Suns pre-draft workout lists pose as many questions as answers

With less than a week before the 2017 NBA Draft - the one I called the most important of GM Ryan McDonough’s career - some of the players the Suns have interest in are coming to light.

Unlike prior years, the Suns have not overloaded the practice gym with too many prospects in a flooded smoke screen. This year, they have been much more focused on individual player workouts and concentrated group workouts.

The Suns have only publicly seen about 30 players this year, compared to 50-60 in the past three pre-draft seasons. By this time in prior years, nearly all the visits are over as the Suns revisit their draft boards next week to finalize their all-important pick order.

Let’s see who they have and have NOT seen at each of their draft slots.

#4 overall pick

Seen:

• #3 SF Josh Jackson (in Sacramento on Wed, June 14)
• #4 SF Jayson Tatum TWICE (in Los Angeles last week, then Phoenix on Thursday June 15)
• #6 PF/SF Jonathan Isaac TWICE (in Las Vegas last week, then Phoenix on Sun/Mon, June 11-12)
• #8 SG Malik Monk (public, open to media, on June 6)

Have NOT seen (yet)

• #1 PG Markelle Fultz (likely promised #1 overall)
• #2 PG Lonzo Ball (likely promised #2 overall)
• #5 PG De’Aaron Fox (likely promised #5 overall, rumor has it he doesn’t want Suns)
• #7 PF Lauri Markkanen

It’s interesting that, with a week to go, the Suns have not had a single point guard in for a workout. This, in a draft rich in post guards - up to half-dozen who could have 10-year NBA careers in a starting role if not All-Star games.

On one hand, point guards don’t show all their talents in a solo workouts so maybe it’s not worth it to bring them in? But they’re working out for other teams, soooo... Maybe the Suns really are committed to Eric Bledsoe and Tyler Ulis long term?

Weird mid-late lotto guys

None of these guys would be take outright with the #4 overall pick, so the Suns are just touching bases on some other talents if they trade down or otherwise acquire a mid-late lotto pick.

Seen:

• #8 SG Malik Monk
• #10 C Zach Collins
• #16 C Jarrett Allen

Not seen:

• If you’re going to bring in two centers in a possible trade-down, why only Collins and Allen? Why not Justin Patton (#17), Harry Giles (#18) and Bam Adebayo (#19)?
• And if you’re going to work out Monk, which would only make sense in a trade-down, why not consider Donovan Mitchell (#12)? Or Luke Kennard (#13)?

In prior years, McDonough had made it clear it’s tough to convince an agent to waste his player’s energy on a flights/workouts for teams no where near their projected draft slot - which should apply to Collins and Allen, at the least. How did he convince them to come anyway?

#32 overall pick

Anything can happen late-first to early-second round. Guys you never expected to get at a slot are suddenly available, while guys you were sure would be there get snatched up early.

The Suns have only seen a few players that fit their #32 pick slot:

• #25 SF/PF Semi Ojeleye (on May 30)
• #31 PF Kyle Kuzma (on May 29)
• #34 PF Mattias Lessort (on June 9)
• #35 PF/C Jordan Bell (on June 9)
• #38 PF/C Johnathan Motley (on May 29)
• #42 SG Josh Hart THREE TIMES (once with a group of teams)

Not seen:

• If you’re looking at power forwards here at #32 (Kuzma, Lessort, Bell, Ojeleye, Motley), why not bring in other guys too? There’s a whole handful of them ranked 26-30 that could be considered.

#54 overall pick

The Suns saw about 20 players who are on the verge of being undrafted in this 60-pick draft, so any of them could be the name called at 54 on draft night. None of them are ranked in the DX top-60.

But there are two interesting ones that ARE ranked on the DX board near the Suns pick who came in for a visit:

• #44 SF Dillon Brooks
• #55 SG Wesley Iwundu

Summary

It’s just simply unlikely the Suns will draft a player they haven’t seen enough to interview and assess their fit with the team. At the top of the draft, of course, some of those meetings could be private and NOT leaked to the media.

My expectation is that the Suns will have had good meetings with every possible pick, including Lonzo Ball and De’Aaron Fox, by mid next week.

When it comes to the #32 and #54 picks, assuming they aren’t traded, you’ve probably seen their name on this page already.