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["Dr. Lucky Pittman" <lpittman@murraystate.edu>]

Good point, Sherwin - and you may be right.  After bringing up the point
about differences in root structure/function, I veered directly away from
that tenet.
If this were a typical temperate deciduous tree with fine root hairs,
cutting the attachment to the 'mother' tree while leaving it otherwise
undisturbed, without damaging any small root hairs that might be present
along its now-isolated sucker root might lend a survival advantage.  But, it
may well be that since fibrous roots are not a prominent feature of pawpaws,
that digging and potting up would indeed potentially provide a more
hospitable environment for new root growth and survival of the sucker. 

Lucky

      Not to belabor this point too much, I feel a comment is due here.
      Jerry's method insures that the sucker plant can survive on it's own.
      One can achieve the same effect by moving the plant to a pot or
      into the ground, being careful to keep as much soil on the roots,
      as possible.  The only advantage of a pot vs. in the ground, is that
      the pot can be placed in a protective environment.  Otherwise, the
      root development would seem to be the same leaving it next to
      the mother tree or moving it.

      Sherwin