Suns acquire Landry Shamet in draft day trade, move out of first round
Phoenix’s 29th overall selection went to the Brooklyn Nets
Devin Booker was the big story on Thursday against Denver, scoring 43 points.
July 29, 2021
The Phoenix Suns traded out of the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday afternoon, moving the 29th overall pick (a first-round selection) to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for guard Landry Shamet. Backup point guard Jevon Carter will head to Brooklyn to complete the deal.
Suns coach Monty Williams is said to be a big fan of Shamet, who was a first-round pick in the 2018 Draft. Shamet, a 6’4” shooting guard, has played for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers in addition to his one season as a Net. The 24-year-old Shamet is regarded as an excellent shooter and made 39 percent of his three-point attempts in 2020-21.
In 118 games over two seasons with Phoenix, Carter averaged 4.5 points in 14.1 minutes per game. The 25-year-old is a 38 percent three-point shooter in his career.
The Suns are coming off an inspiring run to the NBA Finals, which they lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks. Franchise cornerstones Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker are signed through 2022 and 2024 respectively, but superstar point guard Chris Paul could decline his $44 million player option and opt for free agency. As such, Phoenix general manager and NBA Executive of the Year James Jones has sufficient motivation to improve the team and try to load up for another run at a championship in 2021-22.
Shamet adds another sharpshooter to the mix for Williams — and potential insurance if guards Langston Galloway and Cameron Payne depart via free agency.
On draft night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Detroit Pistons made Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham the number one overall selection before the Houston Rockets grabbed NBA G League Ignite guard Jalen Green with the second pick. The Cleveland Cavaliers chose USC center Evan Mobley third overall, while the Toronto Raptors took Florida State forward Scottie Barnes with the fourth pick. The Orlando Magic selected Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs to round out the top five. Houston also selected former Arizona State guard Josh Christopher 24th overall.
The Nets eventually used the Suns’ pick to draft Day’Ron Sharpe, a 6’11” center from the University of North Carolina.
