Patience this summer is key to future Suns championships

If the Phoenix Suns are going to compete for championships in the future, they need to have patience now in the draft and free agency.

The Suns finally won the NBA Draft lottery, setting this summer up to be one of the most exciting offseasons in a long time. With the trade assets to chase a star and the cap space to bring in veteran free agents, the Suns have a chance to field a quality roster next season.

But using up assets now, as fun as it is to think about, would be a big mistake. For a young team on the rise, the best bet is to be patient and maintain flexibility for the future. The less noise the Suns make this offseason, the better it will have gone.

We need look no further than teams like the Sixers and Celtics as an example of how to handle the offseason. Both teams waited for their young cores to mature. Both maintained cap space and stockpiled assets. And both set a target offseason, when their cores were ready to compete, to go all out and cash in. For Boston it was 2017. For Philly it’s 2018. And for Phoenix, if they play their hand right, it can be 2019 or 2020. But for now, they’re just not ready.

With a league worst record and a core in their early 20s, they don’t have the allure to attract a superstar just yet. But with a quality 2018-19 run, next summer could be the time. If not, the following offseason would be perfect.

But for future moves to be possible, and for the Suns to become championship contenders down the line, it’s crucial they be patient this summer. Here are some ways they can avoid pitfalls and have the best chance to win a championship down the line.