Imagine there was a team with full market cap flexibility and had the ability to summon any draft asset nece..."/> Imagine there was a team with full market cap flexibility and had the ability to summon any draft asset nece..."/> Imagine there was a team with full market cap flexibility and had the ability to summon any draft asset nece..."/>
Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Draft pick value for each Suns player Part 1

By Gorilla Kin

Dec 28, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns power forward Dragan Bender (35) shoots the ball over San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns power forward Dragan Bender (35) shoots the ball over San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 2, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) dribbles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) dribbles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Devin Booker – 2 lottery picks (including a top 2 pick)

I’d go further and say the Suns would only do this trade if they knew for sure which player they were getting with that top two pick. Booker is a future star in this league but his ultimate role on a contender is hard to project. The kid is a scoring savant who somehow didn’t earn the reputation as an elite scorer until after he was drafted. He is also more sneaky athletic than he is “jump out of the ceiling” athletic. Right now I’d guess his peak will be somewhere between poor defensive Kobe (don’t laugh. Compare their age 20 seasons) and DeMar Derozan with a three-point shot. This of course assumes that Booker remains a more singularly focused scorer and doesn’t develop into more of a playmaker. I’m not ready to do that as he has plenty of time to branch out and add that to his game like James Harden has.

Even with that optimistic outlook, at this time it’s hard to imagine Booker being the best player on a Championship winning team (unlike other young studs like Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Davis). For now I’m happy to watch the Suns unleash the kid on the league and have him score >25ppg…potentially as early as next year. But sooner or later the Suns will use Booker the same way that Harden, Russell Westbrook and Isaiah Thomas are used.

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