Toumani Camara will always be the one who got away for the Phoenix Suns, but they are finally learning the error of their ways for trading the All-Defense forward in the Deandre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic deal. After seeing him thrive elsewhere, the Suns have finally taken developing their draft picks seriously rather than just overlooking them.
Suns developing draft picks to set team up long-term
The Suns continue to try to win now with Devin Booker; their trade for Miles Bridges and being well above the first apron are proof of that (even if they are coming up against self-imposed roadblocks). Yet, since letting Camara go, the franchise has changed its stance on draft picks and is beginning to see the rewards.
Khaman Maluach technically wasn't selected by the Suns, but they insisted he was in the Kevin Durant deal with the Houston Rockets. The 10th overall pick remains a raw prospect, although his sophomore Summer League performance should have fans excited about the prospect of him taking Mark Williams' starting role in the future.
The front office managed to do to Houston what the Portland Trail Blazers did to them in the Ayton/Nurkic trade. Nice to come out on that one.
On top of that, the franchise selected Rasheer Fleming last season and moved into the first round to take Koa Peat this time out. It is too early to tell whether either can become a long-term contributor in The Valley, although Fleming getting some reps and hitting a few 3-pointers in the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder was invaluable experience.
Oso Ighodaro the proof that Suns can draft well and should keep picks
The Suns need to look only at Oso Ighodaro as the strongest indicator yet that they realized the mistake they made in letting Camara go. He won't top out at being as good a defender or likely have as successful a career as the Trail Blazer, but Ighodaro has become a rotation player in Phoenix.
Not bad for a second-round selection who took some time to figure out his place on this roster and who also holds the keys to the Suns getting out of a sticky cap situation.
It is fair to point out that it has not been all good, and that Ryan Dunn will likely be traded at some point in the near future. But when you consider the eye for talent the front office has also shown with two-way success stories like Collin Gillespie, the Suns have improved massively in this area.
If only they could go back and keep Camara; their starting five would look even better.
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