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Are We Absolutely Sure the Phoenix Suns Will Make a Pick In the NBA Draft?



Are We Absolutely Sure the Phoenix Suns Will Make a Pick In the NBA Draft?

today on locked on suns it’s draft week officially it is here we believe the suns are keeping their pick we’ll talk plenty about prospects as the week goes along but before the week really gets going are we absolutely 100% sure that the suns are actually going to be making a pick and what could change that let’s go you are locked on suns your daily Phoenix Suns podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day and we’re back this is lockon Phoenix Suns part of the lockon podcast Network your team every day I’m Brendan clean your host and a credential media member covering the Suns for the past seven seasons as well as the host of the just basketball show Welcome in thank you for making us your first list to kick off your Monday we are free and available everywhere including YouTube so hit follow or subscribe if you have not already get a new episode of lockon suns in your feed every single Monday through Friday or if it’s like last week and there’s a little bit of extra news you got a Saturday episode as well so keep it right here all offseason long become an everyday or get lock down to the Phoenix Suns all summer summer league maybe there’s an August trade like there has been for the past few years I will have it all covered all right joining us as he does every single Monday is Brandon Dwayne yes he is a writer over at Bright Side of the Sun and we’re going to try to rank the options here of what the Suns could do with this pick one last time before Wednesday we’ll do some last minute homework on prospects as the week continues but I don’t want to I don’t want to lock in that the suns are absolutely going to be making a pick here Brandon so we’re going to talk through that I want to let everybody know first Today’s Show brought to you by the FanDuel sports book make every moment more as playoffs wind down the sorts stop sporting like we want them to but this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with the booster bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everyone every day all summer long visit fel.com lockon to check it out all right this way Brandon to just open it all up four options that the Suns could take uh with this number 22 overall pick and I’m going to ask you which one you think is the best keep the pick trade up trade down or trade out meaning trade the pick for a player which one do you like best first of all I can’t believe it’s already draft time like where where is this year gone uh second to answer your question I can’t believe we’re actually talking about the draft on locked on suns that where is that time gone it’s been four years exactly so this is a this is a tough question um but my my quick answer is just I think trading back I think you got to be hunting for assets at this point and we we’ll talk cover some options later on in the show but I think get another pick back um or two along with the player possibly like I think that’s that’s probably the best way for them to do it and there’s so many teams with multiple picks in that range that makes sense as trade Partners so to me if if the star is align I think that’s that’s the best way to do it I I feel like I agree with you um but I will say partially because of some of the players we’re going to talk about later and just the the opportunity that I feel like the Suns have in this range I’m tempted to just say keep the pick because I feel like this draft is going to be a little bit crazy and you know obviously you’re hearing kind of at the top of it like not a lot of teams want to uh there’s more people wanting to trade back than trade up I would imagine the same thing might be true in this draft so one are you what deals are out there how far down are you having to go to to find that trade partner all that kind of stuff obviously is going to be there but then I just think because everybody’s been calling it kind of like an eye of the beholder draft and a weak draft and a you know maybe a role player heavy versus Star heavy draft whatever way you want to kind of frame at that with that it’s it’s it feels like it’s going to be even less predictable than it usually is and so obviously teams know a lot more than we do so I’m not trying to say just because we think that that it you know but I I guess I just don’t know how certain can you be if you’re moving back five spots 10 spots whatever maybe all the guys you like could be gone so I like of course if the deal is right I would agree with you but I guess in a vacuum I’m kind of leaning just keep it and and take a player you really like and maybe it’s just you walk out of draft night with one guy but if that one guy is really good then I’m in for it yeah and and I think that could also that same line thinking as far as which I agree with is like this draft is going to be very unpredictable there’s going to be guys a drop that maybe we didn’t expect to be there at 22 let’s say it’s a guy that maybe the Suns aren’t high on and the New York Knicks who said they have the 24th 25th and 38th picks let’s say there’s someone they really like there that they didn’t expect to be there could the Suns get the 25th and the 38th pick like to me that that’s where you could add not only add someone in the first round like if you want to