Valley of the Suns
Fansided

6 events that would make this draft day the best ever

By Adam Maynes

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 19: NBA Draft prospect, Deandre Ayton takes a 'selfie' at the Empire State Building in New York, New York on June 19, 2018. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 19: NBA Draft prospect, Deandre Ayton takes a 'selfie' at the Empire State Building in New York, New York on June 19, 2018. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – MAY 15: NBA Draft Prospect, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Combine circuit on May 15, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 15: NBA Draft Prospect, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Combine circuit on May 15, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Keep 16 but have the ability to draft a key point guard

What if the Phoenix Suns are totally unable to trade up and sit at 16 waiting for their time to select once again. What if while they are sitting there, one point guard remains on the board through 11…Then 12…13…Then 14…15…and suddenly Phoenix is on the clock, and either Collin Sexton or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still on the board?

The Suns have three significant holes in the starting lineup moving forward: point guard (presuming that Brandon Knight is the starter at the start of the season, but will not be for the long-term), center (which will be filled by Deandre Ayton), and power forward. Either one of Sexton or Gilgeous-Alexander could be the player the Suns need to fill that gap for the future, and if one of them happens to be there when they pick at 16, to be able to fill two of those three holes in one draft, would be tremendous.

There is also a secondary benefit to this scenario: if Sexton or Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t pan out, then Phoenix will not have wasted assets to move up to acquire either of them, and the 16th overall pick isn’t generally expected to be a high-impact player anyway so there isn’t much of a loss there.

That player is expected to be good,  but not necessarily great.

Having one of those two players fall to Phoenix and being able to fill the future hole at point guard without much effort while also filling the hole at center with Ayton, would still make this draft day one of the all-time greats in franchise history.

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