The Phoenix Suns have spent years living in the shadow of their own draft situation, with Mat Ishbia’s win-now approach stripping away a big chunk of their future picks in the deals for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. That has left Phoenix near the bottom of the league in draft capital, and it has been an easy target in NBA conversations.
But the Los Angeles Clippers just managed to make that mess look a lot less painful.
After the NBA investigated allegations that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard, the punishment left Los Angeles without first-round picks. Suddenly, the Suns’ draft outlook doesn’t feel quite as dire by comparison.
“Getting another first-round pick back - multiple years ago the question was we have no first-round picks, (but) with that pick that we acquired we’re now going to have seven straight years of first-round picks. Who would have thought it?" Suns general manager Brian Gregory said this summer.
"And an additional second-round pick in that as well.
“I think the one thing you have to look at when you’re talking about at an unprotected versus a least favorable among two teams in different things like that - we’re always going to be good, so where are our draft picks going to be?”
Phoenix still does not control its first-round picks for the foreseeable future, and the Suns also have their 2032 first-round pick frozen. That is hardly a clean bill of health.
Still, it is a different kind of problem than the Clippers now face.
On the floor, the comparison also tilts toward Phoenix. The Suns are not viewed as a championship-level roster right now, but they are at least trying to build toward something more stable. Los Angeles, by contrast, is projected to be near the bottom of the league, with several over/unders pointing to 30 wins as the expectation.
The Suns are hoping to put together back-to-back playoff appearances.
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As the Suns get ready to open training camp, Pat Spencer is the kind of two-way signing worth keeping an eye on. He arrives in Phoenix with a reputation as a player who may already be a little beyond the usual two-way profile, and that gives him a real chance to push for something more than a standard developmental role if he performs early.
Spencers path will not be simple, though, because the Suns have plenty of backcourt and wing options to sort through once camp begins. The appeal is obvious: if he can show he belongs in the same conversation as the teams depth pieces and build quick chemistry with Dillon Brooks, he could put himself on the radar for a larger role before long. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Face A Risky Mark Williams Decision Fans Will Debate
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Williams is the name that could spark the most debate, since his availability and rim protection have been recurring concerns even before Phoenix starts weighing younger options. With Peat just drafted and Rasheer Fleming also in the mix, the Suns have enough defensive upside to make their protection choices feel less obvious than they might have a year ago, and that is exactly the kind of decision fans will pick apart. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Trade Pressure Could Get Worse If Grayson Allen Keeps Producing
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Now he heads to the Hornets with a chance to matter right away, and that is where the pressure starts to build for the Suns. If Allen settles in quickly and gives Charlotte the kind of bench production Phoenix gave up, the trade will only get harder to defend, especially if Bridges does not clearly outpace the value the Suns sent away. [Read more 🡒]