Chapter 25: When Did I Raise A Flag?
Madison Square Garden, Suns Draft Room.
The Suns have the 14th pick, and they have five minutes to make their decision.
General Manager Steve Kerr frowned, not because of the choice ahead but due to the phone call he had just ended.
The Suns' top target this year was Stephen Curry.
They had been trying hard to trade with the Timberwolves but failed. Just as Kerr was preparing to settle for the Warriors, the Warriors swooped in and selected Curry.
This was unexpected, especially since Curry's agent had warned the Warriors not to pick him.
Kerr suspected that the Warriors were trying to raise Curry's value to trade him later.
Before the Knicks could make their move, Kerr quickly contacted Warriors GM Larry Riley. After several rounds of negotiations, Kerr even put their All-Star Amare Stoudemire on the table, but in the end, the Warriors refused.
Kerr was puzzled— didn't they already have Monta Ellis?
"Steve, pick Han. He'll bring real defensive quality to our backcourt, and he also has the three-point shooting we need," Coach Alvin Gentry urged once again.
Gentry had already suggested this to Kerr before the draft.