The talented group of players in this year’s NBA Draft has got pretty much everyone involved in basketball polarized about which player gets to be picked first.
The level of talent is deep so much so the picking the number overall has been rumored to be a headache for Phoenix Suns.
The Western Conference team wields the number one pick and is deliberating on picking DeAndre Ayton ahead of Luka Doncic or vice versa. On one end, Ayton presents a Wilt Chamberlain type of body and burgeoning play to instantly contribute to building a franchise from the ground up.
Though noted more for his interior scoring abilities, the Bahamian can score from the three point area and defend too. These abilities make him just about as complete as a rookie can get and a must have talent.
For Doncic, the 19 year old played an integral role in Slovenia’s first European Basketball Championship title, is the first player in 11 years in Spain to register a triple double and will play in the final of the European Champions League with Real Madrid.
Between them, the international duo has a lot to tantalizing appeal to pass up. Ideally, teams coming off bad records in the past season will want to have both but since that can’t happen, the Suns and teams in the top three will have to choose one of the two or one of Mohammed Bamba, Michael Porter Jnr and Marvin Bagley.
News of Phoenix management being “open” to the idea of trading the number one pick has caused more stir in the conversation leading to the actual draft.
Much of the conversation has been about what the trade package should and could entail to push Suns to give up on possibly Ayton and Doncic. Despite holding high expectations of landing in the top two or worse top three, Memphis Grizzlies landed in the fourth spot in the draft and is likely to miss out on ready contributors. Making matters a bit complicated, Memphis needs to win games once the season begins to maximize the remaining years on Marc Gasol and Mike Conley’s contracts.
Gasol has two more years on his deal while Guard Conley has three years remaining. The Grizzlies can’t wait on a young stud to develop his game, they need to make amends for missing out on the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Getting the number one pick gives them the chance to do that. That means, Memphis management must get down to serious talks with their counterparts in the desert to strike a deal.
While Phoenix has a lot of needs, drafting Ayton or Doncic isn’t the best option to solve its glaring porous defense. The Suns are undermanned at Center since unrestricted free agent Alex Len is likely not to be resigned and Chandler Parsons is far from an in game contributor as he nears retirement. Drafting Bamba looks to be the best option for Suns alongside scoring machine Devin Booker and developing swingman Josh Jackson. The Grizzlies can offer Shooting Guard Ben McLemore and Bamba as the fourth pick in a trade for Suns possible rights to Doncic.
Such a deal should satisfy both parties as McLemore can play off the bench in an Eric Gordon sixth man role for Phoenix behind Booker or TJ Warren in the starting unit. McLemore’s $5 million deal and average quality makes him a good option in a trade deal. While Phoenix deepens its wing roster should a deal go down, Memphis would be getting just the right player alongside Center Gasol and Point Guard Conley. Chandler Parson was signed on a massive contract to be the third or in some cases second, offensive option for the side but persistent knee injuries and poor form has robbed the Grizzlies off quality production.
Doncic can double Parsons 7.9 points and 2.5 rebounds production right off the bat and give Memphis that needed boost to bounce back into the playoffs in the strong Western Conference. The Grizzlies need all the score it can get and having Doncic on the roster and retaining Tyreke Evans represents the team’s best chance of solving its scoring woes.
A Bamba-Booker tandem looks pretty solid for Phoenix to challenge for conference supremacy much like it did with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire running the show in the early 2000’s. Memphis should be the ideal partner for Suns potential trade of this year’s top pick.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
