According to Sam Amic, the Phoenix Suns have officially agreed with former Valparaiso star and 54th overall pick Alec Peters on a two-way contract for the 2017-18 season.
On AmicoHoops: Former Valpo standout and Horizon player of year Alec Peters lands deal with #Suns. #NBA https://t.co/iUGmatJOfE
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) September 16, 2017
Peters, a 6’9″ power forward with range, was the Suns’ second 2nd round selection in 2017, an ideal candidate to draft and stash in the G-League for portions of this season due to his lengthy recovery from a stress fracture in his right leg suffered in a game in late-February.
A four-year starter at Valparaiso, Peters drew rave reviews for his scoring while also, in some circles, had potentially worked his way into the first round of the draft had it not been for the unfortunate injury. Earning Horizon Player of the Year honors his senior season, he averaged a career-high 23.0 points per game while shooting 46.6% from the field.
However it is his outside shooting that is most exciting when projecting his potential future with the Suns as he shot 289-694 for 41.6% from 3-point range in his 134 game collegiate career, while also nailing a fantastic 46.6% his sophomore season and 44.0% his junior year. And those statistics were not off of limited production. He attempted a total of 385 those two seasons, nailing 174 of them.
Peters also averaged 7.4 boards his his career, finishing his senior season averaging 10.1 and 2.5 offensive rebounds per game making him, at least in a mid-major, a very well-rounded player.
Should Peters recover to full strength this season, he will most definitely see time with the Suns, and could be a diamond in the rough from the late second round. His shooting in particular is something that would be greatly beneficial to the Suns as they have recently been a poor shooting team, finishing 19th in the NBA last season from the field, and 27th from outside.
Next: What Suns Fans Need to See from Dragan Bender this Season
His size and strength coupled with his shooting touch, makes him an ideal stretch-4 candidate that could break into the rotation at some point, especially if Phoenix suffers from more extended injuries, Alex Len does not re-sign, or General Manager Ryan McDonough and Head Coach Earl Watson benches veterans for an extended period of time.