Just when everyone had (mostly) healed and moved on from all of the emotions surrounding the Deandre Ayton era, we were reminded of a decision made in 2018 that wasn’t nearly as close as we believed. Former Phoenix Suns head coach Igo Kokoshovrecently spent time on the X&O’s Chat podcast, stating, “We never, literally never, had a single serious strategic conversation about who we were going to draft, which gave me more than enough of an indication that the decision had already been made. So, Robert
Sarver went to Arizona, so he had an emotional connection to Ayton.”
This provides a degree of validation to what many Suns followers have speculated and feared. If true, it means the 2018 front office was not even permitted to consider a generational talent. Not 20-20 vision here, but rather a player who was regarded so highly that a case can be made he hasn’t fully lived up to projections made at the time of that draft. Not allowing his consideration adds another song to Sarver’s “Worst of” album.
Many of you are probably playing the mental what-if game right now. What if we had made that selection to pair Luka Doncic with Devin Booker (and Mikal Bridges as part of that same draft)? Like all basketball — and life — the ripple effect of one event is impossible to determine. There is no way to know how the big man rotation would have worked out. Doubtful we would have had a CP3 signing. Unknown if the level of defense would have allowed an NBA Finals run. Dominos such as signing KD also may not have fallen. Maybe that perfect frontline/defensive piece would have come along, and we’d all have t-shirts with two trophies on them now.
There’s just no way to know. But we do know the disgraced owner adds another chapter to a disappointing legacy.
