The Suns with the 2018 #1 overall pick select....

sunsfan88

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If coach Kokskov really wants Doncic on the Suns badly but Sarver isn't willing to pass on Ayton then I can see them possibly trading Josh Jackson and #16 to Atlanta or Sacramento for their pick and taking Doncic with it.

It would allow Doncic to play his natural position of SF in the NBA as well.
 

pokerface

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There is a lot to like about Bamba. The same with Jackson. Bagley slid a bit in comparison IMO.

I like Ayton with the #1 pick because he is a safe pick, he has all the tools to be an elite player and he fits an area of need.

However, a number of players could be the best player in the draft in 2-3 years.

If some other player turns out to be better than Ayton I can live with it. As long as we get a high producing player it's all good.
 
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If coach Kokskov really wants Doncic on the Suns badly but Sarver isn't willing to pass on Ayton then I can see them possibly trading Josh Jackson and #16 to Atlanta or Sacramento for their pick and taking Doncic with it.

It would allow Doncic to play his natural position of SF in the NBA as well.

I can't see that happening. Kokoskov may want Doncic but that doesn't mean he'll get him, or that he should. He's a 1st time head coach in the NBA. He is in no position to make demands. Requests are fine but that would require McD and James Jones to sign off also, which I don't see happening. I could see Sarver trying to appease him by bringing Dragic back somehow rather than trading a piece of our core for an unproven talent.

What gives you the idea that Kokoskov would push that hard for Doncic? His message hasn't changed. He said when he was hired that his job is to coach the players that McD and Jones bring to him, it's their job to assemble the roster. Going back on his words would hurt him more than anyone else. I doubt he'd make an ultimatum now because he would kill any chance of being hired as a head coach within the next decade, maybe more. That's not Josh Daniels bad but it would be a bad move that would display a lot of his negative qualities to the public. McD would throw him under the bus if that happened as well and for once I'd agree with him doing that.
 

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If some other player turns out to be better than Ayton I can live with it. As long as we get a high producing player it's all good.

I'm hoping fans on the forum are happy with the Suns first pick in the draft. If they draft anyone but Ayton, I'm not so sure.
 

Raindog

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If coach Kokskov really wants Doncic on the Suns badly but Sarver isn't willing to pass on Ayton then I can see them possibly trading Josh Jackson and #16 to Atlanta or Sacramento for their pick and taking Doncic with it.

It would allow Doncic to play his natural position of SF in the NBA as well.

They could do that, but I don't see why they should. I will lay odds that when all is said and done, Jackson ends up being a better NBA player than Doncic, maybe by quite a bit.
 

JCSunsfan

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If coach Kokskov really wants Doncic on the Suns badly but Sarver isn't willing to pass on Ayton then I can see them possibly trading Josh Jackson and #16 to Atlanta or Sacramento for their pick and taking Doncic with it.

It would allow Doncic to play his natural position of SF in the NBA as well.
That rumor is total bunk.
 

Raze

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If coach Kokskov really wants Doncic on the Suns badly but Sarver isn't willing to pass on Ayton then I can see them possibly trading Josh Jackson and #16 to Atlanta or Sacramento for their pick and taking Doncic with it.

It would allow Doncic to play his natural position of SF in the NBA as well.
I wouldn't trade Jackson for Doncic straight up. Anyone that could stomach watching the Suns the last half of the season was at least rewarded with seeing Josh blossom. He was the best rookie the second half of the season. It's true that he struggled early. But after the DNP-CD, he was a whole new player.

I still would not trade up for Doncic or Young. You CANNOT have two star players who are defensive liabilities on the perimeter. It's never worked (that I can remember). It certainly won't work nowadays in a perimeter league.
 

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This is the best thing I've heard come out of McDonough's mouth regarding this draft and the direction of the Suns. It was said prior to Bamba's presser.

"I think the game goes in cycles and goes in waves. And right now Golden State's kind of set the trend. but you know, we'll see if a team with a dominant big man can change that trend over time. I think Erik Spoelstra had a quote few weeks ago that the way to beat Golden State is to not out Golden State them and try to do what they do; It's maybe do something different and make them adjust to you. So I thought that was an interesting quote and something we definitely talked about internally."

Pack it in boys! We're picking Ayton!
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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This is the best thing I've heard come out of McDonough's mouth regarding this draft and the direction of the Suns. It was said prior to Bamba's presser.



