What Phoenix Suns' Ryan Dunn selection means for Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal
The Phoenix Suns believe they may have found a "gem" with their first-round pick.
In 2023, the Phoenix Suns selected a defensive-minded wing with their No. 52 pick in the NBA Draft.
Toumani Camara, who played four seasons with Dayton, did not play one game with the Suns.
Camara, who graded out as one of the best defenders in his rookie class, may have been the piece the Suns needed in the starting lineup to defend opposing teams’ best players and hit open 3-pointers. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers instead, leaving Phoenix with a big hole on its roster.
On Wednesday, the Suns selected another defensive-minded player, Ryan Dunn, with the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the draft. Dunn is someone who can fit next to Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, according to general manager and president of basketball operations James Jones.
“His desire is to become an elite defender in this league, first and foremost,” Jones said. “I think that’s something that we could really benefit from.”
Dunn, if he makes the final roster, should have a role next to the Suns’ best player from last season, Durant, who will not be traded, Jones said.
“There’s nothing there,” Jones said regarding trade rumors surrounding Durant and the Houston Rockets, which was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Stephen A. Smith. “Nothing.”
An offensive-minded player did not benefit the Suns’ starting lineup in 2023-24. Phoenix started its season with Josh Okogie at small forward, though he is listed at 6-foot-4 in shoes. His wingspan and leg strength makes him a strong defensive player, but his height was not tall enough to move Durant off opposing teams’ best players.
The 35-year-old Durant can guard one through five, and he was asked to play center at times to stop teams from scoring at the rim. Phoenix said in its Zoom media conference following Wednesday’s first round of the NBA Draft it would look to Dunn to help it get more athletic, something it needs against top young players.
“I thought [Wednesday’s first round of the 2024 NBA Draft] was a good night for us,” said Jones. “…I thought that we were able to do two things [Wednesday]: Get the player that we wanted, moving back (the Suns traded the the draft rights to DaRon Holmes II with their No. 22 pick for the No. 28 pick and three second-round picks) and pick up other assets and capital for the future to continue to allow us to have more resources to build the team for the long-term.”
Dunn’s defensive-minded approach is something that his former coach at Virginia, Tony Bennett, instilled. Virginia is known for developing defensive talents including Malcolm Brogdon and Trey Murphy III.
On tape, Dunn’s defensive presence is noticeable. He can switch on pick-and-rolls, defend at the rim and excels at help-side assignments.
Dunn is listed with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, according to NBADraft.net.
Over its four postseason games, Phoenix finished with the lowest defensive rating (123.2) of the 16 teams in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
A soon-to-be 36-year-old Durant can produce for the Suns, but his body is something Phoenix needs to preserve. Durant looks like he is still a top-tier defender, but Dunn can serve at the point-of-attack and also guard the rim, which makes him a candidate to be a defensive star.