Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images Draft picks...who needs ‘em? Not the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns have leveraged much of their future to build their team. While they do have picks, they do not have much control over them. Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia reminded us of this during his press conference on Wednesday. “If fans like to look in the future and say, ‘Hey, I really like that 2031 draft pick, because maybe that seventh-grader is gonna be really good and we’re gonna draft them and one day he’s gonna be a player’. You ain’t going to like the Phoenix Suns,” Ishabia stated. “Because we’re gonna say draft picks are to get great players.” They do have their first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but reports are (and insinuation by both Ishbia and James Jones on Wednesday was) that the team is not interested in keeping it. And why did they both keep reminding us that 2031 players don’t mean a thing? Because soon they will have the ability to trade that as well. The Suns plan to shop the No. 22 overall selection and their 2031 first-round pick in trade talks this offseason, which are officially eligible to be dealt on draft night.Suns owner Mat Ishbia views draft picks as assets for established players instead of trying to develop… pic.twitter.com/XV9rkg2MDZ— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 3, 2024 The Suns’ 2031 pick is a new asset they will receive on Draft Day. It appears they will waste no time in dangling it in front of potential suitors as it will be one of their pot sweeteners to make a deal work. It is a valuable pick because based on the way this team is mortgaging their future, a Suns first-rounder in 2031 is likely a lottery pick. I thought Ishbia worked in mortgages. Maybe he knows more about short-term success and how it can equate to long-term success despite giving up all of your long-term assets. Whether it is responsible to be so loose with your future is yet to be determined. It is a different method of thinking, one that directly conflicts with that of Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti. He stockpiled picks for talent, built his team through the draft, ended the 2023-24 season with the first overall seed in the Western Conference, and still has a team that is projected to be $40 million under the salary cap next season. Oh, and they have 15 first-round draft picks and 22 second-round draft picks over the next seven seasons. That’s 5.3 picks per draft. But hey, who am I to question the strategies of Ishbia and Jones? I’m just a fan who must consider both the short-term and long-term health of the team because I’ll be around to watch it. For better or worse. To death do I part. Here is a little rant I had on the most recent edition of the Suns JAM Session Podcast about this exact topic. Enjoy. . @DarthVoita thoughts on Suns GM James Jones comments from Wednesday.
“Devin's not thinking about 2031. Kevin's not thinking about 2031” pic.twitter.com/lappo3xYW6— Suns JAM Session Podcast (@SunsJAM) May 3, 2024
Source: https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2024 ... ames-jones