According to the Arizona Republic, It has been no secret since the first day of training camp that the Suns lacked a strong, physical forward and figured to struggle with rebounding.

They hope second-round draft pick Alton Ford eventually will fill that role. But in the meantime, the club is in the market for a power forward, league sources have said.

But The Arizona Republic has learned that Oakley is only one of several players the Suns may have interest in obtaining. They include Portland's Dale Davis, Indiana's Austin Croshere, Washington's Jahidi White, Golden State's Adonal Foyle, New York's Othella Harrington and Denver's Raef LaFrentz.

The Suns also are believed to be one of many NBA teams interested in Golden State center Marc Jackson, who was an unrestricted free agent during the off-season. He signed an offer sheet with Houston and said publicly that he would prefer to be a Rocket.

However, Golden State matched the offer, and Jackson is with the Warriors. The Warriors cannot trade Jackson until Jan. 15 because of league rules, but many teams may be lining up to make a deal.

The Suns may not have the luxury of waiting that long.