The Suns went from making a decision between Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss to finding a way to bring home both.
The Suns traded their No. 13 and No. 28 draft choices, the rights to Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and Detroit's 2020 second-round pick to acquire Chriss via Sacramento's No. 8 pick.
After drafting Bender at No. 4, the Suns agreed to a deal with the Kings once it was clear Chriss was still available at No. 8.
Chriss, who turns 19 on July 2, is a 6-foot-10, 225-pound power forward who played one season at Washington in his fifth year of organized basketball. He has rare athleticism for a big man with a 38 1/2-inch vertical leap and also has shown shooting touch and ballhandling ability. Chriss and Bender have versatility to perhaps slide to different positions as they develop.
Chriss averaged 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game, shooting 53 percent from the field and hitting 21 of 60 (35 percent) 3-point tries. Chriss led the nation in fouls, fouling out in 15 of 34 Washington games. The Suns made the deal with Chriss' hometown team.
"I like the city," Chriss told ESPN after the pick. "I like the coaching staff. I'm willing to go down there and learn.
"I feel like it's a great fit for me. The coach, Earl Watson, is a down-to-Earth guy, and will let me grow through my mistakes."
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas called Chriss "a ridiculous athlete" but he also has been labeled as immature and emotional, a point Chriss addressed at last month's draft combine.
Chriss averaged 4.1 fouls per game.
Chriss interviewed with the Suns in Chicago in May and visited and worked out in Phoenix last weekend. That is an amazing transformation considering his dream was the NFL five years ago. Chriss was a 6-foot-2 eighth grader playing tight end, defensive end and free safety until a broken collarbone and his mother's suggestion switched him to basketball.
In person, Chriss is an engaging talker and shows the smarts of someone who once intended to pursue engineering at Washington.
"It's not that I want to be liked by people," Chriss said. "I don't strive for people to like me. If you don't like me, you don't like me. I'm sorry. It's something I've grown up doing. I like talking to people. I'm friendly. But I've never been mistaken for not being serious. When I have to handle my business, I'll handle my business.
Chriss, a Sacramento-area native, holds Kings forward Rudy Gay as a model of a player who can post up, play on the perimeter and handle the ball well.