Ryan Dunn lands at number three on the list of Suns with the most to prove this coming season because the stakes have never been higher for the former first-round draft pick.
Dunn will be out of NBA soon if he doesn’t show signs of life
Entering his third campaign in The Valley, it looks like the opportunity to become a regular contributor has now passed Dunn by. Fellow 2024 draft pick Oso Ighodaro managed to figure out his role last time out, and with Dunn still struggling for consistency, the roster is moving on.
Not only has Coach Jordan Ott shown he prefers to rely on veterans to win games, but the next batch of youngsters increasingly needs more minutes to improve. Center Khaman Maluach looked undeniable at Summer League, and if nothing else, he will drop down to the G League less to see the NBA court more. The same appears to be true for Rasheer Fleming.
Fleming is already a better and more consistent (there’s that word again) offensive player and 3-point threat, including a sneaky nice showing in the playoffs versus the Oklahoma City Thunder last time out. Then there is rookie Koa Peat, who already looks like the Suns’ answer to Aaron Gordon if he can prove he was worth trading up into the first round to land.
It is clear the next wave of role players in Phoenix is on the way, and that doesn’t even take into consideration the arrival of Miles Bridges, another forward who hopes to earn an extension in the same way Dillon Brooks did this offseason. If Dunn had shown he could be Mikal Bridges-lite, he may not even have been on this list at all. Instead, he looks certain to exit The Valley soon.
Even Haywood Highsmith has surprisingly returned to battle for more of a role, and he looks much more like a Coach Ott role player.
Dunn deserves chance to impress elsewhere
If and when Dunn is eventually cut loose by the Suns, he deserves at least one more chance to prove he belongs in the league. The few flashes we have seen across two seasons warrant being in the back end of a team’s rotation. We know the NBA doesn’t work that way, so Europe may be the best way for the forward to continue his career if it comes down to it.
His defensive impact and ability to perhaps one day be a “3-and-D” threat (we still don’t see it) mean he could end up like Nigel Hayes-Davis and make his way back to the league at one point.
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