Yossi Gozlan was back with his Third Apron Podcast to break down the Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers trade, and Sam Quinn of CBS Sports suggested it was the Phoenix Suns who should have been part of the deal. If the Suns were dangling Dillon Brooks like the Nuggets did Watson, could they have landed a desirable pick? That's the thought process.
Suns could have entertained a pick for Dillon Brooks
Rather than continue to trade away their deep future seemingly on a whim, Quinn suggested that what the Suns should have done was give Brooks to a team that needs a beefy forward in the form of the Cavaliers to recoup some much-needed draft capital.
"The funny one is I think it would have made a lot of sense for Phoenix to do it for Dillon Brooks, but Phoenix was never going to do that. They're so offended by the notion that they should have, that they ended up trading their 2033 pick for Miles Bridges... that's how much they value deep future draft capital."
Some tongue in cheek humor by Quinn at the end there, and Gozlan quickly interjected that the Cavaliers wouldn't have given up their 2031 selection (that ended up going out in the Watson five-teamer) for Brooks.
Quinn agreed but claimed the Suns still should have tried.
Phoenix recently extended Brooks and is now firmly above the first apron. They could not have paid the Canadian international, perhaps let Mark Williams walk, and been in a better position to make moves moving forward. When you're trying to win with Devin Booker, however, you have to put the best team on the court that you can right now.
Which is why the front office continues to chase its own tail by giving away future firsts in favor of guys who can help them win now. Assuming Mat Ishbia is still the owner by the time 2033 rolls around, he will be doing this with picks stretching into the 2040s.
Brooks again being underrated in this mock scenario
While financially you can see the logic, Brooks is again being underestimated in this scenario. We've seen him change the culture in Phoenix. He may have been the missing piece for a Cavaliers team that just brought back known playoff choker James Harden and needs players who care every night.
He is also worth more to the Suns in their current form (on the court at least) than a single first round pick, no matter how valuable.
Phoenix would have taken a massive step back this season if they'd done the trade as well, at a time when Booker is approaching his 30th birthday. Which is why they went in the other direction and added Bridges at the princely sum of an unprotected first in 2033.
The Suns will one day need to be more careful about how they spend these first round picks, but they are too far down their current path to have even picked up the phone to the Cavaliers on this one.
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