Suns Add USC Star in New Mock Draft

The Phoenix Suns are faced with two options when it comes to the 22nd pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft - keep the pick and take a player that can bind different timelines together, or trade the pick for an established rotation player.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer released a recent mock draft, which had the Suns selecting a point guard from USC - not named Bronny James.

Isaiah Collier, once heralded as the number one prospect in this draft, was O'Connor's choice at this slot.

O'Connor is apparently quite high on this pairing, as he touches upon in the description:

"There probably isn’t a better landing spot for Collier than the Suns, even though ending up here would necessitate falling in the draft. Collier’s downhill attacking ability would flourish alongside Phoenix’s spacing."

Kevin O'Connor

This is the first mock draft that has had the USC phenom coming to Phoenix, and his high-end athleticism blended with a natural penchant as a playmaker makes it a potential ideal pairing.

Collier averaged 16.3 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG in what turned out to be a massively disappointing season for the Trojans - while the raw stats looked quite good, he struggled with ball control and scoring efficiency in the midst of that.

He also did show upside as on off-ball shooter that could negate the downsides.

As mentioned, Collier would need to slide. He hasn't been mocked much lower than to the Philadelphia 76ers at pick 16.

This potential selection could change fortunes for this franchise, even if it means passing up on other players linked to the team at 22, such as Dayton's DaRon Holmes and Kansas' Johnny Furphy.

The other question that should be posed is whether the Suns will even keep the pick, as rumors continue to run rampant that the pick will be shopped.

Expect the Suns to bring in a player that can contribute day one, regardless of the ultimate decision surrounding the pick.