Draft Recap

The Phoenix Suns have a reputation for their questionable draft choices. Just to name a few, Josh Jackson over Jayson Tatum. Jalen Smith over Tyrese Haliburton and Deandre Ayton over Luka Doncic. But I think for the first time in what seems like over a decade, the Suns front office finally pulled through and got the pieces they needed to help round out the edges and kickstart the offseason. The Suns went for more of what seemed to be a conservative route in the first round as they decided to trade back six spots from pick 22 to acquire picks 28 and 56 from Denver. I believe James Jones and Mat Ishbia were confident that either Ryan Dunn or Tyler Kolek were still going to be on the board towards the back end of the first round. When pick 28 finally came around, the Suns decided to draft the defensive menace out of the University of Virginia, Ryan Dunn.

Going into the second round, I was personally told by sources that Phoenix was either going to move into the top half of the second round or trade back once again. This was also reported by the lead writer for PHNX Sports, Gerald Bourguet. I was also told by sources that Phoenix was planning to draft a big man in the second round instead of a point guard, which is what the majority of the fanbase wanted. Going into the second round, Phoenix had picked 56 (acquired via trade from Denver). Many fans were hoping the Suns would trade up early into the second round to draft Marquette guard Tyler Kolek. They indeed had other plans, as Kolek was selected at pick 34 by Portland but was then re-routed to New York (via trade). When pick 40 came around, the Knicks were on the clock. About 3 minutes into the draft clock, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Phoenix was trading picks 56 and 51. Fans and media were very confused about the 51st pick, considering Phoenix only had pick 56 going into the second round of the draft. But Gerald Bourguet helped clear up the clarification as he reported that Phoenix traded a protected 2028 Boston 2nd Round pick for the 51st pick. Then the Suns packaged picks 51 and 56 to trade up to 40. With the 40th pick, Phoenix selected Oso Ighodaro, a 6'10 big man from Marquette.

Looking at the Prospects

Taking a look at the prospects, I feel there are some interesting strengths and weaknesses in them. I myself am still learning about the prospects, as I am not a college sports junkie like most.

Ryan Dunn

Dunn, I feel, will be a fan favorite with his trampoline-like vertical and his knack for defense. Ryan is listed as 6'6 without shoes but has a 7-foot wingspan. If you're asking me, this sounds very similar to another fan favorite that goes by the name Mikal Bridges. Dunn also has a spring-like vertical, as he has a standing vertical of 32 inches and a max vertical leap of 38 and a half inches. Dunn will be looked upon to guard some of the premier guys in this league, such as Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and more. With Dunn's defensive impact, this will lessen the defensive responsibilities for Beal, Booker, and Durant. On the offensive side of things, Dunn is viewed as a player who still needs to develop a three-point shot, which is very key in Budenholzer's offense, as Budenholzer's past offenses have a tendency to put up a high volume of threes. Luckily for Dunn, he is very young and still has way more than enough time to develop a serviceable shot. If Dunn can put the pieces together on the shooting side of things, we could potentially see him become one of the highest-paid 3 and D players in the NBA. Now, one thing Dunn does provide offensively is pressure on the rim. With such an athletic frame and high vertical, Dunn will be a lob threat and cutter in the Suns offense. My player comp for Ryan Dunn is Jaden McDaniels, as they have similar frames and player archetypes.

Oso Ighodaro

Ighodaro is a player that I am still getting familiar with, so my intel on him might be vague. Ighodaro was actually a serious prospect for the Suns to take at pick 28 (via John Gambadoro). Around the Suns community, Ighodaro has been drawing player comparisons to a more athletic Draymond Green. Ighodaro is listed at 6'10 with a 6'11 wingspan. According to HoopsHype, Ighodaro served as a playmaker in college. He is also a proficient and well-rounded defender, which is another need the Suns were looking for. Oso is also a strong screener and lob threat on the offensive end. Now he, like Ryan Dunn, is not a shooter by any means, so I wouldn't expect a lot shooting from Oso. Now HoopsHype says that Ighodaro "does not accumulate rebounds or provide elite rim protection," which is very contradictory considering they also say he is a well-rounded defender and formidable shot blocker. Oso averaged 6.9 rebounds in 32 minutes along with 1.3 blocks per game during the 2023–24 NCAA season.

Grade

If I were to give the Suns a grade on the 2024 draft, I would give it a solid A. The drafted guys have a high ceiling and can come in and make an impact right off the bat. The Suns also walked out of the draft with two future second-round picks that can potentially be used in trade packages in the future.