2024 NBA Draft: Breaking Down Phoenix Suns Draft Class

The Phoenix Suns had two draft picks in this past draft and added some enticing talent to their roster. How will they fit the organization?

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns have one of the most talented rosters in the entire NBA as they have an elite core between Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Suns are looking to add key role players through free agency and the draft. This year they got two proven college players that will significantly upgrade their defense.

Let’s dive into each selection they made and the summary of their draft.

No. 28: Ryan Dunn

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With one of the last picks in the first round, the Suns selected the elite defensive forward out of Virginia, Ryan Dunn. The 6-foot-8 wing has been labeled by some scouts as one of the best defensive prospects in the 2020’s. The Suns had their struggles on the defensive end last season so they will be able to plug Dunn into the rotation and he will immediately improve their defense.

He has great awareness and plays off of his amazing instincts which allows him to rack up steals and blocks making him a stocks monster. He is a very good secondary rim protector while also doing a great job of being active in the passing lanes and getting steals. Dunn is capable of defending up and down a lineup due to his elite defensive versatility.

On the other hand, he struggles to make much of an impact on the offensive end and there are valid questions on what his role offensively will be in the NBA. Since he will be playing next to three elite scoring talents then his offensive woes become less of an issue.

No. 40: Oso Ighodaro

Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

With their second-round pick, the Suns added more depth to the center position by drafting Oso Ighodaro out of Marquette. There’s a valid case to be made that the 6-foot-10 center is one of the best passing bigs in the entire 2024 NBA Draft.

He has a very good feel for the game, advanced vision for someone at that position, and plays very unselfishly. Ighodaro is a good defensive big who can play a variety of different coverages out of ball-screens while also showcasing some defensive versatility.

Out of the short roll, he’s very good as a decision-maker while also having an amazing floater inside the painted area that he goes to quite often when the opposing center is dropping down a bit too far. Ighodaro is a solid athlete with impressive mobility for a center. On the downside of things, he doesn’t have great physical tools for a center, his shot isn’t there and doesn’t have an elite skill.

Draft Summary

The Suns struggled on the defensive end a year ago so it’s clear they made an emphasis in the draft to potentially improve their team defense by adding two proven college players that excelled on the defensive end at the collegiate level. Dunn could legitimately get valuable minutes as a rookie due to his specialty as a defensive prospect but on the flip side of things what will his offensive role be for the Suns?

You shouldn’t expect much out of Ighodaro in his rookie season as the Suns already have Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee on the roster, but a couple of years down the line he could be a key piece to the rotation. Overall this was a productive draft out of the Suns as they clearly are trying to win right now while also getting more young guys to round out the roster.

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