The Phoenix Suns made three memorably baffling moves in the 2019 NBA Draft. Here’s a look at how they fared in each one, as well as the draft as a whole.
Heading into the 2019 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns had a plethora of options with the No. 6 pick, even more options at No. 32 and other avenues they could pursue on the trade block. One thing was clear though: The team’s biggest needs were at point guard and power forward, and this franchise had to take a step back to relevance in 2019-20.
James Jones completed his first NBA Draft as general manager, and suffice it to say the results were mixed at best. The Suns made two trades before the draft even began, and then a third deal to move back into the draft late in the first round. None of it even came close to the dream scenario for the team’s offseason.
Unfortunately, while Phoenix wasn’t shy about shedding some salary and mixing up the status quo with three different trades, the methodology behind Jones’ draft-day strategy was all over the map.
The Suns’ first trade, shedding T.J. Warren and their 32nd overall pick, only netted cash considerations and cap space that was mostly filled up again by the end of the night.
Trading down from No. 6 to acquire Dario Saric felt like a smart move … until Phoenix completely reached for Cameron Johnson at No. 11 when Brandon Clarke, a defensive frontcourt stud the fanbase was yearning for, was still on the board.
While Ty Jerome is a solid playmaker and shooter who will aid the backcourt after a successful college career at Virginia, sacrificing that 2020 Milwaukee Bucks first round pick to trade back into a weak draft — while also taking on Aron Baynes — feels like another misallocation of resources.
Draft-night reactions can easily be proven wrong in time, but given what we know, it’s time to take a look at each move the Phoenix Suns made in the 2019 NBA Draft, as well as their draft as a whole, and assign some grades.