Phoenix Suns eyeing Shabazz Napier in NBA Draft
By Josh Hill
The Phoenix Suns aren’t a team you’d think are in a position to take a point guard in the draft next month as they already have two established pout guards on roster. But with questions about how long they’ll stay under contract, the latest rumblings are that the Suns will use the draft to replenish the position for the future.
Per Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, the Phoenix Suns are likely to look at a point guard in the draft and while it has been said that Marcus Smart and Dante Exum are on their board, a more realistic option is UConn star Shabazz Napier.
"A safer route would be Napier, a two-time national champion who had a four-year Husky career and was this year’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He only measured to be 6-1 in shoes, but he is known for clutch play after averaging 18 points, six rebounds and five assists as a senior."
Exum and Smart are solid options but won’t be available if the Suns stay at No. 14 overall and don’t move into the Top-3. At that point, they may want to consider taking Joel Embiid or Andrew Wiggins.
But Phoenix has an embarrassment of riches with four first-round draft picks and plenty of flexibility with where they can take players. This means that Shabazz Napier is a more realistic option than we think and if the Suns are indeed going to go after a point guard then the UConn star may be their man.