Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

On today’s episode, we discuss the Suns acquiring Trevor Ariza, as well as the decision to cut Tyler Ulis and its impact on Devin Booker’s future.

Phoenix stole Ariza from the defending conference finalist Houston Rockets on a one-year, $15 million deal, satiating their reported desire for a(nother) 3-and-D forward.

And after moving back the guarantee date on Tyler Ulis’ minimum contract, the Suns indeed waived the third-year point guard, who was one of Devin Booker’s closest friends. This reportedly frustrated Booker, who of course is eligible for a maximum extension this summer. Does this situation really matter? We discuss.

Finally, a preview of the Marquese Chriss-less Summer Suns.

Note: We recorded this podcast before the Suns officially announced the release of big man Alan Williams.

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On today’s episode, we wrap up our free agency preview with a few final mailbag questions and a mock Suns offseason.

Our audience questions lead us to a discussion about the trade market for Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender as well as a debate about the Suns’ targets for big man depth come July 1.

Then we try and address those decisions head-on through Evan’s mock offseason, with Brendon acting as facilitator/opposing general manager. Who do the Suns go out and get in our imagination?

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On today’s episode, our free agency preview continues with a look into the market for Aaron Gordon and several Twitter mailbag questions (keep submitting them to @LockedOnPhxSuns and we will answer the rest on Friday!) linked to the Suns’ potential interest in him.

Gordon’s restricted free agency could push the price too high for the Suns to clog their cap flexibility next week and limit their ability to add talent in 2019, but he would be a major boost in talent for the franchise.

The Suns’ willingness to spend money next year will determine how they handle their business this summer, as well as what they do about Devin Booker’s contract extension.

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On today’s episode, we discuss our final takeaways from the Suns’ media availability after the draft and on Friday morning at the new players’ introductions. Then, we briefly start out week-long free agency preview.

With a weekend to breathe after the Suns’ surprising draft, we evaluate where the team currently stands from a roster and locker room standpoint. How does Mikal Bridges fit into each of those equations?

We go out by brainstorming three free agent guards and three free agent stretch bigs who could help the Suns next season.

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On today's episode, Evan was joined by The Stepien's Cole Zwicker plus David Nash and Max McCauley of the 7 Seconds or Less Podcast to recap the 2018 NBA Draft, especially diving in further from Phoenix's point of view.

How do we see Deandre Ayton blending in to the current ecosystem built for him alongside Devin Booker and Josh Jackson? Should we expect plenty of growth from Ayton defensively, and how about his fit into Igor Kokoskov's scheme?

Then, we went into the discussion relating to Phoenix's aggressive push for Mikal Bridges and getting great value with Elie Okobo at No. 31. How do we see Bridges' winning pedigree impacting the Suns, including his elite two-way wing skill set? For Okobo, he's raw but also has tantalizing upside. How do we see the Frenchman long term next to Booker?

Overall, the Suns are seemingly going all-in on Devin Booker as their franchise. Unlike last year, they now have given him so much space to operate that he could be on the verge of taking his All-Star leap in 2018-19. Are we heading down the James Harden path with Booker? It's certainly an intriguing idea.

We ended the podcast with overall draft thoughts. Who were the biggest winners? How does Luka Doncic have three teams pass on him while De'Anthony Melton, a lottery talent, slips into the 40s? There was definitely some interesting selections by some teams and it will have long term ripple effects for their future in terms of roster construction.

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On today's episode, we recapped the 2018 NBA Draft live courtside from Talking Stick Resort Arena. Wow, what a night it was for the Phoenix Suns.

After landing Deandre Ayton at No. 1, Phoenix traded one of their most valuable assets in the 2021 Miami pick to Philadelphia for the rights to Mikal Bridges. Also, the Suns landed their possible point guard of the future at No. 31 with Elie Okobo, who GM Ryan McDonough said has a high long term ceiling.

With the addition of Bridges, what does this mean for T.J. Warren on the Suns? We dissected that even further alongside the strong haul Phoenix pulled off in its most important draft in franchise history.

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On today’s episode, we dove into the mailbag on Twitter and came out with several great questions from listeners about Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Conversation ranged from trade possibilities at No. 4 or No. 12 to get a guard such as Luka Doncic or Trae Young, to other options such as Michael Porter and Aaron Holiday.

It seems like the Suns will be right in the thick of things on draft night, and we could see some fireworks at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

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On today’s episode, we finish up our 2018 NBA Mock Draft with picks 16-31, which includes a Suns selection as well as a trade of the No. 31 pick. 

Listen in to find out how things line up for the Suns. 

Elsewhere, Washington capitalizes on a trade in part one to come away with two first-round rookies to bolster their expensive roster. 

In addition, the Celtics, Sixers and Warriors grab guys they hope will provide depth for their championship contenders.

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On today’s episode we break into an in-depth NBA mock draft, charting the first 15 picks, including two trades at the tail-end of the episode. 

There’s no surprises at No. 1, but things get interesting when the Bulls pick, and the Suns face an interesting trade possibility when the Hornets come to the plate at 11. 

Things wrap up with a pick swap between Atlanta and Washington at 15, which prevents the Suns from getting their point guard of the future in Collin Sexton.

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On today’s episode, we recapped the latest in the Kawhi Leonard saga alongside NBA Draft coverage.

With Kawhi officially wanting out, how should the Suns maneuver this situation? Should they be aggressive and inquire about him or maybe try to help facilitate it to bring back another young asset? Jackson weighs in, and where he believes is the favorite for Leonard’s services.

Then, we dive in on some more prospects and how they might fit in with the Suns. Donte DiVincenzo, Kevin Knox, Lonnie Walker, Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges, Aaron Holiday, and more were discussed.

Finally, we went over some trade up options for Phoenix. After trying to obtain a meeting with Trae Young plus being in attendance for private workouts of Wendell Carter Jr. and Michael Porter Jr., which player makes most sense to move all-in on the assets for?

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