NBA Draft 2018 Rumors: Who Should the Phoenix Suns Target With Their Own Pick?
The Phoenix Suns and their fans have endured a particularly rough stretch over the past few seasons.
Outside of the emergence of third-year guard Devin Booker and the second-half surge of rookie Josh Jackson, Suns fans don't really have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the team's future.
This summer has the potential to be a good one for the Suns franchise, however.
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Because of their dismal win-loss record, the Suns have locked up the best odds to claim the number one overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft lottery.
Tankathon.com notes that the Suns have a 25 percent chance to land the first overall pick in the draft and a better than 64 percent chance to end up with a selection in the top-three at the very least.
So, with great odds to end up with a high pick in the draft, which prospects should the Suns be closely monitoring?
The Arizona Wildcats' DeAndre Ayton is someone who has been mentioned often as a player who could be selected with the number one overall pick.
Ayton's potential fit with the Suns goes beyond just the proximity of his college campus to the team's home arena.
The Suns are still searching for a dominant player with great size who can star on both ends of the floor.
In search of that star big man, the Suns used two lottery picks on Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss during the 2016 draft. Thus far, Bender and Chriss have yet to consistently play well, and there are real questions over whether they should be thought of as building blocks for the franchise.
By taking Ayton, the Suns could finally have that franchise big man they have been seeking for so long.
The good news for the Suns is that Ayton himself seems to be interested in joining the team. During a recent guest spot on CBS Sports Radio, Ayton said that he can see himself in Phoenix and he hinted that he could play well with Booker too, The Bright of the Sun reported.
If not Ayton, the Suns could also take a long look at Real Madrid's Luka Doncic.
Doncic and Booker could play well off one another on offense, as they are both capable of setting their teammates up and creating shots for themselves. Doncic and Booker could also stretch defenses by staying behind the three-point line, and in the process, driving lanes could open up for Jackson and fellow wing player T.J. Warren.
The Duke Blue Devils' Marvin Bagley III is another player the Suns could look to take, and his unrelenting style of play could work to improve the Suns both offensively and defensively.
Should disaster strike for the Suns and they fall out of the top three, there's still one more prospect who could be a wise selection for them, with that being the Michigan State Spartans' Jaren Jackson Jr. Jackson lacks the same upside that Ayton possesses, but even if he turns out to just be a stretch five who can offer rim protection, he will be a great addition to the Suns.
The Suns will know which pick they will have after the draft lottery takes place on May 15. The NBA draft itself is scheduled for June 21.
