Phoenix Suns Projected to Land 7-foot-1 Stanford Star in Mock Draft

The Phoenix Suns currently sit in 11th place in the Western Conference, just outside of the play-in tournament. That's the bad news. The good news is that if they're able to turn things around just a touch, then they're still within striking distance of at least making the dance.

With the Suns sitting at 28-33 on the year, there will be some fans that are ready to turn the page, however, and are going to begin looking towards the NBA Draft. In a recent mock from NBA Draft on SI, they have the Suns selecting international star Hugo Gonzalez of Real Madrid in the Liga ACB.

Gonzalez is 19-years-old and stands 6-foot-7. He'd be a work in progress, but there are certainly some tools to work with.

They also have the Suns taking 7-foot-1 center, Maxime Raynaud, out of Stanford with the No. 55 overall pick (from Denver). Raynaud hails from France and spent last summer training with the French national team as they prepared for the Olympics.

That time spent with the pros has transformed his game this season, as he is averaging 20.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, tied for the lead in D1 hoops with 21 double-doubles this season. Oscar Cluff of South Dakota State also has 21 double-doubles, but Raynaud is playing in the ACC, a conference he leads in the statistic.

He's averaging nearly five more points and an extra board per game over what he produced in 2023-24, and the result has been a much more competitive Stanford men's basketball team. The Cardinal are 19-10 on the year, with an 11-7 record in conference play.

They're likely to be on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament, but that's a huge step forward since they haven't been in the conversation in years.

The Suns are going to need some size next season, with Jusuf Nurkić being traded to the Charlotte Hornets last month, and Mason Plumlee set to hit free agency following this season. That would leave 27-year-old Nick Richards as the only center on the roster, though Oso Ighodaro could potentially be a fill-in option.

Raynaud would bring the ability to secure rebounds, and wouldn't necessarily need to be a high-scoring threat for the team with Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker all on the roster. The Stanford center would be able to bring another dimension to the floor for Phoenix, however, with his ability to stroke it from three.

This season he has shot 54-of-157 from beyond the arc (34.4%), which could certainly be improved upon, but that's also roughly the same percentage as Booker this season (34.7%).

To be fair, Raynaud will likely be a work in progress as he adjusts to the pro game, so whether the Suns end up selecting him late in the second round could depend upon the direction the franchise is headed. He has the tools, and he'd be a good fit for Phoenix, but if they're looking to contend for a championship next season, then they may pass.