3 players for the Phoenix Suns to consider on NBA Draft night.
1. Oscar Tshiebwe
We all know the play the Suns would be making if they took Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe, and it is a risky one. Putting up 16.5 points and 13.7 rebounds in the SEC last season is not to be sniffed at, although how exactly that would translate to the league straight away remains to be seen.
But if the organization do decide to go with the big man, it could mean that an Ayton trade may be in the works. Not that Tshiebwe would be capable of stepping into Ayton’s large shoes and becoming a starter here, because he would not. But while the team rework their roster if they do move Ayton, they would at least know they had a grown man in the middle to start the season.
Oscar Tshiebwe: “Today went well with shooting the ball, but that’s not what I do. I’m a rebounding machine.” pic.twitter.com/AyuJpezQgY
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 15, 2023
He’s already 23-years-old. Really though it would be hoped that Tshiebwe would be a backup to Ayton, and a cheaper alternative to Jock Landale. The Australian having a mini breakout of sorts in the postseason, which may make him too expensive to bring back next year should another franchise decide to throw even a modest amount of money his way.
So if the Suns bring in the center, they’ve got a young backup big who can play behind Ayton and have an impact before some of the project bigs who are going to be taken before him. Should the Suns actually go ahead and move Ayton, they’d still have a player who would relish swallowing shots and manning the middle alongside Durant and Booker.
Big men are the hardest players to predict, and there’s no telling how Tshiebwe would actually pan out. NBA draft room have him pegged as an “Isaiah Stewart lite” type, which would actually be perfect for the Suns. A grown banger who will do so much of the dirty work that the offensive stars can’t. The franchise needs to think outside the box, and Tshiebwe is certainly that.