The NBA draft lottery is complete and one of the picks the Phoenix Suns have is the No. 13 overall pick, which came from the Washington Wizards as part of the Markieff Morris trade. The Suns hope whomever they take will help their attempt to make it back to the playoffs next year. Missing on this pick will hurt their rebuilding efforts and there are a few players they need to avoid this year.
The Suns could go in several different directions, especially since they have two picks in the Top 13. We're only looking at players who are expected to be drafted in the range where the Suns pick. It simply doesn't make sense to focus on a player who will be off the board, or include a second round prospect. Once again, we're focusing on the Suns' No. 13 overall pick, not the No. 4 overall selection. With that in mind, here 3 players the Suns must avoid with No. 13 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
3. Brice Johnson, PF, North Carolina
Johnson was productive at UNC, and should be a Top 20 draft pick. But he's simply not gifted enough to go in the Top 13 to the Suns. He has the ability to be a solid player, but there should be better bigs on the board for the Suns. More on that below. Download the Chat Sports App for more Suns coverage!
2. Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky
The Suns are in the market for a new big man, as the team lack enough long-term pieces and depth at both power forward and center. However, Labissiere is not the answer. He has great potential and athleticism, but struggled with Kentucky this year and really should have gone back to school. Taking a big (or two) early makes sense, but the Suns are better off looking at Marquette's Henry Ellenson, Michigan State's Deyonta Davis or Washington's Marquese Chriss instead. It's unlikely all three will be on the board for Phoenix, but at least one or two should be.
1. Any Point Guard
Yep, I'm totally cheating a bit here by grouping all the points guard together. While there will likely be a few solid ones on the board (Tyler Ulis, Demetrius Jackson, etc), the Suns really don't need another point guard. They already have Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe. Plus Ronnie Price provides depth and Archie Goodwin can help at the spot if needed. So unless Kris Dunn somehow falls to the Suns at No. 13, they should avoid all the PGs this year.
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