Ryan Dunn
Small Forward, 6’8”, 216 pounds, 22 years old, 1 year of experience
The Phoenix Suns are looking for a fresh start this season after a disappointing finish last year. The team has made plenty of new additions on the court, but it has also added a new head coach, Jordan Ott.
For Ryan Dunn, this is a year to showcase his true potential within this Suns lineup. Last year, the rookie was impressive for Suns fans, but he received sporadic playing time that hindered his great play outside of Phoenix. His
goal this year is to take the league by storm and make a name for himself in this league as one of the most impactful defenders.
2024-25 Recap
For a rookie, Dunn was able to impress immediately coming into Phoenix. When he was selected with the 29th overall pick in last year’s draft, there were some skeptics about his offensive game coming into the NBA. In the two years in college, he shot under 25% from three with 35 attempts his sophomore year.
This was a concern, even if Dunn was regarded as the best defensive wing in the class, but luckily for the Sun, it did not matter. Dunn, in the preseason, showcased that this would not be a big issue, and he finished his rookie season shooting 31% from three on 3.6 attempts.
For his rookie year, he certainly made an impact while on the court when he was playing. Unfortunately for Dunn and the Suns, there were times he did not see the court for long stretches of time. This was frustrating not only for him but the fans who knew how important he was for the defensive side of the ball, his specialty.
That being said, Ryan Dunn did have some great games out there for the Suns this season. One game I can remember specifically was late in the season, where the playoff hopes had already faded for this team. Even with that being the case, Dunn came prepared to play vs the San Antonio Spurs. Dunn had his career high of 26 points, notched with 11 rebounds. Dunn was the leading scorer for the team and showcased his ability to be a growing piece within this unit, something someone on the coaching staff did not see.
Contract Details
Dunn signed a four-year $13 million contract after he was traded from the Denver Nuggets on draft night. The Suns signed him to a rookie-scale contract, and he earns around $3.25 million per year. This is an excellent deal for the Suns, who still want to see the potential in Dunn and have him secured for the next three seasons. Once he reaches the end of that deal, the Suns will then have a better evaluation of his talents and know how much he is truly worth to the franchise, one that should be prioritized down the line as of now.
Strengths & Weakenesses
Dunn was one of the best defensive prospects in his draft class and held that standard in his rookie year. He was such a pivotal point in the Suns’ rotational spot that when he played, it was clear the defense was night and day different. Dunn’s ability to pick players up on-ball leads to him being such a disruptive force when opponents are trying to attack the basket. His ability to help off-ball as well led to more disruptions out there and helped the Suns in transition.
When he and another player, Caleb Martin, were out there, it was evident how they needed to be used as connectors to the offensive stars already out on the court. As the season continued and Dunn was more present in the lineup, his steal numbers also rose. The wing averaged one steal or more in March and April of this year, proving that if given the minutes, he can truly be a help in this wing rotation.
So far what we have seen in the Summer League this past year, would also prove that Dunn has been very effective on that side of the ball and should continue so into this upcoming season.
Now his weaknesses would definitely be on the offensive end of the ball. Like we mentioned earlier, he was not known to be a good three-point shooter in college, and even though it does not seem to be ineffective at the NBA level, there is still some development needed there. The struggle to create his own shot is still there, but not needed when he is a complementary piece alongside those scorers here in Phoenix. He is a better catch-and-shoot three-point scorer, which is a better fit for his role here as well.
By getting more consistent in this role, though, he could become better from three-point land and turn into a solid 3&D wing that would be a perfect fit next to Devin Booker.
One Key Factor
Where does Dunn find himself in this rotation? Everyone highly speculates that he will find himself in the starting lineup alongside Dillon Brooks as the two wings. That would mean in a league that is now positionless that he would most likely be the power forward, as he is taller than Brooks. Will this be able to showcase Dunn’s true ability to be a versatile defender? I ultimately do think so, and that is the player we need to see.
One that is going to step up and be ready to take the opponent’s best offensive weapon and lock him down. This is what Suns fans wanted to see last year, and something that is going to need to translate in Jordan Ott’s new system for the team to find success. We know last year they ranked as a bottom-five defense, and that is something that cannot happen again. Especially if Ryan Dunn is a pivotal piece in this starting lineup.
Prediction Time
With Dunn getting a bigger role within this group, I do see him taking the leap that is going to be needed for Phoenix this upcoming year. Since he is one of the best defenders on the squad, I see him prioritizing defense more than offense throughout the year. Even though that is the case, I do expect him to hvae some crazy dunks as we saw last year with Dunn soaring through the air to attack the rim. With Brooks being alongside him, I do see him being used less as a three-point scorer, but I do think in instances, he will be able to hit them when needed.
Dunn should expect the most development out of the young guys, and this will be shown with his playing time.
Stat Prediction: 78 games played, 8.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG on 45/34/53 shooting splits
Final Thoughts
Ryan Dunn is one of the most intriguing players on the team this season. He is someone I am going to be keeping an eye on. He is very beneficial for the future direction of this team and how quickly the Suns can return to the conversations we will miss this year. As someone who is trying to make a name for himself in this rotation, I am looking for the best for him this year and can’t wait to see what is in store for us as fans.
