By ADAM ZAGORIA
At the same time that Luka Doncic was playing in the EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, Phoenix Suns GM Ryan McDonough said on ESPN that the team is considering a “handful” of players with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
The conventional wisdom is the Suns will draft either Doncic or Arizona’s Deandre Ayton in the June 21 Draft.
“It is difficult and I think people are jumping to conclusions as far as there’s only one or two guys in the mix for us,” McDonough said on ESPN. “There are more than that. There are a handful of guys.”
The Suns met with 6-foot-11 Duke forward Marvin Bagley III in Chicago, and McDonough also mentioned several other top contenders.
“Luka Doncic is obviously playing right now in the EuroLeague Final Four; he has strong ties to our head coach [Igor Kokoskov], and is one of the top young European guys that I’ve ever scouted,” he said. “And then there are guys like Mohamed Bamba and Michael Porter Jr. who have some unique high-level NBA skills and were considered some of the top high school players in their draft class. We’re going to spend as much time as possible with those group of players, and it’s not limited to those five or so guys. We have a lead pack at the moment but it’s not an open and shut case for us.”
Meantime, Suns owner Robert Sarver was watching Doncic in the EuroLeague Final Four.
Luka Doncic in the starting lineup, with Phoenix Suns and #1 pick owner Robert Sarver looking on, as Real Madrid – CSKA Moscow tips off in the Euroleague Final Four in Belgrade. pic.twitter.com/chRmQSLtoy
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 18, 2018
McDonough also said his team would consider trading the pick.
“If you look around the NBA as far as the veteran players, there are probably a few players we would consider trading the pick for,” he said. “It will be a busy month for us.”
Asked by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski what he would trade the No. 1 pick for, McDonough said, “For us it would have to be a proven star, but probably a young proven star. And a guy with multiple years of contractual control.”
Phoenix also owns the Nos. 16 and 31 picks and could package picks to move up to get two lottery picks.
“We’ll look at packaging to move up as well if there’s a player somewhere in the mid- to late-lottery that we like,” McDonough said. “We’re certainly open to those scenarios as well.”
