Why the Warriors like to pursue the Suns’ recovery plans

Marquese Chriss felt already seen last week when he learned that Kelly Oubre Jr. had been traded by the Suns without his team saying it.

In August 2018, while training at the Phoenix Practice Center, Chriss learned on Twitter that he had been distributed to the Rockets. It ended a two-season stint with the Suns clouded by dysfunctional ownership, mixed messages from coaches and a nagging sense that it was not being properly used.

More than two years removed from a Phoenix jersey, Chriss, 23, is a key part of the Warriors’ rotation. But he knows that if it weren’t for an unsecured invitation to Golden State training camp last season, he could easily be out of the league – another promising young player unable to find a team capable of maximizing. its physical tools.

Every candidate recruited for the NBA is gifted, which is why, more often than not, when someone washes up after only a few seasons, it’s because the franchise was not for them. It’s a theme with the Suns, who have a reputation under owner Robert Sarver as a league-wide hitting line. Since Phoenix last made the playoffs in 2010, he has finished above 0.500 once, gone through seven head coaches and hired six general managers.

Well-run franchises like the Warriors have learned that the Phoenix approach can produce worthy reclamation projects. After watching Chriss become a frontcourt staple, Golden State signed Dragan Bender – a great man in ground spacing who has not come close to his billing as a first pick in three years with the Suns – to last two 10-day contracts. season.

Bender failed to find a foothold with the Warriors before heading overseas, but Golden State was not dissuaded. Shortly after Golden State guard Klay Thompson’s season-ending injury two weeks ago, the Warriors traded two draft picks at Oklahoma City for Oubre, who had been distributed from Phoenix days earlier for a bundle. who brought Chris Paul back.

Oubre’s numbers last season with the Suns – 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game – impressed far more than what Chriss and Bender posted in Phoenix, but Golden State has reason to believe that Oubre can be even better in San Francisco. . As Oubre said, “I received nothing in Phoenix. Even though I made it look good, I received nothing at all.

To the audience, Oubre was a vocal leader in the Suns’ “Valley Boyz” movement who threw acrobatic dunks with ease, loudly applauded his teammates, and was fortunate enough to become a building block of the franchise. But behind the scenes, Oubre and management were at odds at times, which could have played a role in his exit.

After the Oubre meniscus operation in March, the Suns chiefs reportedly encouraged him to play in the Orlando bubble. Not physically ready, Oubre refused – then heard fans question his dedication and watched his teammates go 8-0 and become a national story.

Two weeks ago, after a practice session at the Suns’ training center, Oubre noticed players and officials watching him as he left the field. Believing he should be traded, Oubre asked the Frank Kaminsky center where he was heading, to which Kaminsky replied “OKC”.

Since arriving in the Bay Area, Oubre, 24, has barely spoken with his former Suns teammates. Asked in a radio interview about the difference between Phoenix and Golden State, he said, “I can play for an owner – someone who really cares about the organization and not just the perception of the organization of the. media side. ”

Oubre is focused on finding a long-term home with the Warriors, and with Thompson for the second season in a row, the team see Oubre as an athletic wing who can start shooting. If all goes according to plan, Golden State could recruit him in free agency next summer.

“I think it’s good for him not to have to be there (in Phoenix) anymore,” said Chriss, who averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds over his two years with Phoenix. “The way they handle things is pretty wild. I feel for him the situation he was in because that’s how I was traded from Phoenix.

“I’m thankful that he’s here and with an organization that really wants him and wants him to be the best player he can be. I’m happy to have him as a teammate.