UPDATE: According to Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic, the Suns have no interest in trading the No. 1 pick to land Kawhi:
A report surfaced Friday saying the Suns would explore the possibility of trading the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s draft for San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard.
There’s no truth to the report. In fact, the Suns have no interest in dealing the top pick – which likely will be University of Arizona center Deandre Ayton – in exchange for Leonard, who reportedly wants to be traded.
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The NBA offseason truly began on Friday, with reports surfacing that superstar Kawhi Leonard wants out of San Antonio and prefers to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
But of course, several other franchises are expected to pursue Kawhi, including the Sixers, Celtics, Knicks, and Clippers.
And according to The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor, you can add the Phoenix Suns — the team with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft — to the list:
Several league sources told me they anticipate Suns general manager Ryan McDonough to probe a Leonard deal using the no. 1 pick.
There’s also a sense from league sources that the Suns presumed selection of Arizona big man Deandre Ayton at no. 1 isn’t a guarantee because of the outside possibility that they’ll get a good enough deal to trade down or out of the draft entirely. Now that Leonard reportedly wants out, anything is possible.
The Sacramento Kings, who hold the No. 2 pick, are also planning to make a run at Leonard, per USA Today‘s Sam Amick:
Add the Kings to the list of teams expected to pursue Kawhi Leonard. No clarity on what they’d be willing to offer, but the notion of the No. 2 pick being on the table is a strong start.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 15, 2018