use that pick still but then now all a sudden you have a second rounder or you could move that first round or for a different player and then take a swing in the second round so to me it’s just all about collecting assets the Suns don’t have a lot of those at this point so I think the best case scenario is someone drops that the Suns maybe aren’t as high on and then one of those teams that has like I think Utah has like 29 and 32 Minnesota has 27 and 37 those are a couple other examples of teams that maybe if uh they they’re someone they really like and they have all these picks that they’re they’re probably not going to use these spots on like it would make sense to to partner with a team like the Suns who could use those picks now or later so to me like obviously that’s I agree if there’s someone that is very high on their list that falls in their lap take them but um there it’s it’s uh interesting spot really it really comes down to how big of a gap there is for the for the Suns between a lot of the guys in this range and like to their credit this summer part of w think we’re all kind of leaning toward they’re going to at least make a pick one pick at least somewhere is that they’ve been doing a lot more homework it feels like than they have in recent years where they weren’t even really working guys out they weren’t really like involved much because one I mean you know last year they didn’t even have a pick that and it’s just kind of been assumed that okay there’s no point but they didn’t go into this process feeling like they weren’t making a pick and more and more time goes by you’re just going to buy it but if they like Tyler Kik or some of these other guys that they’ve worked out what’s the gap between somebody like Kik versus whatever the next guy or maybe he’s not even first maybe gambo’s been saying that the hype on him and the Suns being tied together is a little bit less than the national media is saying so maybe it’s one of the guys we’ll talk about later on in the show or maybe it’s somebody we’ve never heard of but whatever that player is do they like that guy twice as much as the next guy that they might get at 20 to or are they all interchangeable and I think that would Le lend itself to yeah trade back cuz if they’re all the same grade then you’re happy with any of them but if they love one guy then I think that kind of goes toward keep 22 Yeah and just another idea I’m just kind of spitballing here is like just looking back to 2019 uh when they when they took cam Johnson uh I think the the philosophy of like yes we’re very h on cam Johnson we’re going to reach for him not going to take him at six so we’re going to trade back to to 11 it’s still a reach but he’s our guy and we’re going to get Dario sarich in the process if Toronto I’m just throwing a team out there if Toronto they have the 31st pick if there’re someone they like the Suns want Kelly o Len or some vet to attach that and then trade back to 31 where you’re getting a rotation player while also still getting to take that swing of the guy that maybe the suns are going to take at uh that same pick like to me that’s that’s what they should be looking for like I think that’s that was one of the best moves James Jones has ever made and it was one of the most scrutinized ones at the time so um if they could try to find a way to replicate that of gaining a rotation player while also taking who they’re going to take anyways that that to me is awesome and then do whatever you want with 2031 like we’ve already talked about it I think that pick’s gone pour him out for it it’s I think it’s it’s long gone um I I don’t know if it’s exactly what the trade’s going to look like but I think this year they can get a little creative so I’m excited to see what they do all right so neither of us picked trade the pick for a player trade out of the draft completely so what I want to ask in the next segment is how good would the offer have to be which really means how good would the player coming in have to be to flip your uh opinion and and make you okay doing a trade out deal and same for me we’ll also talk a little bit about these lingering rumors of about the Suns trying to trade in to get a second pick not down but a whole other deal entirely to get back into the second round and what that could mean all coming up next first Today’s Show brought to you by eBay Motors passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay motors do everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to Peak Performance we all know the Arizona Sun just fries our cars so we need a little bit of different stuff than some places would but eBay Motors has it all roof racks exhaust kits LED headlights um batteries Galore I’m sure uh eBay can help you out there anything uh exterior paint wise any little patches things like that or rust or uh you know deteriorating anything the heat does it eBay Motors has you covered with the over 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you always find exactly what you are looking for and with eBay is guaranteed fit your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time your money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber not cash with all the parts you need at the prices you want it’s easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers all right Brandon so I will let you answer the question that I posed in that last segment very straightforward made back in April