The Phoenix Suns are currently struggling, with their last result being a 122-131 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on 2026-04-28, and a recent form of 0W-0D-5L.
What happened?
Tyrese Haliburton revealed on the "Numbers On the Board" podcast that he and his agent called the Phoenix Suns about drafting him in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. The Suns instead used the 10th overall pick in the first round to take Jalen Smith out of Maryland. The Sacramento Kings later chose Haliburton 12th overall.
Why it matters for Phoenix Suns
Haliburton said he and his agent were calling Phoenix, saying "Ya'll need a PG, let me come play with Book." But the Suns were like, "We're going with a power forward." Haliburton was like, "I don't know who they're talking about, but they're not drafting me." The Suns had a point guard at the time in Ricky Rubio, but ended up trading him to the Oklahoma City Thunder and acquiring Chris Paul.
What comes next?
The Suns reached the 2021 Finals and won a franchise-record 64 games in 2021-22 with Paul, but they haven't had a true point guard since trading Paul for Bradley Beal after the 2022-23 season. Booker, a natural shooting guard, has been the team's main facilitator since. So, Haliburton is a topic when it comes to Phoenix because the thought is that he could've played behind Rubio or Paul and then emerged as the starter. Rubio played one season in Phoenix, Monty Williams' first year as head coach. Williams had coached Paul in New Orleans. James Jones was Phoenix's general manager. Jones addressed the draft decision at the time, saying he liked the idea of Smith sharing the court with Deandre Ayton to help match the size of the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
The 2020 draft was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the draft was on November 18, 2020. The Suns traded for Paul on November 20, 2020. This move led to an incredible two-year run for Phoenix, with Booker and Paul, but Smith hardly played as a rookie. Before the 2022 trade deadline, the Suns sent Smith and a 2022 second-round draft pick to the Pacers for Torrey Craig. Smith averaged a career-high 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 22 games that season with the Pacers. He's now with the Chicago Bulls and is entering the final year of a three-year, $27 million deal. Smith averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Bulls last season. Haliburton had a solid start to his career, making the NBA All-Rookie first team, but Sacramento traded him, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers for Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, Domantas Sabonis and a 2023 second-round pick before the 2022 trade deadline. Haliburton has since become one of the game's best point guards. A two-time All-Star and All-NBA selection, Haliburton led the Pacers to the 2025 Finals. Haliburton said he works hard to improve his game, and it shows in his performance on the court. The Phoenix Suns are currently struggling, and their fans can't help but wonder what could have been if they had drafted Haliburton in 2020.
