Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, cohosts Brendon and Evan discuss the trajectory of Elfrid Payton’s career as it touches down in Phoenix. 

There’s no better person to join them in that discussion than Philip Rossman-Reich, the managing editor of FanSided’s Orlando Magic blog and the host of Locked On Magic. 

The discussion begins with general observations about Payton’s growth as a defender, shooter, and leader and how it was stunted by the constant change and turmoil in Orlando. The hosts try their best to imagine whether it will be different in Phoenix, and how Payton will look next to Devin Booker.

Finally, Philip compares stories of the Magic’s rebuild to that of Phoenix. Are veteran leaders valuable? Is fit between players required?

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon recap the Phoenix Suns’ 123-113 loss to the Nuggets on Saturday night.

Not only did we witness the debut of Elfrid Payton, but it led to T.J. Warren, Dragan Bender, and Josh Jackson having great performances. Warren led the Suns with 31 points, but the Suns’ top two picks in 2016 and 2017 continue towards likely breakouts here soon.

Jackson ended his night with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 4 blocks while Bender tallied a career-high 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 three-pointers made.

We went more in-depth on Phoenix’s loss, especially the play out of Payton, Warren, Jackson, and Bender. 

What were our main takeaways as they head towards a trip to Golden State on Monday?

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The Suns on Thursday traded the Memphis Grizzlies’ second-round pick for fourth-year point guard Elfrid Payton. It wasn’t exactly a groundbreaking move, but nevertheless, your faithful hosts convened for a quick recap.

First, Brendon and Evan discussed how little the move costs the Suns. The outgoing second-round pick arrived in Phoenix just five months ago, attached to Troy Daniels in a deal during training camp. Now, it becomes Payton.

Another angle of the deal is Payton’s contract. He will be a restricted free agent after the season, meaning the Suns can match any offer sheet he signs on the open market. What advantages does that bring the team?

Finally, the Suns’ desperate need for a point guard was on full display in last night’s loss, so how does the addition of Payton affect their ability to compete on the court?

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On today's episode of Locked On Suns, we have a very special episode for you. Evan was joined by Cole Zwicker from The Stepien and Kellan Olson from Arizona Sports 98.7 to discuss the 2018 Draft.

We discussed a multitude of secondary ball handlers in Part 1, including prospects such as Jevon Carter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Shake Milton.

We also recapped Oklahoma vs. West Virginia. What stood out in Trae Young's 32-point performance?

Near the end of Part 1, we started to do thorough, in-depth prospect dives on the top seven prospects. 

Enjoy this one first, as Part 2 will feature more breakdowns of prospects the Suns could possibly take near the top of the draft.

It's 2 hour NBA Draft MegaPod time!

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In Part 2 of Locked On Suns NBA Draft MegaPod with The Stepien's Cole Zwicker and Arizona Sports 98.7's Kellan Olson went in-depth on the top prospects.

We looked at the following names and broke down their profile and overall fit in Phoenix: Jaren Jackson Jr., Marvin Bagley III, Mohamed Bamba, Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Michael Porter Jr.

Also, how should the Suns use their assets and attack this important summer? Cole and Kellan are given the keys to the Suns and try to fix it. Do they like the idea of Avery Bradley being pursued by them in free agency, too?

Enjoy Part 2 of our 2018 NBA Draft MegaPod!

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Over the weekend, the Suns lost two games in disappointing fashion, dropping their record to 18-41 with the trade deadline looming this Thursday.

Altogether, the losses were by a combined 47 points, marking one of the worse two-game stretches by the team all year. There were two main positives:

Josh Jackson’s streak of 20 point games increased to four, marking the best week of his young career by far.Dragan Bender took advantage of heavy minutes in each game to flash a lot of the offensive tools that made him such an intriguing prospect two summers ago.On the negative side, it mostly came down to defense and Devin Booker. Booker appears to be struggling mightily with two abdominal injuries, and the hosts discussed whether it makes sense to shut him down for the five remaining games heading into the All-Star break.

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, we decided to split it up. In Part 1 of our draft discussions, Brendon went solo and talked to Chris Stone of Sporting News.

Brendon and Chris chatted about names who make sense with their Miami pick, including prospects such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Landry Shamet, and Shake Milton who fit the mold of ball handlers alongside Devin Booker.

Then, they quickly discussed Chris’ board at the top, which featured the likes of Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, and Deandre Ayton. Who is Chris’ favorite fit for Phoenix?

Chris also watches a lot of Kansas Jayhawks basketball, so they talked about Josh Jackson’s improvements as of late.

This was a really informative episode on the latest draft prospects, so tune in.

On Monday, Evan will be joined by The Stepien’s Cole Zwicker for Part 2.

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon recap the Suns’ 102-88 win over Dallas in primetime Wednesday. Then, we looked ahead to what we predict will be a fun battle against Utah.

During our recap, we discussed Josh Jackson’s continued strong play, an update on Devin Booker at point guard, and possible trade scenarios involving Aaron Gordon. 

According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic, Orlando is quietly gauging Gordon’s trade value.

Do the co-hosts believe Gordon is the right piece long-term in Phoenix? Would they even give him a max contract? We looked towards possible scenarios, but Orlando will be asking a heavy price before he hits restricted free agency this summer.

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The Suns lost, predictably, to the Grizzlies on Monday night, 120-109. Brendon and Evan touch on why it was more of the same for the Suns in Memphis, minus Devin Booker and Marquese Chriss. We also break down another 20-point performance for Josh Jackson. 

We also discussed two NBA breaking news pieces concerning from yesterday and how they relate to the Suns’ team-building pursuits. First, John Gambadoro’s report that the Suns will target Avery Bradley in free agency this summer. Also, what Blake Griffin being traded to Detroit means for the Suns.

Finally, ahead of Evan’s first mock draft for Bright Side, we mocked the lottery, including the Suns pick at No. 3 overall.

This is a must-listen if you want all the latest on the Suns and draft prospects Phoenix could select this summer.

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon spent the first half talking about Phoenix’s loss in Houston.

We touched on not only Devin Booker’s first career 30 point, 10 assist game but covered it from all angles related to the main core pieces of #TheTimeline.

Over the second portion of this podcast, we discussed Scott Bordow’s exclusive interview with Suns general manager Ryan McDonough. With the emergences of Booker and T.J. Warren, McDonough believes it’s time to be more aggressive this summer compared to previous seasons.

The co-hosts chatted on a multitude of topics, including how Warren and Josh Jackson will fit long-term alongside how Phoenix can shed contracts for cap space. Keep an eye on Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley, and Troy Daniels over the next few weeks if they want to exceed over $45 million in room this summer.

How should the Suns not only attack this year’s trade deadline but the summer and moving forward?

It’s safe to say we are finally approaching McDonough’s all-in move.

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