Draft Discussion Part 3

[BobbieL]

We aren't taking fox. No way.

We're pretty well-positioned to move down if we're not in love with one player in particular. SAC will fear we want Fox. ORL may fear we want whomever of Tatum or Isaac they prefer. MIN may fear we want Isaac (if he's their guy). It sure would be nice to revamp our roster AND pick up a promising young player on draft night.

My personal hope is LB or JJ are at 4 and they ae picked. Easy and simple. I think the Suns have enough talent that a second first rounder is not needed unless its something like moving from 32 to 29 and throwing in a couple seconds. But two top ten players, I truly think would be bad. Need a nice mix of talented youth, experience, role players.

[Sunzgunz]

Two rumors:

1) Sacramento is willing to trade #5 And #10, but it has to be for #3 spot or better. They are not willing to do it to move up just 1 spot (i.e. Suns #4 spot).

2) Lakers are willing to trade back with the Suns (Lakers #2 spot for the Suns #4 spot) provided we'll take on one of their less desirable contracts (Loul Deng or Mozgov).

Question: Do we trade back with the Lakers just to set us up to be in a position to trade with Sacramento? So basically we take on a bad contract and move back one draft spot (which probably doesn't impact who we get: we still get our man) and were awarded a #10 spot for doing so?

Or, if we get a #2 spot, we just grab Ball, a true pg to compliment all our young talent and call this a draft?

[Blonde]

Have we worked out any point guards? Not Fox, Ball, DSJ, or Fultz. Most of the guys in our group workouts were forwards or shooting guards. We had Kobi Simmons in, but we'd only take him with 54 if anything. Are we trying to let Bledsoe know we're committed to him, or are we just being turned down?

We'd take Ball if he slipped no matter what though.

[bwgood77]

Read on Twitter

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/15/deaaron-fox-nba-draft-kentucky-wildcats-john-wall-john-calipari

So why did he cancelled the workout?

It sure would be convenient to have Fox as our guy at #4. No better smokescreen than the fire itself. Then if SAC wants to jump ahead of us, maybe we end up with the #3 guy on our board as a result.

Huh.

WTH!?! Now I have to go look at strengths of Fox to sell myself on him after BW kick me off of the Fox train..... Anyone selling swamp land, hell, I'll buy it. I'll buy anything at this point, just tell me who we are picking!!!!

I'm pretty sure we don't want him. Who cares what he wants?

[bwgood77]

Actually watched the vid. I like DeAaron, seems like a really good kid. Has his dad around, articulate, carries himself well, and is aware of who he is and what he needs to do. He has some humility. Based off of that video, I would rather draft him than Ball all day long.

I need to see how Tatum and Isaac are as people, because I'm leaning DeAaron now and it is only fair for me to see them in the same light for comparison.

bw articulated pretty early on the single best reason to draft anyone at #4, assuming the Lakers draft Ball. If you draft Fox, you get Lonzo's nemesis. Can't beat that.

Add the fact that it would piss off the Kings something mighty and I'm doubly sold. It's just... we just haven't seen even the slightest indication that we're actually interested in Fox.

Some smokescreen!

It's been reported we don't think he is a good fit. I'm pretty sure we are going to keep Bledsoe for now unless we get an offer we can't refuse and we are really high on Ulis. I don't think Booker wants to play with Fox because he likes playing with Bled and especially Ulis. He'd probably be pretty unhappy if we took Fox.

[Revived]

I've been trying to convince myself into it but I'm still not sold on Tatum. I think he has a higher floor than most of the top prospects but ceiling also seems pretty.

He seems like a glorified version of Marcus Morris/Tobis Harris imo. That's not a bad player but I expect better with a top 5 pick imo.

I think Justin Jackson will be as good or better than Tatum in the NBA and Jackson can be picked up in the late lottery or late teens.

Assuming that the draft goes the way it was originally supposed to go, 1. Fultz 2. Ball 3. Jackson then I would take Fox at 4 for the Suns and I would trade Bledsoe for a late lotto plus maybe another asset and then use that on either a big like Collins or Allen or Justin Jackson.

[Mulhollanddrive]

So does that mean only 4 players worked out for us for the no.4 pick?

That would seem to mean we're in addition mode and not going to do any fancy stuff.

[starbosa10]

If Boston really did take Jackson at 1, would we want to take Mosgovs contract to move up to 2 to get Fultz?

