Thursday 28th March 2024,
The Hoop Doctors

Suns GM Ryan McDonough Says Phoenix Will Consider Using Bucks, Heat Draft Picks as Trade Bait

phoenix suns

Expect the Phoenix Suns to be busy bees this summer.

During a Facebook live session on Monday, general manager Ryan McDonough tipped his hand on some of the team’s offseason plans. Scott Bordow of AZCentral.com relayed the most juicy takeaways, including this gem about the forthcoming coaching search—which interim head coach Jay Triano will indeed be a part of:

McDonough also may have clued us in on who the Suns will pick should they win the No. 1 pick by emphasizing the need for another center:

Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss must feel so special right now. Seriously, though, getting bigger is a smart play. Neither Alex Len nor Alan Williams profiles as an answer, Chriss doesn’t have the defensive chops to log substantive time at the 5, and Tyson Chandler doesn’t factor into Phoenix’s long-term picture.

Finally, McDonough also indicated the Suns could look to move some of their lesser first-rounders in order to secure a higher draft pick or veteran player:

The Milwaukee Bucks pick, acquired as part of the Eric Bledsoe trade, has wonky protection on it. It will not be conveying this year. But the Suns will snag the Miami Heat’s first, which should end up just a few ticks outside the lottery. They also have Miami’s 2021 pick at their disposal. Mashing together any combination of these selections could help them vault up the draft board or land a veteran name without chiseling into the core.

Count on the Suns exploring any path that expedites their development. McDonough has said in the past they will be aggressive in free agency. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2010, and they’re slated to have cap space at a time when very few teams will wield significant financial flexibility. With Devin Booker extension-eligible and set for a max-level salary in 2019-20, this summer may be their one shot to lure in a marquee name or high-impact player.

Whether the Suns are close enough to the Western Conference’s postseason bubble to be this hyperactive over the offseason is a different story. It depends on who they’re adding to the roster, both in the draft and via free agency. They need to be smart about their next move, since the wrong signing or addition could set them back a few years. The safest play, at its core, entails holding onto to all their picks, since having too many cost-controlled assets is never a bad thing.

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