As the Phoenix Suns prepare for Thursday’s draft, armed with the number four overall pick, they know they are in a good position to add a young and talented player who will make them better. Although it is still a mystery who they will select, their general manager, Ryan McDonough, has made it clear that they haven’t removed anybody from their list of prospects.
The 36-year-old front office executive also made it known that off-court issues of players will not factor in their decision of who to draft. He then added, via Doug Haller of AZ Central, that their team is doing their research to make sure they know almost everything about someone they have interest on.
“We do a ton of intel, a lot of background on every player. We have dozens of reports. We have scouts go to practices, talk to just about every assistant coach. Talk to the managers, talk to the graduate assistants, the training staff, the strength and conditioning coach. People around the program. We vet all that and we’ll continue to do that.
“Obviously, I don’t want to comment on specific players, but there’s nobody in this draft – at least in the top grouping of projected lottery picks – that we’ve removed from consideration due to an off-court issue.”
McDonough may not have dropped any name, but it’s believed that he was referring to Josh Jackson, who had some off-court troubles in the past and will even need to attend anger management counseling after a diversion agreement.
It appears that the Suns have their eyes set on Jackson, should he still be available once they’re on the clock. However, the Boston Celtics are reportedly looking to add him as well, or Duke product Jayson Tatum. At this point, it’s still unclear who the Suns will ultimately select, but it’s worth noting that their GM wants everyone to know they have done their homework ahead of Thursday night and will take Jackson if they'll have a chance.
Follow Us
Subscribe