How Suns Could Jump Into NBA Lottery

What would it take for the Phoenix Suns to jump into the NBA Lottery?

As it stands right now, the Phoenix Suns do not own a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. However, that does not mean they can’t jump back into the first round with a trade.

Dan Favale of Bleacher Report outlined five teams that could potentially jump into the lottery and the Suns were one of them.

The proposed trade involved Deandre Ayton going to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Davis Bertans, Tim Hardaway Jr., and the No. 10 pick in this years draft. Money is tight with players like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul still under contract so it may be in Phoenix’s best interest to part ways with the 24-year-old center.

“Moving on from head coach Monty Williams may increase the likelihood that Phoenix sticks with Ayton,” Favale wrote. 

“Still, his salary remains prohibitive. Paying over $30 million per year to a center who provides neither a consistent defensive nor offensive punch is difficult when you have almost $84 million allocated to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and another expensive season left on Chris Paul's deal.”

While Ayton averaged 18 points per game during the regular season his production dropped dramatically in the playoffs as he only averaged 13.4 points and played with a lack of aggression that affected Phoenix’s championship aspirations in a major way.

Bertans and Hardaway are two players that could help fix the Suns’ depth problem but also be future trade assets. The tenth overall pick has a ton of value so the Suns could use it as a tool to acquire another All-Star caliber player.

“Breaking up Ayton's deal into a pair of smaller ones is nevertheless valuable,” Favale wrote. 

“They should be easier to move in subsequent trades, and the No. 10 pick is another asset Phoenix can dangle. Worst-case scenario, the Suns end up with a top-10 prospect to groom and a whole bunch of extra shooting and then look to fill the center void on the cheap.”

If Phoenix is to trade Ayton this kind of trade would be perfect. They are getting the best of both worlds; two unselfish players that better fit the Suns’ system and a lottery pick where the team has endless possibilities of how they can utilize it.