May and I kept it in my planning dock for a reason so that I could hold myself to the same original ideas that I had obviously others have kind of come up as different players maybe become available or the playoffs changed how teams feel about their guys whatever but I got like 30 names between nurkic and little trades some of them would be good enough to convince me that trading the pick is worth it now they might not be available but what do you think how uh good would the player have to be who who comes to mind not Landry shamut might be a good place to start the answer here but what would it have to look like for you to change your answer from trade back to trade out and get a vet yeah to me part of the reason I my answer leans towards keeping the pay or like either keeping it or trading back is the fact that I don’t think there’s going to be a player that fits that checks the box of like being good enough that’s actually available to make it happen so obviously if that happens like pull the trigger uh Walker kler is a name I thought was a little interesting like I don’t know how like there’s a little bit of smoke there I’m not sure how uh willing UTI actually deal him but that that’s a name that I think you could plug that guy in he could play right away um to me it has to be someone of that level that you know you’re going to get at least 20 to 25 minutes of this person in a playoff setting that’s that’s the bottom line like that’s where you have to start so how many of those players you going to get for the 22nd pick probably not too many and you have to look at the teams that want be want like willing to do that and it’s typically going to be those bad teams that are either rebuilding and just want to collect picks uh collect assets like whatever so there’s just aren’t too many teams I think that are a perfect fit that are likely so that’s why someone like Kesler kind of checks the box of a he’s still young B he could play right now C I don’t know why Utah would deal him other than just to collect more picks but it’s that that’s just kind of like the first name I start with there’s obviously like the Charlotte connection that people have talked about like Cody Martin and Nick Richards and all that but um I I don’t know well that that’s a good one right like I know you’ve been big on Nick Richards all summer is he good enough is it would be little in that case and22 for Nick Richards is that a good enough deal for you to trade it I think that’s to me like I I would be that would be passable I I would uh it wouldn’t be it also depends who’s available at 22 I think that’s kind of the other part you have to factor in but to me like crazy right like that you say that because what was so kind of wild about the Landry shamet thing just cuz that’s like a one to one example of exactly the type of trade that we’re talking about is they did that before the draft they didn’t even wait for the draft to start it was like the afternoon like hours beforehand it’s like at least wait and see how the board Falls like what if somebody great and ends up becoming available that you loved it just speaks to what I was saying a minute ago too of like I feel like they went into 2021 being like we’re not we’re not taking anybody whatever yeah you got to use a board as leverage like that’s that’s one of the most important things you could do on draft day is like that’s when that that day is like when the pick holds the most value obviously you’re not guaranteed to get a deal done and uh in time and sometimes that can people can get cold feet or whatever but like it it seemed like they just had their mind made up that they want to jam it so they they just went out and did it that there could be something similar that happens on Wednesday afternoon before the draft where the suns are like by the time before the draft even starts they’re it’s uh we get a little woe bomb and that picks gone as well so I I don’t know like I I think Richards and Martin probably like the Baseline for me of like what you’re looking for if you’re going to move that um and they’re just aren’t too many other options I feel like that are super realistic so it’s to me that’s why I think trading back makes the most sense and then you could still use and when I say trade back it doesn’t mean like use both picks draft two rookies like no I think you could get creative and package them together package one make a pick and utilize that that g- League a little bit like there’s just I don’t know there there’s a lot of things they could do so to me uh that’s the one that still I would put out in front by quite a bit at this point I believe that Utah has they have 29 and 32 they have exactly I feel like that’s pretty close to what Indiana had last year when Denver did the deal with them and they also have Kesler so they’re they’ve just been a team that I’m like keep an eye on WE feels like the Jazz do weird stuff they kind of they’re trying to be they’re trying to rebuild without bottoming out it’s not going great they always it’s like okay hold on they’re in on Damen Lillard they’re in on Drew holiday but also they’re you know in the lottery every year and they’re acquiring all these first round picks like mhm they just feel like kind of a wild card I agree like The Kessler thing I don’t really know why they would deal him but there have been some rumors out there of it’s like you know dis uh disjointed between him and the coaching staff he