Unexpected Suns trade silences some of the critics of team's front office

The Phoenix Suns ended up being one of the main stories of the first round the NBA Draft on Wednesday, as they managed to add a pair of centers under 24-years-old to their roster. First came the addition of the young and raw Duke big man Khaman Maluach, being taken with the 10th pick in a move that has a lot of upside if the Suns are willing to be patient.

Not long after the 18-year-old - who played against Team USA ahead of the Olympic Games last year - was on his way to The Valley, the organization also swung a trade for Mark Williams of the Charlotte Hornets. We weren't so hot on that move - and although there are surely other deals to be made this offseason - Williams is too injury-prone to be relied upon over the course of a regular season.

Suns trade with Brooklyn Nets is smart move at right time.

Ahead of the second round of the NBA Draft - and with two selections in the 50s already in their possesion - the Suns acquired the 36th pick from the Brooklyn Nets for a pair of future seconds. Having three second round picks in this draft is great for two reasons, and it is clear the front office is trying to flood the team with younger, cheaper and hungrier talent.

That's good news for a franchise stuck in the second apron, and it is a welcome change of pace from trying to jam star players and veterans together in Phoenix. Not only that, but this front office has in the last two drafts taken Toumani Camara and Oso Ighodaro in the second round. That is a solid track record to have, and the Suns will now have three cracks at adding more depth to their roster.

The Oklahoma City Thunder recently won their first NBA Championship, and they did so by having a rotation that featured five second round picks and three undrafted players. Depth has been the Suns' problem for years now, and none other than Sam Presti himself has spoken many times about the need for that depth to compete at the highest level.

It is also a solid game plan when contrasted with the team trading for Williams to pair him with Nick Richards, both of which started last season as the center rotation for the always struggling Charlotte Hornets. The Suns received five future second round picks in the Kevin Durant trade with the Houston Rockets, so sending out two to get one back now is another smart move.

Life after Durant has hit hard, although there's no doubt that the trio of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and incoming rookie Maluach make the situation look a little better. If even one of these second rounders can hit and be a factor next season, then we will have to revisit the grade that the trade received at the time. There's a long way to go to gain the trust of The Valley for the front office, but its a start.