Phoenix Suns: 2019 NBA Draft grades

Trading down from No. 6 for Dario Saric and Cameron Johnson at No. 11

Trading down from No. 6 with either the Atlanta Hawks (No. 8 or No. 10) or the Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 11) were two moves proposed in our pre-draft trades article. They didn’t get Jeff Teague or a starting-caliber point guard, but after dumping T.J. Warren, preserving cap space was key.

Adding Dario Saric, a starting-caliber power forward who will only make $3.5 million next season, was a nice upside play, even if it only winds up being for a season. By trading down to No. 11, the Suns also were still in range of a quality draft target like Brandon Clarke.

When Cam Reddish went No. 10, Suns fans were elated. They were going to get a defensive stud who had averaged 3.2 blocks per game last year and wound up tallying more blocked shots than missed shots in his season. If his jumper improves, Clarke will be a two-way force in this league.

Unfortunately, the Suns passed on Clarke’s stellar defensive potential and impressive athleticism. That in and of itself wouldn’t have been the end of the world, except they made a major reach for UNC’s Cameron Johnson there instead.

I mean, when the dude’s own college teammate is flabbergasted he was drafted that high, it should tell you something:

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1141909951893430273

Johnson, who was projected to go in the late teens at the earliest in most mock drafts, has one trademark skill: 3-point shooting. As a career 40.5 percent shooter from long range in college, he’ll capably spread the floor in the frontcourt, and that’s one of the most useful skills in the NBA today.

However, this was still a major reach at No. 11. He’s one of the oldest prospects in the draft — older than Devin Booker, in fact — and is the fourth-oldest player currently on the Suns’ roster. That isn’t necessarily a problem for a team that needs more NBA-ready contributors, but Cam Johnson probably isn’t that guy outside of his 3-point stroke coming off the bench.

Other teams were reportedly scared off by Johnson because of his injury history with his hips, which may have pushed him to the edge of the first round or even the second round.

Drafting Johnson in and of itself isn’t the problem; it’s that the Suns traded the No. 6 pick, where Jarrett Culver fell into their laps, to move down to No. 11, and then passed on Brandon Clarke at that spot to take a specialist. The lottery isn’t the place for one-dimensional prospects.

Is having Dario Saric and Cameron Johnson a better outcome than just keeping No. 6 and taking Culver’s smooth, multi-positional skill-set? Probably not. Is it better than taking one of the best players in all of college basketball like Clarke? Again, probably not.

It was like the scene from Mulan when the movie’s heroine boldly grabs the canon, charges into the face of danger, aims her shot at the enemy as he charges toward her and … fires over his shoulder as Mushu hollers, “You missed! How could you miss?? He was three feet in front of you!” Hopefully Cameron Johnson’s 3s bury the criticism in an avalanche just like Mulan did.

The former Tar Heel shot a blistering 45.7 percent from 3-point range on 5.8 attempts per game in his final season, averaging 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. But unless he maintains that same red-hot touch from downtown, he won’t be able to impact the game, and he’ll struggle to hold his own at the 4, which is where the Suns will likely play him behind Saric.

The Homie, meanwhile, is still only 25 years and fills a hole at the 4, though he struggled in Minnesota’s offense alongside Karl-Anthony Towns. He thrived alongside another dominant big in Joel Embiid, so hopefully he does the same next to Deandre Ayton, though that pairing will struggle to stop anyone.

After dumping Warren and No. 32, then trading down from No. 6 to No. 11, drafting Brandon Clarke would’ve made this whole trade feel like a win. Instead, the Suns made the biggest head-scratching move of the first round — all because new arrival Jeff Bower has ties to Johnson from five years ago.

Grade: D