The Suns are settled in for the long haul. They have a timeline and a rising star. Ryan McDonough just received a contract extension, and won’t enter the 2017-18 season as a lame-duck general manager. There will be no desperate acts from desperate men.
Their commitment to patience is far riskier than you think.
Start with the philosophers, who will tell you that the future doesn’t exist. It’s just an idea, an illusion, a concept. Memories belong to yesterday and time is only now. Sports franchises can’t begin to envision the pitfalls that accompany a long-term plan or a homegrown championship, much less plan for them.