The Phoenix Suns just made a trade that sent Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre, Jalen Leque, and a 2022 first-round pick the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for perennial All-NBA point guard Chris Paul. Somehow, the Suns pulled off this trade without having to give up the tenth overall selection.
With that selection, though, they should still select a lead guard, someone that has potential and can learn behind Chris Paul while the Suns make a playoff push. Hayes is exactly that, and is well-rounded enough to play rotational minutes as a rookie.
Hayes is a really good passer and has upside as a shooter. He’s also a really, really good off-ball defender and should be able to be good enough as a whole to not get played off of the floor. The Suns need more backcourt depth, and a combo-guard such as Hayes could very well be the right move.
Another player to be considered here would be Patrick Williams. In this scenario, he is unavailable, but he could be a guy that the Suns select and stash – among their plethora of versatile forwards.