Phoenix Suns: 5 Awful Draft-Day Trades That Buried The Suns

By Gerald Bourguet | May 18, 2015

Dec 8, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo (9) drives on Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (4) during the first quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Phoenix Suns

Dec 31, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls player Luol Deng with the ball during the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Luol Deng

In the 2004 NBA Draft, the Suns had the seventh overall pick. But instead of, you know, actually using their top-10 pick, the Suns agreed to trade it to the Chicago Bulls for the rights to Jackson Vroman, $3 million in cash and a future first rounder. If you haven’t heard of Jackson Vroman, that’s because he averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in his TWO NBA seasons.

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But surely the future first rounder had some value, correct? Unfortunately, no. The Suns received the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA Draft — which they would use on Nate Robinson. Robinson, as we just covered, was traded with Quentin Richardson for cash and two useless players who were gone within two seasons.

So to recap, the Suns had a shot at Luol Deng, the kind of long-term solution on the wing that would have definitely helped Phoenix compete, but traded him on draft day for a pick in the following draft that was 14 spots worse. That pick was then traded for cash and two players who didn’t help one bit.

Even if the Suns hadn’t pulled the exact same stunt the following year, trading Luol Deng — the SEVENTH overall pick — for Vroman and the 21st overall pick in the following draft was just ill-advised in every way.

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