THE Phoenix Suns have given their all in recent seasons. The consequences of such a maneuver are a shortage of resources on draft night. Regardless, The Suns still managed to recruit two youngsters that they believe they can complete their core led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
The Suns have arrived in 2024 NBA Project The Suns have just one first-round pick (22nd overall) and came away with two players who should be rotation pieces for the team next season. It’s important for front offices, which have limited resources, to work overtime to try to maximize what they have, and that’s exactly what the Suns are doing.
The Suns social media team then gave fans an in-depth look what their war room looked like during selection night, offering a glimpse into how decisions were made for the team.
One particularly interesting segment of the video is when Suns general manager James Jones was on the phone with Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth to negotiate a trade for the 22nd overall pick. Given how close the players in the 2024 NBA Draft class are in terms of talent and prospect pedigree, it was already a win for the Suns to trade down six spots to get the player they wanted while adding two second-round picks.
In the end, they held on for more, and The Nuggets have moved, This allowed them to get an extra second round to secure the deal. Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein was very pleased with how they handled the negotiations. Additionally, it appeared that another deal was in play for Phoenix involving the 26th overall pick (which belonged to the Washington Wizards), though it’s unclear what the deal would have been on the table.
Ryan Dunn seemed like the obvious choice for the Suns in that war room, with new head coach Mike Budenholzer even giving his approval. Phoenix then planned to go into night two and see if Oso Ighodaro would still be there at the 40th pick. Once again, things went according to plan for the Suns, as they reached an agreement with the owner of the 40th overall pick, the New York Knicks, to get their man.
Dunn looks to be an asset for the Suns on the wing; he was a defensive threat in college, and Phoenix is hoping he can emerge as a lockdown wing defender for them in no time. Meanwhile, Ighodaro has a very good feel for the game on both ends of the floor, and he should push Mason Plumlee for the backup job behind Jusuf Nurkic.
Can the Suns improve on last year’s performance?
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Last year didn’t go as planned for the Suns. They finished sixth in the Western Conference with a 49-33 record because they didn’t have the depth to maximize their Big Three. They were then swept in the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, capping off an overall disappointing season.
But heading into the 2024-25 season, the Suns have new hope. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are coming off very successful stints with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Bradley Beal appears healthier after an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign. added Tyus Jones to help with playmaking duties, while a full season of Royce O’Neale on the wing should also help.
The Western Conference may be extremely competitive, but the Suns appear better equipped to challenge for a spot in the top half of the playoffs this time around.
