Phoenix Suns: 10 Worst Draft Picks In Team History

4. Earl Clark

In 2009, the Phoenix Suns had a deal in place with the Golden State Warriors to trade their pick (No. 14) for the Dubs’ pick (No. 7). The deal was supposedly in place…until the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Jonny Flynn at No. 6 and inexplicably left Stephen Curry on the board for the SECOND pick in a row.

At that point, the Warriors used their pick on Curry. The Suns were left to choose between drafting Jrue Holiday, who general manager Steve Kerr admitted they liked, or the kind of defensive forward they needed to defend taller small forwards like Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant in the West.

Unfortunately, Kerr and the front office deemed Earl Clark, a 6’10” power forward from Louisville, to be that player with their 14th pick.

Holiday would go on to become an All-Star (in the East, but still), while the Suns also selected Clark ahead of guys like Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson — you know, a legitimate interior defender like Phoenix wanted all along.

After only 45 games as a rookie, in which Clark averaged 2.7 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game, he was sent down to the D-League. He was later traded to the Orlando Magic in the deal that brought Marcin Gortat to Phoenix, but going from Steph Curry to Jrue Holiday to Earl Clark was a TEENSY bit of a downgrade.

Next: No. 3