Moore: Here's the definitive top-five list of best Suns draft picks

The Suns don’t have any picks in the NBA Draft on Thursday, but why should that stop Phoenix fans from having some fun?

This is a perfect time for us to try to come up with a definitive list of the top five selections in Suns’ history.

“Definitive” is mostly a joke. This list is nothing more than the start of a conversation. And I’d love to hear from you — assuming you know what you’re talking about. If I get enough good letters, I’ll run some excerpts after the draft.

I’m offering my list as a guy who’s been following this franchise closely since 2016, and I’ve had the distinction over that span of speaking with everyone from players and coaches to executives and general managers with the Suns and across the NBA.

Also, I consulted heavily (OK, maybe we argued a little) with Arizona Republic Suns’ insider Duane Rankin. He tossed out a few names that I might have overlooked.

Before the actual list, here were the nominees:

Biggest star

Devin Booker (No. 13 pick, 2015): The Suns took a guy in the middle of the first round who turned out to be an All-NBA first teamer and a legitimate MVP candidate. He got a Kobe Bryant tattoo, and nobody blinked. Book is one of the faces of the modern NBA.

Walter Davis (No. 5, 1977): Phoenix’s all-time scoring leader with 15,666 career points for the Suns, according to Basketball-Reference.com. And he got most of his buckets the ’80s when defenders played like UFC fighters.

Steve Nash (No. 15, 1996): He was sharing a backcourt with Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson and ended up getting traded to Dallas for a package that included the pick that became Shawn Marion. Then Nash came back to Phoenix in 2004 and won back-to-back MVP awards.

Biggest back in the day

Alvan Adams (No. 4, 1975): Adams showed up, averaged 19 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in leading the Suns to the NBA Finals as a rookie. The 1975-’76 team boasted names like Paul Westphal, Pat Riley, Gar Heard and Dick Van Arsdale — but Adams was the lone All-Star from Phoenix that season.

Neal Walk (No. 2, 1969): The Suns and Bucks were having a coin flip for the No. 1 overall pick. Phoenix lost the toss, and Milwaukee drafted a guy who ended up being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That, however, gave Phoenix a shot at another coin flip, this one against Seattle for the right to acquire Connie Hawkins from the ABA.

Biggest surprise

Steve Kerr (No. 50, 1988): This one stings. Kerr won five NBA titles as a player, and he has four more as a coach. None of these championships came with the franchise that took him late in the second round out of Arizona, so he owes us.

Biggest omissions

Dick Van Arsdale: His nickname, The Original Sun, says it all. Van Arsdale helped the fledgling franchise in the desert find credibility. He played in the ’70s and still remains among the franchise leaders in points, assists and games played. Too bad he was drafted by the Knicks.

Connie Hawkins: People who’ve been around used to say that Michael Jordan and Dr. J reminded them of The Hawk. The Suns got him ahead of the 1969-70 season, and he took the team to the playoffs. However, Hawkins wasn’t a draft pick. It’s a long story, but he had been a pro for a few years before he finally got a chance to play in the NBA, signing with Phoenix as a free agent.

The Twins: Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges have surpassed most expectations, so far. Time for these guys to set new goals. The guess here is they’re only going to get better. Of course, the Suns didn’t technically draft either one of them. They were acquired in “draft day trades.”

Biggest woulda, coulda, shouldas

Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Suns could have had him in 2013. To be fair, a LOT of teams missed on this two-time MVP. He went 15th, behind a who’s who of guys you haven’t thought about in a few years.

Kobe Bryant: Legend has it that Jerry Colangelo was ready to pick the high school phenom, but the Lakers swooped in with a trade that scuttled his chance. Mr. C then took Steve Nash, so he turned out OK.

Steph Curry: Apparently, the Suns wanted Curry, too. The story goes that they had a trade worked out with Golden State that would have boiled down to Amare Stoudemire for Curry, but Golden State backed out late. (Also, if the deal had gone through, this would’ve ended up in the “omissions” category. It would have been a draft day trade, not a Phoenix pick.)

Biggest told ya so

Deandre Ayton (No. 1, 2018): He averages 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds for his career, and it’s clear he’s only scratching the surface. He turns 24 next month and already he’s helped lead the Suns to the NBA Finals. If the Suns trade him this offseason, expect a megastar (Kevin Durant?) or a haul of players and picks in return.

Biggest deal

Larry Nance (No. 20, 1981): It’s a big deal to draft an All-Star late in the first round, but then to trade him for Kevin Johnson, Mark West and the draft pick that became Dan Majerle? That’s the best trade since Jack gave up an old cow for a few picks that turned out to be a golden egg-laying wing player and a giant who had been dominating the Sky Conference.

My top five

1. Booker. He’s got a chance to shatter every meaningful offensive record in the book.

2. Kerr. He’s one of the greatest winners of all time and an Arizona guy. If he’s not on this list it’s a bad list. (Tip of the cap to Duane for this one.)

3. Nance. Aside from KJ, West and Thunder Dan, Phoenix got extra picks in the ’88 draft. Without the extra selections, do they take Kerr?

4. Nash. He’s probably on here even without his involvement in the Matrix (and if you don’t know that was Shawn Marion’s nickname, how did you read this far?)

5. Ayton. If the Suns lose this guy, they’re going to regret it. (Unless they get Durant.)

Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @SayingMoore.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who ya got? Greg Moore's list of Suns top-5, all-time draft picks