and the two runs. He also had two hits and scored a run, helping the Mets to their biggest offensive output since a 9-5 extra-inning victory over Philadelphia on Aug. 28. Daniel Murphy also homered for New York. Fiers struggled from the start, and the Mets scored twice in both the first and second innings, equaling their offensive output in three losses in a sweep against Washington. In the first, Murphy walked with one out, went to third on David Wrights double and scored on Ike Davis groundout. Wright scored on Dudas ground-rule double. The Mets made it 4-0 in the second when Niese singled with one out and, two batters later, Murphy hit a ball into the second deck in right field for his sixth home run of the season. "Just command again," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said about Fiers. "He came out not throwing strikes. He tried to throw fastballs away and was pulling them across the plate a lot on the lefties. It was command, with the offspeed pitches also." Milwaukee answered with two in the second, and it would have been more but for two runners getting thrown out at home. Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez led off with singles, and Travis Ishikawa doubled in Lucroy. Jean Segura grounded to Niese, who caught Gomez off third base, and Wright eventually tagged him out in a rundown. Fiers then singled in Ishikawa for his second RBI of the season. Norichika Aoki bounced to third, and Segura was tagged out at home. Rickie Weeks struck out to end the threat. Shoddy defence cost Milwaukee in the sixth. Duda homered to right centre off reliever Manny Parra to lead off the inning -- his second since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.dddddddddddd Then, with one out, Andres Torres reached on an error by shortstop Jean Segura, who threw high to first on the slow roller. Torres scored on Josh Tholes double. Niese followed with an infield single that caromed off third baseman Aramis Ramirezs chest -- barely keeping alive his errorless streak of 42 games. Ruben Tejada followed with what should have been an easy double-play grounder to Ramirez, but Rickie Weeks relay throw to first bounced in the dirt and got away from Ishikawa, scoring Thole. "We havent played this type game in quite a while," Roenicke said. "I know were going to have one of these once in a while, but we certainly need to bounce back tomorrow and play a lot better." The Brewers threatened in the eighth with leadoff singles by Ryan Braun and Ramirez before a spectacular Mets double play, as Lucroy grounded sharply up the middle to a diving Tejada, who from his stomach flipped the ball to second, where Murphy pivoted and threw quickly to first. Milwaukee added a run in the ninth on Nyjer Morgans RBI triple. The Brewers had won nine straight at home, tying a Miller Park record, and were one shy of equaling the franchise mark. The streak included a sweep of the Braves earlier in the week that put them over .500 for the first time since they were 4-3 on April 12. Milwaukee was 12 games under .500 as recently as Aug. 19 before its recent streak made it a wild-card contender. "Nobody expects us to be in this thing, and I think weve played that way, and thats why weve gotten back in it," Roenicke said. "If you start looking at every game like its you have to win, I dont think the young guys will do well with that. So we havent gone there." The Mets -- 19-38 since the All-Star Break entering play -- had lost eight of nine and came in 13 games under .500 for the first time since the end of the 2009 season. "They play great here, we know they play great here," Mets manager Terry Collins said about the Brewers. "Theyre in the hunt. They dont make many mistakes, so when they do, youve got to capitalize on it, and we did tonight." Notes: Mets 3B David Wright extended his hitting streak to eight games with his first-inning double. ... Brewers 1B Corey Hart missed his fourth straight game with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. ... New York Mets RHP Jenrry Mejia starts on Saturday -- exactly two years since his last major league start. Mejia started three games for New York in 2010 and did not pitch in the majors in 2011 after Tommy John surgery. He has one relief appearance since being recalled Sept. 4. ' ' '
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