NBA Draft 2017: 5 best fits for Jayson Tatum

1. Phoenix Suns (No. 4 overall pick)

Phoenix is another popular landing spot for Tatum, as they have Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker holding down guard spots, several young bigs, and need two-way help on the wing. Unlike Dallas and Orlando, the Suns would be able to throw Tatum in as an offensive initiator right away, and will have more of a developmental focus in Tatum’s first year. There also aren’t really fit concerns for him playing with Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender — in fact, a high energy four or 7-foot-3 spot-up weapon sound pretty good for building an ideal lineup around Tatum’s strengths and weaknesses.

Ideally, Tatum would slot into a lot of the types of sets the Suns have been working with T.J. Warren on. Warren’s been a pretty decent mid-range shooter to date, but lacks a polished handle and range beyond the 3-point line. Tatum can do both at a higher level, and he would be more effective initiating out of the mid-post or off the bounce. Given Warren’s slashing ability, you can also still play both together.

The fit with Booker is where this gets interesting. Having a de facto number one scorer already is helpful, as there’s less pressure on Tatum to reach that ceiling, and his best fit might be as a secondary initiator anyway. You have to worry a bit about Tatum and Booker both relying on the mid-post and one-on-one actions as their primary scoring methods, but there’s probably enough possessions to go around, particularly if you can rely on Tatum’s outside shot to improve. The pairing also likely makes it more enticing to keep Bledsoe, as he can continue to play as your nominal point guard and do the things that make him special on offense without being bogged down by pick-and-roll initiation.

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Really, the Suns have nothing to lose with grabbing Tatum. He won’t likely be an immediate help, but the Suns aren’t going anywhere in 2017-2018. Investment in Booker means it’s fine if he comes up under his ceiling as more of a secondary or tertiary creator. And while the offense may bog down slightly being so isolation-heavy, simply having enough guys who can score has been an issue for this team over the years. Tatum may not be the fourth-best prospect on the board, but if Phoenix falls in love with him, it could be very mutually beneficial.