5 Suns draft targets in 2024 NBA Draft - Guards edition

As the 2024 NBA Draft gets closer and closer, the Phoenix Suns still have a number of different avenues they could pursue with the 22nd overall pick. As we’ve covered before, there are some promising Suns draft targets on the wings and among the bigs down low. They could also move up or down in the pecking order depending on how the draft board shakes out, trading up for a prospect they really like or down to add an additional pick.

If the Suns do stay put at No. 22, it’s worth looking at this year’s crop of guard prospects — not only to be thorough, but because backup point guard remains a pressing need for this roster.

Once again, let’s be clear: The Suns don’t need a starting point guard, and even if they did, their means of finding one are severely limited. Most likely, they won’t be able to draft the perfect 1-guard who’s talented, tall and defensively skilled enough to play in the starting five on a playoff contender in their very first season. Top guard prospects like Rob Dillingham and Devin Carter will likely be gone before Phoenix is on the clock.

However, if the Suns want a point guard who can contribute now and still has room to grow for the long-term, they could very well use the No. 22 pick to groom their floor general of the future. Ideally, it’d be a plus-sized guard who can handle point-of-attack defensive assignments, play on or off the ball, knock down 3s and capably set the table as a ball-handler and playmaker.

Bearing all that in mind, here are five guards that make sense as Suns draft targets.

Suns Draft Targets: 5. Bronny James, USC

First things first: Drafting Bronny James at No. 22 would be a massive reach unless there was a tacit agreement that LeBron James was joining him in Phoenix in free agency. Bronny is a legitimate second-round NBA Draft prospect, but taking the son of the King without certain assurances from his father would be malpractice, and most likely, an outright misuse of a first-round pick.

As we’ve covered in our biggest Suns myths, Phoenix has more first-round picks over the next seven years than people seem to think, but they don’t have a selection in 2025, and by 2026, this current iteration’s window may be closed. So yes, using a top-25 pick on a prospect who is mostly projected somewhere in the 50s would be a risky move, especially if Rich Paul was speaking the truth on Thursday when he squashed the idea of LeBron signing in Phoenix for the vet minimum:

However, regardless of Paul taking the time to dump on both Suns fans’ and Lakers fans’ theories, and regardless of the fact that Phoenix has no realistic way of trading for James, we cannot completely ignore the possibility of Bronny James being the 22nd overall pick. The Suns have hosted him for two pre-draft workouts already, and they’re one of two teams — along with LA — who have hosted Bronny at all.

That may just mean they’re doing their due diligence on a second-round prospect they see potential in. Phoenix could very well try to trade down from the No. 22 pick and snag an extra second-rounder in the process, at which point drafting Bronny — a prospect they reportedly like regardless of his father — becomes a lot easier to swallow.

It’s difficult to say what James’ draft stock might have looked like if not for a frightening congenital heart defect that saw him collapse during a USC practice and miss five months of basketball. In his 25 games for the Trojans, Bronny’s 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 19.4 minutes per game hardly leapt off the page. His 36.6 percent shooting overall and 26.7 percent shooting from 3 was brutal too.

At the NBA Draft Combine, James measured at just under 6-foot-2, giving him point guard size despite having the game of a 2-guard. However, he also impressed in the shooting drills there, showing scouts his pure-looking stroke may finally translate into reliable perimeter shooting, despite what his college percentages indicate.

James is built like a fullback with a wide, brawny frame and a 6-foot-7 wingspan, both of which lend to a defensive skill-set that represents his quickest path to earning minutes at the next level. He won’t turn 20 until October, so although he’s a project who needs to grow quite a bit on the offensive end, he’ll be able to hold his own defensively thanks to his quick hands, reflexes and instincts that help him rack up steals, deflections and chase-down blocks.

If his shot can simply be respectable, either as a spot-up 3-point shooter or a pull-up threat in the midrange, Bronny is a disruptive enough defender and a decent enough decision-maker with his passing to eventually be a competent NBA player. For now, he lacks the handle to be a lead guard, as well as the leaping ability to be a reliable cutter, driver or finisher.

