Suns Select Top Defender in NBA Draft

The Suns traded back and landed on the number 28 pick with Ryan Dunn.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; The 2024 NBA draft class poses for photos before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The newest member of the Phoenix Suns has been selected - although it took longer than some fans would have liked it to.

Potential targets in Indiana's Kel'el Ware, Tristan Da Silva of Colorado, and Yves Missi out of Baylor were selected in the picks preceding Phoenix - so they had a choice to either select one of two often-linked prospects with the selection or trade back to accumulate more draft capital.

They chose the latter, and that can be read about here.

The Suns decided to move back from the number 22 pick to number 28 in a trade with the Denver Nuggets - picking up three second round picks in the process.

The franchise ended up selecting Virginia wing Ryan Dunn at 28 - a prospect that had been of high interest in the past several weeks.

Dunn, 21, is seen as potentially the strongest defensive prospect in this draft. The Virginia product has seen his stock rise in the preceding weeks due to a perceived improvement on the offensive side of the ball - and the Suns have officially rolled the dice on expecting that jump to come in due time.

Arizona Sports' insider John Gambadoro previously reported the three biggest priorities for the Suns this offseason - a point guard that can switch between the bench or starting lineup, an athletic wing, and a center that can be something of an antithesis of incumbent center Jusuf Nurkic.

The Suns got one of the three with this selection.

I expect the Phoenix Suns with the 28th pick in the NBA draft to select Tyler Dunn. Suns trade down in the first round, acquire three second round picks and still get a player they were very high on.

- Gambadoro on Dunn

This draft pick also likely confirmed that Phoenix is actively looking to build a better roster around the trio of stars already around - this heavily comes into conflict with multiple ESPN reports that the Suns could be looking to trade Kevin Durant.

The second round of the NBA Draft begins tomorrow. The next wave of the offseason begins after on Sunday - as the legal free agency negotiation period is set to commence at 3 PM Phoenix time that day.