I don’t think anyone predicted the Phoenix Suns being playoff contenders but they’ve started the season off pretty well and are currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The team believes in themselves so much, they’re willing to part with a 2014 draft pick in order to win now.
Phoenix has acquired multiple future first round picks, and has ample salary cap space to go after a max player and some complimentary talent in free agency if that’s what the team so chooses. But with the surprising start that has them in the mix for a playoff spot this year, and with the players in place buying in 100 percent to new head coach Jeff Hornacek’s system, the plan may be changing a bit in order to try to become a top-tier team in the more immediate future.
From Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com:
The Suns, obviously encouraged by a promising start and with several attractive assets at their disposal, are making it known around the league they are open to trading one or more picks in the loaded 2014 draft if they can get an established star capable of making an impact now, NBA.com has learned. …
“I think one of the things that’s important for people to realize is that we may not draft four players even if we have four picks,” McDonough told NBA.com. “Our preference would probably be to maybe package a few of them. We’re obviously all looking for stars and we feel like we can put together a package as good, if not better, than any other team in the league if and when a star becomes available. That’s kind of generally what we’ve wanted to do, not only with our draft-pick situation but also with the cap space that we’ve acquired.”
