How Phoenix Suns Are Impacted by Fallout From Clippers' Punishments

The Phoenix Suns are navigating an ever-changing NBA landscape that further complicated on Wednesday. 

The Suns' rivals in the Los Angeles Clippers were handed a historic punishment by the NBA for salary cap circumvention in the case of signing Kawhi Leonard.

The Clippers are being stripped of five first-round draft picks, and key members of the front office are being suspended for an extended period of time as a result. 

How exactly does this impact the Suns directly?

The most direct consequence that gives Phoenix a built-in advantage is that the organization is no longer in control of the lowest quality chest of draft assets in the Pacific Division. The Clippers are without five first-round picks now, and are going to have to scramble to find alternative ways to acquire talent. 

The secondary fallout resides in potential franchise instability moving forward. A reasonable question to raise is whether Clippers' head coach Tyronn Lue is keen on committing to the franchise at a time in which it doesn't appear that the organization has a clear path towards contending - or even competing. The Clippers and Sacramento Kings are two organizations in the division that simply don't have much direction, which directly benefits Phoenix in return. 

The hypothetical area in which Phoenix benefits is in becoming a natural fit for Clippers' point guard Darius Garland. Garland is in Los Angeles' plans for the long-term, but there is a reality in which the organization seeks to offload him for future picks and current assets on a different timeline. Garland is an incredibly natural fit alongside franchise cornerstone Devin Booker. The continual effort to make life easier for Booker would come into full focus here.

Beyond the Clippers, there is a truly reasonable argument to be made that Phoenix is in the best position out of anyone in the division. The Clippers are now stuck in the worst position in the NBA. The Kings lack building blocks and a true direction. The Golden State Warriors don't have a clear plan for life beyond Stephen Curry, while the Los Angeles Lakers are still facing a non-zero chance that Luka Doncic seeks an out from the franchise in the near future.

All in all, Phoenix has an argument that they are one of the winners in the post-punishment fallout. Head coach Jordan Ott is arguably the best bet of any coach in the division to be with their current franchise five years from now. General manager Brian Gregory is doing the best work in the division when it comes to identifying value players and signing said players to economical deals. Mat Ishbia is the current steward that is in the best position to support winning ways to cap everything off.