Of the 11 two-round mock drafts that we’ve surveyed over the last month between ESPN, The Ringer, Yahoo! Sports, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports and No Ceilings, eight of them have Bronny joining his father in LA with the 55th overall pick. Not one had him higher than No. 46. If Phoenix trades back into the second round, then this could be a much more realistic possibility, but at No. 22, he’d be the type of reach that would only make sense if his father were attached.

4. Carlton Carrington, Pittsburgh

Given that he’ll only turn 19 years old in July, “Bub” Carrington is one of the youngest, high-level college players in the draft. Standing at 6-foot-4 (without shoes) and sporting a 6-foot-8 wingspan, he has excellent size for a lead ball-handler and frequent shot creator.

In his freshman year at Pitt, Carrington put up a well-rounded 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game. Although he’s hardly a finished product, one year of college ball was enough to showcase his elite ability to create his own shots, as a whopping 75 percent of his shot attempts were unassisted, per Hoop-Math.

There’s little question about his ability to get to his spots and hit tough shots. He’s an elite midrange scorer, with 33.7 percent of his shots coming on 2-point jumpers that he made 50 percent of the time. Carrington was only assisted on 9.2 percent of those makes, hinting at an offensive skill-set that would fit right in with the midrange mastery of the Suns’ Big 3.

Don’t let that scare you off, though, because Carrington wasn’t shy about letting it fly from deep either, taking 6.1 3-point attempts a night. That meant 52.3 percent of his shots came from beyond the arc.

Overall, a staggering 86 percent of Carrington’s shot attempts were jumpers, but the efficiency and breakdown of those shots is where some teams might pause. Carrington hardly ever drives or puts pressure on the rim, as only 14 percent of his field goal attempts came at the basket. And when he actually got into the lane, he only made 53.7 percent of his looks around the basket because he’s an under-the-rim finisher who still needs to add more strength to his frame.

Carrington is one of the best pull-up shot creators in the draft, but he’ll have to be a lot more efficient at the next level, since he only shot 41.2 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from 3-point range. His 78.5 percent shooting from the foul line suggests he can be more efficient in time, especially with NBA spacing around him.

Although Carrington was a solid isolation scorer, his feel as a pick-and-roll ball-handler looked promising too. He’s a sharp passer with a knack for drawing in second defenders despite rarely probing the paint. Carrington leveraged the threat of his pull-up game to open things up for his teammates, locating rollers or 3-point shooters on the weak side.

Whether he’ll be available at No. 22 is another question. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote there’s a “real expectation” he’ll be selected within the top 20, and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported on Thursday that Carrington had received a green room invite for Wednesday’s draft.

Of the 16 NBA mock drafts we’ve consulted over the last month, only three have him available at No. 22. There seems to be a consensus the Cleveland Cavaliers — whose backcourt’s future is unclear between Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland — will take Carrington at No. 20, with eight of those 16 mocks projecting him there.

But if he’s available and the Suns want to groom a young shot-maker with sturdy playmaking chops, good measurables and improving defense, Bub Carrington is worth a look. He’s just not the point-of-attack defender or off-ball shooter they might prefer with this particular group, and there would be growing pains with an upside swing like this.

3. Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

Walter is more of a combo guard than an actual point guard, but contrary to what his low assists numbers indicated, the Baylor product flashed some potential as a lead playmaker when he got his rare opportunities in that role. More importantly, the ability to play either guard spot at 6-foot-4 could help Phoenix further down the road.

Averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game, Walter showcased his upside as a movement shooter. From handoffs to pop-outs to off-screen looks, this 19-year-old showed no fear in launching with good footwork and form. All of this projects Walter as a dynamic shot-maker…once his percentages catch up.

