Grading Suns' First-Round Moves

The Suns had an overall successful round one with a trade down the draft board.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Ryan Dunn reacts after being selected in the first round by the Denver Nuggets in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The first round of the NBA draft is officially complete, and the Phoenix Suns had an overall successful day - depending on who you ask, at least.

The Suns owned the number 22 pick in the draft - and could have taken either Virginia's Ryan Dunn or Marquette's Tyler Kolek with the pick - but they essentially held the Denver Nuggets hostage to get DaRon Holmes II - a player that Denver coveted.

The Suns ended up collecting pick 28, along with Denver's 56th pick this year and second-round picks in 2026 and 2031 to move down.

In a vacuum, this trade was risky. The Suns could have missed out on one of the most coveted prospects they were focused on.

At the end of the day, they collected three second-round picks to a bare draft assets chest - and ended up getting the prospect that the franchise was arguably highest on all along in Dunn.

Dunn is a high-impact defender and phenomenal athlete that can slot into a rotational spot right away to play crucial minutes as a POA (point of attack) defender with hope that the offensive game will develop at the next level.

The result of general manager James Jones' efforts in the first round also raises more questions - could Phoenix find a way to pull off a trade up to get another coveted prospect on Thursday? Could Tyler Kolek's slide into the second round lead to the Suns making another move up? Is it even possible to make a move?

The Suns' interest in Kolek is well documented, so it will be interesting to see if the front office at the very least attempts to move up to secure a table-setter on top of Dunn to close out the 2024 draft class.

First-Round Grade: A-

The Suns traded down, added more flexibility moving forward, and got the prospect they were likely the highest on. The Suns also have an opportunity to move up and get a prospect they like this afternoon - so stay tuned.