NBA Draft 2018: 5 targets for the Phoenix Suns

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Deandre Ayton #13 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates on the court after the team defeated the USC Trojans 75-61 to win the championship game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, IL – MAY 15: NBA Draft Prospect, Deandre Ayton poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Combine circuit on May 15, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Deandre Ayton, Big, Arizona

Listen to one quip from Suns general manager Ryan McDonough and you’ll immediately understand the love the franchise has for Ayton, likely the No. 1 overall pick this year.

McDonough has become quite infatuated with the phrase “no real weaknesses” to describe Ayton’s game, an idea that is not supported by many who have evaluated him over the course of his amateur career. Ayton is in fact a questionable fit as the anchor of a defense, and he has never really protected the rim at an elite level. He is also billed as a floor-spacer, but those qualities are not as smooth to translate as something like finishing, which any big, tall athlete can be expected to do and get better at.

There are also myriad connections between the Suns franchise and Ayton beneath the surface. Ayton, of course, went to the University of Arizona and was dominant as a freshman, which led to his eventual billing as the top prospect in the class. The Bahamas native also spent time in Phoenix as an AAU player, living in the Valley of the Sun for a time during his childhood.

Phoenix owner Robert Sarver is an Arizona alum, and though the team has done its due diligence with the other prospects, auditioning three other big men in pre-draft workouts and traveling to Europe to watch Luka Doncic play, the Sarver connection as well as the buy-in from McDonough make it look clearly like a one-horse race for the top spot.

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And the basketball reasons make sense, too. Despite paying Tyson Chandler over $13 million next season, the Suns will badly need to upgrade the center position if they want to be more competitive next season, which the team has made a priority since the outset of the summer. Ayton is a massive upgrade over Chandler, whose age is forcing him into more of a part-time gig, Alex Len and Alan Williams.

He also wants to play in Phoenix, calling the potential partnership of he and Devin Booker “the next Shaq and Kobe” multiple times this year. That’s huge for a team seeking its first playoff appearance since 2010.

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