A High-Upside and High-Floor NBA Draft Target for the Phoenix Suns

In Sunday's blockbuster trade, the Phoenix Suns sent 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and a haul of picks. Among these picks was the Suns' own 2025 first-round pick, which they had sent out to the Brooklyn Nets when they initially traded for Durant in 2023.

Now, with the NBA Draft on Wednesday, Phoenix must make a quick turnaround to decide who to add to their core around Devin Booker with the No. 10 pick.

The Suns' front office can go two ways with the pick. On the one hand, they could try to find a high-upside creator to pair with Booker as a co-star. Alternatively, they could target a higher-floor player whom they could develop into a valuable complementary rotation piece. It's likely they will have to choose between these options, as by the tenth pick, it's unlikely there will be a star bet on the board who also brings valuable median-type outcomes.

At the No.10 spot, Phoenix will have many options to choose from, both high-upside and high-floor prospects. However, these two prospects may be their best fit to fit each bill.

High-Upside Target: Derik Queen (Maryland)

Queen boasts upside as the next star advantage creator from the center position. He's a strong and crafty driver who can leverage physicality, sleek footwork, and soft touch to feast inside the arc. However, he's undersized for a center and his immobility makes him a poor defender. The 6-foot-9 big man's weaknesses may make it an uphill battle for him to bring NBA value, but if he's able to impose his unique creation ability at the next level, the Suns may be able to get a valuable offensive star next to Booker.

High-Floor Target: Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina)

During their brief "big three" era with Bradley Beal, Durant, and Booker, the Suns always lacked complementary teammates to defend next to the squad's many offensive stars. They learned the hard way that quality two-way players are hard to find at a reasonable price in the trade market, so they are often best developed through the draft.

They tried their hand at it by selecting Ryan Dunn last year, and could add to this budding wing core with Murray-Boyles, who projects as a two-way contributor in his own right. He boasts great positional size at 6-foot-7 and 240 lbs with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, which he combines with great timing to be an incredible wing defender. This physicality and awareness also manifests itself on the offensive end, where the 20-year-old is a relentless driver and shrewd passer. With this foundation of in-demand two-way skills, Murray-Boyles serves as a high-floor option for the Suns, who could potentially develop him into a valuable starter.