had he basically got benched for John Collins last year which I’d be pretty bothered by if I was like a a really promising rookie who gets sent to the bench for a guy that’s like had been on the trade uh Rumor Mill for like three years in Atlanta and now all of a sudden he’s taken my spot so I I kind of get it and if it is that bad and he’s available he’s absolutely good enough but let me throw another one at you that’s also on the Jazz so this would not be nir little this would be Yousef nurkic again I think a little less likely just because to me the caliber of player that you’re getting with the 22nd overall pick this year is a little lower meaning a little cheaper most likely somebody that’s um not a star or not a not a a player who’s already been properly paid whereas nkic always made more sense with 2031 because more expensive guys tend to be vets tend to be more valuable Etc just to walk through my my thinking there but this would be a nkit and22 and tell me if this is good enough that would make you want to pull the trigger call and ston no I I I would I would not um nothing against seon I just uh and I’m not a huge nerkish guy either as as you all know I I but to me that’s just from a roster building standpoint like I just that’s not where i’ allocate yeah that’s not where I’d allocate that repositioning of the roster and everything like I think nurkic has to be mo I’m not going to say has to be moved for a big but I would not move him for a guard personally I just think they need size that’s tough though because there’s just not a lot of centers who already make as much as he makes who would be available you know it’s like Zack Collins uh Mitchell Robinson somebody that of course has come up a lot yeah that’s that’s a team I’m really looking at is the Knicks I I could really see the Suns of Knicks doing something I’m not saying it’s G to be Mitch Rob and nerk but like just with their picks they like I said they have 24 25 and 38 like that that’s a team I could easily see trading because they they already have a deep team so if there’s someone they like and they The Falls are the 22 and the Suns want to gain another asset and I don’t think get 24 and 38 I feel like the Knicks would probably be a little um you know tough on that negotiation saying like no we’ll send you 25 and 38 but to me like I I would pull a trigger on that almost immediately uh like bearing there being someone that is very high on the Suns list that slipped down to them so so real quick on the Knicks also just to register this so I can say I got it right if it happens um wouldn’t be like shocked if Paul George was a Nick by draft night and those picks are in a different team um it just you keep hearing the Knicks from people who seem to know Brian windhorse Mark Stein like all of us are just kind of like oh the Sixers what would be so crazy if you went to the magic but a lot of the plugged in people keep bringing up the Knicks despite the fact that they have a lot of Paul George type guys already so for whatever that’s worth um the last thing though just part of why again I I would lean a little bit toward keep the pick than any of these other things is even if they can find a team in the 30s or low 40s that makes sense as a partner it feels like if they get that second round pick they’re just going to take bronny and so that kind of impacts to me how much how highly I’m valuing it if it’s going to be a guy that they’re reaching for anyway and not somebody that I think is going to make a big difference on this year’s team it’s like yes that’s a nice trade they’ll get a they’ll get a they’ll get hyped up by like the the the cap nerds and the front office nerds out there that cover the NBA but will it actually make them closer to a championship team if that’s the direction they end up going obviously that’s like five layers of hypotheticals deep at that point so I I’m not I don’t know it but it feels like if they get another second round pick whether from Trading back or trading into the second round like I mentioned that’s just going to become bronny yeah it’s a good point and again I think the only and it’s already been squashed I get all that and I get that all these quotes that are out there like oh it’s it doesn’t matter if he if the Lakers draft him I could still leave all like all this back and forth like to me I still I think LeBron is he wants to play with Brony I I still believe that I’m I’m I’m not saying if the Suns take him he’s going to force his way here and play on minimum but I still think that is still something that I will say it’s the unpopular opinion now like it’s been squash I get it of course the agent’s going to say that he’s client’s not going to take a p haay cut like I get it but his clock is ticking he’s only going to be playing so much longer I think I really I I could see something happening if this if the Suns did take bronny and the Lakers pass on him I I will still I’m going to keep my my guns there and and say that despite everything everyone saying the complete opposite uh I would just keep an eye on that LeBron’s opt out date is Saturday he could have opted out and resign with the Lakers so you know just just to be giving the facts here um but I I I look I um I will believe that when I see it I would love the idea though of trading back and the ultimate deal basically becoming like uh with the Knicks let’s just say since you use that example Phoenix trades 22 to New