Suns two-way Gabriel Lundberg won't join team for couple of weeks waiting for Visa clearance

Suns head coach Monty Williams needs to see Gabriel "Iffe" Lundberg in person before really giving complete thoughts on their newest player.

"I talked to (Suns General Manager James Jones) about him about a week ago," Williams said before Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Footprint Center.

"He was getting my input on it and I told James, 'I trust him.' I'll find out more about him as a player and a person when we finally get him. He's still got Visa issues to handle before he gets here."

Suns officials said Lundberg will join the team in a couple of weeks as they officially signed him Saturday. Phoenix's regular season ends April 10 against Sacramento.

"We're grateful to have him," Williams said.

The 27-year-old guard left Moscow's PBC CSKA team amid Russia's invasion of the Ukraine.

"I had to make a very hard decision, a decision based on the safety of my family's well being," Lundberg said in a basketnews.com report.

Lundberg returned to Denmark last month.

"I'm sure for him it's a huge deal to have all that going on over in Russia to be able to get a contract like this and be in the NBA," Williams said. "What a blessing. I'm sure before all this, this wasn't on his radar. So we're grateful to have him."

The 6-4 Lundberg, who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and can play the one or two, is viewed as the first Danish player in the NBA.

So this signing has led to a sudden following for the Suns.

"I'm hearing about all the Danish fans we have now," Williams said. "Pretty cool."

Williams even joked the Suns are going to have an exhibition game in Denmark.

"I doubt it," Williams added.

However, basketnews.com reported that Lars Hansen was the first Denmark-born player to make it to the NBA.

Hansen was also born in Copenhagen, but moved to Canada at the age of two. A 6-10 center, Hansen averaged 5.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 15 games with the Seattle Supersonics, who won the NBA Finals that season under Lenny Wilkens.

Lundberg, who has Nigerian roots, averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the EuroLeague for CSKA Moscow this season.

Williams is looking forward to learning more about Lundberg beyond the numbers.

"I've heard about him, but I'm talking about the personal understanding of his game and all of that," Williams said. "You can't know that stuff until you get him in your program and understand what he can and can't do."

Lundberg will wear No. 19, Suns team officials said.

The Suns had an open two-way deal available after they waived Chandler Hutchinson back in January. They currently have forward Ish Wainright on a two-way contract.

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: Visa clearance delaying Gabriel Lundberg joining Suns from Denmark