[Mulhollanddrive]

I would 100%, you could probably attach it to Bledsoe if needed.

[SC923]

For me its clearly Tatum over Isaac and it really comes down to the major difference in shot creation. Every contender needs multiple guys who can get baskets one on one and in isos. Right now we have Booker but Tj, Bender and Chriss all seem to be guys who will do the majority of their scoring off ball. Isaac scares me in that I see very little potential as a one on one scorer meanwhile its Tatums main selling point. Plus I see Tatum growing into a plus defender.

Mmm..... if Tatum has defense similar to Isaac then you are correct...... Tatum is more valuable. I would like to see him guarding quick guards, like I did with Issac; that would help a lot.

I think Isaac will be the noticably better defender throughout his career. I just feel Tatum will be good enough to the point where hes a liability on that end

[JMac1]

You guys can't rule out Fox just because you don't like his game. Bledsoe is not going to be apart of a future contending Suns team, period; so Fox does make sense tomorrow vs today. If they think Fox is the PG of the future, they will pick him.

The above poster did a good job of beating up on Tatum....saying he is a glorified M Morris, not a bad comp. that means Isaac, however, Issac he has issues too, so you never know.

I wouldn't be surprised no matter who we picked.

[sunsbum]

we have like 6 gaurds on our roster with them talking about possibly bringing in more vets as well. Fox just does'nt fit here unless MCD thinks hes BPA and then I'd really have to look hard at his roster evaluation skills.

[JMac1]

we have like 6 gaurds on our roster with them talking about possibly bringing in more vets as well. Fox just does'nt fit here unless MCD thinks hes BPA and then I'd really have to look hard at his roster evaluation skills.

I agree but we can't just dismiss it. I think I like Isaac for the ultimate role-player and Fox for a possible superstar and Tatum could be either.....

[AtheJ415]

If Boston really did take Jackson at 1, would we want to take Mosgovs contract to move up to 2 to get Fultz?

I'd trade all of our picks in this draft and take on whatever contracts they want for Fultz. I'd also trade anybody not named Booker, Bender, Chriss, Warren, Ulis.

[Qwigglez]

Here is some Fox talk from Sports Illustrated

Watch on YouTube

[Kerrsed]

"I've picked Danny's brain for years," one GM said. "Jackson is an Ainge player all the way. Tough, athletic, long, versatile, elite motor. If he's keeping the pick, Jackson just to me, far and away, is the most Celtics-type player for them to draft. From all my conversations with them, I'm convinced they'll take Jackson No. 1."

Sounds like McD to me. What other GM has Celtics connections that would have let him speak openly with Ainge for years?

[Kerrsed]

If Boston really did take Jackson at 1, would we want to take Mosgovs contract to move up to 2 to get Fultz?

I'd trade all of our picks in this draft and take on whatever contracts they want for Fultz. I'd also trade anybody not named Booker, Bender, Chriss, Warren, Ulis.

Im sure lots of us would love to trade up to get Fultz, but if i remember correctly, i read somewhere that the FO has Ball as the #1 guy in the draft (above Fultz), so i would be scared we would trade for the #2 and then pass on him for Ball.

[Qwigglez]

I will admit Fox does have that Russell Westbrook like mentality IMO, where he is a fierce competitor. That is something that shouldn't be overlooked. He did kill Lonzo Ball in the tourney in a big way.

Watch on YouTube

[Qwigglez]

So according to Chad Ford

The Lakers held internal discussions about trading back two spots to No. 4 if the Suns were to offer them a 2018 first-round pick. The Suns hold their own 2018 pick (which currently projects to be a high lottery pick) as well as the rights to the Miami Heat’s 2018 pick. The latter pick is top-seven-protected in 2018 but unprotected in 2019.

http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-draft-rumors-l-a-considering-trading-down-to-no-4/2017/06/15/

I would trade the Miami pick to move up to #2 if Celtics took Josh Jackson and the Suns would then take Fultz. Would hope we could trade Bledsoe to the Knicks for their pick and take Isaac or Tatum there. Perfect draft for me if this happened.

[Mulhollanddrive]

I don't see us taking Fox without a workout.

Somewhere along the lines we couldn't promise his camp we'd move Bledsoe for him and so the attraction from both sides doesn't seem to be there. Maybe there was even some incentive to rule him out early to not agitate Rich Paul.