Pack it in boys! We're picking Ayton!
It saddens me that McD had to hear Spoelstra come up with that statement instead of realizing it himself. Leads me to believe he’s just another in a string of copycats that litter the gutters of the league.
 

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It saddens me that McD had to hear Spoelstra come up with that statement instead of realizing it himself. Leads me to believe he’s just another in a string of copycats that litter the gutters of the league.

even if it took Spo's statement for McD to think it, at least he took it to heart. that's all that matters as far as I'm concerned so he actually makes the pick.

I fully believe he'll have to be fired for this team to ever really win a championship so all I care about is him not going Graves right now.
 
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Mainstreet

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This is the best thing I've heard come out of McDonough's mouth regarding this draft and the direction of the Suns. It was said prior to Bamba's presser.



Pack it in boys! We're picking Ayton!

I didn't exactly read the Suns were going to draft Ayton in the above quote although I think they are. I'm glad McDonough took the comments from Spoelstra seriously. After Ayton, I think Jaren Jackson Jr. should be the 2nd rated prospect, at least by the Suns.
 

devilalum

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This is the best thing I've heard come out of McDonough's mouth regarding this draft and the direction of the Suns. It was said prior to Bamba's presser.



Pack it in boys! We're picking Ayton!
A truly dominant big man that can score inside and out and pass out of the double team still has a place in the NBA.


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devilalum

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A truly dominant big man that can score inside and out and pass out of the double team still has a place in the NBA.


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And I’m guessin the Ayton/Booker PNR is gonna be unstoppable and a ton of fun to watch.


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TJ

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They could do that, but I don't see why they should. I will lay odds that when all is said and done, Jackson ends up being a better NBA player than Doncic, maybe by quite a bit.

This would not surprise me.
 

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I am praying for ayton also that give booker confidence to stay even if suns struggle first yr with ayton.

I like luca prospect as a good pg in the nba but if suns take him over ayton i might punch a hole in my wall! Or if the suns trade pick that would be worse.

Sure ayton has def downsides but that can be coached and you cant pass on a big man with ewing, garnett type upside.

Dont f this up mcd!!
 

Ronin

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I am praying for ayton also that give booker confidence to stay even if suns struggle first yr with ayton.

I like luca prospect as a good pg in the nba but if suns take him over ayton i might punch a hole in my wall! Or if the suns trade pick that would be worse.

Sure ayton has def downsides but that can be coached and you cant pass on a big man with ewing, garnett type upside.

Dont f this up mcd!![
/QUOTE]
That is all I am asking.
 
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Here is a great article about the #1 pick and if the best overall player will be picked at #1. It's done by the Draft Express folks and they talk about this draft class going all the way back to their first ranking of them in 2016 and how players like Doncic, Bagley, Ayton, and Porter have moved around at the top over the years. They do say the Suns will pick Ayton, that he's a virtual lock, but they examine things a bit deeper and also have some some interesting takes on what sort of player some of them will become, or can become.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23765414/2018-nba-draft-best-player-go-no-1-overall

Noticed that this is also posted and quoted by Chris Sanders in the trade down options thread. I think it's worth leaving up only because it has good information and it's worth the time to read.
 

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Found this interview with Book. He talks about Ayton around the 9:03 mark.

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I noticed Booker saying Tyler Ulis is his best friend. Something to take note about. Also he is tired (fed up) of not making the playoffs... sounds very serious about this. It sounds like Booker has taken a personal interest in scouting Ayton and he will be happy with the choice.
 

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I noticed Booker saying Tyler Ulis is his best friend. Something to take note about. Also he is tired (fed up) of not making the playoffs... sounds very serious about this. It sounds like Booker has taken a personal interest in scouting Ayton and he will be happy with the choice.
Yes. At least since their playing days at Kentucky.
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ColdPickleNachos

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I noticed Booker saying Tyler Ulis is his best friend. Something to take note about. Also he is tired (fed up) of not making the playoffs... sounds very serious about this. It sounds like Booker has taken a personal interest in scouting Ayton and he will be happy with the choice.

Yeah. We have a glut of back-up-quality point guards, but I feel like Ulis will end up on the team for this reason.

Is he an NBA player? I'm not sure at this point. But he's a lot better than Zoran Dragic, and Booker is a lot better than Goran.
 

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Yes. At least since their playing days at Kentucky.

I think some fans would like to move on from Ulis (I like him as a backup PG) but the Suns should think twice before letting him go. Team chemistry is important.
 
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