Post-draft pod: Suns go for it by drafting Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss

The 2016 NBA Draft wasn’t short on drama, nor did it fail to climax after a week of several eye-popping trades indicated it could be a wild night.

Nope. Instead, draft night went as unpredictably as it could. Even in Phoenix, where the Suns’ favorite options were known, general manager Ryan McDonough was able to turn in easily his most favorable draft yet. While so much is to be determined in how Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Tyler Ulis will develop, the Suns at least won this night.

Kevin Zimmerman, Kellan Olson and Bryan Gibberman react below in words and above in a post-draft podcast.

1. The Suns’ 2016 draft night was _____.

Zimmerman: Aggressive. Phoenix may have been an outlier as a team that didn’t surprise in a negative way. From the Celtics picking Jaylen Brown third and Guerschon Yabusele 16th, to Thon Maker going 10, to Caris LeVert being selected 20th, the Suns were far from making questionable choices at every turn.

Olson: Excellent. The Suns got the best fit and player on the board at No. 4 in Dragan Bender. They also used assets they had compiled over the course of Ryan McDonough’s tenure in order to move up in the draft, something that is discussed frequently with teams in the Suns’ position but rarely done. Chriss has a very high ceiling, and Tyler Ulis could wind up being one of the two best point guards in this draft.

Gibberman: Terrific. The Suns didn’t fall into the trap of worrying about now and took who they felt were the best players on the board. I’m not Marquese Chriss’ biggest fan, but the logic behind the pick made sense and I can see what they like him.

2. Was the Chriss trade the wildest of the night? If not, which was?

Zimmerman: The Thunder-Magic trade was shocking on several levels, but the move to acquire Chriss was wild in a surprising way. After rumors about the Suns trying to reboot in a hurry swirled before draft night, the Suns doubled down on two very young prospects they couldn’t choose between, all without giving up a current player. It reflected McDonough’s mindset — Phoenix gave its fans a pleasant surprise by not making a panic move.

Olson: It was wild considering it was a trade in the top-10 of the draft, but the winner is without a doubt the Serge Ibaka trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder were a Klay Thompson flamethrower away from making and possibly winning the NBA Finals, and they have now decided to pick up some cap relief along with a youth injection on the wing and in the post. The wildest part of this trade is that the Thunder are the winners of the trade despite letting go of a major piece in a contender.

Gibberman: The Thunder dealt a core part of what they did with Kevin Durant entering free agency. They no longer have an elite rim protector. Insanity.

3. With Bender and Chriss in tow, how would you like the Suns to hit free agency with their further development in mind?

Zimmerman: The Suns are probably out of the picture in recruiting an All-Star caliber big man, so it’d be best to throw a combination of Chriss and Bender into the fire. Splitting minutes alone would give them ample opportunity without putting pressure on them. Finding a relatively cheap energy big in free agency would help keep the pressure off while allowing the duo to develop.

Olson: Someone like Jon Leuer makes a ton of sense at power forward. They need a temporary replacement level power forward while Bender and Chriss develop. The last thing they should do is commit a large amount of long-term money at the position.

Gibberman: My top priority in free agency would be to find a wing in his early- to mid-20s to supplement the young core.