Suns Sign Burton, Casey, Jefferson, Sims, White

The Phoenix Suns today announced they have signed guard Deonte Burton, forward Kyle Casey, forward Cory Jefferson, center Henry Sims and guard Terrico White, bringing the club’s roster to 18 players.

Burton, a 6-1, 190-pound guard, played with Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany last season following a standout four-year career at the University of Nevada, Reno. Burton left Nevada second in Wolfpack history in career scoring (2,102) and assists (515), earning WAC Player of the Year and AP Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2012. Since going undrafted in 2014, Burton spent training camp in 2014 with the Sacramento Kings and has played at NBA Summer League with the Washington Wizards (2014) and Philadelphia 76ers (2015).

Casey, a 6-7, 225-pound forward, played last season with KK Helios Suns Domzale in Slovenia after going undrafted out of Harvard University in 2014. In 32 games with Helios, Casey averaged 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds, shooting 52.8 percent from the field. In four seasons at Harvard, Casey averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 118 games, earning First Team All-Ivy League distinction in 2012. Casey played with the Brooklyn Nets at NBA Summer League 2014.

Jefferson, a 6-9, 218-pound forward, played in 50 games (one start) with the Nets last season after being selected with the 60th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. Jefferson averaged 3.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 10.6 minutes in 2014-15, twice scoring in double-digits including his first career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds against the Suns on March 6. A four-year performer at Baylor University, Jefferson averaged 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds as a senior in 2013-14, helping the Bears to a Sweet 16 appearance.

Sims, a 6-10, 248-pound center, is a three-year NBA veteran who averaged 8.0 points on 47.4 percent shooting and 4.9 rebounds in 73 games (32 starts) with the 76ers last season. For his career, Sims has averaged 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 121 contests (57 starts), mostly with Philadelphia (99 games from 2013-15) though he also played in 20 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013-14 and in two games with the New Orleans Hornets as a rookie in 2012-13. Sims went undrafted in 2012 following a four-year career at Georgetown University where he posted 114 assists as a senior in 2011-12, the second-most in a season for a center in Hoyas history.

White, a 6-5, 215-pound guard, played last season with Yenisey Krasnoyarsk in Russia, averaging 11.6 points in 41 games. Drafted 36th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA Draft, White was on the Pistons’ roster for the entire 2010-11 season but did not appear in a game due to a foot injury. White posted 13.1 points with the NBA D-League’s Idaho Stampede in 2011-12 and has since played professionally in Serbia, Turkey, and Israel, in addition to Russia. Prior to being drafted, White played two seasons at the University of Mississippi, averaging 14.5 points for his career.