The 2020 NBA Draft will forever go down as a massive "what if" for the Phoenix Suns organization. Less than 12 months later they were competing in the NBA Finals - and in that series loss to the Milwaukee Bucks - they looked one player away from going on to win it all.
That roster had everything, from star power in Devin Booker and Chris Paul, to defensive capabilities in Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton, not to mention the straight vibes of Cameron Johnson and the team chemistry in general. We'll never know if a rookie Tyrese Haliburton - who the Suns could have selected with the 10th pick - was ready to play on that stage, but we would have liked to find out.
Suns land excellent Devin Vassell in 2020 re-draft.
As the prospect of training camps looms on the horizon, the good folks over at The Game Theory Podcast have been doing a wonderful job of keeping us entertained through the long offseason. Their latest attempts to talk about the game we all love coming as they re-drafted the 2020 class, and they put Devin Vassell of the San Antonio Spurs 10th on their board and so going to Phoenix.
This is interesting, because at one point in time this offseason many felt he was the best player the franchise could have gotten back in a Kevin Durant trade. Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle would have been included too, but Vassell is underrated and would have brought a different element to a rebuilding Suns' team. This writer certainly thought so at the time.
But although that didn't end up happening, the main reason the organization didn't take him and instead selected Jalen Smith now looks very foolish as well. It is true that the Suns had Booker as their shooting guard next to Paul, and it looked like they would be together for years to come. Yet in trading away Durant, the best player the Suns got back was... a shooting guard in Jalen Green.
One who you could argue is less under control on the court compared to Vassell, although the elite athleticism and scoring is undeniable. It is also fair to now wonder what Vassell could have been like as the eighth man in their postseason rotation, taking a couple of minutes from Booker during the playoffs so he could catch a breather.
Not that he needed one back then, Book was a man on a mission that postseason. It's also not like Vassell has turned into a world-beater either, although like Green he may just need a change of scenery. It is interesting to consider though that the Suns could have taken Vassell - and then also likely acquired him this offseason in a trade - and on both occasions turned it down.
The real sad ending to this story however is the fact Haliburton was obviously re-drafted second behind only Anthony Edwards. The Suns missing out on a chance to add a generational point guard next to Booker, to set themselves up and likely never get involved in the Durant business in the first place. As for then adding Bradley Beal? Another nightmare that would have been avoided.