Conclusion
If he’s there at 13, the Suns should draft Kristaps Porzingis, with the hopes that he could add some weight and turn into an all-around stretch four, with the size to fill in behind Alex Len when needed. The defense and skillset seems to be too much to pass up, but it doesn’t like the Suns will be getting the opportunity.
Numerous people have reported that Porzingis is getting looked at by teams that pick above the Suns, and a lot of general managers reportedly think he’s as good as some of the talent at the top of the draft.
For example, Philadelphia 76ers GM Sam Hinkie has reportedly gone to see Porzingis in person “at least a half-dozen times,” while another NBA executive said he’d “take him ahead of Okafor,” adding that “he’s a lock for the top five.”
Porzingis is going to be one of the most interesting players to follow at the NBA draft, because there is a lot of variance in where he could go. It seems like he could realistically go as early as five, or perhaps fall all the way down to eight, nine or 10, if not even lower.
Is Porzingis good enough to trade up for? Is he that much better than a guy like Myles Turner or Bobby Portis? Those are the questions that the Suns (and other teams’ front office members) are going to have to ask themselves, and it is something that may very well come up on draft day.
Until then, it probably will make more sense to focus on guys projected in that 10-15 range, although it’s never a bad thing to have a good idea about guys who have the potential to slip.
Next: Phoenix Suns Draft Profiles Master List