Author
Christopher Boan is the lead writer at BetArizona.com after covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
Another disappointing postseason run put a bit of a damper on the Phoenix Suns’ 2024 campaign, but they'll enter the NBA offseason with a pair of draft picks to try and build around in Virginia's Ryan Dunn and Marquette's Oso Ighodaro.
With a rotation that includes All-Pro members Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to go with veteran star guard Bradley Beal, the Suns still have lots of star power on their roster, but they need to find a young player that can carry a good deal of the load off the bench this season. Perhaps that can be one or both of the experienced college players they took on Draft night.
BetArizona.com had broken down some hypothetical odds on who the Suns could tab with their two NBA draft picks as the club looks to move on from what’s been a string of bitter playoff losses of late. Stick with BetArizona.com all summer for the best Arizona sports betting apps.
Round | Pick #/Player |
1 | 28. Ryan Dunn |
2 | 40 (via NYK). Oso Ighodaro |
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Top Needs For Suns |
Center |
Point Guard |
Small Forward |
Phoenix’s chief need for 2024 and beyond is at the center position, as veteran Jusuf Nurkic battled through injuries and shoddy play down the stretch, while backup Bol Bol could well find his way onto another team through NBA free agency. Perhaps Oso Ighodaro can help the team out this coming season, as he can stretch the floor due to his above-average shooting touch, though he is a bit undersized.
Player | Odds | Percent Chance |
Marquette G Tyler Kolek | +300 | 25.0% |
Purdue C Zach Edey | +500 | 16.7% |
USC G Isaiah Collier | +700 | 12.5% |
Duke C Kyle Filipowski | +700 | 12.5% |
Baylor C Yves Missi | +1000 | 9.1% |
Indiana C Kel’el Ware | +1250 | 7.4% |
Pittsburgh G Carlton Carrington | +1250 | 7.4% |
The Field | +900 | 10.0% |
*as of June 24, 2024 ahead of the NBA Draft
Due to the Suns draft day trade with the Nuggets, our odds for the Suns' original pick at No. 22 were thrown a bit at the last minute, with the Suns opting to go with Dunn six picks later.
Our previous top pick for James Jones and the rest of the Suns’ front office staff at No. 22 was Tyler Kolek out of Marquette, who we listed at +300 and ahead of Purdue center Zach Edey (+500), USC G Isaiah Collier and Duke center Kyle Filipowski (+700 each).
Kolek thrived in his third year with the Golden Eagles, averaging 15.3 points, 7.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, leading the nation in assists and hitting 49.6% of his field goals for Shaka Smart and company.
The consensus second-team All-American in 2024 was our top pick for Phoenix in 2024, while other longshot candidates to go at No. 22 included Yves Missi out of Baylor (+1000) and Pittsburgh guard Carlton Carrington (+1250). Kolek ended up going to the Knicks with the 34th overall pick.
Of course, there was some room for the Bronny James rumors ahead of this summer's Draft as well. The Athletic's Shams Charania reports James was "among several players in consideration" for the Suns in the draft, despite averaging just 4.8 points per game at USC last season. James ended up joining his father on the Lakers as a late second round pick.
USA Today photo by Mark Hoffman.
Author
Christopher Boan is the lead writer at BetArizona.com after covering sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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