SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 8 -- The Phoenix Suns placed struggling forward Tom Gugliotta on the injured list Tuesday with left quadriceps tendinitis and activated center Jake Tsakalidis.
Gugliotta entered the season averaging 15 points per game in a nine-year career but has struggled in his fifth season with the Suns.
He is averaging just 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 29 games.
Since scoring a season-high 18 points on December 1, the 6-10, 240-pound forward has failed to reach double digits in his last 10 games, averaging only 4.5 points.
Gugliotta missed five games in early December with a left knee injury. He has not played more than 57 games in a season since 1996-97, when he appeared in 81 games for Minnesota.
The 32-year-old Gugliotta, who made All-Star an appearance with Minnesota in 1997, signed a six-year deal with the Suns three days after the NBA lockout ended in 1999.
Tsakalidis, 22, was placed on the injured list December 28 due to a sprained right hand. He is averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23 games but has not played since December 18.
The 7-2 center is in his second season with Phoenix and is the tallest player in franchise history. The native of Greece was the 25th overall pick in the 2000 draft. Content: 15008000