It is quite common for professional sports executives to promise that the players they have just signed are the ones they wanted the most. They swear!
Assuming the behind-the-scenes video released by the Phoenix Suns from the 2024 NBA Draft is truly chronological, they provide receipts that they got the two guys they targeted, rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
2024 NBA Draft: In the War Room
🎥 Go behind the scenes of the Suns draft pic.twitter.com/Hihgu1CXbB
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 26, 2024
The video picks up in the Phoenix war room as the Suns trade the 22nd overall pick for the 28th pick and future second-rounders. They want Dunn, a wing from Virginia who can add athleticism and defensive capabilities to the roster.
And they’re getting greedy by trading down in hopes of getting him back. They moved down six spots, accepting the Denver Nuggets’ first-round pick, the 56th overall pick, plus the 2026 and 2031 second-round picks in the trade.
Phoenix selected Dunn late in the first round. Their crisis team was led by owner Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Barstelstein and vice president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones.
“We can pick Dunn and we can go tomorrow and see what happens and maybe Oso (picks) 36, 37 is still there, we can pick him up and get our second guy,” Ishbia said, off-camera. “Those are our two favorites, Dunn and Oso.”
The Suns attacked him like that.
“We were basically on the phone with every team every two or three minutes while the picks were being made,” Jones said after the draft.
In a free agent deal before getting Ighodaro, the Suns traded the 51st pick for a 2028 second-round pick, then bundled it with the 56th pick to the New York Knicks, who helped Phoenix move up to the 40th spot.
That’s where they took Ighodaro out of Marquette.
“We didn’t think he would make it to 56,” Bartelstein said.
