With the NBA Draft just weeks away, the Phoenix Suns could be looking to swap their first-round pick for a badly needed starting guard.
Is there a player at No. 6 overall that would be better for the Phoenix Suns future than a veteran guard already in the league?
That’s the question the Suns will be asking themselves in the leadup to this year’s draft. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the Suns are open to trading the No. 6 pick if it can net them a veteran guard.
Ah yes, the Suns and collecting guards like they are rare jewels.
The kicker here is that Phoenix wants a veteran, which implies Monty Williams is looking to move the team into a position to contend. It’s a position of serious need for the Suns, especially as Williams steps in to try and fix the mess around Devin Booker that could threaten to waste a good portion of his career.
Two names that immediately jump out are Lonzo Ball and Mike Conley.
Both guards appear to be on the block as we head into the summer and both seem worthy of the No. 6 pick being included in a deal for them; Lonzo because of his youth and potential, Conley because he’s exactly the veteran Phoenix needs. The risk involved ranges from Lonzo’s inexperience (and giving the Lakers two Top 10 picks), to Conley’s huge contract, but both players would be an instant boost for Suns team looking to make an impact in a shifting Western Conference.
If the Warriors breakup this summer, and Kawhi Leonard doesn’t leave Canada, the conference will open itself back up to teams that build themselves right to rise up. Denver and Utah have already done this, and Phoenix passing on a rookie and swapping in a vet like Conley (or whoever) seems like a move that could pay off.