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The Phoenix Suns were busy on night one of the NBA Draft. They used the No. 10 pick, recently acquired in the Kevin Durant trade, to land Duke center Khaman Maluach. They then traded the No. 29 pick and a 2029 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams.
That's two big frontcourt upgrades and sets up a dramatically remade roster that will also feature Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green, who were acquired in the Durant trade, and Bradley Beal and Devin Booker who are holdovers from last season.
The Suns roster is newly deep, but they still have two more opportunities to try and add an impact player, with a pair of second round picks.
The Suns have the No. 52 and No. 59 picks in the second round
The Suns sent their own second-round pick (No. 40) to the Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade, and Washington ultimately flipped it to the Pelicans as part of the recent CJ McCollum deal. The two second-round picks they hold come from Denver (as part of the DaRon Holmes-Ryan Dunn trade from last year) and from Oklahoma City — after it was moved to Atlanta and Houston over the past few years.
Picking in the 50s means taking long-shot swings, but the Suns should have some intriguing prospects on the table. FanSided's NBA Draft expert Chris Kline has the Suns taking West Virginia point guard Javon Small at No. 52 in his second-round mock draft:
"Phoenix addresses the backup point guard need with Tyus Jones hitting free agency. The list of successful NBA guards at Javon Small's height is short, but he has a gaping wingspan and he's a major athlete, totally comfortable playing above the rim when he gets a runway. Small can score in bunches, defend his position and give the Suns more juice in transition."
At No. 59, he has the Suns selecting Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer:
:Brook Barnhizer is a fun Mr. Irrelevant, especially for a Phoenix team searching the ends of the earth for usable depth. He needs to get better from 3-point range, but a sturdy 6-foot-6 guard who can pull out a deep bag of ball-handling tricks, get into the teeth of the defense and deliver high-level passes has a real shot in the NBA. Especially when he defends with the commitment that Barnhizer does.
The Suns, at this point, are also extremely deep on guards and smaller wings, with Booker, Green, Beal, Brooks, Grayson Allen and Ryan Dunn on the roster. If they opt for some 3-and-D wings with more size, players like Micah Peavy, Mohamed Diawara, Dink Pate and Kobe Johnson could make sense.