4 Trades the Suns should offer to Boston for First Pick – Valley of the Suns

The 2017 NBA Draft is quickly approaching, and the word is that the Boston Celtics might want to trade their number one pick. What does this mean for the Phoenix Suns?

It has been quite a busy week in the NBA. Although both the Eastern and Western Conference series’ have been pretty hard to watch (aside from Boston’s dramatic comeback in Cleveland last night), certain events have caught the attention of all NBA fans, casual or otherwise. Zaza Pachulia’s game of footsy with Kawhi Leonard on Mother’s Day and the incredible pounding LeBron James and the Cavaliers gave to the Boston Celtics on Friday night have greatly contributed to the landscape of postseason storylines. Two days after the Spurs’ MVP finalist re-injured his ankle at Oracle Arena, the NBA Draft Lottery took place in New York City.

While Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns got stuck with the fourth overall pick, Boston landed the coveted number one selection via the Brooklyn Nets, as expected, making them the first team since the 1982 Los Angeles Lakers to hold the top seed in their respective conference and the first pick in the subsequent draft. The only way Boston could match the Lakers in this case is if they win the championship; Los Angeles beat the Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the 1982 NBA Finals before drafting hall-of-famer James Worthy a month later.

Yet among all of the NBA topics floating around, none are hotter than whether the Celtics should trade their first-round pick or keep it to draft Markelle Fultz, the University of Washington point guard who is the leading candidate for the first overall pick in virtually all speculation. Even The Truth himself, former Celtics champion and future hall-of-famer Paul Pierce, has an opinion:

"“You trade this pick, because he cannot help the Celtics get over the top,” Pierce said while making an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump on Wednesday. “The window is now. … You’re a 50-win team, you’re the No. 1 seed. You have to build on this momentum. If you can acquire a Paul George, a Jimmy Butler or a Gordon (Hayward) from Utah, you have to do it.”"

However, Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck has said he wants to keep the pick:

"“You don’t really want to necessarily trade a number one pick in a really good draft for somebody that’s halfway through their career, already making max money. That’s just a difficult trade to make,” he said, according to WBZ News’ Adam Kaufman. “It just feels like this is a pick we will listen to offers, I’m sure, we will have conversations all the way through June but, for me, making a first pick is an exciting prospect right now.”"

If the Celtics decide to take Paul Pierce’s advice, which they should, could the Phoenix Suns get in on this? They have a clear incentive to use that first pick to draft Fultz, as well as plenty of tradeable assets to give the Celtics. There is also the potential for a few other teams to get involved, namely Indiana or Chicago, to sweeten the pot for Boston and give their roster the superstar shot-in-the-arm they so desperately need. But who would the Suns “ship out to Boston”? What would this look like? Would any of these transactions help a Suns roster that desperately needs it?

Here are four possible trade options for Phoenix to acquire the first overall pick.

*DISCLAIMER: The trades presented are verified by ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine, accounting for accurate salary figures and current Collective Bargaining Agreement rules and regulations. The Trade Machine is our friend and will let it be known if a trade doesn’t work financially, so these speculations will strictly talk ball and leave the numbers out of it.