The Phoenix Suns won the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery last week, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be using the No. 1 overall pick.
It’s possible the Suns could trade the top pick for an established star who could help the team compete for a playoff spot as early as next season.
“We’re certainly open to that. We’ll consider it,” Suns general manager Ryan McDonough told Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN during the network’s Friday coverage of the NBA Scouting Combine in Chicago.
“I think we’ll have more information closer to the draft than we do today after we go through the workout process and the interview process. Get the medical and physicals. We’re open to that. I think if you look around the NBA, as far as the veteran players, there are probably a few we’d consider trading the pick for, outright, just pick for player. It’ll be a busy month for us.”
The top prospects in this year’s draft class are Arizona center Deandre Ayton, Slovenian guard Luka Doncic, Duke forward Marvin Bagley III and Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr.
Any one of these four players would add another tremendous talent to a young Suns roster that already includes several lottery picks, most notably guard Devin Booker and forward Josh Jackson.
That said, this draft class is not as strong as last season’s, so if there’s an opportunity for the Suns to add a veteran star with a proven track record who’s also under contract for multiple seasons, they definitely should consider it, even if it meant trading the top pick.
