Suns vice president of basketball operations David Griffin is happy that a number of players have reported early.

Ten of the team's 13 players have begun working out in Phoenix with the official start of training camp still 28 days away.

"We're not supposed to achieve anything," Griffin told the Arizona Republic. "The guys all like each other. They're here early. We're going to be in great shape. We're going to play a way they're comfortable with and the fans are used to watching. It's going to be an exciting year and I can tell the players believe that. If they didn't, the first group here would've watched what's going on, got a feel for the energy here and called the other guys to say, 'I'm bailing. I'll be back in September.' They're calling other guys to say, 'Get out here.' "

The team's big stars have all reported. Jason Richardson is expected to arrive in roughly a week, while Goran Dragic and Leandro Barbosa are still busy playing with their respective national teams.

"The leadership of Steve [Nash] and Grant [Hill] and Amar? [Stoudemire] here working out, getting himself ready and looking as good as he does, that starts to trickle down," Griffin added. "So guys who may have thought they were coming later get excited about coming in sooner. It's all kind of feeding on itself. We've got some pretty good momentum.

"The end of last season left a bitter taste in a lot of people's mouths. Our veterans have been champing at the bit to get back here."

Jason Richardson of the Phoenix Suns has been suspended without pay for two games for pleading guilty to driving under the influence, in violation of the law of the State of Arizona, the NBA announced today.

Richardson will be suspended for the first two games of the 2009-10 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

Amare Stoudemire made an appearance at an elementary school in Phoenix on Tuesday and hinted at leaving the Suns.

Stoudemire lectured 300 students at Martin L. King Jr. Elementary School, mentioning that he might only be with the team for one more season.

"This might be my farewell tour, huh?" Stoudemire said. "If so, I'm going out with a bang, baby."

Stoudemire is expected to hit the free agent market next summer, and the Suns won't engage in talks about a contract extension until they see how the center rebounds from serious eye surgery.

Suns coach Alvin Gentry has added John Shumate to his staff.

Shumate, who is the team's fourth assistant coach, will travel with the club and focus on improving younger players.

He has spent seven of the last eight years as a scout for Phoenix.

"Shu is a teacher at heart," Suns general manager Steve Kerr told the Arizona Republic. "He's been great on scouting, but with Robin (Lopez) and Earl (Clark) being a big part of our future, we felt it's important to have him as part of the staff."

Steve Nash still doesn't fully understand why Mavericks owner Mark Cuban allowed him to leave via free agency in the summer of 2004.

"It was strange to me after all the contracts he had overpaid that the buck would stop with me," Nash said in a lengthy interview with ESPN's Bill Simmons.

Nash far from regressed after his stay in Dallas. He won a pair of MVP awards with Phoenix and averaged close to a double-double last season.

Shaquille O'Neal says that he didn't steal the idea for his television show from former teammate Steve Nash.

O'Neal claims that Nash's idea for a reality show was "slightly different" than the premise of "Shaq VS."

"Everyone in America has similar ideas," O'Neal told the Associated Press on Saturday. "He had a similar idea. His idea was slightly different."

According to O'Neal, Nash planned to train alongside the world's best athletes, not compete against them as he is doing in his show.

"He's the Canadian Aaron Spelling, and I'm the black Spielberg," the center added.

Amare Stoudemire believes that the Suns can do some damage in the Western Conference this season.

Stoudemire said on "Jim Rome is Burning" on ESPN that Phoenix "could definitely do some damage in the playoffs" and that "there's enough room at the top so the Phoenix Suns are coming."

He added that he doesn't believe a team would trade for him unless they believed that could sign him to an extension.

"The good thing about my situation is that I don't think a team would want to acquire me if I'm not going to sign for an extension," Stoudemire told Rome when asked about the Suns' exploration into trading him to Golden State. "As far as, let's say Golden State, if they wanted me to come to Golden State and if I didn't want to sign with them for the extra four or five years, I don't think they would want to acquire me. The ball's kind of in their court."

Amare Stoudemire expects to play for the Suns this season, but believes there is a good chance that he could be elsewhere next summer.

"I was really looking forward to my entire career being in [Arizona]," Stoudemire told Yahoo! Sports. "It kind of put a hold on a few of my decision-making things. ... I don't know if I'm sure if I want to play one more year here, or be gone, or sign an extension and play here for another six years or so.

"If they are loyal to me, I'm loyal to them. I'm a loyal person and always have been. My word is bond. I'd love to stay; the Suns have been phenomenal so far. But anything can change."

He can hit the free agent market next summer if he declines his $17.6 million option for the 2010-11 season.

The All-Star believes his chances of remaining in Phoenix past this coming season stand at "50-50."

Shortly after Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Suns in February 2008, new teammate Steve Nash mentioned a reality show he was pursuing. It would feature the Suns point guard taking on professional athletes in their own sport.

The topic didn't come up again until early in the 2008-09 season, when O'Neal boarded the Suns bus and told the team he would be starring in a new reality show in which he would be taking on professional athletes in their own sport.

"You mean the idea you stole from me?" one Suns representative said he heard Nash say.

Nash eventually sought out an entertainment lawyer, according to sources, which is why he now has an executive-producer credit and the compensation that comes with it.

When reached Wednesday, Nash would not confirm the story.

"We collaborated on parts of the show," he said. "I support him 100 percent. I thought the first episode was a fantastic episode, and I can't wait for the next one."

Amar? Stoudemire participated in his first on-court workout on Tuesday since undergoing a minor operation six weeks ago.

The procedure was to remove fluid from his right eye after he initially had surgery to repair a detached retina in February.

Stoudemire was limited to shooting and conditioning, according to Suns head trainer Aaron Nelson.

"He's extremely motivated to have a good year and preparing well for it," general manager Steve Kerr told the Arizona Republic.