The Suns are set on exploring the possibility of going after Michael Finley on the free agent market, a league source said Tuesday. The Mavericks bought out Finley for $51 million as a way to avoid paying the NBA's luxury tax. A number of teams with expensive contracts are doing the same thing because of a provision in the new collective bargaining agreement.

The Suns could use a shooter now that Quentin Richardson is going to New York for center-forward Kurt Thomas.

The Suns drafted Finley in 1995. He left in December, 1996 as part of the big trade that brought Jason Kidd from Dallas to the Suns.