Ultimate Upside Comparison: John Wall
Safe Upside Comparison: Jeff Teague
Position: Point Guard
Age: 19 (12/20/1997)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’3.25″, 170 pounds, 6’6.5″
2016-17 Slash Line: .479/.246/.736
2016-17 Season Averages: 29.6 MPG, 16.7 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG
The Phoenix Suns may have Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight at point guard, but this is about fitting the timeline and personnel. Bledsoe will turn 28 years of age in December, Knight will turn 26 that same month, and Devin Booker will turn 21 in October.
The best bet for the Suns would be to find a point guard with youth, elite defensive potential, and a facilitating touch to ideally complement Booker’s one-way star value.
De’Aaron Fox, 19, prides himself on defense and patterns his approach to the game after Kevin Garnett. That alone should speak volumes to why he’s worth considering, but what makes him the selection is the fact that he’s backed it all up on film.
Amongst college players entering the NBA, Fox may be the best defensive point guard in the 2017 NBA Draft—and Phoenix desperately needs that type of contributor.
Offensively, Fox is a skilled facilitator and a relentless slasher who can provide a necessary balance to Booker’s sharpshooting. This may alienate Bledsoe and Knight, but they have more long-term value to Phoenix as attractive trade pieces.
The New York Knicks could be one of the 29 teams intrigued by the possibility of acquiring prime point guard talent via a trade.