On paper, Walter’s 37.6 percent shooting overall was horrendous. His 3-point shooting was only marginally better at 34.1 percent, although it came on high volume at 6.3 attempts per game. But Walter’s 79.2 percent shooting from the foul line is an encouraging indicator, as were the mechanics on his 3s while flying off screens or hitting defenders with pull-up triples:

Walter had an absurdly high 3-point rate and drive rate, but he didn’t actually get to the basket very often, with only 15.4 percent of his shots coming at the rim, per Hoop-Math. He shot a healthy 59.3 percent on those looks, but in the half-court, that number dropped to 50.9 percent. His lack of athleticism, above-the-rim finishing and quick-twitch shiftiness to create easier paths to the basket hurt him on that front.

The Golden Bears’ leading scorer did boast one of the best free-throw rates in the country, though, getting to the foul line 5.2 times a night. That skill will be critical at the next level, since his handle and current bag of moves aren’t refined enough to create much separation from defenders one-on-one.

That lack of reliable moves off the dribble is one of a few potential concerns with Ja’Kobe Walter. He projects as a fearless, NBA-ready shot-maker, but the percentages still need to catch up to the eye test. He didn’t make it easy on himself with some of the tougher, NBA-caliber shots he routinely took against college-level defenders.

Some of that was shot selection, and some of it was the role Baylor needed him to embrace as their leading scorer. But despite his elevation and elongated hang time on his jumper, Walter has a somewhat low release point, which, when combined with his inability to shake defenders off the bounce, could be problematic at the next level. As No Ceilings’ Maxwell Baumbach pointed out, that issue might explain why he shot 11 percent worse on guarded catch-and-shoot 3s compared to unguarded ones.

The defensive end could be another make-or-break area. Walter has 3-and-D potential thanks to his 6-foot-10 wingspan, an innate and visible competitive fire, and a willingness to communicate, stay in stance and make smart rotations. He has good awareness off the ball, readily jumps passing lanes and isn’t afraid to use physicality to harass drivers. However, he’s slower laterally and his hips open up too frequently, leaving him prone to getting beat off the dribble. NBA-level scorers will exacerbate those problems and pounce on those driving lanes if he can’t switch his hips quicker.

Finally, while Walter clearly has a propensity for throwing nifty passes with either hand, Baylor’s backcourt depth often relegated him to an off-ball role. If the Suns draft a guard, it should probably be one whose playmaking translates to the NBA with more polish and immediacy. So even if Walter falls to Phoenix past his projected draft range — the teens and early 20s — he may not address any pressing needs for them unless he can dust off those pick-and-roll chops right away.

2. Isaiah Collier, USC

If the Suns are looking for a bully-ball point guard with a downhill mindset who can actually put pressure on the rim, it won’t get much better at this point in the draft than Isaiah Collier.

While the 19-year-old guard has seen his draft stock dip over the last year, Collier still put up 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in his lone season at USC. His 3-ball was unreliable (33.8 percent on 3.0 attempts per game), but he still managed to shoot 49 percent from the floor because of how good he was around the basket.

Collier doesn’t possess a freakish NBA body or high-flying athleticism; at 6-foot-3, with a 6-foot-5 wingspan, he did his damage in the paint using his burly frame, crafty handle, explosive burst and smooth maneuvers to knife through the lane and finish around, over and through contact.

According to Hoop-Math, a whopping 51 percent of Collier’s shot attempts came at the rim, and he made an impressive 61.9 percent of them despite only being assisted on 25.3 percent of those makes. He also got to the foul line a ton, averaging 5.8 attempts per game.

Collier’s 3-point and free-throw percentage (67.3 percent) are less than ideal in projecting how well he’ll be able to spread the floor at the next level, but there’s no denying his ability to convert around the basket, despite the majority of his finishes being under the rim.

As a passer, Collier has a high ceiling, though he frequently counteracted those flashes of high-level creation with frustrating decision-making and reckless turnovers. He’s certainly not a “safe” point guard who will cut down on mistakes. His lively, downhill approach sometimes came at a predictable cost.

