Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: What are your thoughts on the Suns drafting Koa Peat and his fit with the Suns?
GuarGuar: I liked the Peat pick and feel like he’s a great value for where we got him and what we had to give up. This team needs athleticism and size, and he certainly brings that. He’s another guy who is a jumpshot away so we will see if this one finally hits for us, but I love the upside with
Koa. 100% approve of the pick and am looking forward to seeing him in Summer League.
Ashton: BG and the Suns went to the NBA draft bargain bin clearance sale and ended up with a lottery pick at half price with pick number 30. Good job.
I am actually not sure where some of the angst is coming from, the Suns posters or even national pundits that wildly graded this pick as an A, B, or a C. Full disclosure, I am an Arizona alum, and I watch all the games. Let’s discuss some of the issues.
- Koa can’t shoot threes. The entire team (University of Arizona) was not shooting threes! They ranked close to last at the three-point rate among all NCAA teams taken (363 out of 365 teams). Why? Because they were killing teams with players in the paint (Krivas and Awaka) with rebounds and scoring. They left nothing on the dinner table for Koa Peat.
- Koa can’t shoot. Oh, he can. So, when the ball was kicked out to him from the aforementioned players’ gobbling up of all the rebounds or the guards hitting tough shots, there were two paths. Take it to the hoop or just straight up or drain the middy. He was not going to the perimeter for a catch and shoot. A lot has been on his shot mechanics, where he tried for a higher point of release at the NBA combine. This was a mistake. He should have explored the shot mechanics after the combine for a better draft position, but then the Suns would have never been able to draft him. This is nothing that a good Suns shooting coach can teach.
- Koa can’t defend. Oh common! He is coming off a Tommy Lloyd-coached team, a team that preaches defensive discipline. Koa Peat would not play if he let his man blow by him. Some talk from the cherry-pickers that he lacks lateral quickness.
Prove me wrong. The last time I defended an Arizona pick in DA, my arse was kicked. Koa Peat is different and will be rostered due to his work ethic and coaching ability. A starter? No. And an end-of-the-bench PF that will wow you at times in his rookie season. And an Arizona Son.
OldAz: I don’t watch a ton of college ball outside of the tournament, and I certainly don’t indulge in nearly as much draft prep as others. As a result, my opinions are limited to seeing which talking heads liked their pick and which ones hated it.
I tend to ignore the Twitter (X?) trolls that post a few clips to show that he sucks just as much as the fanboys who post highlights against the college of the blind. For the most part, the voices I trust see a kid with a ton of natural talent, incredible upside, and high basketball IQ that needs to learn to shoot.
Considering his age, I have no reason to question if he can develop a more consistent shot and trust that they will develop him into a positive contributor that will end up a bargain for the late first round.
Rod: Honestly, I just trust Brian Gregory’s judgement on these things…for now anyway. I don’t watch college ball much at all anymore, so I’m limited in my knowledge of the players in the draft, so I have to rely on second-hand info…which has been all over the place on Peat.
I do really like what he said in the presser about him always trying to get to the rim, always attacking the basket. More players with that attitude are something this team has needed to balance out all the three-point attempts. When the threes weren’t falling, this team was usually in trouble last season and I see this as a sign that the FO recognized this and is attempting to fix a flaw in the construction of their roster.
Q2: Suns GM Brian Gregory gave up three 2nd-round picks to move up to 30th and draft Peat. What is your opinion of the price he paid to move up?
GuarGuar: I think that’s a totally fair and reasonable price to move up for Koa. 2nds are not that valuable, and while we are limited in draft assets, it’s not a big deal to me. It’s very hard to hit on 2nd rounders, and the chance of us hitting on a late first is definitely better (albeit still small). Good move overall in my book.
Ashton: This question hurts. I have maintained that those second-round picks could be valuable. 2027 mock drafts have the Suns in an unflattering position on the pick swaps, which simply means that pundits (and gambling sites) think they are on the decline. The Suns owned the 2029 and 2033 second-round picks, which could have been low 30’s. They are gone.
But now I know the price of what it takes to move into the first round. And the price is not that bad. And from Q1, the return was quite good.
It should be mentioned that both Jaden Bradley and Henri Vessar were available with the 2026 47th pick. The Knicks chose Tyler Nickel. I know nothing about this guy, but I could have talked about the other two. So did the Suns overpay?
And while we are talking mocks, Suns would get the least favorable probably get the least favorable from Cleveland in the first round in 2027. Mocked at 21. B.S. – Cleveland is better and the Sun’s first round pick that can be traded is probably more mid-twenties.
Regardless, it was a good trade.
OldAz: First, I don’t look at it as giving up 3 picks because they would have made a much later selection with one of those 3 picks. So they gave up 2 future 2nd round picks and still ended up with 1 player out of this draft. I also like when they move with conviction to get the player that they want and can reasonably acquire.
If Gregory continues to show a better eye for talent and mind for development compared to past Suns front offices, then we won’t care about those extra two 2nd round picks. However, the Suns once got exactly what they wanted and drafted both Marquis Criss and Dragan Bender in the same draft class, and we all know how poorly that worked out. Even if this evaluation of talent is just as bad as those extra seconds are far less costly than the 4th and 8th picks overall.
