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The Phoenix Suns have gone all-in over the past few seasons. The consequences of such a maneuver is a dearth of resources on draft night. Regardless, the Suns still managed to get two youngsters that they believe can supplement their Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal-led core in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.
The Suns came into the 2024 NBA Draft with only one first-round draft asset (22nd overall pick) and came away with two players who project to be rotation pieces for the team next season. It's important for front offices with limited resources to work overtime to try and maximize what they have at their disposal, with the Suns doing exactly that.
The Suns social media team then gave fans an in-depth look at how their war room was during draft night, providing a peek into how decisions were made for the team.
2024 NBA Draft: Inside the War Room
🎥 Go behind the scenes of the Suns draft pic.twitter.com/Hihgu1CXbB
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 26, 2024
One particularly interesting part of the video was when Suns general manager James Jones was on the phone with Denver Nuggets GM Calvin Booth negotiating a trade for the 22nd overall pick. Given how close the players were in the 2024 NBA Draft class in talent and prospect pedigree, it was already a win for the Suns to trade down six spots to get the guy they want while adding two second-round picks.
In the end, they held out for more, and the Nuggets budged, giving them an additional second-rounder to secure the deal. Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein was very pleased with how they conducted negotiations. Moreover, it seemed as though another deal was in play for Phoenix involving the 26th overall pick (which belonged to the Washington Wizards), although it's unclear what the deal on the table would have been.
Ryan Dunn seemed to be the no-brainer pick for the Suns in that war room, with new head coach Mike Budenholzer even giving his seal of approval. Phoenix then planned to enter night two and see if Oso Ighodaro would still be there at around pick 40. Again, things went according to plan for the Suns, as they struck an agreement with the owner of the 40th overall pick, the New York Knicks, to get their man.
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Dunn looks to be a contributor for the Suns on the wing; he was a defensive menace in college, and Phoenix is hoping that he can emerge as a lockdown defender on the wing for them in no time. Meanwhile, Ighodaro has very good feel for the game on both ends of the court, and he should push Mason Plumlee for the backup job behind Jusuf Nurkic.
Can the Suns improve upon last year's effort?
Last year did not go according to plan for the Suns. They finished just sixth in the Western Conference with a 49-33 record, as they did not have the depth necessary to maximize their big three. They were then swept in the postseason by the Minnesota Timberwolves, capping an overall disappointing season.
But heading into the 2024-25 season, the Suns have renewed hopes. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are coming off very successful stints with Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Bradley Beal appears to be healthier after an injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign. They also added Tyus Jones to help with playmaking duties, while a full season of Royce O'Neale on the wing should help as well.
The Western Conference may be extremely competitive, but the Suns look better-equipped to challenge for a top-half playoff spot this time around.
