The Phoenix Suns entered draft night with a clear plan on what they wanted to target. They drafted the best all-around defender in the class, Ryan Dunn, with their 1st-round selection, and then another top defender in Oso Ighodaro in the 2nd. Both players should contribute immediately, and give the roster a much needed infusion of defense and athleticism, which they lacked last season.
Unfortunately, the Suns have several other needs that they still need to address, especially since they double-dipped on defense. They've already started on that process by signing Mason Plumlee to open free agency, and will continue searching the minimum market.
The Suns should also be active trying to put together some trades. Notably, they didn’t move their 2031 1st yet, and have several very tradable contracts to go with it. That still represents the Suns best chance at adding a high-impact player while fixing their remaining needs.
3-point shooting
Arguably the Suns’ biggest roster flaw last season was ignored on draft night. In fact, it may have become even more glaring. For as good as the Suns two picks are on defense, they are equally as ineffective from deep.
Dunn registered a 23% 3-point mark in college, while Ighodaro never made a 3. There's optimism that Dunn can improve from there, but it's not something that the Suns should bank on as they apporach the next few days.
Complicating this issue further, is the news that Eric Gordon opted out of his deal and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Gordon is one of the most prolific bench shooters in the league and was one of the main reasons the Suns didn't rank dead last in attempts.
The top 10 in catch & shoot 3PT% in the NBA this past season:
— 30🅿️roblemz (@30problemz) June 29, 2024
1. Stephen Curry
2. Lauri Markkanen
3. Karl-Anthony Towns
4. Grayson Allen
5. Paul George
6. Kevin Durant
7. Michael Porter Jr
8. D'Angelo Russell
9. Norman Powell
10. Tyrese Maxey pic.twitter.com/2VorlkiRNk
But even with Gordon the Suns 3-point attempts were far from a respectable level. Not only will they have to replace his production, they'll have to go far beyond that to fix the problem. Damion Lee should help there if he is indeed re-signed. UDFA Jalen Bridges could too, but that's not a sure thing either.
Nearly every player the Suns target from here on out has to be at least some kind of threat from deep. They have limited roster spots open now, and can't afford to spend anymore on non-shooters.