With the NBA trade deadline past, Phoenix Suns’ general manager Ryan McDonough should be putting all of his attention ranking top NBA draft prospects.
Last month Valley of the Suns came out with the Phoenix Suns Big Board 1.0: Top 10 prospects. A focus on need sightly influenced the last big board produced at Valley of the Suns, as it will this one, just not as much. The Phoenix Suns have positioned themselves for a chance at a high lottery pick this summer so far this season. While adding a quality point guard like Elfrid Payton should add a few extra wins this season, his addition shouldn’t majorly influence the team’s chances for a high draft pick. The Payton acquisition may influence the draft strategy of the Suns, however it won’t have any major impact on this big board. The Suns’ shouldn’t be too worried with finding the prospect that best fits versus the best available.
No. 10
Previous ranking: not ranked
After not making it on the first Valley of the Suns’ big board, Kevin Knox‘s recent play has earned him a spot on this second incarnation of the big board. Knox is a forward with no clear position going into the NBA. This season he has averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.2 blocks and 0.9 steals, while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 35.2 percent from behind the arc. He does have the physical gifts at 6-foot-9 to be good on defense once he has time to develop. If the Suns did draft Knox, he would most likely play power forward for the club. While Knox has plenty of potential, there is a chance he may not reach much of it at the next level.
No. 9
Previous ranking: No. 10
Wendall Carter Jr. has proven to have all the tools to be a solid NBA center. Since the previous big board, Carter has improved in several statistical categories. He’s currently averaging 14.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.2 blocks and 0.7 steals, while making 60.3 percent his field goal attempts and 47.1 percent on his 3-point attempts. Carter has the potential to be a borderline All-Star which is why he’s at the ninth spot on this big board.