SBC Practicum: Mock Phoenix Suns Choose Poeltl over Ayton

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[The following submission is from the Phoenix Suns, run by students in the mock deadline practicum at the SBC Las Vegas Immersive.]

Assignment: Phoenix Suns

Team Members: Skyler Trepel, Colin Maher, Preston Stevenson, Walden Wang, Kyle Flores, Michael McMeechan

We took that to heart when Jerry West told the students of Sports Business Classroom that he believes only winning teams have culture. Our franchise was one year removed from an NBA Finals appearance. Despite a disappointing postseason, we finished with the best regular season record in the league. We decided to re-tool, focusing on rim protection and toughness.

The most significant change was parting with Deandre Ayton for the right price. We weren’t convinced he was the center of the future for our franchise. We also decided to upgrade at backup point guard behind Chris Paul. Getting Paul sufficient rest throughout the regular season to keep him fresh for the playoffs was a top priority.

After negotiating with multiple teams, we decided on a three-way deal that sent Ayton to the Charlotte Hornets. We also sent Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, 2028 first-round pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs for a replacement center in Jakob Poeltl, along with PJ Washington and Terry Rozier from the Hornets.

Poeltl contests shots as well as anyone in the league, one of only seven players to average two blocks and 11 rebounds per 36 minutes. At only 26 years old and at a better price than Ayton, he can take an even larger leap as he moves from the rebuilding Spurs to the contending Suns.

Rozier adds playmaking, mental toughness and shot creation off the bench. He averaged 19.3 points and 4.5 assists per game while also ranking 19^th in clutch points last year. Those higher on the list, outside of De’Aaron Fox, were All-Stars at some point over the past two seasons. Rozier also shot 42.4 percent from three-point range during crunch time.

Washington gives us a small ball option at center. He’s also a 39 percent shooter above the break, incredibly valuable for three-point shooting versatility. We also brought in Dennis Schröder, using the taxpayer mid-level exception, to provide even more relief and injury insurance for Paul off the bench.

We believe our 2028 draft pick is a negligible cost, given our championship pursuit. We have enough 3-and-D wings to replace Shamet.

Ultimately, we believe that Poeltl will provide a lot of what we got from Ayton but is a better cultural fit with his toughness, commitment to improving and screening ability in the pick and roll. Along with the acquisitions of Washington, Rozier and Schröder, we believe we are well-positioned to take home the 2023 Larry O’Brien trophy.

Trade 1

Phoenix received Terry Rozier, PJ Washington and Jakob Poeltl.
Charlotte received DeAndre Ayton (via sign-and-trade).
San Antonio received Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne, James Bouknight, a 2023 first-rounder (top-14 protected through 2025, else 2025 and 2026 second-rounders) from the Denver Nuggets (via the Hornets), a 2027 first-rounder (first allowable after a prior obligation to the Spurs) from the Hornets and a 2028 pick swap with the Suns.

Other