After re-signing free agents Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns will aim to improve the roster from a season ago via the No. 47 overall pick.
Who the Suns opt to target in Round 2 is up to interpretation, with many mock drafts sending University of Arizona guard Jaden Bradley to The Valley. Other mocks have a sharpshooter from Vanderbilt, a shot-blocking center out of Tennessee or another standout from Devin Booker’s alma mater Kentucky Wildcats.
Yet another mock draft has the Suns targeting a lesser-known prospect who won the Ohio Valley Conference’s Men’s Basketball Player of the Year for Tennessee State.
Among the hoopers who’ve won the award in the OVC previously include Memphis Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant and former Suns guard Cameron Payne, who both played at Murray State.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has Suns taking Tennessee State’s Aaron Nkrumah in NBA draft
With their second round pick at No. 47 overall, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has the Suns taking Tennessee State's conference player of the year Aaron Nkrumah.
A 6-foot-5 wing who’ll celebrate his 25th birthday in November, Nkrumah is among the older prospects in this year’s draft crop — but with that age comes experience.
“Aaron Nkrumah has capitalized on the draft process, having impressed at the G League Camp and earned an invite to the NBA combine,” Wasserman wrote. “He looked like he belonged there during scrimmages, and given the archetype his frame, improved shooting, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals can create, there should be enough second-round interest in Nkrumah after he presumably goes through over a dozen workouts.”
Nkrumah improved significantly during his two seasons at Tennessee State. After averaging 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game as a junior while shooting 39.7% from the floor and just 27.5% from 3-point range, he significantly upped his scoring volume and efficiency to average 17.7 points per contest on 43.8% shooting (35.1% from beyond the arc) as a senior. Those scoring figures accompanied 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a remarkable 2.8 steals per game.
As NBA.com writes, “Nkrumah was the engine on both sides of the ball, operating as a primary ballhandler and lockdown defender. His combination of length, quickness and instincts make him an intriguing defensive specialist prospect.” They note his advanced age for a prospect limits his developmental upside, but that his “physical tools can’t be overlooked.”
Nkrumah’s level of skill in terms of creating turnovers would fit extremely well on a Suns squad that built a new identity around defensive tenacity resulting in steals. Phoenix finished fourth in the league in team steals per game at 9.5 per contest, something Nkrumah would only contribute to as a defensive-minded wing.
His outside shooting was streaky and needs to find more consistency at the NBA level, but the improvement he displayed just from his junior to senior year in college suggests he can continue to develop despite being one of the older prospects available.
Wasserman's NBA comparison for Nkrumah is Cleveland Cavs' defensive-minded wing Keon Ellis. The Suns have plenty of scoring chops with Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie on the roster, so targeting a defense-first player with offensive upside isn't a bad shout.
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