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Official 2018 NBA Draft Thread

flyerhawk

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Less money to pay to the draft pick is my guess. Opens up more cap to sign a star possibly.

The difference is only a $1M it looks like but it can go along way especially if they make other moes. Still cold-blooded

Unprotected 1st round pick is the reason.
 

Clayton

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I more or less agree. If the Nuggets didn't take him, one of the teams right after him almost certainly would have. The risk-reward becomes much more compelling as you move down the draft.
Kroenke owns the Nuggets. His son played at Mizzou. Lots of Columbia MO ties there.

If the Nuggets didnt take him then he would've gone undrafted imo
 

Arizona_Sting

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Phoenix, sorry.

I agree @Arizona_Sting that Phoenix had a great night overall, but I really kind of hate the Bridges trade from both sides.

It sucks that Phoenix gave up an unprotected first to basically move up 6 spots. WTF? Adding in 31 and a 2nd should have been plenty.

As for Philly, Bridges was their home town guy and his mom works For the team. Don't tease the family like that. Damn that is tough. Bridges would have fit very well in Philly.

Yeah, I've had conversations with quite a few Suns officials and fans as well and the consensus regarding the Bridges trade seems to be as follows:

1) It was an overpay, there's no denying that.... but the price to move in the top 10 was outrageous. PHX tried to move up higher than 10 but the asking prices were just through the roof due to teams falling in love with "their guys". PHX had to overpay to move up and they wanted to turn their assets into something more immediate, they've been collecting assets for a long time now, wanted to cash in.

2) The Miami pick is valuable due to it being unprotected & with the timing of the one and done rule being eliminated, but with how Miami operates with a stable FO and great coach in place and tons of cap space opening up in 2020 for them, especially being in the East, their path to bottoming out is less likely than you think, especially given they know they won't have that pick so they'll be trying to win. My guess is it's in the teens to mid first, but who knows. That's a crapshoot.

3) Suns LOVED Mikal Bridges, had him 7 on their big board apparently. They asked Philly about this trade before the draft started & they originally declined and were set with Bridges... drafted him with the intention of keeping him, but when they saw Zhaire there at 16 they called the Suns back and it came together pretty quickly.

I do think Bridges was a great fit in Philly personally, but man the Suns desperately needed three point shooting and defense and Bridges is the best 3&D prospect in the draft, he may not have huge upside, but he is a can't miss player that will contribute right away and give you intangibles that don't show up on the stat sheet. Could trading that pick bite us in the ass? Sure. But right now I'm thrilled with the core we've put together.
 

OutlawImmortal

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hateth the Euro-stash...

Seems like they went for best fit rather than best available. Not going to act like I watch college basketball but Wagner seems like a perfect weapon to put next to Lonzo.
 

OutlawImmortal

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Wagner wasn't the pick I was talking about...

The kid we grabbed with #39 was...

Yeah, just seems like a project they felt like taking on and Philly was trying to get rid of a lot of their picks this year. Look at college tape of Kuzma and you'd never think he'd end up 1st team all-rookie.
 

The Q

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WiggyRuss

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Yeah, I've had conversations with quite a few Suns officials and fans as well and the consensus regarding the Bridges trade seems to be as follows:

1) It was an overpay, there's no denying that.... but the price to move in the top 10 was outrageous. PHX tried to move up higher than 10 but the asking prices were just through the roof due to teams falling in love with "their guys". PHX had to overpay to move up and they wanted to turn their assets into something more immediate, they've been collecting assets for a long time now, wanted to cash in.

2) The Miami pick is valuable due to it being unprotected & with the timing of the one and done rule being eliminated, but with how Miami operates with a stable FO and great coach in place and tons of cap space opening up in 2020 for them, especially being in the East, their path to bottoming out is less likely than you think, especially given they know they won't have that pick so they'll be trying to win. My guess is it's in the teens to mid first, but who knows. That's a crapshoot.

3) Suns LOVED Mikal Bridges, had him 7 on their big board apparently. They asked Philly about this trade before the draft started & they originally declined and were set with Bridges... drafted him with the intention of keeping him, but when they saw Zhaire there at 16 they called the Suns back and it came together pretty quickly.

I do think Bridges was a great fit in Philly personally, but man the Suns desperately needed three point shooting and defense and Bridges is the best 3&D prospect in the draft, he may not have huge upside, but he is a can't miss player that will contribute right away and give you intangibles that don't show up on the stat sheet. Could trading that pick bite us in the ass? Sure. But right now I'm thrilled with the core we've put together.
that is awesome.....Jackson and Bridges on the wing is as 3 and D guys is pretty awesome.

Booker and Ayton are the studs--- Jackson and Bridges your 3 and D role players.... Warren is another solid wing.

I still think the Suns have to make a deal or two to make a real "team"--- right now they have a ton of young talented guys.

Honestly- i think maybe you just let this team try and figure it out next year--- they probably still will suck (but not for long)- and then maybe move the pick you get next year for a vet....who knows. itll be interesting.
 

WiggyRuss

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Yeah, just seems like a project they felt like taking on and Philly was trying to get rid of a lot of their picks this year. Look at college tape of Kuzma and you'd never think he'd end up 1st team all-rookie.
PF's that can score and play no D are a dime a dozen in the NBA.
 

shopson67

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that is awesome.....Jackson and Bridges on the wing is as 3 and D guys is pretty awesome.

Booker and Ayton are the studs--- Jackson and Bridges your 3 and D role players.... Warren is another solid wing.

I still think the Suns have to make a deal or two to make a real "team"--- right now they have a ton of young talented guys.

Honestly- i think maybe you just let this team try and figure it out next year--- they probably still will suck (but not for long)- and then maybe move the pick you get next year for a vet....who knows. itll be interesting.

Jackson is 3&D at 26%?

Suns need a leader at PG to run these kids. Unfortunately, they don't have many good options beyond CP3 this summer, who isn't coming to Phoenix. I've always liked Jarrett Jack, who could be a decent fill-in until a better option can be found.
 

Arizona_Sting

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Jackson is 3&D at 26%?

Suns need a leader at PG to run these kids. Unfortunately, they don't have many good options beyond CP3 this summer, who isn't coming to Phoenix. I've always liked Jarrett Jack, who could be a decent fill-in until a better option can be found.

Jackson's form looked much better towards the end of the year, that # is deflated due to his terrible start... he was a different animal the last 3 months of the season. I agree they need a leader at point though, Booker can play some point guard for stretches because he's a very good playmaker, but they need some consistency there to take the pressure off him.

So far they've been linked to Pat Bev, Marcus Smart, Milos Teodosic, Fred VanVleet and a few others.
 

DJ

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that is awesome.....Jackson and Bridges on the wing is as 3 and D guys is pretty awesome.

Booker and Ayton are the studs--- Jackson and Bridges your 3 and D role players.... Warren is another solid wing.

I still think the Suns have to make a deal or two to make a real "team"--- right now they have a ton of young talented guys.

Honestly- i think maybe you just let this team try and figure it out next year--- they probably still will suck (but not for long)- and then maybe move the pick you get next year for a vet....who knows. itll be interesting.

They just need Ball to run the offense.....
 

WiggyRuss

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They just need Ball to run the offense.....
yah--- get a near teenager that cant shoot and cant finish at the rim to lead a bunch of other near teenagers. What they need is a guy who knows what he is doing that can actually lead them. Not some 20 year old that shoots 50% from the free throw line and is a disaster in the pick and roll since no one respects his ability to get ot the rim.

If they put a good floor general with that team that could direct those young guys they would be infinitely better off for it.
 
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