Report: Suns seeking to trade up in draft, snag Lonzo Ball
Jun 19, 2017, 9:28 AM | Updated: 11:27 am
UCLA guard Lonzo Ball, left, goes to the basket against Cincinnati forward Kyle Washington during the first half of a second-round game of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday, March 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)
(AP Photo/Steve Yeater)
We are less than one week away from the NBA Draft, which means the rumors and speculation are about to ramp up a notch or two.
When it comes to the top of the draft, these days much of the speculation revolves around the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns currently hold the fourth overall selection, but as noted in ESPN NBA insider Chad Ford’s most recent mock draft, they would prefer not to stay there.
The Suns have been trying to trade up and have had conversations with both the Lakers and Celtics. Who are they after? Sources point to Ball as the target.
The Suns also covet Jackson, but he’s off the board here.
Unfortunately for the Suns, Ford’s mock has neither Lonzo Ball nor Josh Jackson available to them at No. 4, as he has the point guard going to the Lakers at two and the forward to the Celtics (who just trade the No. 1 overall pick to the Philadelphia 76ers) at three.
If neither player is available it will come down to Tatum, Fox and Jonathan Isaac. Fox canceled a workout with the Suns last week and doesn’t have plans to complete one before the draft, which has made drafting him more complicated. Isaac has the most upside, but the Suns drafted two players last year with long developmental timelines and aren’t sure they’re ready to do that with Isaac as well.
That has the Suns leaning toward Tatum right now. Tatum is perhaps the most NBA-ready player in the draft. He’s a potential 20-points-per-night scorer. He doesn’t exactly fit with TJ Warren, but Warren will have a robust trade market if the Suns decide to move him.
A look at the most recent Arizona Sports 2017 Mock Draft Tracker shows the majority of predictions have the Suns landing Jackson, though Tatum comes in second with Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox in third.
