With the NBA trade deadline looming at 1 p.m. Thursday, the Suns are working the phones hard to come up with a player that can help them beyond the free agents they brought in this week.

 With only second-round picks (or perhaps cash, or both) the Suns are trying to pry 6-foot-6 guard Quinton Ross away from the Los Angeles Clippers. Ross makes only $824,000 this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season. He is a strong defender and rebounder who started against Phoenix in the Western Conference Quarterfinals two years ago. His offensive capability is limited, but the Suns won’t be asking him to score.

 Sources with the team said interest has cooled on Denver’s Yakouba Diawara and Seattle’s Mickael Gelabale, leaving Ross as the main target with the deadline approaching.

 If they don’t get a deal done, the Suns could still sign one of the players brought in Tuesday — likely either Linton Johnson or Bobby Jones — to a 10-day contract and wait to see if a player is bought out. Three-point specialsit Brent Barry, who was traded to Seattle earlier today in the Kurt Thomas deal with San Antonio, is one of the players Phoenix will watch.

 Even if the Suns swing a deal for Ross, that wouldn’t keep them from going after Barry. Sources say the team would either add him as a 14th player to the roster or cut loose one of the veteran minimum players on the teams (Sean Marks, Eric Piatkowski, etc.) in the hopes that another team would pick them up for the playoff run.

 Either way, it appears Suns owner Robert Sarver is prepared to go deeper into luxury tax red ink to make the team stronger for the playoffs.

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