Trading down could shore up Suns' options in free agency
Jun. 23, 2004 12:00 AM
On the eve of the NBA draft, the general manager knew exactly whom he would take.
"He is the best player available at the position where we have the biggest need," he said. "Centers are very difficult to find."
Those words belong to then-Portland General Manager Stu Inman, who recorded the biggest blunder in draft history by choosing Kentucky center Sam Bowie with the No. 2 pick instead of a gifted North Carolina guard named Michael Jordan. It's the 20th anniversary of that drafting disaster, a metaphorical warning shot for league teams, including the Suns, as they prepare for a draft engulfed in uncertainty.
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Poll: Which player would you prefer as the Suns' point guard next year?
The message: Don't go for need. Go for the best player available.
Here's where it gets interesting for the Suns. They draft seventh. Only the top five picks seem certain, not necessarily in this order: high school stars Dwight Howard and Shaun Livingston, Connecticut's Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon and Arizona's Andre Iguodala.
There's less certainty with picks six through 15, presenting the Suns with a scenario that begs for trading down, unless one of the top five players falls.
It's not the raciest decision the team could make and not a fan-pleasing one, but it would help the team's free-agency run.
Because few teams in the NBA have as much cap flexibility as the Suns, they have the opportunity to be a big-time player in the free-agent market in an off-season stacked with quality free agents and players demanding trades.
Their biggest needs are at the point, where there remains debate about whether Leandro Barbosa is a true point guard, and center. But if the Suns draft, say, Stanford's Josh Childress, who can play either shooting guard or small forward, they can still pursue a point guard such as Steve Nash.
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If the Tracy McGrady-to-Houston deal falls through, as some suspect it might, the Suns should make another run. McGrady is a star. A 25-year-old star at that.
Some have questioned his work ethic and the fact that he doesn't like to practice. Well, guess what. Charles Barkley didn't always like to practice either, but the Suns were a better team because of him.
This is what the NBA is now. The best coaches learn how to juggle a variety of talent levels, egos and salaries and make it work.
Meanwhile, the Suns wait.
"We have about five or six scenarios that we drew up on the board," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said Tuesday. "We'll look at them. Everybody will gather round, give our two cents worth, and at the end of the day we'll make a decision on which one is the best."
Who is the best?
"Everybody likes Gordon and Livingston and Iguodala, but you don't know if they'll be there," D'Antoni said. "Right now everybody's jockeying for position, trading, talking about trades, and you hear a lot of things through the media that aren't quite true. A lot of people are throwing bait out there and seeing who bites."
Will the Suns bite? This will be a fascinating off-season for a team in the transition of an ownership change. The January trade of Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway looks like a stinker unless the team uses the money freed up in the deal wisely. Think about it. If Milos Vujanic remains in Europe, that means the team landed Howard Eisley and Maciej Lampe in return, if Antonio McDyess doesn't re-sign. Gulp.
At least they can be comfortable in the knowledge that the No. 7 pick doesn't have to be a bad thing. The Suns landed Amaré Stoudemire with the ninth pick two years ago and they remain the envy of the league.
They need to trust their instincts. In 1996, Lorenzen Wright, Todd Fuller, Vitaly Potapenko, Samaki Walker and Erick Dampier all went before a high school star named Kobe Bryant. Why? Everyone wanted a big guy. Had to fill that need.
On the other hand, Kevin Garnett went No. 5 to Minnesota in 1995 because Kevin McHale ignored critics concerned about Garnett's youth.
Youth isn't such a bad thing. Trying to fill a position hole can be.
