The Phoenix Suns needed to be aggressive with 3 first round picks, and they did just that.
The Suns sent the #13, #28, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and a 2020 2nd round pick to the Sacramento Kings for the #8 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
While I loved the name Bogdan Bogdanovic, this was still a great move for the Suns.
With the pick, the Suns would select Marquese Chriss. Given that Chriss is a Sacramento native, and the scary image of Chriss’ athleticism next to the strength of DeMarcus Cousins, it still seems odd for the Kings to have made this trade.
The Kings then used the #13 pick to draft Greek center Georgios Papagiannis. DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t impressed.
https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/746149291249410050
The fact the Sacramento Kings look stupid for making this trade also shows that it was a great move by the Suns. Trading with a team that has missed the playoffs for 10 straight years seems like a good strategy.
Bringing in 4 rookies would have been extremely difficult. Instead, the Suns consolidated the picks and got their two top (realistic) options in the 2016 draft.
Chriss looked good in Las Vegas before missing the final 3 games due to illness.
Instead of adding four pieces that did not bring true value to the Suns (the 13th, 28th, Bogdan Bogdanovic, a 2020 2nd round pick), the Suns moved up and grabbed the last elite talent on their board. You must do that to contend. Philadelphia is still working on this.
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The product on the court hasn’t proven it yet, but the Phoenix Suns have improved significantly in 2016. The front office has made several great moves. Let’s hope the consistency continues.