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The Suns have given the Cavs the perfect blueprint for their rebuild

By Justin Brownlow

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (#1), Phoenix big Deandre Ayton (#22) and Phoenix guard Chris Paul (#3) celebrate after a win. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (#1), Phoenix big Deandre Ayton (#22) and Phoenix guard Chris Paul (#3) celebrate after a win. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Chet Holmgren, Cleveland Cavaliers
Chet Holmgren (#34) of the Minnehaha Academy Red Hawks looks to make a play. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) /

The Cavs would then need to hit a home run big-time in either the 2022 draft or 2023 draft

Unfortunately for the Suns, Booker’s second year in the league wasn’t a good one for the organization. They ended the season 21-61 and landed the number four overall pick in the draft. If there was ever a year to not follow the Suns blueprint, this would be it.

They drafted Dragan Bender with the fourth overall pick. Bender did not pan out, never scoring more than seven points per game during his three-year tenure in the desert. Luckily for the Cavs, there are some great prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft.

It is early, but you have to figure, whoever the Cavs take this year with the third pick, the team will still be in the lottery. With prospects like Chet Holmgren, Jaden Hardy, Paolo Banchero and Patrick Baldwin Jr., the Cavs should have a large number of prospects too look at. Even still, this is a rebuilding process so it’s also smart to see that the 2023 NBA Draft could be one of the best ever.

Emoni Bates is the prize of the class. According to most recruiting sites, he’s the best prospect since Kevin Durant. While Bates would be a huge get for any team, there are a number of remarkably talented players in the 2023 class.

Chris Livingston, who I’ve watched in person at Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio, is an athletic wing who could end up being an elite level two-way wing player. On top of Livingston and Bates, Jalen Duren and Dariq Whitehead are interesting prospects as well.

While the Suns did most of their rebuilding through the draft, they also were smart in free agency, though, and even with some luck, it’s paid off for them.

There’s no doubt Phoenix has been lucky this year with their off-season acquisitions.

Cam Payne, Torrey Craig, and Jae Crowder (I recognize his time in Cleveland wasn’t great) are all guys the Suns picked up in the offseason. Crowder was brought in under a $29 million, 3-year deal. Craig on the other hand, came over to the Suns via their Final opponents, the Milwaukee Bucks. Payne may have been the best signing, as he came to Phoenix in 2020, signing a two-year, league-minimum contract.

With all that being said, there are some interesting names in this summer’s free agent market for the front office to take a look at. It’s likely the team will use the league minimum on a backup point guard like T.J McConnel or Alex Caruso, or feasibly some of the roughly $10 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Personally, I would prefer Caruso as he is younger, and a better defender. Another target could be former Villanova star Josh Hart. Less than a week ago, one of our site co-experts, Dan Gilinsky, wrote about how Hart would be a great glue-guy for the Cavs this season.

And lastly, shifting gears a bit, how about a potential trade to consider to accelerate the rebuild for Cleveland? Next, we’ll touch on that possibility, and examine head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s outlook.