Iffe Lundberg needed 'security' to play for Phoenix Suns in NBA Summer League

Iffe Lundberg stayed in Phoenix planning to play for the Suns in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but he needed "security" for that to happen.

Without a guaranteed deal, Lundberg headed back to Denmark ahead of the Suns beginning Summer League play Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers at Thomas & Mack Center.

"I didn't want to risk playing in the Summer League without having some kind of security," Lundberg told the Republic on Monday. "They didn't want to give me that, so I went home. I can't risk getting injured without having a deal. My family depends on me to provide for them."

Lundberg wasn't listed on the team's Summer League roster when it was announced Sunday. The Summer League in Vegas begins Thursday and ends July 17.

"We were hoping to get a guaranteed deal for the upcoming season and then, no doubt, Iffe would have played," Lundberg's agent, Arturs Kalnitis, told The Republic on Wednesday night. "Either way, it was a great experience and he has nothing but the best to say about the Suns and the organization, coaching staff and people around the team. Maybe, we will come to this conversation later in the summer, but there is significant amount of interest in the player and we are weighing our options now to see what's best for Iffe and his family."

Lundberg, who was on a two-way deal with Phoenix, tweeted Tuesday about his experience in Phoenix that began in March of this year.

"Just want to say thank you to all the Suns fans who welcomed my family and I with open arms and made everything easier for us," he tweeted. "I appreciate the opportunities that was given to me and it has only giving me more fuel and more motivation. I learned a lot."

Lundberg said Wednesday he hasn't signed with a team yet, but told Inside The Suns he has multiple offers overseas.

Kalnitis said Lundberg paid his own buyout for CSKA Moscow to join the Suns. Without getting into specific details, Kalnitis said Lundberg paid "around 10 times more" on the buyout than he received in his two-way deal with the Suns.

Lundberg had been on the Suns' radar for two years.

Considered the first Danish player to reach the NBA, Lundberg was with CSKA before leaving amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the safety of himself and his family.

The 27-year-old Lundberg is married and has a son.

He returned to Denmark in February, officially signed with the Suns on March 12, but had to wait a little more than two weeks for Visa clearance to come to Phoenix.

Lundberg chose No. 19 because his son was born Dec.19, 2019.

The 6-4, 205-pound guard averaged 3.3 points in four games for the Suns, scoring a career-high 10 in Phoenix's final regular-season game April 10 against Sacramento.

The Kings won, 116-109, at Footprint Center.

Being on a two-way, Lundberg couldn't play for Phoenix in the playoffs. Dallas bounced the top-seeded Suns out of the playoffs in the Western Conference semifinals.

The fourth-seeded Mavs beat Phoenix in a decisive Game 7 by 33 points, 123-90, at Footprint Center.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Iffe Lundberg needed 'security' to play Summer League for Phoenix Suns