Suns Acquire No. 36 Pick From Nets, Will Have Three Selections Tonight

The Phoenix Suns are moving up the draft board.

That’s because they’ve acquired the No. 36 pick in tonight’s second round of the NBA Draft from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for two future second-rounders, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The deal gives the Suns three picks on Thursday night — Nos. 36, 52 and 59 — and a chance to find some value in the back half of the draft when the second round tips off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Earlier in the day, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported that the Suns were expected to explore ways to trade up to target a specific player. Clearly, they found their opportunity.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, made history on Wednesday by selecting five players in the first round — the most ever by a single team. Rather than adding a sixth rookie to that group, the Nets opted to flip the early second-rounder to continue building their future asset pool.

Per Mike Scotto of HoopsHype, the Suns are trading a 2026 second-round pick that’s the least favorable between the Los Angeles Clippers and the most favorable of the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, and Boston Celtics, along with a 2030 Celtics second-round pick to the Nets.

The move reflects two franchises with very different timelines. For the Suns, it’s about grabbing a prospect they believe in. For the Nets, it’s about playing the long game after a record-setting night.

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