Suns like 21st pick but are keeping options open
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 20, 2006 12:00 AM
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Eight quartets of draft candidates have visited the Suns, with each player leaving town sure that he is an ideal match for their style. The players even have told other teams that.
The way things stand, only two would be so lucky. Eight days from the draft, Phoenix sits with the 21st and 27th picks and no second-round slot.
The Suns agree that someone at No. 21 could help them, particularly after the playoffs cried out for depth. But the Suns could become draft-day dealers by packaging the picks for one mid-first round choice.
"Everybody goes into the draft trying to get to where their guy is," Suns Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said. "Having two picks in the same year sometimes helps you move up.
"We don't have anything particularly hot and heavy right now, so we're looking at No. 21 as the pick we're going to use first and we kind of dig it."
Of the visitors so far, the top candidates include Michigan State guard Shannon Brown, Florida State power forward Alexander Johnson, Memphis wing Shawne Williams, Swiss off-guard Thabo Sefolosha, Michigan State wing Maurice Ager, Spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez and Kentucky point Rajon Rondo.
Thursday's group likely will add Ukrainian power forward Oleksiy Pecherov, raw but tantalizing Senegalese center Saer Sene and Temple 6-foot-6 point Mardy Collins to the list.
"If we can take something off (Steve Nash's) back, that'd be great, but I'm thinking Leandro Barbosa is developing into the player who will do that," coach Mike D'Antoni said.
Brown, trying to show he can play point, wowed the Suns on Monday with his high-rising game. Unlike most teams, the Suns run full-court, two-on-two games. Just when he looked tired, Brown kept scoring on Missouri's Thomas Gardner.
"I like to run, they (the Suns) like to run," Brown said. "I like to shoot, they like to shoot."
Monday's group also had Matt Haryasz, a Stanford graduate as of Sunday. The likely second-rounder showed a good face-up jumper in his first arena visit since Page High School's 2002 state title game loss.
On Saturday, the Suns saw Johnson's consistent shot and passion for dunking.
"I feel being here would really bring me out," he said. "I like to do all the things I see Shawn Marion and Amaré Stoudemire do."
Option status
Pat Burke exercised his $810,000 option to return to the Suns next season. Eddie House ($932,015) and Brian Grant ($1.8 million) have until June 30 to pick up their options. Suns draft options
The Suns pick 21st and 27th in the June 28 draft. They could:
• Keep both picks. The guaranteed contracts are not the hit they once were. First-round picks only have two guaranteed years with two team option years. Over the first two seasons, the 21st pick would make a maximum of $2,372,880 while the 27th pick would top out at $1,892,400.
• Move up in the draft. The Suns are interested in acquiring a higher pick and might be able to package their choices to do so.
• Only trade No. 27. The Suns could get someone they like at No. 21 and trade the No. 27, perhaps for second-round picks.
- Paul Coro
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This sounds good,
[/FONT]Thursday's group likely will add Ukrainian power forward Oleksiy Pecherov, raw but tantalizing Senegalese center Saer Sene and Temple 6-foot-6 point Mardy Collins to the list.
