The Suns created some Draft drama as they made the sixteenth pick on Thursday.
Phoenix selected Zhaire Smith out of Texas Tech, but sent Smith to the Sixers along with the Suns first-round pick in 2021, which they acquired from the Heat, for Philly’s No. 10 pick of Mikal Bridges.
Suns are acquiring Mikal Bridges in a deal that will send Smith to Sixers, league source tells ESPN. Suns will send 2021 first-round pick via Miami in deal too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2018
Bridges averaged 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 2017-18. He helped lead Villanova to a national championship in 2016 and 2018. In this year’s title game against Michigan, Bridges scored 19 points, playing with a bruised hip.
The Suns took DeAndre Ayton with the first overall pick, which was expected. Who they took at 16 was the biggest question for the Suns this year. There was speculation on if the Suns were going to try to trade up prior to the Draft and with this last minute trade it confirms how active the Suns were in those talks.