At the next level, Collier will need to play a more controlled brand of basketball, and he’ll need to prove his inconsistent misfires as a jump shooter are not a reflection of an untrustworthy shot. On the defensive end, he showed he can be respectable when he’s locked in, but there were too many times on that chaotic USC team where he disappointed and failed to give full effort.

Collier received a green room invite, so there’s a chance he’s off the board here. But it’s worth noting that Bleacher Report’s latest mock and The Ringer’s last two mock drafts tabbed him going to Phoenix at No. 22, with The Ringer declaring, “There probably isn’t a better landing spot for Collier than the Suns.” This late in the first round, he could end up being quite a steal.

1. Tyler Kolek, Marquette

If you’re still stuck in the “Suns need a point guard!” camp, Tyler Kolek is their best option in the draft, shy of trading up for Devin Carter. Kolek is notably undersized at 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-3 wingspan, and he’s one of the older prospects in the draft class at 23 years old, but he’s a prototypical facilitating floor general who can help Phoenix right away.

In his senior year at Marquette, Kolek put up 15.3 points, 7.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, leading the entire NCAA in assists and joining some elite company in the process. He’s an elite pick-and-roll ball-handler with a high IQ, excellent vision and a well-protected dribble that helps him navigate his way through the trees.

These are skills that will translate to the next level right away, especially if he’s sharing the court with guys like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal or Grayson Allen. Just watch some of his impressive reads and gorgeous dimes, often while probing the heart of the defense.

Tyler Kolek isn’t just a passer, of course; his efficiency from all over the floor complements his playmaking acumen to ensure defenses can’t take something away without giving something up. He shot an efficient 49.6 percent overall, including 38.8 percent from 3 on 3.9 attempts per game. Kolek isn’t some elite pull-up gunner, but he knocked down 44.9 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s, which will help him play on or off the ball in the pros.

The lefty made 85.1 percent of his free throws — a skill that typically correlates with overall shooting prowess — and was also incredibly efficient around the basket, taking 48.1 percent of his shots at the rim and making 58.6 percent of them.

That’s pretty impressive for an undersized, under-the-rim finisher who had to rely on a quick first step and craftiness around the basket. His high looks off the glass and floaters dropped at a reliable rate, especially for a guy who was only assisted on 22.2 percent of his buckets at the rim, per Hoop-Math.

Altogether, nearly 83 percent of Kolek’s shot selection came at the rim or from 3-point range, which is the exact type of shot chart coach Mike Budenholzer would love from his point guard. Kolek has mostly been pegged as a backup point guard due to his age and lack of size, which will prompt NBA opponents to put him in relentless actions on the defensive end.

But Kolek is a smart defender and intense-as-hell competitor who’s good about fighting through screens. If he proves to be feisty enough on that end and develops into more of an off-the-dribble threat from 3 or at least the midrange, he could very well fit into that same T.J. McConnell, Payton Pritchard mold. The key differentiator in Phoenix is whether the Suns will add the type of rim-rolling, pick-and-roll big that would actually make Kolek more effective, given his particular skill-set.

In that more hopeful scenario, having someone who’s NBA-ready coming off the bench would certainly help Phoenix address that backup point guard spot, and according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, there’s a “growing belief from rival teams” that the Suns will target Kolek at No. 22.

AZ Central’s Duane Rankin confirmed Kolek had a workout with the Suns on Thursday after the Marquette guard posted a photo from Scottsdale on his Instagram story. The two most recent mock drafts from both ESPN and Yahoo! Sports have Kolek going to the Suns at No. 22, and his agent — Mark Bartelstein — is the father of Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein.

Drafting an undersized, four-year college player would be a very James Jones pick, especially given his similarities to McConnell, a player Phoenix has coveted for a while. But even if Kolek has to prove his finishing ability and defense will hold up at the next level, there’s something to be said about adding a player with such a high floor who can contribute from day one. Kolek was one of the best pure point guards in the country last year, and Phoenix’s second unit could use his combination of ball-handling, playmaking, toughness and basketball IQ.