Valley of the Suns
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The Phoenix Suns should trade their 2020 first-round pick

By Adam Stratton

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Jarrett Culver reacts after being drafted with the sixth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Jarrett Culver reacts after being drafted with the sixth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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The Phoenix Suns will end up with a lottery pick in the 2020 draft, but instead of using it, they might find it more valuable as a trading chip.

Assuming the very unlikely scenario that the NBA takes Spencer Dinwiddie’s idea, creates a 30 team playoff, and the Phoenix Suns pull a Loyola Illinois Chicago to advance deep into that tournament doesn’t happen, the Suns are going to be in the lottery.

If the regular season were to end, the Suns would finish with the 10th worst record in the league. This would give them a 13.9 percent chance of landing a top 4 pick and a 3 percent chance of nabbing the #1 overall selection. However, the far more likely scenario, coming in with a 69.5 percent chance of happening, is they get the #10 overall pick.

Regardless if the ping-pong balls bounce in their favor, this pick in this draft doesn’t really do them much good, and the Phoenix Suns should trade their 2020 first-round pick no matter what.

Related Story. Trades the Suns could have made with every team in the league. light

If they did this, they wouldn’t have any pick at all in the 2020 draft because they donated their second-round selection to the Indiana Pacers for the privilege of no longer having TJ Warren on the team. If they could turn their first-round pick into someone solid, this would be worth it.

This draft class was already shaping up to be historically weak, however with news that the NBA might not be hosting a combine or allow teams to conduct individual workouts, then the only thing teams would have to scout on is game footage.

Who out there has confidence the Suns’ front office could make the most out of a draft pick with limited information work from?

That is probably an overly-pessimistic attitude fueled by years of disappointment, but even teams with excellent draft histories will have their work cut out for them this time around. The Suns should trade their pick to one of those teams in exchange for a player who has actual NBA game footage to scout.

Sure, they might find a gem hidden amongst the draft rummage. This is where the sky opens to rain comments about how Giannis Antetokounmpo was selected 15th and Devin Booker was chosen 13th.

But those are the exceptions, not the rule.

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Right now, NBADraft.net has French point guard, Theo Maledon, as #10 on their big board. Is he the backup point guard the Suns have been longing for? Maybe. But why take the risk? Let another team do that.

Lottery picks are so much more valuable before they are used, rather than after, so who could the Suns acquire in a trade?

Well, they almost traded the pick to the Detroit Pistons for Luke Kennard before the trade deadline, but it fell through, presumably because the teams couldn’t agree on protections for the pick.

A player like Luke Kennard isn’t all that exciting, and the Suns should be able to find a better value than him, however, if the pick does land at #10, fans can’t expect the team to obtain a superstar either.

Next. Ty Jerome dominated his NBA2K matchup. dark

We’ll do an upcoming post on who some good targets might be if the draft pick stays at #10, but for now, let’s hammer home that if it all possible and assuming the value is there, the pick most definitely should be traded.

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