SB Nation Mock Draft: The Phoenix Suns acquire the 17th pick, select Montrezl Harrell

The Phoenix Suns have agreed to a three team trade to acquire the 17th pick in the 2015 Mock Draft. The trade cannot be officially completed until July, but has been agreed upon by all parties.

Cleveland acquires Marcus Morris.

Milwaukee acquires the 24th pick in this draft and Cleveland's lottery protected 2016 pick (already owned by the Suns)

The Suns get Brendan Haywood and #17. Haywood's contract is non guaranteed for next season.

Kevin: The Suns broke up the Morris Twins!?  How the hell are they going to survive without each other?  I do like the move, it frees up some cap space if the Suns want to make a run at someone in free agency and they move up in the draft to get a need.  Maybe power forward?

Dontae: For shame Phoenix. How do you possibly break up the Wonder Twins? I do like this deal for Cleveland. They don't have a need for a player at that low in the draft. They need to be all in. Morris is on a reasonable contract and can play a useful role off the bench for the Cavaliers.

The youth movement continues in Phoenix. After dealing away Eric Bledsoe, they now move another piece to get younger. I'm okay with this deal.

Milwaukee gaining an extra pick in the 2016 draft is a semi steal on their part. A very shrewd move.

The Phoenix Suns select Montrezl Harrell from the University of Louisville

From Bright Side of the Sun: After taking combo guard D'Angelo Russell with the 3rd overall pick, the Suns decided to address the front court after trading for the 17th overall pick. The Suns big men under contract consist only of Markieff Morris and Alex Len at the moment.

The choice was quite difficult between multi-talented Trey Lyles and energetic defender Montrezl Harrell. The BSotS staff went round and round between the two for quite a time, ultimately splitting the votes. Ultimately, the team decided that Harrell's boundless energy, rebounding, defense and transition running were perfect fits on this young Suns team. Every NBA team needs someone in their front court who does the dirty work, defends multiple positions and wins games with defensive effort. Some have compared Harrell's impact on a game to Draymond Green's, while others compare him to Kenneth Faried.

The Suns are thrilled to add these two young players (19 and 21 years old) to a core of C Alex Len (21), SF T.J. Warren (21), and G Brandon Knight (23) and Archie Goodwin (20).

Taylor: Harrell is somewhat of a tweener forward, listed at 6’8" and 240 lbs. He’s listed as a PF and is a big, strong body and a 7’3" wingspan help make up for his shorter stature. He’s got a motor that can go from 0 to 60 in seconds and he plays with fire and desire. He reminds me of Gerald Wallace with the way he attacks the basket. His jump shot needs work to be more consistent and his defense is based on athleticism and aggressiveness and lacks fundamentals. But he has a strong ability to double jump and is a good rebounder based on that fact. His athleticism, relentlessness, and strength should help him make the transition to the next level.

Kevin: I really like this move.  I think Harrell is the most polished "big" in this draft.  He’s an intense player who plays a hell of a lot bigger than his 6’8" height portrays.  He rebounds like a mad man, he can actually score with his back to the basket and can even step out to knock down a short range jumper.  He’s going to improve and he’s going to improve quickly in all facets of the game.  I’d expect him to actually come off the bench at first and probably play behind T.J. Warren to start.  Hot damn though, the Suns are building a great young team on paper.

Can Jeff Hornacek actually take them from being an almost playoff team to a playoff team?

Lucas: The Phoenix Suns just picked up the toughest guy in the draft by selecting Montrezl Harrell. It’s easy to forget that he is only 6’8" mainly because he has a monstrous 7’4" wingspan that makes him look taller. Harrell will be able to run the floor, block shots , and clean up on the glass for the Suns.The comparison to Faried is somewhat fair, though I believe Faried is more explosive when attacking the rim, and Harrell is a better rim protector  and a more adept defender than Faried. I have my doubts about whether or not Harrell should will become a starting power forward in the NBA, and he certainly will  never be even a third or fourth option on offense.With that being said, every successful team needs a player like Harrell. Brendan Haywood’s non-guaranteed contract is also a nice piece for Houston, as they will either cut him and save cap room, or use it as a trade piece in the future.

For Cleveland, they acquire a nice power forward in Marcus Morris. Hopefully for Cleveland, Morris will come off the bench and provide offense when Kevin Love sits, however, if Kevin Love leaves this offseason in free agency, the Cavs have put themselves in a nice spot, as more is an above league average Power Forward.

The Bucks' decision to trade down and also net Cleveland’s 2016 lottery pick was a good decision. They don’t need immediate help, coming off a playoff birth, and there still should be talented shooters or big men at pick 24, depending on which way they choose to go.

Dontae: If you're looking for the next Draymond Green, Montrezl Harrell is probably the closest player to it, in this draft. He's 6’8" and 240 lbs, with a freakishly amazing 7'3" wingspan. He's built like a bowling ball.

The Suns can surely use his girth in the front court. He works hard on the boards and on defense. This past season he even added a respectable mid-range jump shot, showing the type of improvement that he will need to be a contributor at the pro level.

He may be small, but if he turns out to be a player in the vein of Udonis Haslem, instead of Green, no one will be complaining.