Ryan Dunn selected by Suns after NBA Draft trade with Nuggets

The Suns selected Virginia wing Ryan Dunn with the 28th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after Phoenix traded to the Denver Nuggets.

Phoenix gave the 22nd pick to Denver on Wednesday for the 28th and 56th picks this year and second-round picks in 2026 and 2031.

Dunn is widely considered the best defensive player in his class, a tremendous athlete who can play lockdown defense at four different positions. He averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals, along with his 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.

Scouting report on Suns 2024 first round NBA Draft pick Ryan Dunn

The 6-foot-1 wing with an 8-foot-plus wingspan is known offensively for his cutting and rebounding, taking 2.2 on the offensive glass per night.

The reason Dunn was available for Phoenix in the 20s and what will determine his value in the NBA is his jump shot.

Dunn made just 12 total three-pointers in two collegiate seasons and made just 23.5% of his 51 attempts. Even more concerning, Dunn’s 52.5% free throw efficiency on 99 career attempts is another negative indicator.

However, if Dunn were to correct his jump shot, the Suns could come away with one of the steals in the draft, filling a huge need.

The addition of Dunn adds a wing to a portion of the Suns’ depth that has been largely carried by undersized players like Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, two players whose size is better suited to defending guards than defending wings .

Kevin Durant was the only true wing in the rotation. This wasn’t the intention of the Suns, who signed Keita Bates-Diop, Josh Okogie and Yuta Watanabe to veteran minimum contracts to come up with one viable option this offseason. Another was Nassir Little, the third player after Allen and Jusuf Nurkic to be part of the return in the Deandre Ayton trade. Ultimately, none of these four players could perform well enough to earn a consistent role.

This inspired more out-of-the-box thinking, such as the great Chimezie Metu playing a more perimeter-based position, and ditto for Bol Bol. Bol was the success, becoming the ninth man in the rotation just after halfway through the season, albeit an unconventional one.

Phoenix’s lack of reliability on the wing was most detrimental to the versatility defense. The Suns didn’t have many switches to rely on in schemes, nor a few different options to cycle through as matchup options for an opponent’s top scorer.

O’Neale is an unrestricted free agent, who Phoenix could still make a deal with before the free-agent season begins in early July. Bol and Okogie both have player options.

Follow @AZSports