If the Suns land three 1st round picks this year then what?
By Assane Drame
Should the Suns obtain three first round picks in this year’s draft, they will have a plethora of options to explore. Whether one of those options is the right one depends on which fan you ask.
In addition to their own pick which currently projects to have the best odds of becoming the 1st overall pick, the Suns own the Miami Heat draft pick (top seven protected) and the Milwaukee Bucks draft pick (1-10 & 17-30 protected).
Phoenix Suns
The best-case scenario come draft time is that the Suns’ pick sits first overall followed by two other picks coming before the 17th overall selection (granted the Miami pick stays with them if it jumps to the top-7). If this happens, then comes the part where Suns GM Ryan McDonough and company have some decisions to make.
Do the Suns continue with “the Timeline” and go all-in on bringing in more youngsters?
Should the Suns trade one or more of the draft picks?
Can the Suns afford to trade up to get the player they want?
What if the Suns trade down for more future assets? Eyeing a trade for a star or looking forward to next year’s draft.
Of course, all this depends on where the picks fall in the May draft lottery.
Landing the number one overall pick and have their choice between Luka Doncic, DeAndre Ayton, and Jaren Jackson Jr would work wonders for a team that has issues in both the frontcourt and the backcourt.
Even using the Heat and/or the Bucks pick would be beneficial to drafting talent with high upside. Talents such as Miles Bridges, Robert Williams, Dzanan Musa, or Lonnie Walker, should any of them still be available.
If adding more youngsters isn’t an appealing option, they can go the route of using a few of those extra picks to facilitate adding an established player who can help right away. For example, maybe setting up a sign and trade with Aaron Gordon?
Next: Valley of the Suns 2018 Mock Draft 1.0
The possibilities are endless. The process will be interesting to watch play out. What would you suggest the Suns do in the offseason with their potential draft assets?