York for 25 and LeBron James which is pretty much what you’re kind of saying would be happening that would be a win of a trade I would say uh if if if it ended up that way trade down and get get the potential goat that sounds pretty nice um all right let’s close with less trade talk and more Prospect talk because there’s one other wrinkle that again I just want to kind of make sure we’re all on the same page on which is that we’ve assumed the suns are going to take somebody older somebody ready to contribute right away one I don’t know if that’s always one and the same I don’t know if old guys are the only ones who can contribute right away so we’ll flesh that out but also what if they just take a project and surpris us all we’ll get into that coming up next first Today’s Show brought to you by the FanDuel sports book I love sports so much we never want them to stop but as the playoffs wind down across basketball and hockey we get fewer games there’s not as much on TV I’m already full in soccer mode for instance and the sports aren’t quite getting there like we want them to but FanDuel let’s keep Let’s us keep the sports going whenever we want all you got to do is open the app dream up bets and anytime you’re in the mood and it feels just like normal and this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everybody every day all summer long I’m looking at WNBA uh Tuesday Championship Commissioners Cup Championship Game the New York Liberty are not really at home because the NBA draft I guess had to slide in there but they are in New York uh and they’re 4 and a half Point favorites at home they won this thing last year maybe you just take that uh but also of course over under 157.5 I just watched the Liberty in Phoenix lay like 90 points if they score 90 you’re probably going to hit the over on uh the over on 157 a half so just something to look at but there’s also baseball uh hockey we got one more game on Monday so head over to fanduel.com lockon and start making the most out of your summer FanDuel official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball all right Brandon so we have three prospects we’re going to kick through here fairly rapid fire I watched uh other people’s breakdowns I watched highlights I read uh Sam Vini does really good stuff in the athletic un like the background of these dudes so the names are and they’re they’re the three most projecty players I think that we’ve heard the Suns get connected with at least uh of the Freshman variety and well one of them is somebody we haven’t heard the Suns get connected with with but could fall we talked about all these players falling I look at the latest mock draft from s Vini for instance and there’s a ton of guys I like who could be available at 22 and all of them are going to be on our list right now okay so the three players are Tyler Smith Isaiah Collier Eve Missy from Baylor tell me who you want to start with and give me your thoughts on that guy G give me the one you like the most of the group we’ll start there I think Missy probably makes the most sense uh for several like obviously let’s rewind here the sun should not be we’ll start with this just in general draft analysis this is not a player that they should be relying on or expect to be relied on come playoff time this season like they could have their moments I think like any rookie but this is someone you think that no matter who they take or do you think that in this conversation about more raw guys no matter who they take now I I get the idea I think there are players that could potentially like break through that barrier at 22 and become like someone that they could rely on for five to 10 minutes in the playoffs but this not someone they should be drafting for this year I think that’s where a lot of mistakes are made I think it has to be someone that they think could potentially contribute this year and show some flashes and and is ready to play this year but also has a little bit of upside and that’s why I think someone like Missy he can kind of fill that Clint capella type role in terms of he does two things that the Suns need he could probably do them right away maybe not at the highest level and like there’s going to be some obviously Growing Pains any rookie would have but in this group I think he’s the best of both worlds in terms of you could probably play him a little bit in high leverage situations and it won’t kill you um hopefully but also like long term he could be a center that makes sense with Devin Booker who I’m kind of looking at as like probably the staple the Suns in terms of whoever they draft is probably going to be playing with de Booker for a long time I don’t know about Durant or Beal but to me he’s the type of Center that I think could potentially be a long-term starter if he gets the ceiling so that’s that’s where I look at trying to find that balance between Both Worlds he’s the one I like the most too um made 62% of his free throws so like that helps you feel decent about his playability if you want to call it that offensive rebounding rate was was really nice block rate was really nice things that that I liked about him kind of above and beyond the the base basic skill set is he has amazing hands like he’s coordin forget the DeAndre eight years like he’s going to catch passes uh consistently and and that’s good the other thing is I don’t think this you know th this isn’t me saying this is where his game is going or