If you look at what the Suns did above the table on draft day, yawns are certainly within reason. Earl Clark is looked at as a good project but might not break into the rotation on a team that isn't expected to make a playoff run next season.
But behind the scenes was where all the excitement was. There was an audible cheer in the Phoenix draft war room Thursday when Minnesota passed on Stephen Curry with the sixth pick -- taking Jonny Flynn from Syracuse instead -- and suddenly all the Amare Stoudemire-to-Golden State rumors came rushing to the fore.
Curry was supposedly part of that deal, along with Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright and Marco Bellinelli, but Golden State coach Don Nelson said the day after the draft that Curry will not be traded under any circumstances. So it remains to be seen whether the Warriors can put together a package that would bring them Stoudemire.
The Suns shipped Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland on the eve of the draft in a deal that made sense and still left the door open for them to retool instead of rebuild. They would have been able to duck under the luxury tax with that deal alone if, as expected, they buy out the contract of Sasha Pavlovic and either deal or do the same with Ben Wallace.
But if Stoudemire is traded, it clearly will signal a new Sun-rise for pro basketball in the desert. The only question that remains is whether Steve Nash has an interest in sticking around and playing with the kids or moving on to greener pastures in his home country (Toronto) or adopted home (New York City).
