Phoenix Suns fans the world-over are hoping that the Suns are able to trade back into the top ten after selecting first overall. There are two spots for this to most likely occur.
No matter who you have the Phoenix Suns taking number one overall, chances are you have your eyes set on at least one other player in the top ten that you wish General Manager Ryan McDonough could find a way to draft as well. In order to do that though, he would have to utilize his available assets to move back up (or he would have to trade back from the first pick, as if there is any chance of that happening).
Right now, it sounds like the Sacramento Kings at number two and the Memphis Grizzlies at number four are the teams in the top five who are most willing to move back. Selecting from either one of those spots would land a player like Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, Mohamed Mamba, Michael Porter Jr., Jaren Jackson Jr., among others, each highly sought after in the top part of the draft.
However, the Kings and Grizzlies know this as well, and if they are truly interested in moving back, they will want a king’s (no pun intended) ransom to do so. Therefore if the Suns want to trade up to one of those spots, chances are they will have to give up a whole heckuva lot, maybe not making such a deal worth it – especially when taking into consideration that for the Kings, they would be moving back 14 spots and the Grizzlies 12, meaning that for them, the talent differential from their current selection spot would be gigantic.
It should also be remembered that McDonough recently stated that it would be very difficult for him to part with the Suns’ first round pick in 2019, as well as the Miami Heat’s unprotected pick of 2021. So if those are truly off limits, then he would have to move active talent to make such a trade If he could be open to moving either one or both of those picks, then he would likely intend on not moving a whole lot else (outside of 16, 31, and 59, of course).
Other than Sacramento and Memphis, there really only appears to be two other teams who might have an interest in moving back, and who wouldn’t have to fall back too far if they are acquiring the Suns’ 16th.
Those teams are…