2018 NBA Mock Draft: What’s in store for the second round?

Walker ended up having an ideal college season — decent performances against ACC competition but without the small role he would have had to accept at a Blue Blood school, plus several clutch moments, and enough statistical pluses to balance out his over-extended role after Bruce Brown went down. The Suns don’t need to look any further for their Devin Booker partner.

If you’re thinking about the Suns’ summer, you just have to ignore T.J. Warren, despite his being one of the highest paid players on the roster following an October contract extension. I’ll give away the top pick right here (Luka Doncic) to illustrate my point — imagine a lineup of Walker IV, Booker, Doncic, Josh Jackson and Dragan Bender. They could switch every screen the opposing offense throws at them and space the floor on the other end. Despite what general manager Ryan McDonough says, this team will still likely be quite young next season, so that unit wouldn’t be at the very top of the league but close enough to get excited about growth from each player.

Walker will be a wing at the NBA level, but he showed next-level playmaking when that role was thrust upon him at Miami. His nearly 2:1 ratio of assists to turnovers and .527 true shooting percentage paint the picture of a fairly efficient player, one that could make Booker’s life easier and inject some defensive energy into the team. Walker measured a 6-10.5 wingspan in Chicago.

The Suns need more two-way players like Walker.