ESPN: Suns Among Biggest Winners of Round 1 of NBA Draft

The Phoenix Suns could not have asked for a better outcome with the No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft Wednesday.

After only having a few days to scout the pick after acquiring it as part of the return of the Kevin Durant trade to the Houston Rockets Sunday, Duke's Khaman Maluach, regarded as the top center in the draft, was surprisingly still available and someone Suns general manager Brian Gregory said they knew they had to take "immediately" if he was still on the board.

Maluach instantly fills a big position of need, which the Suns also bolstered with a trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams mere minutes after selecting Maluach, sending out the No. 29 pick and an unfavorable 2029 first-round pick for Williams.

Several outlets such as Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports and For The Win gave the Suns an A for the selection of Maluach.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony labeled only the Suns and Miami Heat, who selected Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th pick, as the "biggest winners" of the first round.

For the Suns and Maluach, Givony wrote:

"The Suns' trade for Kevin Durant looks much different after the fall of Maluach to No. 10, which helps Phoenix strengthen a crucial position at center while also adding one of the most talented long-term prospects in the draft.

"Maluach will bring high-level intensity, rim-protection timing, rebounding ability and switchable defense -- qualities the team lacked last season -- injecting much-needed youth and energy into a roster overloaded in the backcourt.

"Most importantly, he is one of this draft's youngest prospects, with significant potential for growth physically and skill-wise. He is highly regarded by coaches and teammates for his off-court intangibles and should be an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Devin Booker, thanks to his lob-catching ability."

The 18-year-old Maluach has been projected by some to have All-Defensive potential because of his massive 7-foot-6 wingspan and defensive versatility, and the Suns could now have one of the better frontcourts in the league depending on how Williams and Maluach fit into new coach Jordan Ott's system.