According to league sources, the Suns, Pistons and Heat are the early frontrunners to sign the recently waived Jalen Rose.

If Rose signs for the veteran minimum salary, he'd earn $1,178,348 million from his new team for the season, with that team obligated to pay only $744,551 of that amount. The league picks up the difference.

Amare Stoudemire's last two practices have him and the Suns feeling optimistic about the strength of his microfracture surgery.

"I think that's the nature of an injury to be up and down," D'Antoni said Monday. "It's just when you're potentially one of the better players in the league you get a lot of attention when you have an off day. It's 'Oh, he can't do it.'

"I'm sure there's a lot of people hoping he can't do it, but I'm thinking he can. He looked good the last couple of days."

"I feel great," he said Monday. "Today was another great day, it was better than yesterday, so tomorrow I should feel even better."

Suns forward Shawn Marion sat out most of the team's workout Sunday with back spasms, putting his availability for Tuesday?s season opener in Los Angeles in question.

?It?s sore, no doubt,? said Marion, who took a few jumpers to begin practice before feeling pain during a one-on-one drill and taking a seat. ?I?m getting treatment (Sunday) and some more before practice (today) and hopefully I?ll be good to go.

?I don?t want to sit out. If I?m decent, I?ll go.?

Phoenix assistant coaches Marc Iavaroni, Alvin Gentry and Phil Weber came to agreements this weekend on two-year contract extensions, a source close to the team said. Their current deals were going to run out at the close of this season.

Amare Stoudemire met with Robert Sarver and Mike D'Antoni on Friday and they came out of the meeting with the air cleared.

"We've pretty much got a good understanding," said Stoudemire, who planned to return today for treatment on the team's off day. "That's pretty much a done deal."

He said his Thursday statement came out bolder than intended.

"He doesn't feel that way and the organization doesn't feel that way," Sarver said as to whether the Suns doubt Stoudemire's ability to return. "He didn't voice that concern to me.

"From my standpoint, it's just that he's progressing in the right direction. The good news is he's just one piece of our team and the other pieces are very good. He complements us, but the team isn't depending on him for success."

"They have to understand that I'm totally honest with the way I feel and what I report to them," said Stoudemire, whose manager. "If I feel pain, it's just the fact that they have to trust my word."

The pain has returned to Amar? Stoudemire's surgically repaired knees, and he said after Thursday's practice that he doesn't believe the Suns organization has complete confidence that he'll be the same player he was before the injuries.

"I don't think so," Stoudemire said when asked about the team's belief in his full recovery. "I think they're waiting on me to show them. It's up to me to get back there."

Raja Bell signed an endorsement deal with Taco Bell over the off-season and one of the perks is free burritos, tacos and chalupas from the national chain for life of the contract.

?I haven?t used it yet. They asked me to give them three to four days to get the word out,? Bell said. ?I don?t even know what I?m going to get. I think I?ll just order one of everything and see what happens. They told me I could take the whole team, there?s no limit.?

Bell once worked at a Taco Bell, but that was many years before he began making $4.75 million in a season.

The extension that Boris Diaw signed this week will likely mean the Suns will attempt to deal Kurt Thomas' $8 million salary they have on the books for the 2007-2008 season.

Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire also have large deals and their owner has repeatedly expressed a strong desire to avoid the luxury tax.

In keeping Boris Diaw for $45 million over five years, the Suns salaries will be piling high above the luxury-tax threshold for the 2007-08 season, according to the Arizona Republic.

The Suns' 2007-08 payroll projects to be nearly $78 million with the 10 current players whose deals are guaranteed for that season and three 2007 first-round picks to potentially add. That would be $9 million to $11 million above the luxury-tax threshold, depending on who is projecting.

The Suns would have to pay that excess as a tax and lose the money that every team - with the likely exceptions of the Suns and Dallas - would receive as a luxury-tax payout.

"As long as we're creating success and we're winning and we keep improving and the fans keep supporting us, there's no hard and fast line that says how much you have to spend or what you can't spend or will you spend the tax or will you not spend the tax?" Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver said. "To me, it's more about the success we're creating and about doing it the right way with good contracts. I don't have any preconceived notion now that says we have to do this or we have to do that. We'll see how the season goes."

Signing a five-year $45 million contract is usually reason enough to stay just about anywhere, but on Friday, Boris Diaw acknowledged the fact that Phoenix is an ideal situation for his game.

"Where could I be in a position as good as the Phoenix Suns?" Diaw asked when considering restricted free agency next year. "The answer was nowhere, so that's why I was really willing to stay here because I don't think there is any other team where I could fit as good as here."