For the first time in five years, the Phoenix Suns enter draft night on Wednesday with a pick within the lottery.
On Sunday, the Suns traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick, and five future second round picks.
As the Suns reacquired their own first round pick, the franchise is at a crossroads as it begins its retooling of the roster around Devin Booker.
From the moment new general manager Brian Gregory was introduced, the two biggest needs the Suns hope to accomplish this offseason is alignment throughout the franchise from ownership down to the players. But also a defensive identity that has been severely lacking since the team reached the NBA finals in 2021.
By trading for Brooks who has been one of the top defenders in the league throughout his career and pairing him with Ryan Dunn who as a rookie was wildly considered one of the best defenders in the league on the wing, completing the rest of the roster is crucial to the Suns success.
With Devin Booker transitioning fully to the point guard role he played early in his career and pairing him with young star Jalen Green, the need to fill the rest of the rotation with plus defenders is key as neither star has shown to be an average defender.
The draft provides the first opportunity of the offseason for the Suns to fill multiple holes throughout the roster, with the biggest holes being both front court positions as well as the backup point guard spot.
Pick 10
Colin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
The top of the Suns wishlist should be the player called “CMB” from South Carolina. At 6’8” 240 pounds with a 7-foot-1 inch wingspan, Murray-Boyles is the perfect blend of length and strength for the modern power forward/small-ball center.
In the SEC, he showcased a Draymond Green-esqe play style as one of the most versatile defenders in all of college basketball with the ability to step out on to the perimeter and guard in the post.
Offensively, he didn’t need to have the ball in his hands to impact the game as he was a connector moving the ball around to keep things flowing while scoring when needed. His shooting ability outside the paint is a giant question mark however if he gets that to where it needs to be, he could be a star.
Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
The center position has been a white whale for the Suns for the last four years as the franchise has struggled to fill a giant hole in the middle. That hole during that same stretch has been filled with band-aid fixes such as Jusef Nurkic, Nick Richards, Drew Eubanks, and Jock Landale.
Sorber has the ability to be the franchise center the Suns have coveted for close to a decade. At 6’11” 260 pounds and with a 7-foot-6 inch wingspan, he immediately goes against the grain of everything the old regime looked for in a big man and fits what new head coach Jordan Ott had in Cleveland with Jarrett Allen.
Sorber showcased an ability at Georgetown to step on the perimeter to at least attempt the three albeit with a low percentage success rate yet with solid mechanics and play-make out of the post. Defensively he more than held down the post for a Georgetown team that funneled everything to him for cleanup duty.
Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
The highest upside of all of the potential options for the Suns at 10 could be the player that played college ball closest to them.
Carter Bryant out of Arizona is an intriguing prospect as his defensive ceiling could be the highest out of any wing in this class. As a lockdown specialist for the Wildcats, he played a key role for Arizona making it out of the first weekend and being successful in a loaded Big 12 conference. On the perimeter he uses his defensive skills and length to disrupt shots and jump in lanes.
Offensively, Bryant didn’t quite get the chance to showcase his full game due to his role, but his three point shooting ability is something that could help him carve out a starting role quickly as he was close to a 40% shooter from deep at Arizona. He did only crack double digits in scoring five times which leaves questions as to how much is there but if he can just be an above average shooter that’ll be enough to have a long career.
Pick 29
Drake Powell, W, North Carolina
Powell is the prototype for what wings are most successful in the modern NBA as a 6’6” small forward who can play the four with a 7-foot wingspan. At North Carolina, with a roster that extremely underperformed, Powell was arguably the biggest standout for the Tar Heels as he was the lone positive defender seeing major minutes. He showcased his athleticism by playing above the rim when needed but also showed off a sharpshooting ability as shot 40.5% on catch-and-shoot threes and did shoot 38% overall which if it translate to the next level, he’s the perfect three-and-D wing to learn from Brooks.
Jamir Watkins, W, Florida State
Watkins was one of the biggest risers in the draft process after a great showing at the NBA Combine and for good reason. He was the star at Florida State this past season averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and a steal and a block per game for the Seminoles. As a versatile player who can run the offense with the ball in his hands, slash to the paint off-ball, and switch across positions on defense, Watkins is the type of senior-leadership player that carves off a role consistently in the league and is successful. As a playmaker, he gives the Suns positional versatility with a 7-foot wingspan that lets him play 1-3.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton
If the Suns choose to go away from a center at pick 10, pick 29 should be focused on Ryan Kalkbrenner. In a conference that produced legends such as Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, and many more, to have the most defensive player of the year awards for the league says a lot. Kalkbrenner is the perfect big for the modern NBA as a spacing big that can anchor the front court with a cerebral shot blocking ability. He’s a great finisher around the basket who can score in different ways.
Pick 52 & 59
Ryan Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
If Ryan Nembhard was two inches taller, he could very well big a lottery/mid first round draft pick. But at 6’0, Nembhard finds himself in the second round on most mock drafts and if he slips to 52, the Suns need to run to the podium.
Last season at Gonzaga, Nembhard led college basketball with 9.8 assists per game as a dynamic playmaker that can impact the game with his ability to run an offense with ease. As a pure point guard who looks to create first, he’s the perfect guard alongside a Jalen Green or Devin Booker who can thrive at their natural spots off ball.
Koby Brea, G, Kentucky
Last season, Phoenix was No. 3 in the league in three point shooting percentage and was No. 7 in three pointers made. Jordan Ott comes to the Suns from a Cavaliers team that was second in makes and led the league in percentage. The Suns for how good a shooting team they were struggled from deep off the bench, that’s where Brea can come in and make an instant impact. In college, Brea attempted 730 three pointers knocking them down at a 43% clip, a percentage that jumped to 47% across his last two seasons. He’s an off-ball dream for a Suns team that has a lot of players that need the ball to be successful.
Micah Peavy, W, Georgetown
Another fifth year senior on the board, and unlike most he’s been an impact player throughout his entire time in college. Peavy is a 6’7 wing that was a major two-way star for Georgetown this past season. On the defensive end throughout his time in college he has stepped up and effectively guarded the opposing team’s top threat 1-4 with an advanced skill of intercepting passing lanes and getting a hand on entry passes. As a negative shooter early in his career, Peavy has improved his shot and was a 40% shooter from deep in 2024-2025.
