Suns nearing draft selection — could trade down, could add pick

No matter who the Phoenix Suns select with their first
round pick in Thursday’s draft, they are bound to
disappoint some.

After all, with as many players as there are to choose
from, the chance that every Suns fan will be pleased is as
likely as the chances of the Suns signing Deron
Williams, which is to say “not happening.”

However, the one thing the team could do that would upset
everyone is trading down, which Suns GM Lance
Blanks said Monday is a possibility.

The Suns, if you recall, sold traded
their first round picks from 2004-2007, decisions that
frustrated the fans and left the team with little young
talent today.

“I’m just covering myself just because there are so many
things out there in terms of opportunity,” Blanks said.

Blanks, it should be noted, is confident the team will
have a list of at least 13 players it would like to draft,
and thus would have little desire to trade down.

Blanks did say they are now in the process of going
through all their information and creating a list, and is
not yet sure what the end result will be.

“If we get to a point where it’s 12 guys, maybe not, maybe
we wouldn’t,” he said of making a selection at 13. “Where
I sit today, and if the draft happened today — and this
is me working in a vacuum — I think that we’d have a
player there.”

In fact, Blanks said the Suns would not be opposed to
adding an extra pick, should the opportunity present
itself.

“If it makes sense with what we’re trying to do,” he said,
adding that the team is putting a heavy emphasis on
getting younger. “By no stretch would we shun away from
adding a pick.”

Who the Suns will draft, though, very much remains to be
seen. Blanks spoke highly of North Carolina point guard
Kendall Marshall, calling him a “well accomplished,
winning point guard.” But while Blanks said the Tar Hell
would fill a need, he still may not be the team’s choice.

Because while Marshall averaged 9.7 assists to go along
with 7.8 points per game as a sophomore last season, he
may not be the best player on the board when the Suns are
up.

“We want to hit it right,” he said. “If that means a
duplication at a spot so be it, because at the end of the
day you want to have talented players and guys who can
make it in this league and contribute to your roster.

“That’s better than going away from a position where you
already have depth or have an opportunity through free
agency and you end up with a player who can’t play in the
league.”

Arizona Sports’ Craig Grialou contributed to this
report

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