it’s for sure thing but there were times that he would catch the ball you know at the free throw line maybe in the middle of his own or you know kind of just in a dribble handoff situation where he had has to make a decision and he could take a dribble or two and get to the basket now I don’t think he’s going to be Nicole yic out there but the idea that maybe that could develop into kind of not maybe short short roll passing but those Amari Sodom style short roll dunks you know where you got you’re too far from the basket to necessarily dunk it immediately but you you can at least get there and power through other players that that felt pretty good as far as not just being a guy that is a garbage collector around the basket and needs everything set up for him there’s people who think he can maybe be a good switch Defender so um he does feel like he threads the needle a little bit where yes he’s a freshman yes he’s maybe a little bit more raw in the big picture but I still think could could play minutes so yeah um people said the same thing about Lively like I mean obviously everyone’s looking for the next lively that’s going to be an example we were going to hear over and over but like yeah I think there’s there’s some similarities in terms of like long-term Outlook shortterm like he could he’s the best of this specific group I think uh makes the most sense for the Suns given their current situation the other thing is he uh he gambo said that he will be in consideration I I don’t fully always know what the gambo 5 thing is is it like players he knows the suns are interested in or just players he hasn’t ruled out I don’t fully know I don’t think they’ve worked him out Missy so we’ll see but uh gambo also has not said anything about kle wear that’s kind of the one big he had besides uh that’s the one that he hasn’t mentioned really here and there’s more to come on Monday Tuesday Wednesday so we’re not going to talk about him today but he could be there Miss’s also over 19 already so I think that kind of speaks to it he’s not 18 turning 19 in November or something like he’ll he’ll turn 20 next season that’s not exactly some kind of you know raw freshman type Prospect all right I’ll start us off on the next one which is Isaiah Collier so uh he he no connections to the Suns as far as as we know not a historically James Jones type of prospect in any way shape or form uh a point guard who is a little you know flashy athletic can’t really shoot didn’t perform great in college only played one season fell his stock fell from where it started like this is no nothing like any player the Suns would have ever taken before but it seems like I mean this is a guy who has had top five consideration some of the nerdy draft people I follow on Twitter still see him as one of the most talented Best Bets in the draft but is in all these mocks falling into the 20s even late 20s and to me it just feels like to say that like okay the jumper is kind of the question mark that’s that’s the case for a lot of guys but his was at 33% the turnovers are a little high well you know we’re all making kind of this questionable case with bronny of like well you know the environment wasn’t great for him that’s what Rich Paul has said well Isaiah ker played for the same team their environments were the same it wasn’t ideal for him either and still had more turn assists than turnovers it wasn’t some kind of black hole so I don’t know I I don’t think he’s if I’m picking fifth I’m not going to go crazy but if he fa to 22 this kind of is where the conversation we were just having comes into play I think Brandon where it’s like I don’t think this is a guy the Suns could rely on at all this season like none but there might be a situation where the value is just too good to pass up and he is is a position of need like obviously we’ve been talking about all summer so I don’t think they’re going to take him but it wouldn’t be crazy if they did yeah this this is where it goes a little full circle to like the beginning of the show is like this is the type of player that I I don’t think the suns are going to draft him he’s just not the James Jones type but if there’s a team that sees him dropping and wants to trade up for him he’s the perfect type of guy to to sell like sell on I guess you could say is like if he’s there but from son’s point of view just I think he’s he’s a couple years away definitely talented was like one of the top high school prospects entering this class and had a very disappointing season as you mentioned um there’s some skill there but to me it’s just like there’s too many pieces of his game he’s still trying to figure out and I don’t see him contributing anytime soon to a contender so um he definitely has a talent and he could wind up being a very good player and especially in the 20s that’s that’s a value in this draft that I think is worth taking for a team that’s maybe looking to find home run but I I it’s just not how the Suns operate so that’s why actually had him third I had Smith above him as far as fits that make the most sense for the Suns and like most realistic and while I think Smith is still kind of a little bit of a long shot I I could see him um being that similar like Kamar type of Jones pick where uh a little bit different a little bit younger and less proven I guess but a little more Parallels for him than there is for for yeah Tyler Smith is uh 19 spent a couple years at OT and then went to