Yes, the Suns have future NBA Draft picks after the Durant, Beal trades

Jul 17, 2023, 10:17 AM | Updated: Jul 18, 2023, 7:37 am

Kevin Durant, Mat Ishbia and James Jones (Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)

(Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)

Arizona Sports

No, the Phoenix Suns did not trade away all of their draft picks to acquire Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

It’s true they have risked all that they can, leaning heavily on the protection of the Stepien Rule, which requires a team to cling to a first-round choice in every other draft. Phoenix has toed the line even against that by trading pick swaps in every other year they didn’t outright trade their first-round picks. That gives the Suns the least-valuable pick in each round, and at times they’ve made a pick-swap twice.

The Durant trade lopped four first-rounders and added a pick-swap. The Bradley Beal deal nixed six second-rounders and added four first-round pick swaps to the list.

But Phoenix has followed those big deals by adding draft capital in trades of Isaiah Todd and Cam Payne, all while making more pick swaps to re-collect three second-round choices in a deal with the Orlando Magic.

It’s definitely betting on themselves.

As ESPN front office expert Bobby Marks said, others see Phoenix and new owner Mat Ishbia as “borrowing a line of credit against other NBA teams at a high interest rate.”

If the grand experiment works, it’ll lead to a championship. If the Suns tumble at some point in the coming years, it will take at least a few hard seasons, dumping star contracts and working with little draft capital to pick up the pieces.

Here’s what’s left in terms of draft capital.

Phoenix Suns’ future NBA Draft picks

First-round picks after pick-swaps

2024 — Least favorable of own pick, Wizards (conveys to Knicks if 13-30) or Grizzlies
2026 — Least favorable of own pick, Wizards (if not conveyed to Knicks in 2024-25) or Magic
2028 — Least favorable of own pick, Wizards (or 76ers if 9-30) or Nets
2030 — Least favorable of own, Wizards or Grizzlies