Sacramento Kings Select Marquese Chriss In NBA Draft, Trade Him To Phoenix Suns

With the eight pick in the NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings selected Marquese Chriss, according to SB Nation. The franchise quickly turned around and sent him to the Phoenix Suns in a deal to acquire more assets. In all, the Kings potentially received four players from the Suns in exchange for Chriss.

The Phoenix Suns had the 13th and 28th pick in the NBA Draft. They were more interested in quality over quantity. Marquese Chriss was someone that they were really interested in acquiring. Since the Sacramento Kings were willing to make a deal, the Suns were quick to pounce when the opportunity arose.

Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac wanted to have some insurance. He needed some size in the front court in case the team needed to move on from DeMarcus Cousins. Though he’s one of the most talented centers in the NBA, Cousins is also someone that is difficult to deal with.

Marquese Chriss is selected No. 8 overall by the Kings. pic.twitter.com/Op208p5f0v

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 24, 2016

Some of that insurance for the Sacramento Kings will come from Willie Cauley Stein, who was the sixth overall selection in the NBA Draft last summer. The former Kentucky Wildcats star could be taking over the center position if DeMarcus Cousins is traded to another team someday.

Skal Labissiere is another former Kentucky Wildcats star. He’s also the 28th overall pick in the NBA Draft that was acquired by the Sacramento Kings. There’s a chance that he could be groomed to take over for DeMarcus Cousins as well. At just 20 years of age, though, Labissiere will need a little time.

According to SB Nation, Georgios Papagiannis was selected with the 13th selection in the NBA Draft. For an 18-year-old to be chosen that high, he has a lot of potential. While it may be years down the road, Papagiannis might eventually be the center of the future for the Sacramento Kings.

For the Phoenix Suns, the NBA Draft was a vehicle to find a replacement for Markieff Morris. Their disgruntled former power forward left a void in the rotation when he was traded away to the Washington Wizards. Morris had grown disenchanted with management because they traded away his brother.

Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough was more than willing to spend assets to fill that power forward position. With the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft, McDonough decided to choose Dragan Bender. The international star is a prospect right now, but he could blossom into a star at the power forward position.

Ryan McDonough then decided to trade for Marquese Chriss, giving the Phoenix Suns another option at the power forward position. Chriss is a raw talent, but Suns head coach Earl Watson could turn him into a legitimate NBA star in the near future.

Being acquired by the Phoenix Suns was a bittersweet situation for Marquese Chriss. According to SB Nation, he wanted to join the franchise all along. However, Chriss also would have liked to play for the Sacramento Kings because they are his hometown team. Either way, Chriss is now in the NBA.

There was a point in time where Marquese Chriss dreamed of going to the NFL. Despite his size and length, he played the free safety position. Chriss decided to switch to basketball because his mother thought that football was not a safe sport because of all the injuries.

Getting to the NBA was the first step. Since he only played one year of college basketball, Marquese Chriss knows that he has a lot of work to do before he can become a star in the National Basketball Association. Fortunately for him, he’s with the team that he wants to be with.

[Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images]