PHOENIX – 1989: Jeff Hornacek #14 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during a 1989 season NBA game at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)
They say you can’t know the future if you don’t know the past. Or something. And who exactly “they” are I can’t tell you. But I needed an intro to this feature, and that’s the best I’m going to do.
With the 2015 edition of the NBA Draft fast approaching, let’s take a look back at the Phoenix Suns draft history (lottery era only). Maybe it’ll give us some insight into what they might do in this year’s draft. But probably not. Whatever.
Phoenix Suns 1986 NBA Draft Haul
First Round:
William Bedford (Pick #6)
Could have had: Jeff Hornacek, Dennis Rodman, Mark Price, Kevin Duckworth
Ahh – the joys of drafting for size. Didn’t help that Bedford turned out to have a nasty drug problem, too. He lasted one year in the desert before the Suns shipped him out of town. Quite the quartet of players they passed up on. But more on that Hornacek kid in a bit.
Rest of Draft:
Joe Ward (Round 2, Pick #31)
Rafael Addison (2, 39)
Jeff Hornacek (2, 46)
Kenny Gattison (3, 55)
Grant Gondrezick (4, 77)
Greg Spurling (5, 101)
Jim McCaffrey (6, 123)
Damon Goodwin (7, 147)
Could have had: Kevin Duckworth, David Wingate
Can’t complain about the Suns picks later on in the 1986 Draft. That Hornacek kid turned out pretty good, right? The rest of the haul was a mixed bag – Addison, Gattison, and Gondrezick played a year in Phoenix, but that’s it. But Horny made up for any possible later round whiffs.
Overall Suns Draft Grade: B
Previous Years:
