My chat with Chad Ford

Well, I just finished chatting with Chad Ford, NBA draft specialist...okay, me and everyone else on ESPN's web page finished chatting with him. But at least he answered one of my questions. That's exciting right? I didn't ask him anything about the Jazz because frankly, that's sort of a mess. They're picking 20th in a really bad draft class. Plus, Sloan refuses to play rookies and half the roster may be gone next season. So trying to figure out what they're doing in the draft would be pointless given how different this team will be once free agency starts. So instead I asked Chad about the Phoenix Suns. I might as well start following them since Kaiti and I will soon be living there.

Rich (SLC, UT) : Is Flynn around for the Suns when they (most likely) pick?

Chad Ford: (4:51 PM ET ) He's a possibility. I think Earl Clark and Austin Daye would be too. And I hear Steve Kerr likes Blair .. a lot.

What? Blair? Do the Suns really need an undersized power forward? Unless (que dramatic music) they play on getting rid of either Shaq or Amare...
There are a lot of rumors out there saying that both of these guys are being shopped around. Even Steve Nash might be on his way out. Personally, I think this would be a huge mistake. Getting rid of any of these guys would be a disaster. Shaq has played well and his expiring contract is worth a lot. If they want to trade him wait until the deadline, you're likely to get more for him from a team looking to cut money. Amare is the best player on the Suns, period. He has been a little disgruntled, but it'd have to be a damn good trade to get rid of a guy with his talent. Maybe he'd be more likely to stay happy if the ownership and GM stopped making stupid mistakes and trading away draft picks and all-stars (Joe Johnson anyone?). Nash is past his prime, but he's the face of the franchise and there aren't a lot of point guards out there better than him even at this stage of his career. The bigger reason not to get rid of any of these players is the 2010 draft. The Suns don't have a pick in it. If any of the above mentioned players is traded, the Suns forfeit their lottery pick. They'd tank a season and wouldn't even have a chance at improving in the draft. Not a smart move.
If they keep all those guys why draft Blair? He wouldn't see much playing time behind Amare and doesn't really help in any real way. The guy would fit better in a slow offense, not with the run and gun suns. Johnny Flynn is a much better option. He's a smart point guard and could take the much needed back-up point guard role while Nash groomed him to be the future of the franchise.
Steve Kerr has really made a mess of the Suns. Before he showed up the Suns were the most exciting team to watch. They were one of the top teams in the west and had a great coach. What did he do? He got rid of the coach, changed the philosophy of the team and took the fun out of the game for the remaining players (goodbye Raja Bell and Boris Diaw). He needs to go before he makes another mistake by taking Blair in the draft.
Or maybe Chad Ford is wrong. After all, the last time he answered my question he didn't hesitate to say that the Jazz would win the Northwest division in a landslide against the Nuggets. How did that one turn out again Chad?