1st Pick
Phoenix has to give up a pretty penny to get the 1st overall pick. It’s arguable that this wouldn’t even be enough to get the deal done. The Celtics would move down three spots, pick up a quality veteran center that gives them more rebounding and interior defense, two areas they’ve struggled in during these playoffs. They also get the Miami Heat’s top 7 protected 1st round pick next year. While Miami did overachieve this year, their core is old. They may compete for the 7th or 8th seed next year, or they may be a lottery team.
Several local insiders for the team reported before the lottery that the Suns liked Ball better than Markelle Fultz, and I tend to agree. The Suns already have a primary scorer in Booker. They need a point guard who can distribute the ball and get everyone on the court the best look possible. Ball is not a selfish player, and with comparisons to Jason Kidd, there’s way too much upside to pass on the possible next great Suns point guard. Fultz played point guard at Washington, but he’s more of a combo guard, and his ball dominance would stunt both his own and Booker’s growth.
