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The Phoenix Suns have had a tough offseason, at least according to rival executives around the league. They were highly scrutinized for trading De'Anthony Melton in a move that would essentially be a salary dump for Ricky Rubio, and many teams were puzzled by their decision to trade a future first-round pick merely to acquire Aron Baynes.
Phoenix initially had the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but they traded down to No. 11 in a move that also netted them Dario Saric from the Minnesota Timberwolves. But one GM told Ethan Strauss of The Athletic that the Suns erred by selecting a player (Cam Johnson) that he thought they could have selected later on in the first round.
“I think the worst move was Phoenix dumping out of (the sixth pick) to 11 to get a guy they could have easily gotten at 18,” said one GM. “If that’s the guy you want that’s fine, but you have to maximize what you’re getting.”
Johnson was one of the more successful college players of the draft class, averaging 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in his second season with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Suns undoubtedly felt the allure of selecting a player that many agreed was the best shooter in the draft. Johnson shot close to 46 percent from beyond the arc on 5.8 attempts per game last year.
Still, most mock drafts did not have Johnson going before the 19th pick, and the general consensus seems to be that the Suns reached to select Johnson.
