The Phoenix Suns were certainly players throughout Wednesday's NBA Draft, using their 10th pick to select Duke center Khaman Maluach. The pick part of the massive trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets to begin the week - and although it looked for a minute that the Suns would miss out on the South Sudanese international - they ended up getting their man.
The organization wasn't done there however, as they also swung a trade with the Charlotte Hornets to take their own injury-prone big man Mark Williams off their hands. A move that reunites Williams in The Valley with the player who backed him up to begin last season in Charlotte in Nick Richards, as the front office did their best to revamp their frontcourt in trying circumstances.
Maluach was the right pick - but he comes with plenty of risk.
Despite not wanting to blow this thing up and try and re-tool around superstar Devin Booker, the Suns' draft choice and subsequent trade for Williams would appear to go against that way of thinking. Williams is only 23-years-old, and in three seasons in the league has managed just 106 games played at 23.7 minutes each night.
Maluach is somehow five years his new teammate's junior, and won't turn 19-years-old until September. As you can see from his highlights below, right away he is going to help a defense that allowed 117.7 points per game last season. Maluach is a natural shot-blocker and is willing to be the rim-runner the Suns haven't had since Deandre Ayton left town.
Offensively however, there is a lot to work on here. Maluach might as well be viewed as a blank canvas, which is perhaps part of the appeal here. The franchise might decide to have him take more 3-point shots as time goes on, but the defensive upside is why he is in Phoenix. Early comparisons to a young JaVale McGee are worrying, because it took him a long time to figure out his role.
More optimistically there have also been those who see flashes of Rudy Gobert and Daniel Gafford, but even if that is the case it is going to take years for Maluach to reach his full potential. Which is something the Suns might not have if Booker decides this re-tooling effort is falling well short of competing for a championship again, which it currently is.
This was still the right selection for the organization to make on draft night. Maluach was viewed as one of the best big men in the draft - to some the best - so to have him in Phoenix to address an area of massive need is a plus. His compatriot Bol Bol might be back for a third year in The Valley as well next season, which could help him settle even quicker.
If Maluach pops in any way - and he's certainly not going to begin the season starting - it will make the Durant trade feel that bit better. On paper the fit next to Booker and Jalen Green looks good, but he is going to have so much to learn in order to execute and sort of effective two-man game with either. This was a risk, but it was still the right one for the front office to take.