Rod: I’m good with it because they used them to get what they wanted (Peat). For the most part, 2nd round picks are like the spare change in my pocket. Individually, they aren’t often worth that much but the more you have, the more you can get in exchange for them…and the Suns just cashed in those 2nds for a late first. Was it an overpay? Only time will tell on that one. It all depends on how Peat turns out as an NBA player so it’s way too early to place judgment on it right now.
Q3: Following the draft, Gregory moved quickly to sign two undrafted players, PG Sam Hoiberg (Nebraska, Exhibit-10 non-guaranteed contract) and SG/Wing Corey Camper Jr. (Nevada, Exhibit-10 non-guaranteed contract). What are your thoughts on these signings?
GuarGuar: I doubt either will play a single meaningful minute for the Suns, especially Hoiberg. But you never know what can happen, and if either of these guys breaks out in Summer League we could have an interesting roster conundrum come September. If one of these guys were to break out, I would say Campers based on his skill set and frame.
Ashton: I have no problems with Exhibit-10 contracts. Camper Jr. is not someone I have watched. Nevada was trying to win the Mountain West Conference late in the season (why do I follow college BB?) and were probably screwed by the selection committee, but they made the NIT and quarterfinals (loss to Auburn). The NCAA tourney field will expand next year, but they want more losing power conference teams. I am not sure if that helps the group of 6. I really do not get this invite.
Sam Hoiberg comes from a great pedigree, and it is simply amazing what Nebraska was able to accomplish last season. I never thought I would say that about a Lincoln-based team since the 90’s. So, I am interested in what he can do in the Summer League. If he brings the same fire that he made for a moribund Huskers basketball team in the Big 10, so this could be a good pick-up.
Still, I think the Suns could have done better. So color me unimpressed.
OldAz: We’ll, I have heard of Hoiberg at least. Oh, wait, that’s probably his father/coach whose name I recognize. Well, that probably means he has a high basketball IQ, which is a nice thing, especially for a point guard, and I even think his dad played in the league, so there’s that. That’s about all I can come up with for players I have not watched and are probably just camp bodies anyway at this point.
Rod: I actually like both of these guys…for the Valley Suns. I expect that’s where they’ll both wind up this year, but Hoiberg might have the potential to be a fair backup PG someday, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see his E-10 contract converted into a two-way later on. One thing I like about both is that they’re supposed to be good defensive players, too. This fits into what Gregory seems to want in his players so there might be a place for them other than the G League eventually.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“Every day, the character piece comes into play. Because what we’re asking guys to do, is do stuff that not everybody is willing to do. We gotta make sure these guys have that character piece, have that work ethic, the tireless competitiveness where they’re never satisfied.” – Brian Gregory
“You can’t predicate your game on scoring. You’ve got to do other things to help your team win.” – Koa Peat
“Ever since a young kid, I’ve always been trying to get to the rim. My parents have always told me not to settle when I get on the court. Trying to get to the rim, draw fouls and get other teams in foul trouble and try to go in there and dunk on people.” – Koa Peat
Suns Trivia/History
On June 28, 1988, the Suns drafted Dan Majerle in the 1st round (14th pick) of the 1988 NBA Draft. Most fans booed the pick as it was made.
On June 28, 2008, the Suns traded Malik Hairston, cash, and a 2009 2nd round draft pick (DeJuan Blair was later selected) to the San Antonio Spurs for Goran Dragic.
During game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals in 2010, Dragic led a Phoenix Suns comeback against the team that originally drafted him, the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 23 of his total 26 points in the fourth quarter. Dragić scored his points on 10/13 FG attempts, including 5/5 three-pointers and a 4-point play, as the Suns overcame an early 18-point deficit to defeat the Spurs 110–96 and take a 3–0 lead in their best-of-seven series in the Western Conference Semifinals.
In 2014, Dragic won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. He is one of three Suns players to have won the award, with the other two being Kevin Johnson (1989) and Boris Diaw (2006).
On June 30, 1999, the Suns drafted Shawn Marion in the 1st round (9th pick) of the 1999 NBA Draft with the draft pick they acquired from the Dallas Mavericks for Steve Nash the previous year.
In his 9 seasons with the Suns, Marion scored 12,134 points (4th on the Suns’ All-Time leaders list), grabbed 6,616 rebounds (2nd most All-Time), dished out 1,332 assists (17th most All-Time), had 1,245 steals (2nd most All-Time), blocked 894 shots (3rd most All-Time), and made 652 three-pointers (5th most All-Time). In the playoffs, his total of 706 rebounds is the highest in franchise history.
On July 3, 1992, the Suns signed 33-year-old, 11-year NBA veteran Danny Ainge as a free agent. Ainge would play his final 3 seasons in the NBA with the Suns before retiring in 1995. One year later, Ainge would return to Phoenix as the Suns’ head coach for three full seasons and part of a fourth before abruptly resigning after 20 games in 1999 citing a need to spend more time with his family. He was replaced by assistant coach Scott Skiles. The Suns made it to the playoffs each of Ainge’s 3 full seasons as HC but were eliminated in the 1st round all three years.
Important Future Dates
June 30 – Teams can begin negotiations with all free agents
July 1 – Official start of the 2026-27 league year and moratorium period
July 6 – Moratorium ends, official free agent contract signings can begin
July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas
Late September (dates TBD) – NBA Training Camps open
