Four reasons the Phoenix Suns should avoid Kemba Walker

Kemba is NOT  who the Suns have been tanking for

I for one have never  been a fan of tanking, and this idea of creating a timeline built on the back of losing has irked me from day one.

However, to Owner Robert Sarver and General Manager Ryan McDonough’s well deserved credit, when they set out down this path of tanking, to this point they have followed said path with strenuous restraint. A large part of that plan, however, was to acquire talented players through the draft, meaning, if successful, great value in cost versus production.

Suns fans have suffered through this now for some time, so now that the team is less than half a season away from finally seeing this process through to fruition, with the opportunity to draft any number of what appears to be upwards of six potential star (if not superstar)  players in this upcoming draft, why throw that all away in January for a player who is six to seven years older than those who Phoenix could be drafting in June?

While Kemba would be an immediate improvement, and with a contract of only $12M next season that truly is a good value, will Phoenix be ready to compete for a championship then? Or even the year following when he will have to have been re-signed to an extension of likely close to max value?

If not, and certainly on a roster as it generally stands now with only the large acquisition of Kemba, then was trading a potential young star (and more depending on what other pieces Charlotte might demand alongside a first round pick) worth acquiring a player who might not even be on a championship contending team until he is at least 30 – and that’s only if free agency and trades all break right.

So, what about that cost?