Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

With the 2019 NBA Draft just eight days away, we dive deep into the positives and negatives surrounding De’Andre Hunter and Brandon Clarke, the two big men who are expected to be most heavily considered by Phoenix at No. 6.

Hunter led his team to a title with 27 points in the national championship game this season, but his defense is the prize. He uses his length and strength to be an elite defensive forward, and will likely be capable of defending 1-5 in the NBA.

Clarke is more of a wildcard, as he’s much older and didn’t break onto the scene until his senior season after transferring to Gonzaga.

We give scouting reports of both players, discuss which we’d prefer, and determine whether trading the pick is a better option than picking either guy.

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As promised, when big things happen, check your Locked On Suns feeds for a BONUS EPISODE. As the Hawks make moves, it appears Jarrett Culver is in their sights, and Jeremy Woo, who added fuel to that fire in his latest mock draft at Sports Illustrated, joined the show to break it down.

Woo, Sports Illustrated’s NBA draft analyst, explains why there is so much interest in Culver and what it could take to move up to draft him. Then, he explains why he believes Coby White is a solid consolation prize for Phoenix, as well as how the other players available at No. 6 could fit next to Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.

Finally, Woo’s thoughts on how the Suns’ new front office might approach the 2019 draft and his prediction for where Phoenix goes at No. 6.

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As we gear up for the draft, we finally unveil our detailed breakdowns of the six top players in contention for the Suns at No. 6.

Throughout the week we will analyze two players per episode, and we begin today with the point guards, Darius Garland and Coby White.

Garland is a sweet-shooting guard who suffered a meniscus tear in his fifth college game and brings questions about his size and playmaking. White’s size is deceptive, making him appealing in theory but limited as a freshman at North Carolina.

The show closes with each of us choosing who we would prefer and whether either player is a better option than trying to trade the pick.

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We’re now less than two weeks away from the 2019 NBA Draft, which means coverage is going to heat up even more until then. Chris Manning of Locked On Cavs joined the show to discuss plenty of draft-related questions.

Following the Nets-Hawks trade, how does it impact the Cavaliers and Suns? For fans wanting Jarrett Culver on the Suns, Atlanta might be positioning themselves to leapfrog them with Cleveland.

Who are the best options for the Cavaliers at No. 5? Whatever they end up doing will have a direct impact on who the Suns select right behind them. Stay tuned for deep dives on prospects like Cam Reddish.

We close with thoughts on the possibility Cleveland trades J.R. Smith and Kevin Love. Phoenix could be one of the most interesting suitors for Smith due to his unique expiring contract that would essentially be free money.

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Catch up on the latest draft news and our player evaluations in a jumbo mailbag episode.

Thanks for all the great questions over @LockedOnPHXSuns on Twitter! We continue to build up our following and interaction over there and it makes for a better show.

Today, we reach into the mailbag to dissect your questions on the NBA Draft. We discuss everything from the fit of guys like De’Andre Hunter, Jarrett Culver and Brandon Clarke to potential trade-up targets in the late first round, to whether the Suns will use their first-round pick to acquire a veteran playmaker.

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We begin by addressing John Gambadoro’s report on mutual interest between the Suns and Julius Randle, in addition to how the Suns are valuing the No. 6 pick.

The reporting was compounded by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who said the Suns have made it known to rival teams they are willing to move the sixth pick for the “right” veteran guard. Who could that be, with Lonzo Ball, Chris Paul and Mike Conley scratched off the list?

Finally, we discuss the Suns’ first round of draft prospect workouts, which saw 36 prospects over the span of three days come through Talking Stick Resort Arena. We detail what the Suns’ plans might be bringing in so many guys who will likely go undrafted.

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We continue with our draft coverage by picking the brain of Chris Stone of Sporting News.

We begin by discussing the value of analytics in evaluating NBA draft prospects and which numbers are predictive and helpful compared with other less useful statistics.

Then, Chris gives his thoughts on players like Jarrett Culver, Coby White, Cam Reddish and Darius Garland who could be available at No. 6.

Finally, the Suns’ options at No. 32 and who Chris would consider a “sleeper” this year, plus whether the Suns would consider trading up based on James Jones’ comments Thursday.

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Cole Zwicker of The Stepien joins the show to break down the 2019 draft from the Suns’ perspective as well as his philosophies on evaluations, trades and team-building.

This isn’t your usual draft preview, we dive deep into big-picture questions that teams like the Suns must answer as they prepare for June 21.

We break down Jarrett Culver’s fit to Phoenix, why Grant Williams could be on the board at pick 32, why the NBA draft doesn’t have as many trades as the NFL draft, Best Player Available versus drafting for fit, and more.

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We look at six options Phoenix could prioritize once July 1 arrives and how their playoff performances could dictate the market.

Ricky Rubio is a savvy facilitator. Terry Rozier is an upside play. Darren Collison has all the ingredients to be a solid floor general. What’s the price going to be for all three, and how would they fit alongside Devin Booker in the Suns’ backcourt?

Thaddeus Young, Nikola Mirotic and Al-Farouq Aminu top the list for power forward targets. All three would be solid and help Deandre Ayton out tremendously. Can the Suns get any of them on the cheap?

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We look forward to the draft by profiling three players who could be on the Suns’ short list the night of the NBA Draft next month.

Kyle Lowry has shown his intangible value during these playoffs and is rounding into an even better playmaker as his career moves along. He might be the top Suns trade target at point guard.

Aaron Gordon has a very tradable contract and fits a position of need at power forward. But is he the right player to pair with Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton?

Kevin Love is the forgotten man with an enormous contract and an aging skill set. But he has a relationship with James Jones and fits nicely on offense with Ayton.

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