Ryan Dunn's career with the Phoenix Suns looked to be at a crossroads this offseason, and then Mark Williams went down with a shoulder injury, giving him one final chance to impress in The Valley. The front office is willing to give him another shot this season, as they exercised the fourth-year option on his rookie contract.
Dunn can still be the versatile wing who can thrive in Phoenix
The move is just the boost the 23-year-old needed, as the Suns roster is currently the deepest it has been since they drafted Dunn back in 2024. The forward's path to a regular role on this team looked so hard to imagine that we had already put forward the idea that waiving him might not be as crazy as many would assume for a former first-round draft pick.
Any hope of Dunn becoming a two-way menace for the Suns has likely come and gone—his 3-point shot or any form of consistent jumper has never materialized—but that doesn't mean he can't become a lockdown defender.
He has the length for such a role, so much so that an actor is being used to impersonate him in NBA on Prime's latest TV spot. Getting dunked on by superstars to promote coverage is hardly what Dunn had in mind this early in his career, but taking the glass-half-full approach, out of all the players in the league, his profile was chosen as the one most impressive to score on.
Yes... we realize that is quite the stretch.
The Suns and Head Coach Jordan Ott clearly favor players who defend at a high level, and Dunn has always been willing in this area. With the possibility of playing smaller lineups now in play thanks to the absence of Williams, Dunn could yet receive a new lease of life by being used in such a scenario.
Exercising contract does not guarantee staying with Suns
Unfortunately for Dunn, the front office exercising year four on his deal does not mean he will be kept long-term. This is their way of not losing a former first-round draft pick for nothing, and if Dunn can stick to the end of their rotation, they may be able to trade him for a pair of second-round draft picks.
The additions of Miles Bridges and rookie Koa Peat are making his quest for minutes even harder, while Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach have clearly surged ahead of him on the depth chart.
Dunn is still fighting for his spot in the rotation in Phoenix, and the Suns have some belief in his abilities by locking him in for another season. But this remains an uphill battle to stay on the roster beyond the 2026-27 season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google