ignite so just jumping around all the new Pathways basically but can just shoot it and uh made 36% of his threes on an awful ignite team that literally folded after the season um that’s kind of all he does right now which is the weird part and so I like he but but but we know that Jones values that I also just want to say as a side note I’m not really positive how much James Jones is like in full control anymore you know I’m not saying he’s not I’m not I that’s not reporting I don’t report anything but it’s just speculation the whole front office has changed over he has a lot of pressure on him we all thought he might get fired this summer he didn’t but everybody around him did basically so maybe that that that’s kind of why I’m at least willing to like think about and some of the guys we’ve seen like they worked Smith out I I I should have mentioned that they they work Tyler Smith out as far as we know Ryan Dunn another guy we’re not going to talk about uh today but he’s very very raw he he’s awesome at defense nothing on offense they worked him out not a player we would think they would take normally so um just to kind of Tuck that away but Smith basically is you know he’s he’ be right back in the G League next year I think he’d be playing in Tempe because he needs to fill out his game his body he’s kind of like to me reminds me of Jabari Smith not just because they share the same last name but very much in a way of a win who happens to be really tall more so than a forward you know and he needs to kind of figure out what his position’s going to be in the NBA and what his skill set’s going to be but again I I like him and they did work him out I wouldn’t Pan the pick but he’s not helping them win a championship in 2025 yeah and he’s the type of player too just with his size and ability to shoot that I could actually see making some sort of impact faster than you might think it’s not going to be right away obviously like you’ve mentioned I think he’ll definitely have uh to spend some time in the G League or um I think maybe a seconde contributor Off the Bench where he slowly gets integrated but again is this this is go circles back to like what are they trying to get out of this pick we don’t know we don’t know how if it’s going to be a James Jones type and if it is good luck guessing it so it’s just it’s it’s going to be one of the most unpredictable drafts from the general NBA perspective but also the Suns because of the new ownership and all the little subplots that were not really sure who’s pulling the strings and like what they’re trying to get out of this draft so um Smith is someone that I think like I I can see him being the pick if if that’s they’re out they want to go if they want to add some more athleticism and some size at the forward position that’s hard to find but again it’s it still kind of feels like a little bit of a stretch given some of the comments that the the front office and and ownership made following the season talking about they’re trying to win a championship now so to me I still think they’re they’re going to make a competitive move and and that’s that’s why I think it’s going to be either drafting an older player that they think could contribute right away or trading back and trying to pull off the the Dario sarch Aaron Baines cam Johnson type of offseason where they get kill two birds with one stone and Tai sorry sorry Ty it’s all right yeah he uh made the playoffs last year with Cleveland so got one last little Harrah um yeah I I love I you know it’s been four or five years since it mattered from a sun standpoint but I still love the draft I feel like Wednesday is going to be insane I feel like uh a lot of different stuff could happen I think a lot of teams are wanting to move maybe it ends up that it’s just so jet like uh it’s just so everybody wants to do the same thing that nothing ends up happening it it could go that way but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun I do expect the Suns to have at least one new rookie on their roster by the end of the night so um maybe we got to the bottom of things or maybe we just confused ourselves more but wanted to flesh out some of the less likely things here on the fringes as we uh make our way toward the draft we’ll have Zack Cohen on on Tuesday of real GM also local and Suns fans so talk through some of the prospects uh and get ready so hit follow subscribe if you haven’t already get that episode in your feed recap of course on Wednesday night Thursday night when bronny James becomes a son we’ll talk about that as well of course uh I’m somewhat joking and we’ll close out the week with a free agency preview because that starts Sunday so locked on suns is where you’re going to want to be all week I will talk to you guys tomorrow

The Phoenix Suns have many options this week in the NBA Draft, from selecting a player to trading up, down or out completely. What will they do?

Brendon Kleen of @justbasketballfans is joined by Brandon Dueñas of Bright Side of the Sun to debate what the Suns should do, how good the offer would have to be to trade the pick, and three young, high-ceiling prospects who could fall to the Suns.

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8 Comments

  1. And there are a lot of better options then bronny only reason to draft bronny is if they want more publicity and all that… But would be stupid to do lol.

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