With only a 1.8 percent chance of jumping into the top three of the 2014 NBA Draft, the odds were heavily stacked against the Suns. So it should be no surprise that Phoenix heard it's name called first when the lottery results were announced in reverse order, from 14 to one.
This is a minor disappointment, but in the end it was always going to end up this way. No team has ever jumped from 14 to 1. You can get images of Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid out of your head. No more chance at a top three pick to use in a Kevin Love trade. Speaking of Minnesota, they get to keep their pick this year. Throw all that out the window.
However, the Suns are still in a great place moving forward. Winning the lottery would simply have been a very massive cherry on top for Phoenix. The Suns have the No. 14, No. 18 and No. 27 picks in this year's draft, to either use on a player or package together to make a trade. They have up to three more first round picks next year. They have a lot of young players that could easily be moved. The Suns have just as many assets tonight as they had this morning. And most importantly, they have Ryan McDonough running the show.
Lottery Order
No. 14: Phoenix Suns
No. 13: Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 12: Orlando Magic
No. 11: Denver Nuggets
No. 10: Philadelphia 76ers
No. 9: Chartlotte Hornets
No. 8: Sacramento Kings
No. 7: Los Angeles Lakers
No. 6: Boston Celtics
No. 5: Utah Jazz
No. 4: Orlando Magic
No. 3: Philadelphia 76ers
No. 2: Milwaukee Bucks
No. 1: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Suns didn't climb into the top 3, but neither did the Lakers.
As for the top pick, the 76ers and Bucks' race for that top pick come up just a bit short. Somehow, the Cavs won it again.