The Suns should draft DeAndre Ayton…AND Marvin Bagley III
Why the Suns need to trade up for Marvin Bagley III
Marvin Bagley III is a very good post player, and great athlete. Compared by some to a combination of Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, Iif he fills out and becomes as powerful as Stoudemire was down low, then the Suns would become a great post and rebounding team with Ayton and Bagley paired together.
Bagley and Ayton both have shooting potential, so as long as they both develop a knockdown 15-foot jumper and one develops a solid 3-point shot, spacing would survive.
Bagley also has the footspeed to survive as a power forward in the NBA today.
Maybe Ayton could become a Tristan Thompson-type? Bagley’s faceup and perimeter game would keep the Suns from being dependent on shots 5-feet from the basket and putbacks.
Ayton would draw attention from a team’s center and help defense which would allow Bagley to dominate small power forwards like Trevor Ariza and Jayson Tatum down low.
Imagine teams trying to rebound against an Ayton-Bagley lineup! Even if one of them just chucked up a shot the other one would have a easy rebound in the smaller NBA.
The Suns would have two young stars. If it ended up like Amare and Shaquille O’Neal, then the Suns would be able to jettison one through trade five years down the road and still receive a lot since both would only be 25-years-old, and not even in their prime.